"KASHMIR--CURSE AND CURE OF ITS HISTORY"--EXCERPTS FROM SECTION ONE OF MY BOOK

Dear Readers,
I am posting SECTION 3 of Chapter1 of my book "KASHMIR--FOOTNOTES FROM HISTORY--Its CURSE AND CURE" to give you an insight into the minds of ORDINARY KASHMIRI outside the precincts of SRINAGAR. Read it , If there is a demand--I might post the entire book as a serialised blogs. It is stuck up with the Publishers for deletion of certain portions in Section THIRTEEN. I will post it later. The book is slightly different as it is based on a HISTORICAL IRONY which suggests that KASHMIR has undergone the domination of a religion every 780-800 years of its known history. They are called GRAND CYCLES of HISTORY. Each Grand Cycle is divided into three SUB CYCLES of 260-270 years. First one is ESTABLISHMENT & PATRONISATION by RULERS; Second one is CONSOLIDATION, PROGRESS & PROSPERITY; Third one is of DECAY & DEGENERATION. Currently, KASHMIR is in its FIFTH known GRAND CYCLE of history. It is of ISLAM DOMINATION. This grand cycle started in 1342 AD and its GOLDEN PERIOD of two sub cycles ended in 1820 AD--when MAHARAJA RANJIT annexed it from AFGHANS. Ever since its DECAY & DEGENERATION started and it will end by the END of 21st Century when SIXTH grand Cycle will begin. It is only then the normalacy will return. For full information on this you can read my SYNOPSIS of the book posted at the LINK:

http://rajee.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/04/kashmir-a-curse-and-cure-of-its-history.htm

Here I am posting only SECTION 3 of the book--It has 15 sections from history to dispute to theory of grand cycles and contours of Interim solution. If the response is Ok --I might post the entire book in blogs only.
Read on SECTION 3:-
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“AZADI”! A MATTER OF BASIC HUMAN NEEDS- HUNGER,



SHELTER AND CLOTHING!



The month of March 1998 covered India with a dense fog of political instability. The results of general elections in the country created strange bed-fellows. Rank opportunists joined hands to make a concerted bid to grab political power. Political ideologies were thrown to the winds and politicians of all hue and cries threw their masks and revealed their true faces. And nation witnessed, with utmost astonishment, that all of them were dyed in one colour – only one colour – that was the colour of political power. All of them rallied under two separate banners i.e. one, donned the colours of ‘Secularism’, the other of ‘Cultural Nationalism’. ‘The Secularists’ accused others as ‘Communalists’. The exponents of ‘Cultural Nationalism’ branded their opponents as ‘Pseudo – Seculars’. While one saw virtues in corruption, the others sang swan-songs in honour of regional satraps. Power, the political power, was the end game of politicians, while teeming millions; some say 400 millions’, from city – slums to remote villages; from railway tracks to Metro–pavements; from industry labourers to construction workers, all cried aloud for ‘Food, Shelter and Clothing’. But all their cries were drowned in the din and noise of the clichéd slogans of the politicians.
Witness some of these substitutes for ‘Food, shelter and clothing’ on offer by these political masters! One thundered unashamedly, “Communalism is more dangerous; corruption is not” and beat his chest repeatedly while adjusting and re-adjusting his ‘Gandhi-cap’ to hide his greyed hair. I wondered why there were no floods the same night at ‘Raj Ghat’ in New Delhi, because ‘Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi’ would have definitely cried the whole day in his tomb.
Watch the other one, who said, “These pseudo – secularists have plundered the nation over the last fifty years and they have fooled the masses. Corruption in high places is the biggest road block in our march towards progress and development.” I waited a whole fortnight to hear the sounds of gunfire from Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Himachal Pradesh. (Remember Jai Lalita’s and Sukh Ram’s alleged corruption cases!) I was certain some people there would definitely face firing squads.
But, Lo! The reverse had happened. The people, one had expected to be in the line of firing squads, had actually taken the role of a firing squad. And the poetical mask of the hero of ‘Nehru’s prophecy’ in early fifties was off! Then again, though Jawahar Lal Nehru would have fretted and fumed with fire in his eyes in his peaceful abode at ‘Shanti van’ but his ‘Van’ (Jungle) was not on fire, as no one requisitioned the fire brigade when the lady from Chennai threw her weight behind the prophet of ‘Hate-Corrupt-Campaign’. This makes one feel that clichéd slogan of ‘food, shelter and clothing’ for every one is essentially a self-driven aphorism of our wily ruling class? And yet, violence-torn; poverty-stricken and corruption-tormented millions in this country look towards morally-bankrupt, ethically-deficient and scruples-lacking political leaders to do wonders for them.
And the people of the Kashmir valley, the poorest of the poor Indians, are no exception. Any one who sold them the dreams of ‘Food, shelter and clothing’ down the ages, they tagged along with him. If it was Sheikh Abdulla’s National Conference in Forties, they threw their lot with him. But while he and his ‘National – Conference –people’ became rich, the people became poorer. Then came ‘Bakshi’, ‘Sadiq’ and host of others. But no one did anything to change their lot. Frustrated and disappointed, they looked west and in came ‘Zia Ul Haq’s ‘Gillanis’, ‘Butts’, ‘Lones’ and ‘Maliks’ with hopes of a better life. And, so became ‘Zaved Mirs’, ‘Yasin Maliks’, and ‘Salaludins’, ‘Majid Dars’ the instant heroes of Kashmiris. Ten to 12 years, the people waited for them to deliver. They could see only Yaseen Malik’s trust of Rs one Crore or more’ or Amanulla Khan’s bludgeoning accounts in London. They watched ‘Gillanis’, ‘Lones’ and ‘Butts’ doing tango at the behest of ‘Zia-ul-Haq’s political descendants. Where were those promised basic amenities –the food, shelter and the clothing?
In the year 1998, they were as elusive as in the year 1342 AD or the year 530 AD or in the year 250 BC or in the year 1100 BC- when Lord Krishna, the great Aryan strategist of MAHABHARTA fame, beheaded Gonanda I, who was the ruling Naga king of the land (modern Kashmir) inhabited by the descendants of Neela Nag. I do not say this. Their history, as I read and as I was prompted and exhorted by Kalmuddin on March 14, 1998, to minutely understand it, speaks for them.
I repeat what Kalmuddin said to me on March 14, 1998, “Facts speak and I do not”. It was unique day in the Indian History too. This was the day when Sonia Gandhi ousted Sita Ram Kesari as Congress President and AIADMK supremo from Chennai had given her support to Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This was the day, when lesser mortals like Kalmuddin and me met on the snow-covered heights of Shamshabari Range. And I wonder, if this was the day Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee realized the crown he picked up from the dusty lands of Indian Politics was studded with thorns and nails of his NDA (National Democratic Alliance) barbs. Perhaps one day, poet in him, will spill out the beans. This is my poetic hunch. I may not be right. And I never claim righteousness my forte alone. But I have a story to tell of my friend Kalmuddin’s sense of history. I must get on with it.

14 March 1998! The day was as bright as it could be on those snow-covered mountains of Shamshabari range. There was 12 to 15 feet of snow all around. We walked through those tunneled pathways, panting and grasping for breath, hoping for the summer to come soon. You see, in these snow-bound areas, life in winters is miserable. Hold on! I am not talking about Siachen Glacier, where I had been in 1986-87 winters. I do not know, at this stage, if I would be able to narrate those experiences. It is suffice to know it was a bit better here.

It must have been around 11 AM on 14 March 1998, when my Personal Assistant (PA), in–walked with the name of a civilian, who wanted to meet me. I was not keen to meet anyone till he said, “He is Kalmuddin from Kachhama”. “Oh!” I said, “Send him in”. After a few seconds, the frail and fragile structure of a shabby looking Kashmiri walked into my office. I looked at him. He looked at me. It was an instant chemistry. Perhaps an immediate connection had been established. But at that precise moment I was arrogance personified.

“Suna phir Kalmu! Aj kidhar ghum raha hai? Islamabad wale aj ki kar rahe ne Hindustan Vich? Phir kadon hat raha hai teri twarikh da parda? (Hullo, kalmuddin! where are you loafing around? what brings the man from Islamabad (Pakistan’s Capital, the appellation for Kachhama!) to Hindustan? So, when is your history unveiling itself?)” I shot these questions at him with deliberate intent.

“Janab! Badde aadmi ho! Majakh kar sakde ho. Asin ki tuswan de samne? Je janab di mehar ho jaye tan kuchh roti- kapde da heela ho jaye. (Sir! you are a big man. You can make fun of us. We are a small fry in front of you. If your Lordship is kind enough to give us some employment, it will go a long way to meet our basic human needs of food and clothing”). Kalmuddin rebutted me most humbly and made a request in a most dignified manner as he could do. (Our conversation was always in a mix of Urdu and Punjabi, but for the purpose of the readers of this book, hereafter, I will give the English translated version).

I was shaken by his simple but dignified rejoinder to my unwanted barbs at him. This was the second time he had the better of me. Re-gaining my composure, I said to him, “Who is this other man with you?”

“Sir! He is Gul Peer. He is an excellent carpenter. He is very good in errecting wooden structures “. Kalmuddin had quickly responded.

“But, where is your Noor Ahmed Shah? Has he not come back”, I asked.

“Sir, he will come. Definitely, he will come to you. He is a politician and he is a very busy man these days”. Gul Peer had opened his mouth.

“Kalmuddin! What employment can I give you? I have no jobs. Why don’t you approach Civil Administration?” I tried to evade them.

“Sir, You alone can do it. Civil administration will not do it. If they could do it why should there be unrest in Kashmir?” Kalmuddin was very emphatic.

“But Kalmu, my friend, I am not an employment agency. Why don’t you understand this?” I showed my helplessness.

“Sir, you are God. Keep us as porters or whatever you think. But if you want, sky is the limit”, he flattered me.

“When you want to exploit human ego”, they say, “Go and praise the man who can serve your purpose”. I knew Kalmuddin was doing exactly the same. I only wondered if Kalmuddin and his companion, Gul Peer, were convinced that I would fall prey to their flattery! In my life, I have always hated sycophancy. In fact it puts me off to the point of hatred. I detest it so much that I develop an instant despise for its practitioner. This is my failing and this is my biggest weakness. I often show it instantly whoever its practitioner might be. I, therefore, reacted very characteristically, “Listen Kalmuddin, first of all I am not god nor do I recognize religious gods what other people believe in. No, I am not talking about a Hindu God, Islamic God or whatever other kinds of Gods people talk about. I feel if there were some ‘Supreme – Being’, he ought not to be divided as a piece of cake amongst various known religions. He is ‘One’ and ‘the only One’ – who rules the world. It is the lesser mortals like us who slice him into pieces and make our own pieces of cake with icing as per our tastes.”

“We know it, Sir. You are the person who understands the true definition of ‘God’. Why do you think we are here? It is a matter of food, shelter and clothing for us. We are illiterate and we only understand that ‘God’ who can provide us all this”. Gul Peer had tried to soften me.

“But Gul”, I said, “I am not God, the way you people are demanding things out of me. I can not fulfill.”

“Yes! You cannot. When did we say you can? But it is people like you, who have to take a rationale view of our psyche; Kashmir and Kashmiris need a ‘Kashyap’. Can you be the one, Sir?” Gul Peer threw a red – herring.

“Kashyap was the one who rid this valley of Jallodhva-an ancient terrorist. Kashyap was a great sage of ancient times. To rid this valley of Jallodhva’s tyranny he worshipped for one thousand years”, Kalamuddin was elaborating.

I was now on unknown grounds. I was being sucked into an argument, I knew nothing about it. History has never been my forte. Here was a man quoting from history to make me realize how uncomfortable I was. But I did not give in and said, “Gul! Do not bully me with your knowledge. Give me time and I will know all about this. But what has history got to do with our present problem?”

“It stems from history.” Kalmuddin was curt and crisp.

“And what is it?” I made this mistake of asking him.

“Food, shelter and clothing”, he was quick.

“Back to square one? Where does it take us”, I said?

“What is being requested to your honour is to consider our case sympathetically.” Gul Peer announced.

“Alright, If I do find a job for you, what would you like to do, besides lecturing me on history”, I teased.

“If it happens, sir, our faith in real Allah! (God) will deepen. We will not look towards ‘man-made-Gods’ to seek solace”, Gul Peer stunned me.

“What? What? What did you say? What do you mean by ‘Man –Made- Gods”, I stammered?

“Our religious icons–who thrive on our general frustration! In the name of God and Freedom – who preach blood- shed”, Gul Peer made it so simple.

“Why only Kashmir? This is applicable in all parts of India, Perhaps the whole world. For ever, man lives in eternal ‘Ghettos-of-Mind’. His fear and frustration keep him constantly imprisoned into the four walls of a religion he acquires at the time of his birth. He can never break free of it. The label of birth becomes his identity”, I spontaneously said, astonished by my own words.

“You are right, Sir! It is our birth label, which we constantly identify and display but do not follow its principles. No religion tells you to rape women; kill other and hurt people. No religion asks you to hate others. Who was that famous Urdu poet, who said, “--------Religion does not teach you to sustain mutual animosity------- so on and so forth”, Kalmuddin said. “Oh! Yea. Doctor, Sir Iqbal Mohammed”, I said.

“You know Sir! His ancestors were Khoja Hindus of North Kashmir”, it was Gul Peer who surprised me.

“What? Doctor Iqbal Mohammed owed his ancestry to Kashmir? And he talked of India? What did he say, ‘----------Hindi we are and our nation is Hindustan-------”, I asked.

“Yes Sir! “Gul Peer affirmed.

It was almost 1230 AM. Our conversation was getting stretched. All the same, I was, by now, impressed with them. I mentally decided to employ them as porters. But I wanted to first check if they were really genuine. Therefore I had to break-off my dialogue with them for the day.

“All right. Kalmuddin, come over in a week’s time, I will do something for you”, I said.

“You are our only hope. Sir, you must give us a job”, Kalmuddin insisted.

“Ok! I will do something”, I dismissed them.

After the two-some left my office, I began to ponder if Kashmir – imbroglio was only a matter of food, shelter and clothing! It could not be. There was something more to it. What did Sigmund Freud say while laying the foundation of the theory of Psychoanalysis? He had said that man was in eternal conflict because of the clash in his mind of three elements i.e. Id (Innate desires), super Ego (Social censor) and external factors (worldly realities). I wondered, then, if social systems or even political systems too, were governed by the same principle. Much water has flown into Jhelum since Sigmund Freud first pronounced his theory in 1920.

But a question kept begging my mind. I asked myself, “How does one analyse Kashmir issue”. It gave rise to two more questions i.e. “What lies at core of the problem” and “Where does it begin”. Whenever I cobbled up an answer to one question, a few more questions sprang up. It was a series of these questions, which impelled me to go to the roots. Sure, I had to know the history of Kashmir from the ancient times to–date, to really understand the modern crisis. As Sigmund Freud explained and as Thomas Harrison reveals in his book, “I am ok, you are ok”, the behaviour and a conduct of a man is dictated by the impressions gained in the infantile years. And I am inclined to believe, as societies and polities are human driven, though collectively, yet the same principle must be applicable to them too. Each society and a polity must have its Id (instinctual desires), which are controlled by its super ego (National and political restrictions) and interacted upon by external factors (Geographic, regional, lingual and religious realities). Repression of Id during the infantile years by super Ego causes phobias and phobias when interact with worldly realities (external factor), it gives rise to personal prejudices which explains what seems to be irrational conduct of individuals, groups, communities, societies and political systems. Therefore the problem lies in the formative years. You can explain Indo-Pak relation with the help of this theory of Sigmund Freud. And in the case of Kashmir, I identify it with its early history as known to us.

It was this thought process, which made me critically examine the history of Kashmir and evaluate its present dilemma. Kalmuddin and Gul Peer were to provide initial insight into their history.