Bhat Zaieem
There have been an ocean of voices which have been stripped off, numerous dazzling stars which have been cut short in Valley and eventually put under a thick muffler of trumped up tales. Recently a similar move has been slipped into the already wailing Kashmir valley in the shape of unconstitutional ban on Jamaat e Islami . Is it a solution or complication of the kashmir issue will be answered at the end. But banning it significantly indicates that a desperation is lingering in power corridors of India to seize the genuine voice of the valley. The Jamaat e islami was put on the frame in Kashmir to usher the better understanding of Islam and human values. It never was framed with any subversive agenda under its head except the renewal of Islam in Kashmir. The doors of Jamaat e Islami were always vivid and clear in its agenda. Its prime and prior objective has been to foster unity, love and brotherhood among humans indiscriminately through eternal teachings of Islam.
It always worked under the limits of the constitution of India ,which has never put an impediment to anyone’s way to preach and spread one’s religion.One of the India’s basic and fundamental article is its secular being which has been inked big in the Preamble of Indian Constitution.The Jamaat e Islami waved its wings under its shadow and never tried to cross the badge. It is not appended with any armed groups in Kashmir ,instead it always put thrust on education and development of Kashmir Valley. It has never indulged in hate mongering and other divisive policies. Instead it always focused on polishing the humans with real human ethos and brotherhood. Jamat e Islami from its initial has been serving humanity through physical, social and intellectual resources irrespective of religion ,caste, creed and colour.It has been a cadre based and disciplined organisation with a devoted, dedicated and down to earth human resource.Jamat has played a key and dominant role in enlightening the society with education and ethics with nominal material resources at its disposal.
Jamat e Islami came on the feild in valley when it was filled with illiterates and ignorance. Who played the pivotal role in changing the picture was none other than Jamat e islami. They established schools in Valley with affordable fee structure . A culture of discipline and human manners picked up the prime place in those schools. It can’t be denied that Jamat always held its hands open to underprivileged people who wanted to seek knowledge ,rather it inflicted in common people the passion and crase for education. Their work is not making its end here; it has a broad surface ahead. The one lakh students, ten thousand teachers and three hundred schools which are in their credit can take the eye of anyone to declare it as a pro-educational organisation. It had rather bound itself to empower youth with knowledge. Jamat e Islami has played prominent role in helping poor and downtrodden people. It has worked for the sake of humanity even at times of most rigorous and devastating calamities . The role is evident from the 2014 floods in kashmir ,when jamat played an active role in rescuing and rehabilitating the influenced ones. Now banning such type of organisation is quite a ridiculous task. It has been a blot on the secular structure of the India. There are several reasons on which it has been made unlawful , the major reason would be that it is seeming to Indian government as the root cause of uprising in valley.One more aim of victimising Jamat is to drag it to electoral politics as the elections are very near.
Banning jamat has been a trend of India in nineties also during Jagmohan’s tenure. But the result after all was that the ban was revoked on it. If it would have been helpful in curbing the voice of kashmiris ,then it would have been done at that time.The intimidation of its activists is also aimed at forcing them to subscribe to the poll exercise so as to reinforce the doctrine of deceit and also to encourage the other voices of dissent to follow the Jamat cadres to sing the electoral chorus. The voices of dissent continue to be muzzled and strangulated to promote the narrative of monopoly and despotism. This unconstitutional ban is going to retain its past narrative and is not going to detach the Kashmiris struggle for right to self determination from their hearts. Instead it will become more enigmatic and counterproductive in nature. It will fecund and magnify the Kashmir’s struggle for right of self determination.
Arresting some number of Jamat leaders will not render it uprooted in kashmir. It will make their thinking and faith more strong. As it is their religious work and has grave attachment with that. It will act as a fuel to kick start the Kashmir struggle to new phase of more strength and vigorous movement. This whole fuss is a political fiasco of Delhi that needs to be revisited and changed to some other guaranteed step to resolve Kashmir issue. The more India tries to suppress the voice of Kashmiris ,the more they turn violent. Because an injured person always has a sizzling blood to go against its foe. Declaring Jamat e Islami unconstitutional will not heed the kashmir issue. But will definitely act as a fodder for more uprising in Kashmir. It is akin to a case that if you bar a river it will deluge you . Jamat e Islami is a running caravan in Kashmir for social reconstruction and it can not be dealt with a sudden declaration of its unconstitutionality as whole kashmir is associated with it.A better option is to make it lawful at early to save the democratic and secular structure of India in pure form. Until and unless India doesn’t think of a lovable and peaceful gesture to address Kashmir issue, it will not be resolved .Instead it will become more armed and violent in nature. Banning Jamat in similar way will not yield any fruitful result to curb the Kashmir struggle , but will act as a medium to Kashmiris to stand more strong and daring in their chosen way.
( The author is a teacher and a freelance columnist. Views are his own [email protected])
