[Reader-list] Is the Kashmiri movement communal?

[Aditya Raj Baul]

Is the Kashmiri movement communal?
http://www.kashmirlibrary.org/kashmir_timeline/kashmir_chapters/kashmir-communal.shtml

# In 1947, when communal holocaust had been raging in Jammu,
Kapurthala and elsewhere in India, Kashmir Valley was quiet and 5%
Pandit minority safe, in the spirit of Kashmiriyat- a composite
cultural identity with the glorious traditions of communal amity,
tolerance and compassion.

# In 1990, when Pandits felt insecure given the killings of innocent
community members, secular JKLF tried to explain that the killings of
prominent Pandits were not communal and merely for political reasons
like media bias and sentencing of Butt. Kashmiris came out and
demonstrated in support of their Pandit brethren.

# Joint reconciliation efforts by members from both Muslim and Pandit
communities like- Mufti Bahauddin Farooqi and H.N. Jatto - were
actively discouraged by Jagmohan. There have been charges that this
exodus was encouraged by Jagmohan, who has a reputation for having
anti-Muslim sentiments, to enable India to have a "free hand" in
dealing with the Muslims in the Valley, a charge which Jagmohan has
denied. A thorough, independent enquiry alone can show if this exodus
was entirely unavoidable.

# Communal killings of the murder of sixteen male Hindus in Kishtwar
in August 1993 was condemned by the JKLF and the Hizb. They continue
to condemn communal killings.

# There have been instances of Muslims helping build temples for
Hindus- an example being the village of Ichhigam, Budgam. [Indian
Express, 10 July 2003] Nine hundred Muslim families built this shrine
for just eight Hindu families living in this village.

# Since the 1989 insurgency, whenever there are attacks against
minorities, Kashmiri Muslims along with the Hurriyat leaders, have
come out and protested the attacks and given support to the minority
community, as demonstrated following the recent Nadimarg massacre. The
entire Valley shut down on March 25 in response to a call for a strike
by the Hurriyet[Kashmir Times, March 25], thus sending a clear signal
to the killers that Kashmiri Muslims do not approve of killings of
their Hindu brethren and that Kashmiriyat is still flourishing. As
Moti Lal, one of the Nadimarg survivors pointed out, "such killings
cannot be stopped unless Kashmir issue is resolved. How can our Muslim
brethren ensure our security when they are themselves dying?".

# What is clear:

  1) Kashmiri civilians are not communal by and large. Kashmiriyat
continues to flourish.

  2) Kashmiri militant groups like JKLF and Hizb are not communal;
they have routinely condemned communal killings.

  3) Those forces which perpetrate these communal killings are
interested in tainiting the Kashmiri movement for self-determination
with a communal colour.

# What is not clear:

  1) Who are those communal forces? It could be jihadi militants with
an Islamic agenda; It could be Indian sponsored renegades to
communalize the conflict. Opinion remains divided.

  2) Only an independent investigation by an impartial agency can
reveal the true identity of the killers. Kashmiris have repeatedly
demanded inquiry and it continues to be ignored.