Sanjha Morcha

Valley’s Sufism giving way to violent Islam by Maj Gen JS Kataria (retd)

There is an ideological change taking place in Kashmir. It needs to be countered, and the funding choked. Cases of mob attacks have increased because many who initiated violence were allowed to get away unpunished.

Valley’s Sufism giving way to violent Islam
Protesters throwing stones at paramilitary forces after a village was cordoned off in South Kashmir on Wednesday. Tribune photo

The eruption of militancy in the Kashmir valley in 1989 and the subsequent terrorism has been long seen as an internal political issue, exploited by the ISI in cahoots with the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (AHPC) in an attempt to dismember J&K from India. The recent intensification of mob violence, stone pelting episodes and even attempts to interfere in the Army’s operations have thrown open the question whether it continues to remain a purely political problem? There is evidence of ideological changes, which need to be identified, their impact studied and a way ahead found.Jammu and Kashmir has been the cradle of Sufi saints, often referred to as the “Muslim rishis”. It is through the preaching of these Sufi saints that Islam gained ground in the Valley. Some like Syed Sharaf Uddin Rahman (Bulbul Shah), Mir Muhammad Hamdan, Noor ud-din Noorani (Nand Rishi), and Hazrat Baba Payamudin (Baba Rishi) left an indelible imprint on the lives of the people of J&K. It grew as a mature society, inclusive of all religions. Where does it stand today?The arrival of militancy and the consequential terrorism in Kashmir has led to wanton destruction of schools, factories and infrastructure. The law and order machinery in the state has been paralysed, the youth subverted and encouraged to take up arms, and Kashmiri Pundits forced to flee. It has been a breakdown of the age-old culture and tradition of peaceful co-existence. The worst was the burning of Charar-e-Sharief, a bastion of Kashmiriyat, by terrorists from Pakistan. People of the Valley remained mute spectators to this unsavoury assault.Amidst intense anti-terrorist operations of the 1990s, the Army launched operations to ‘win hearts and minds of people’ that had gone astray. It was formalised as “Op Sadbhavana” in late 1997. Its five-pronged approach was to revitalise education, health care, community development, improvement of infrastructure and youth development. By 2010, over Rs 400 crore allocated by the Centre had been spent on various schemes under Op Sadbhavana. Government schools were restored and Army Goodwill Schools (AGSs) established. Intense counter-terrorist operations coupled with Op Sadbhavana yielded positive results. The casualty rate in 2006 came down to 1,116, against 5,204 in 2000. The number of tourists in the Valley jumped to 7 lakh from less than 1 lakh. The economy of the state started growing by 5-7 per cent from 2006 to 2010.The state has a large number of Waqf Board schools and madarsas run by Deobandi organisations. Against 30 AGSs, the madarsas are more than double, many of which have affiliations with terrorist organisations in Pakistan. It is these madarsas, coupled with mosques supported by the APHC, that are responsible for subverting minds of the youth to make them pro-Pakistan and anti-Indian establishment. This continuous assault on Kashmiriyat is instrumental in the change of ideology.Since 2010, separatist leaders have managed to re-group. The cases of Pakistan/ISIS flags being waved, stone-pelting mobs, attacks on police station, looting of banks, burning of schools and youth development centres have witnessed an abrupt rise. The few who initiated violence and escaped without retribution were elevated to exalted positions and became influential. This encouraged bystanders to join as active participants. The violence reached a crescendo in 2016 in the aftermath of the killing of Burhan Wani, who was a Hizbul Muzahideen terrorist.Troops operating in the Valley In the early 1990s also faced mob violence. Though the Army operated with restraint, those responsible for acts of violence were given a clear message to stop or face the music. By 1996, when the first elections were held, mob violence had stemmed and the situation continued to improve till its resurgence in 2010. The occurrence of recent mob assault on the troops deployed in Handwara is a repetition of the past. General Rawat’s warning to the supporters of terrorists/separatists that hereafter they would be treated as anti-nationals is the need of the hour. There is an ideological change taking place in the Valley – a clear departure from Sufism to violent Islam. It needs to be countered – their funding needs to be choked.A number of people from the Valley have moved to other tourist centres in India and set up businesses. A case in point is Jew Town in Cochin, which has nearly 40 per cent stores run by Kashmiris, including some ‘hardliners’. Cochin is an important naval base. The presence of ISI moles in various parts of India is a well-known fact. There is a need to keep tabs on the hardliners’ funding. It is estimated that terror funds to the tune of thousands of crores annually flow into the Valley. Demonetisation was one attempt to block this funding, but the recent discovery of fake currency has put a question mark on its efficacy. There has to be multiplicity of effort on this front.Peace could return to the Valley if the lost culture of Kashmiriyat/Sufism is restored and the gun culture curtailed. It is the people of the state who have to realise this, and do it themselves. Followers of a moderate Islam have to find their voice for the sake of their future generations. The government has been talking to all stakeholders, including the separatists/AHPC, for a long time. It may be time to leave them in a limbo to generate space for the moderate voices if the country has to find a solution to the Kashmir imbroglio.