RESHIVAAR – THE TIME OF PEACE AND INTIGRITY
Hum kho baithay apna wajood
Jub apno nai hee hamai bhulaa dia,
Chood dia apna aangun jo ab supno mai suma lia.
Bachpun beeta oos chinaar ki chaao mai
Zindzgi hi badul di kuch muzhabi jamadaaro nai.
Khuch khooya kuch bichad gaya,
Insaaniyat nai hi insaaniyat ko roond dia,
Aaag jo julni thi diya jalanay kai lea ,
Osi nai kashmiriyat ko junjhool dia…
“Where are you from?” this is the question that haunts them in every phase of life. This question sounds very straight forward for us but it isn’t so simple for KASHMIRI PANDITS who no longer can associate themselves with their homelands. This dilemma is faced by them because it’s not just the land or the house they have left behind, it’s the culture, the distinctive practice and the identity which they have left behind when they sever ties with their native place. It was the time when they become refugee in their own homeland and now their identity is just a dream. They are victims of the Governments apathy, they are the victims of militancy, they are the victims of the circumstances, they are” KASHMIRI PANDITS”
Kashmiri Legends
Kashmir valley was initially uninhabitable for the humans as most of the parts were submerged under water. It was then ruled by King Neel. A demon named Jaodbhav had created havoc in the whole valley. He was immortal in the water due to the boom from Lord Brahma. It came to be known as Kashmir after the name of Kashyap Rishi who brought the Gods to earth. The whole point of talking about this story from the history is to reiterate the fact that Kashmir was once known as the example “RISHIVAAR”.
Invasions and Conversions
Kashmir valley remained a safe home for the Pandits until the end of the 14th century. By the beginning of this era Religious Discrimination was slowly seeping into the society and there was no apprehension about the presence of a particular community.
Lal Ded, a Shaivite sect mystic and a Sufi Saint, said in those times:
“Shiv chhuy thali’e thaali’e rozaan
Mo zaan Hyon’d tey Musalmaan” ; which means
Shiv is present in all particles and every lifeform
Never distinguish between a Hindu and a Muslim
The Exodus Of Kashmiri Pandits In 1990
When the exodus began in early 90s the pandits had not imagined that they were leaving their homeland forever and now they can go to their native places only as visitor. Some were lucky who had good neighbors to take care of their property while some of them were unlucky as after they left, their houses looted, burned and illegally occupied. Many people were forced to sell their properties at death cheap rates. But it was not just the property that the pandits were losing while they were leaving their homes, it was their identity too. It’s more than 20 years but the struggle and pain is still untouched by the Government authorities.
A whole generation of Kashmiri pandits and whole generation of kashmiries has grown up without each other and now both the communities has almost forgotten to accommodate each other.
The social fabric has already fallen apart and now they are left with are the memories and that too will fade away and will get eroded as few more generations remain away from their homeland.
Kashmiriyat
Kashmiriyat is the ethno-National and social consciousness and cultural values of the Kashmiri people which rises from jumbhuriyat. Which means standing for one another, loving, caring and most importantly peace and integrity. The new generations have to understand that Kashmir is the land of Sufism.
The Brahmanical social domination coupled with unsteady economic order in Kashmir valley created room for Sufism which appeared as a reaction of the spirit, against the letter, by preaching the doctrine of love, compassion, humanity and an ideology where cast hierarchy, individuals financial standing does not matters;
Sufism is a mystic sect of Islam. Sufi saints won over the hearts of kashmirieson account of their piety and sincerity by employing methods of persuasion, humanity and discourse.
‘’Salafism’’ backed by Pakistan has sounded the death of knoll of ‘’kashmiriyat’’ the miscreants have tried everything to bring differences among the communities for personal interest and used religious belief for the conflict.
Conclusion
Thousands of hearts and unheard prayers are waiting to return back to their motherland. Painful souls and voices are in hope that one day they will be returning back to their mother land where they have spent their childhood days. Memories are as fresh as the first fallen snow on Chinaar. The longing to return to the valley did not diminish over the years, though it may have become more an idea than a real ambition. Successive governments have promised that they will help this process, but the situations on the ground in Kashmir has meant this only an intention. The efforts to resettle pandits in the valley in the last two decades have seen ghetto like structure come up in various parts of Kashmir, ringed by heavy concertina wire with heavy security, underlining the hope for Normalcy.
