We all must join hands to defeat those who want to sectarianise Kashmir…
For the last many days several parts of the Srinagar city were under curfew and strict restrictions were imposed in other areas. This is not a new experience for the people of the city, particularly for that of old city. Administration very often uses this tool to curb demonstrations and dissent and common man suffers the most. At times imposition of curfew and restrictions become necessary for maintaining peace and to ensure calm. The recent spell of curfew was administered apparently to curb sectarian violence in certain parts of the city. After some sporadic violence administration played safe and imposed curfew. Whether administration gauged the situation in right perspective and acted with precision that is for them to decide, but we Kashmiri people as a nation are duty bound to look into evolving sectarian mindset in our society and unveil those elements who add fuel to this sectarian fire.
Kashmir, once the fertile land of knowledge, art and culture with an aura of brotherhood and religious tolerance is losing its one time virtuous standing of sanity. The turmoil and political conspiracies along with rampant corruption and plagued materialism has turned this land of saints and erudite people into desolate land of ignorance and hatred. Trying every ploy to destabilize social unanimity, religious harmony and peace, exploiters in Kashmir conflict are working overnight and testing latest ploys to subvert unity in Kashmir. Sectarian discord is their latest weapon to break the courage of otherwise resilient Kashmiri nation and make them weak. The present sectarian difference within the Kashmir society has taken an ugly turn and surprisingly escalates only at particular occasions, simply at the pleasure of vested interests. For the survival of Kashmir its people and their much cherished attribute of religious tolerance and amity—fondly classified as ‘Kashmiriyat’ in Kashmiri lexicon, it becomes imperative to analyze the different facets of this influenced monstrous dissension. Timing, occasion and intensity of sectarian conflict in Kashmir smack of a different plot—conspiracy to divert attention from sequence of ugly political events and push people of Kashmir into the oblivious tunnel of religious conflict and ensuing hatred. If such conspiracies are not detected and checked well in time then these machinating ploys and conspiracies will become our political fate, social destiny and religious outlook.
For the last many decades Kashmir is a virtual laboratory of political conspiracies and experiments where all overt and covert techniques of hostility, confusion, division and hatred are tried to uphold false pride and hold coercive power. Religious attitude of majority community in Kashmir is a sensitive issue and its sectarian aspect is very delicate, held by a fragile cord of goodwill and sensibility existing within the people of Kashmir for centuries. Any attempt to exploit this delicate situation will lead to explosive situation and that is what exploiters in Kashmir are desperately looking for. Every Kashmiri in his individual capacity and as a nation should evaluate the enormity of every sectarian discord and assess its repercussions and ramifications on the political future and emerging social setup in Kashmir. Kashmiri people as a nation should insulate their religious sentiments and setup against exploitation and should stand as a rock in opposition to every onslaught on religious harmony. Interestingly! During these testing times of sectarian friction majority of Kashmiri people have proved their worth as compassionate human souls with highest degree of tolerance. Kashmir press, religious scholars and leaders; community heads and many political leaders have given a befitting reply to the exploiters by downplaying their ploy of shame and acts of irreverence. An attitude of denial and unacceptability towards sectarianism and isolation of fringed minority of zealots working under the influence of exploiters is the most positive attribute of Kashmir and its people and will surely strengthen the true ‘Kashmiriyat’.
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