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| Has the ray of hope Gandhi ji seen in Kashmir faded? | | | Early Times Special Correspondent
Jammu | Oct 12
Has the ray of light Gandhi ji seen in Kashmir, amidst communal holocaust in various parts of the country, in the wake of country's partition in 1947, faded? Was this light so dim and marked in delible ink to get erased with the passage of time? Are not Gandhi ji's teaching of non-violence, truth and love for human being no more relevant in Kashmir of today embroiled in violence and bloodshed? These are the million dollar questions on the lips of the people in the country as well as in J&K, who still accord significance to the message of peace, love and communal brotherhood taught by Gandhi ji.
The fact remains that the ray of light the Father of nation claimed to have seen in Kashmir in 1947, when he visited this part of the country at the time when many parts of India were burning with communal riots and bloodshed, as a reaction to the similar holocaust in the parts which had then become Pakistan and from where a very large number of non Muslims were hounded out and migrated to Indian parts, was only illusionary. The communal passion and hatred among the religious fanatics in Jammu and Kashmir, who were influenced by the communal fanatics in the neighbouring East Pakistan and parts of Frontier Province, was smouldering, although the same was camouflaged under the wrap of secularism talked loudly by Sheikh Abdullah and his associates in the Nation Conference.
In the wake of the month long celebrations of Gandhi Jayanti this year, concluding October 2, the birth anniversary of the apostle of peace, non-violence, truth and human love, the Islamic fundamentalist and even some of those who have worn the over cloak of secularism, having underneath starch communalism, could not help getting provoked to come out in their true colours, shedding the pretension of secularism and love for humanity. Besides the sharp criticism against the celebrations of Gandhi Jayanti, with month long seminars, debates and lectures on Gandhian teaching and philosophy held in schools and colleges, with final function held at SKICC Srinagar, where prizes were given away by the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, to the winners of the debate, by hardcore fundamentalist and starch communal elements like Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani and Dukhtarane Milat Chief Aisha Andrabi, a good number of otherwise enlightened people who would like themselves to be counted among the intellectuals and intelligentsia, too have expressed the irrelevance of Gandhi ji in Kashmir today. While under pressure from the secessionist and Islamic fundamentalist leader, the Mufti Azam of Kashmir Mufti Bashir-udin had even issued Fatwa against Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad for propagating the teaching of Mahatma Gandhi and underscoring the significance of his message of non-violence, peace, truth and human love and describing him the true follower of Prophet Mohammad and Islam.
Aijaz-ul-Haque a columnist writing in a Kashmir newspaper describes Gandhi ji as a shrewd politician, whose message of peace and non violence propagated at this stage in Kashmir is only aimed at weakening the resolve of Kashmiris for independent Kashmir and perpetuation of Indian occupation of the valley. Still another columnist Aijaz Bazaz describes Gandhi ji as the root cause of Kashmir problem. Distorting some facts of history and disregarding Gandhi ji's satyagrah and fast onto death, to press for India honouring the world bank accord for giving huge some of money to Pakistan and even allowing flow of water from rivers having their source in India, to Pakistan, much before the Indo-Pakistan water treaty was signed, and about which there was move to withhold after Pak aggression of Kashmir, mentions that it was Mahatma Gandhi, who persuaded Maharaja Hari Singh and put all pressure on him for acceding to India whereas Maharaja on his own was inclined to remain independent. Some other columnist have criticized Gandhi ji for supporting the action by the Indian dominion in sending forces to Kashmir on the very day Maharaja Hari Singh signed the instrument of accession and the same was accepted by Lord Mount Batten, then Governor General of India. One Kashmiri writer has also questioned Gandhi ji's impartiality and has described him as Indian nationalist chauvinist in favouring Kashmir's accession to India as well as not protesting over Indian action in forcing the nizam of Hyderabad and the ruler of Junagarh to accede to India. These writers describe Gandhi ji's preaching of non violence only as a tactic and not as a creed, since Gandhi ji knew that unarmed Indians cannot fight against the cannons of British empire, to force them to vacate their occupation of this land. In doing so these so called Kashmiri intelligentsia aim at denouncing the relevance of Gandhi's teaching of non violence in Kashmir, where the youth have taken to guns to get freedom from Indian occupation.
The fact however remains that the teaching of Gandhi ji is more relevant today in Kashmir as compared to any other part of the country, when Kashmir is reeling under violence and bloodshed. Gandhi ji had never taught yielding before repression and he always stood for the solidarity of India. Although he opposed partition of the country, foreseeing its disastrous consequences and having insight into the game plan of British imperialist, but once Pakistan was created and Gandhi ji had accepted the same, although reluctantly, he also stood for the solidarity and stability of Pakistan as well. It was for this reason that he resorted to fast unto death to force the Indian government to honour on its commitments and stand by the accord with regard to transfer of huge amount of money to Pakistan as well as to allow free flow of water from the rivers, with source in India, to Pakistan. |
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