Onlykashmir.in Exclusive
As India is commemorating 75 glorious years of progress, diverse population, magnificent culture, and great achievements, one thing very few public members of this country know is that it is also marking the 75 years of the visit of Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi who visited the Valley of Kashmir once, in the first week of August 1947.
Gandhi’s Kashmir journey was arduous, but personal duty and national honor both called him here. His country was about to be freed and divided; it was not clear which way the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir would go. He had focused more on the spiritual message to the people rather than touching more on politics.
Gandhi had seen Kashmir as the ray of hope in the entire sub-continent when the whole region was burning with Hindu Muslim frenzy and communalism was killing humanity and human values.
Hind Swaraj by Mahatma Gandhi is among the books that have caught the most attention of Kashmir caught in the mayhem of violence over the past three decades.
It is a masterpiece whose message resounds to Kashmir as Hind Swaraj or Indian Home Rule is a book written by Mohandas K. Gandhi in 1909. In it, he expresses his views on Swaraj, modern civilization, mechanization, etc.
Even after 113 years of its history as a book Hind Swaraj has a lot of relevance, especially at a time when violence is ripping apart many societies and negative impacts of western civilization are being discussed in many areas.
Pertinently, we need to remember while reading Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj that it takes the form of a dialogue between two characters, The Reader and The Editor. The Reader essentially serves as the typical Indian countryman whom Gandhi would have been addressing with Hind Swaraj.
The book deserves praise on several paradigms- First for recognizing the role of ancestors in any righteous movement, for every noble cause like cow protection seeking the cooperation of another side, and for Hind Swaraj’s commitment not to meet brutality with brutality.
In Kashmir, as we are very well aware that for the urge of Swaraj people are fed up with violence. Hind Swaraj gives a moral and sane view of what a peaceful society should look like.
Gandhi rightly argues that the use of violence is counter-productive; instead, he believes, “The force of love and pity is infinitely greater than the force of arms. There is the harm in the exercise of brute force, never in that of pity.” This is an indispensable point articulated throughout Hind Swaraj.
Mahatma Gandhi reasons the humane and lofty ethical message of Hind Swaraj and it echoes with his fans and readers on the ground in Kashmir.
Gandhiji made some famous observations, which assumed historical significance: First, the Amritsar Treaty of 1846 under which Kashmir was given to Maharaja Gulab Singh was termed by him as “a sale deed”. He admired the masses for their exemplary role during the freedom movement as also in maintaining exemplary Hindu-Muslim unity at a time when there were dark clouds of strife and observed that he saw “a ray of hope” in Kashmir despite communal frenzy elsewhere on the sub-continent. Gandhiji also frowned on illumination when the strategic Gilgit area was reverted by the British to the J&K ruler and curiously observed and prophesied that Gilgit area will be ultimately “snatched”. His word proved true in less than a year as Gilgit was annexed by Pakistan.
A few years back under eminent Gandhian of India Rajiv Vora, head of Gandhian Organization Swarajpeet, Kashmir youth were with full energy got associated with the message of Gandhi and his readings. The circle of the organization was widespread that aimed to take the message of healing Kashmir by Nonviolence and the spiritual message of Gandhi and keep the spirit and message of the first and last visit to Kashmir in 1947 in the month of August alive.
The Swarajpeeth had successfully dialogued with youth and done lot in efforts of peace and non-violence. It had also launched historic Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj readings in Kashmir and it was animatedly discussed in what was described as a four-day long marathon reading session. Everyone read Hind Swaraj turn by turn, Rajiv offered interpretation, the group would discuss, and draw parallels from Islamic tradition and from Kashmir’s life and experience as well as from Indian national experiences and international scene, including happenings in West Asia and in many Islamic nations.
SwarajPeeth Chapter Kashmir for more than half a decade traveled to every nook and corner of Kashmir to spread the message of tolerance, love, and humanity of Gandhi.
One needs to remember here that was 2 August 1947, a Saturday. The Mahatma had arrived in Kashmir the previous day from Rawalpindi. India was just a fortnight away from the joy of attaining freedom from British rule — but also from the sorrow of being partitioned in a manner that brought bloodshed and misery on a horrendous scale. So he had deliberately kept his message spiritual knowing also the rich Sufi culture of Kashmir. He highly appreciated the people of Kashmir in the freedom movement against British rule.
The 75th year of Independence of India and fervor is great but many of us need to know that the 75th year of Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to Kashmir, not just the memories of his historic visit are alive and kicking in the hearts and minds of Kashmiri who want to live in world of nonviolence, peace, and prosperity and are fed up with the violence that has given them just rivers of blood.
Note: This feature column was first published by a local daily “Srinagar Jang” a sister concern of onlykashmir.in, in the Urdu Language on its 05 August 2022 edition, page 3.
