Understanding Sociological Implications of the Pandit Migration in Jammu & Kashmir
By
Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, New Age Islam
6 May 2023
Sociological
Implications of Pandit Migration in Jammu & Kashmir
Author:
Bashir A Dabla
Publisher:
Jay Kay Books, Kashmir, India
Pages:
167, Price: Rs 695/
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The
catastrophic event of the recent Kashmir history is the migration of the Hindu
minority from the Kashmir Valley. This Hindu minority are known as Pandits.
They are the Aboriginals of the region. The Islamisation of Kashmir, happened
due to the rigid caste-based stratification and repression by the Brahmin
clergy. Islam offered a respite to break away from the cruel discrimination of
caste. It is quite an interesting academic study, about how the local Pandit
population converted to Islam, without bloodshed, occupation or repression. It
was the pacifist preaching of socially engaged central Asian Sufis that
impacted the local non-Muslim populace. Later the Sufism, itself was
transformed in Kashmir and developed an indigenous streak known as Rishism.
These Rishis began to drive a fundamental change in all aspects of Kashmiri
society particularly religion. So, majority of Kashmiris shunned their previous
religion and got converted to Islam. This movement also assimilated many
aspects from Hinduism and Buddhism too. However, despite its egalitarian
message, a vocal Pandit minority survived in Kashmir.
Pandits did
migrate few times during the course of history to escape the persecution by
Muslim and non-Muslim rulers. However, each time they returned back and settled
down once the oppression was over. They once again were forced to migrate given
variegated reasons recently in 1990s, as the violent armed insurgency started
in the Valley. There are various narratives and theories engaging and
explaining the reasons for this migration that Pandits describe as Exodus. Once
the armed insurgency started in Kashmir, headed by the secular Jammu &
Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), some Pandits working with the state machinery
were targeted. These targeted killings rendered the whole Pandit minority to be
in a state of siege. The common image of Pandits among the Muslim masses was
that they were quite loyal to the Indian state, always supported oppressors,
were working as grass root agents for spying agencies and had occupied all the
government posts. This rendered them quite vulnerable, and the state reinforced
this perception by helping them migrate from Kashmir valley, thus manifesting
its breakdown and failure in providing security to the minority.
Narratives
and counter narratives are still raging about holding the real perpetuators to
plead guilty and fixing the responsibility for coercing the minority to flee
from the Valley. This debate has many shades, depending on the perspective from
which the narrative is approached. This book is not about fixing the
responsibility or a rebuttal of any narrative about the Pandit migration or
exodus. It is written by the late sociologist of Kashmir, Prof Bashir Ahmad Dabla,
who intends to understand the sociological implications of the Pandit
migration. In his Preface, of the book, he explains that, “The fieldwork for
this empirical study was carried out among the Kashmiri Pandits (KP) migrants
living in migrant camps established by the state government in and around the
city of Jammu and in other areas in the Jammu region.” (P-x)
He explains
the theories of migration, its reasons, and how migrations have helped shape
the current world. There are numerous states today that are based on migration
and it has impacted and influenced the world in diverse ways. Then Prof Dabla,
engages with the issue of migration in the Indian subcontinent and the state of
Jammu & Kashmir. The academic research then focuses on Pandit migration of
1990s. Just like Pandits, Muslims affiliated with National Conference (N.C) and
Congress political parties too migrated as they were being targeted by the
insurgents. They were the extensions of the State in J&K and being
associated with pro Indian political parties they certainly were a target for
the insurgents who had taken arms against the Indian state.
The study
is based on the field surveys undertaken at the Pandit migrant camps in Jammu.
The KPs would refer themselves as being displaced, instead of being migrants as
migration is undertaken voluntarily. They were forced to leave their homes and
hearth. The reasons that they have enumerated about the migration are many and
numerous, each depending on different aspects. Many described that the migration
decision was taken at the community level, and it was a brutal journey they had
to undergo. But the Kashmiri Muslims and Sikhs who migrated too although in
small numbers as compared to the Pandits allege that they were not provided the
requisite help that was rendered to the Pandits.
They were
settled in migrant camps, where the problems of snake bites, excessive heat,
sanitary and washroom facilities were not available. Thus, it impacted every
aspect of their lives, including educational, sexual, hygienic and work-related
issues. Later on, it also negatively impacted their young children too, as they
stopped teaching them indigenous Kashmiri language as it had no utility or
economic value outside Kashmir. There were numerous other problems that newly migrant
Pandits faced in Jammu.
There have
been various initiatives and calls for resettlement and return of Pandits back
in the Kashmir valley, but they have met with little and limited success. The
reasons for it being that unlike the past migrations, during this migration Pandits
sold off their immoveable assets that were purchased by the local Muslims,
sometimes they were distress sales too. The return of the Pandits is not
opposed, but welcomed by the local masses, but then the security of this
minority again is a serious issue for the State. They still are being hunted
and hounded like the local Kashmiri Muslims.
Among the
Pandit minority, there is a minority of non-migrant Pandits who have not left
the valley even at the height of insurgency and they are being labelled as
traitors by the migrant Pandits and their organizations. So, they are paying a
double price for staying back, and no package for them has been announced. They
have to bear the wrath of the insurgents as well as their own community.
This book
has its own contextual value, because the field surveys carried out are more
than a decade old, but the issues and problems that this book highlights still
remain relevant. The publisher also needs to be complimented besides the author
for publishing such a work, on one of the least researched topics.
------
M. H. A.
Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir
URL: https://newageislam.com/books-documents/sociological-pandit-migration-jammu-kashmir/d/129713
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