A land that was once renowned for its mystic aura; Kashmir was were Lalleshwari, Sheikh Noor-ud-din Noorani, Mir Syed Ali Hamadani, Habba Khatoon, Rupa Bhavani traversed to spread the message of equality, love, and togetherness. It is hence, no wonder that the people of the land have an undying inclination for Sufi culture and passion for the syncretic philosophy of Kashmiriyat.
The element of exotic mysticism contained within the ice-capped mountains dotted by rich verdure and lined with turquoise blue waters has drawn people from lands distant and near to the valley of welcome and warmth.
But since the 4th of August, when the region’s special status was scrapped and basic human rights were clamped down – in an effort to muzzle every voice of dissent, the Kashmiri people’s association with prayer, mystic poetry and faithful congregation has also been reined back by the government.
Hundred Miss The Glimpse Of The Prophet This Year
“For the first time in the history of Kashmir, authorities stopped thousands of devotees from celebrating Milad-un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad, at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar. Even the dreaded 90s haven’t seen such ‘religious’ repression of religion”, said Basit Hussain, a senior journalist.
The picturesque Hazratbal Shrine stands on the banks of Dal lake amidst green cover that turns auburn this time of the year.
Unfortunately, the romantic beauty that shrouds the shrine had no solace to offer to the devotees denied their human right of observing their faith.
The shrine, on the day of Milad-un-Nabi, organises night-long and day-long prayers after which the attendees get a glimpse of the relic held within its walls – believed to be the hair strands of Prophet Muhammad.
However, on November 10, several people who were headed to offer prayers for the Prophet’s birth anniversary were turned away by the security forces.
“Both the lawns of (Hazratbal) shrine were covered in snow, there was no place to pray. A canopy we had set up collapsed. So, we accommodated people inside the shrine; we could not allow huge gatherings like previous years – there would have been a stampede if so many people are allowed inside”, a police official speaking to Outlook said.
But, an AltNews report showed that the ‘canopy’ was neither erected nor collapsed as claimed, raising several doubts about the ‘justification’ given for restricting the gathering.
Credit: AltNews
“The prayers at Hazratbal have a religious, spiritual and cultural connotation for the Kashmiri people. It is very important for us and restricting it is causing more alienation. The government is not taking care of the sentiments of the people”, Hussain added.
Trying to make sense of the iron-fisted approach towards his homeland’s traditions, Mohammed Yusuf Khan, a senior journalist cried, “Isse kya fayda hoga? (How will this help). With the sudden abrogation and shutdown of life in the valley (that is in its 107th consecutive day), people are down on hope and faith/religion can give show them some positivity, provide them with some solace. But how will we survive if they are going to ban all religious practices?”
“Aise toh hum phat jayenge. Hum apne Allah par apna gussa nikalte the, usse dua karte the. Dil halka hota tha. Par yeh bhi hume karna mana hogaya? Yeh kahan ki development hai? Kahan ka insaaf hai yeh?“, Hussain rued for his people.
(We will blast internally if such repression ensues. One looks up to the Almighty in such situations and prays to Him. It lightens the heart. But now, even this has been banned? How do such policies align with the ‘development’ agenda that is being promoted? How is this just?)
The Jammu region’s Muslim population is living the same nightmare. “There is a national level event organised every year on Milad-un-Nabi and speakers from many Indian states are invited to it. We have several regular non-Muslim attendees. However, this year, our event was called off owing to the Ayodhya verdict. It has come to my notice that the organisers were pressurised into cancelling it”, said Mehfooz Wani, a retired professional residing in Jammu.
Although the Ayodhya verdict came on Saturday and Milad-un-Nabi was on a Sunday, the authorities did not allow any religious congregation, despite it being an important day for the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir. While the rest of the country carried on with its life after facing restrictions on the day of the verdict, Jammu and Kashmir was treated differently – not surprising Basit Hussain, Khan and Wani.
For this year’s Milad-un-Nabi, the security forces blocked all main roads leading to the shrine, thus restricting the devotees from reaching it. What used to be an overwhelming sea of faithful followers was reduced to a small gathering a few hundreds.
Credit: AltNews
“Only those who lived near the location could manage their way to it”, Mohammed Yusuf Khan informed.
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