- Says “Gandhi Called Partition-Era Kashmir a ‘Ray of Hope’, J&K should have Permanent Interfaith Dialogue Centre in J&K”
“Urdu is an Indian Language Deserving Promotion, World needs love, not hatred”
Srinagar: Former “Sadr-e-Riyasat” of erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir State Dr Karan Singh on Saturday invoked Mahatma Gandhi’s description of Kashmir as a “ray of hope” during Partition, urging the Valley to uphold its centuries-old tradition of communal harmony and cultural pluralism.
Speaking at an Interfaith Dialogue at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Dr Singh praised the integration of interfaith dialogue, Urdu, Kashmiriyat, and communal harmony under one platform, stating it reflected Kashmir’s civilisational legacy. He proposed the establishment of a permanent Interfaith Dialogue Centre in Jammu and Kashmir and strongly advocated for the promotion of Urdu.
Calling Kashmir the “crown of India”, Dr Singh recalled, “Gandhiji had said that if there was any ray of light and hope visible to him during those difficult times, it was in Kashmir,” attributing this to the region’s enduring coexistence.
Tracing the global interfaith movement from Swami Vivekananda’s 1893 Chicago address, Dr Singh clarified that the objective of such dialogues is not competition. “This is not Shastrarth. Every religion has its own philosophy and values. The objective is to understand each other and strengthen harmony,” he said. He emphasized that while religions follow different paths, they lead to the same Divine, drawing an analogy to the different routes leading up the Shankaracharya hill.
He highlighted India’s civilisational diversity as home to nine major religions, and reviewed Kashmir’s spiritual history—spanning Vedic traditions, Buddhism, Kashmir Shaivism, the mystic Lal Ded, and the arrival of Sufi saints. “The world needs love, not hatred. We may belong to different religions, speak different languages and come from different regions, but first and foremost we are human beings,” he stated.
Dr Singh also suggested that the proposed permanent dialogue centre build upon the work of initiatives like the Dara Shikoh Centre. Defending Urdu against being mischaracterized as foreign, he asserted, “Urdu is one of the richest literary traditions of the subcontinent. The language deserves greater recognition and encouragement,” adding, “Urdu was born in India. It is not a foreign language. It should be preserved, promoted and used wherever possible.” He shared a personal anecdote where the renowned poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz told him that his celebrated poem “Aap Aaye To Bahaar Aayi” was written during his imprisonment. Dr Singh expressed confidence that the Valley would continue to serve as a beacon of harmony, pluralism, and national unity.
