Civil Society Initiatives and Peace: Religion and Religious Activists

Author(s): Yoginder Sikand

Source: Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 39, No. 4 (Jan. 24-30, 2004), pp. 316-317
Published by: Economic and Political Weekly
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withstoriesof theallegedmiraculousfeats
('karamat')of the saints,makingit difficultto separatefactfromfiction.Formany
Muslimswho
youngergenerationKashmiri
havehadthe benefitof moderneducation
suchtextsappearto exerciselittleappeal.
This explains,in part,the greaterpopularity among such youth of alternative
formsof Islamicliterature,such as publishedby theJama'at-iIslami,thatpropaof Islamthatappears
gateanunderstanding
as strictlyrational.The decliningappeal
of Sufi formsof Islamis also to be attriThetraditionof KashmiriSufismhas enormous,although
butedto thegrowingawarenessof exploitative practicesassociatedwith the custounexplored,potential to combat chauvinistand intolerant
dians of the Sufi shrines ('mujawirs,
versions of Islam. Religious, specifically Islamic, groups and
pirzadas,sajjadanashins').To addto this
organisationshave a role in bringingabout a peaceful
is the widespreadfeeling thatSufism,as
resolutionof the Kashmirconflict.
itis popularlypractised,is 'other-worldly',
and not concernedwith the actualrealthepartitionof India,thereligiousdimen- worldconcernsof the people.For many
SIKAND
YOGINDER
sionof theconflictcannotbe ignored.The youngergenerationKashmiristhecultsof
Kashmir
of
the
as
basis
the
growingroleof radicalIslamistgroupsin the Sufis are furthersuspect becauseof
Insofar
conflictis political,a lastingsolution Kashmirin recentyearshasonlymadethe what are regardedas un-Islamicbeliefs
to theconflictcanonly come aboutat conflict more intractable.Althoughthis andpracticesassociatedwith the cultsof
the politicallevel. Despite this, civil so- shouldnotbe takenas suggestingthatthe the Sufi shrines.
In this context,whatpossiblerolescan
ciety groupsin Kashmir,and in Indiaas Kashmirdisputeis essentiallyreligious,
well, do have a crucial role to play in ratherthanpolitical,or thata solutionto the Sufi traditionplay in helpingto bring
promotinga peaceful resolutionof the the conflict lies simply in a liberal or abouta peacefulresolutionof theKashmir
progressiveunderstandingof religion,I conflict,counteringradicalIslamismand
ongoingconflict in the region.
Myowninvolvementwithcivil society believe that understandingsof religion, promoting more accepting notions of
initiatives in Kashmir has been very bothHinduismas well as Islam,thatare people of other faiths? I believe that
limited, I must confess. I have visited moreacceptingand tolerantof peopleof althoughthepossibilitiesforthisarerather
Kashmirseveraltimes(thelastbeingthree otherfaiths,if notof otherreligionsthem- limited,it is certainlyan importantform
yearsago),andhavealsotravelledtoDoda, selves, can play a vital role in bringing of civil society action that needs to be
Rajouri,Poonch,LadakhandJammu.My abouta peacefulresolutionto theconflict promoted.Clearly,one cannotexpectany
miracles to follow from this because,
interesthasbeeninKashmiri in Kashmir.
ownparticular
Whatarethe possibilitiesof promoting despite the progressive theological
Muslimreligioustraditions,and the posof Islamin resourcescontainedin the KashmiriSufi
sibilitiesthatthey mightcontainthatcan moretolerantunderstandings
be used to promotemore accepting,en- Kashmir,and the problemsinvolved in traditionthat stress respectand love for
gaging and embracingnotions of other such a project.I would argue that the people of otherfaiths,as a whole, it has
religionsandtheiradherents.I startedby traditionof KashmiriSufism has enor- been unableto effectively resist radical
travellingto variousSufi shrinesin the mous, althoughunexplored,potentialto Islamistgroupsthatspeakthelanguageof
KashmirValley and in the Jammuprov- combatchauvinistandintolerantversions hatred.Many KashmiriMuslimsI have
ince, collecting materialabout the Sufi of Islam.Historically,the spreadof Islam met who are associated with the Sufi
saints who still commandthe love and in Kashmirowes almost entirelyto the traditionsaythattheyaresimplytooscared
devotionof hugenumbersof people.This peacefulmissionaryeffortsof variousSufi to speakout,againstboththeIndianarmy
was partof an Oxfam-sponsored
project saints.Manyof these saints,particularly and Islamist militants,for fear of their
on religious harmonyin India. I wrote of the indigenousRishi order,were also lives.Thematteris furthercomplicatedby
severaltractsbased on my researchand widely reveredby the KashmiriHindus. thefactthatmanyKashmiriswhodescribe
also publishedseveralarticlesin various Theirmodeof missionaryworkwas cul- themselvesas followers of the Sufis do
Kashmiriand Indiannewspaperson the turallyrootedintheKashmirisocialethos, also supportthe politicalaimsof militant
subject.We also arrangedto havea video which also partlyexplainswhy Hindus, groups- freedom from India, indepenfilm madeanda seminarto be organised too, wouldregularlyvisit theirshrinesto dence or accessionto Pakistan- while
not necessarily subscribing to their
on the subjectin Srinagar.Althoughnot pay their respectsto them.
Muchliterature
exists,inUrdu,Kashmiri particular theology. This is clearly
directlyrelatedto the Oxfamproject,we
alsopreparedandpublisheda directoryof and Persian,on the life and teachingsof apparent,for instance,in thecaseof many
theSufisof Kashmir.Inrecentyearssome Kashmiri Muslims who might deeply
NGOs in Kashmir.
Clearly,insofaras theKashmirdispute bookshavebeenwrittenon the subjectin reveretheSufisaints,butatthesametime
is linked to the larger Hindu-Muslim English.Forthe mostpart,such textsare might supportthe attacksagainstIndian
questionand to the processesthatled to writtenin a hagiographicmode replete armedpersonnelby militantsassociated

KASHMIR

Civil
and

Society
Peace

Initiatives

Religion and Religious Activists

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with the vehementlyanti-SufiLashkar-i influence on vast numbersof Kashmiri social activists. I believe leaders of three
Tayyeba,whichis associatedwiththeAhl- Muslims.Almostall the Islamicliterature Islamic groups in India have a particularly
i Hadithschool that regardsSufism as available in bookshops in Kashmir is crucial role to play in this regard: the
'anti-Islamic'.
published by Islamic groups in India, Jama'at-i Islami Hind, the Markaz-i Ahl-i
Yet,whilekeepingin mindthesefactors particularlyDelhi. In recentyearsa num- Hadith-i Hind and the Dar 'ul-'Ulum
that clearly limit the possible role of berof madrasashaveopenedin Kashmir, madrasa at Deoband. This is because
KashmiriSufi traditionto help promotea andalmostall of theseareassociatedwith Pakistan-based organisations sharing a
peacefulresolutionof the conflict, I feel largermadrasasin Indiaitself,particularly common understandingof Islam with these
that civil society groups could play a of theDeobandi,BarelwiandAhl-iHadith three groups respectively, (the Jama'at-i
valuablerole in this regard.One way is schools of thought.Some of the teachers Islami Pakistan, the Lashkar-i Tayyeba
by helping to promotea new genre of in these madrasasare from northIndia (associated with the Ahl-i Hadith Pakiwritingin Urduand Englishon Sufism, (mostlyBiharandeasternUttarPradesh). stan) and the Jaish-i Muhammad (associparticularlyon the KashmiriSufis, that Most of theirhigher-levelteachershave ated with one wing of the Pakistani
focuses on the social roles and ethical graduatedfromleadingmadrasasin India, Deobandis)) are key players in the Kashteachingsof theSufi saints,ratherthanon and still maintainlinks with their alma mir conflict today. The Indian Jama'at, as
well as several Indian Ahl-i Hadith and the
the miracles popularlyassociated with maters.
Giventhis,IndianMuslimorganisations Deobandi 'ulema, have adopted, on the
stressshould
them.Inthisregard,particular
be given to the role of certainKashmiri and 'ulemacould be encouragedto play whole, a markedlydivergent position from
Sufi saintsin promotinginter-communal a more active role in helpingto promote their Pakistani counterparts on religious,
harmonybased on an expansive under- peace in Kashmir.With the respectthat including Islamist, extremism, stressing
standingof Islam.Suchtexts shouldtake theycommandamonglargesectionsof the the need for inter-communal harmony and
the formof bookletsratherthan,as is the KashmiriMuslimstheycouldproveto be a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir diseffective.A numberof Indian pute. I do not think it should be difficult
rule, scholarly tomes, and should be particularly
modestlypriced.Inadditionto new forms Muslimgroupsandindividualshavebeen to encourage them to take a more proof Sufi writing,seminarson Sufism and involvedinpromotinginter-faithdialogue active role in Kashmir, and since they
its contemporaryrelevance could be andcommunalharmonyin India,through exercise an important influence on the
organisedat KashmirandJammuUniver- practicalworkalongwithpeopleof other Kashmiri Muslims in different ways their
sities, to which scholarsof Sufism from faithsas well as throughtheirscholarship intervention can prove to be invaluable.
To conclude promoting alternatevisions
Indiaandelsewherecouldalso be invited. and literature.I believe thatthey need to
Likewise,seminarson KashmiriSufism be encouragedto extendtheiractivitiesto and understandingsof Islam that are more
couldbe organisedat Indianuniversities, Kashmiras well. Thiswouldalso be a test accommodative of people of other faiths
wherea totalignoranceprevailsaboutthe of theirsincerity.If they areconsistentin and that stress peaceful means of conflict
rich cultural heritage of the Kashmiri theirinsistencethatIslamenvisionsa just resolution is an essential and necessary,
Muslims.
peace and harmoniousinter-communal although not sufficient, condition for a
In helpingto promotea peacefulreso- relations,this shouldholdtruenotonly in peaceful resolution of the Kashmir conI believethat a contextof Muslimminority-ness,as in flict. This said, I must also insist that more
lutiontotheKashmirdispute,
IndianMuslimcivil society groupshave India,but also in a situationwhereMus- accepting and open understandings of
Hinduism (and of Indian nationalism as
a verycrucialrole to play. If such groups lims are a majority,as in Kashmir.
Inthisregard,if IndianMuslimactivists well) are an absolute necessity as well in
have not been active in Kashmirit is not
inter- this regard. Islamist and Hindutva
becauseof any insensitivityto the plight whohavebeeninvolvedinpromoting
of theirco-religionistsin the region,but, faithdialogueandcommunalharmonyin militancy feed on each other,andthe former
rather,becauseof thefearof beingaccused India could visit Kashmiron a regular cannot be combated without consistently
as 'anti-national'
simplybecauseof being basis and interactwith local Islamicand struggling against the latter as well. B3
associatedin any way with Kashmiris.
This,I believe is tragic,not only because
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