Recently, Chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Wakf Board, Dr Darakhshan Andrabi laid down the foundation stone for the “reconstruction and renovation” work at the holy Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar, also known popularly as ‘Dargah’. There was nothing unusual about it. It was something done in a routine manner.
National emblem, Ashok Chakra was also embossed on the foundation stone along with other details. The national emblem was brazenly vandalised on the pretext that it hurt the religious sentiments of people. The reaction to this incident by a section of political class, particularly the ruling National Conference, has only reinforced the perception that Kashmiri politicians are prone to succumbing to religious chauvinism notwithstanding their claims of being secular.
After the Friday prayers last week, some people vandalised the national emblem embossed on the plank. They did not try to remove the entire plank. Within no time, an entire mob converged on the plank and the emblem was completely rubbed off.
Kashmir-based political leaders, cutting across party lines, whether from the ruling or the opposition parties, justified the vandalism of the national emblem on the pretext that it “hurt” the religious feelings of people in Kashmir. The argument forwarded was that Islam does not allow worship of images.
But how was the national emblem embossed on a foundation stone way outside the holy shrine linked with the worship? The argument was as flawed and irrational as the protest itself.
Going by this argument, shouldn’t currency donations in the holy shrine also be banned? Because the currency notes also carry the national emblem. While the emblem on the plank was outside the shrine campus, currency notes are put in the donation boxes, which are right inside the shrine. Doesn’t that hurt the religious faith of the devout?
At the forefront of the protests was National Conference Member of Parliament from Srinagar Aga Ruhullah, an ultra-radical Islamist, who described the spike in tourism in Kashmir as “cultural invasion” before the Pahalgam terror attack.
Also read: National emblem engraved at Hazratbal Shrine smashed by devotees
Surprisingly, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, otherwise known for adopting a pragmatic and balanced approach to sensitive matters, also could not resist playing to the gallery. He criticised embossing the national emblem on the foundation stone.
Then there was former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, known for her radical views and stand, as also her daughter Itija Mufti, both of whom added proverbial fuel to the fire. They also joined the course against placing the foundation stone with the national emblem and justified its vandalising by the unruly mobs.
There is nothing “religious” about this vandalism. These are purely sectarian and seditious acts, which must be dealt like that. Vandalising the national emblem in a crude way was an act of defiance. National emblem is to be respected. There are certain rules to be followed. Allowing vandalism and letting off the culprits will only encourage them further.
There must be zero tolerance against such acts of vandalism. There will be more such attempts aimed at undermining the process of complete integration, which is gaining roots in Kashmir.
There are people in Kashmir, who are against such vandalism against the national emblem. They are very much Kashmiris. Darakhshan Andrabi, Chairperson of the Jammu and Kashmir Wakf Board, is very much a Kashmiri Muslim belonging to the highly-respected and religious ‘Andrabi’ family. She laid down the foundation stone with the national emblem. Senior Kashmiri IAS officer, Shah Faisal, also criticised the vandalism of the national emblem.
If the government goes lax with the vandals and does not take strict action against all of them, those people who are working towards strengthening the process of national integration will feel let down, disappointed and betrayed.
Also read: 26 detained for vandalising national emblem at Hazratbal shrine
There is likelihood of some political parties from outside Jammu and Kashmir also pitching in and playing up the “sensitivity” of the issue. Yes, the issue is sensitive, but no religious sentiments have been hurt. The plank with the national emblem had been placed well outside the shrine campus.
Nobody bows in front of foundation stones or national emblem and not even those who believe in idol worship. So where is the conflict of belief that Islam does not allow idol or image worship?
The vandalism is just an act of defiance against one of the powerful symbols of national integrity that is the national emblem. It is such actions in the past, which encouraged and nourished the separatist and secessionist sentiments. Since these were not nipped in the bud and were allowed to grow and mushroom into cancer, the situation has reached to such a passé.
It is an old character of the Kashmiri politicians that they speak one language in Kashmir and a different language outside Kashmir. They cannot be politically correct everywhere. Post August 2019, there has been a realisation that Kashmir is as much a part of India as any other place in the country and the rules are uniformly applicable everywhere.
Letting off people who indulge in acts of insulting and desecrating the symbols of national integrity, like the national emblem, will only weaken the sentiment of integration, which should not be allowed to happen. Otherwise, there will be no end to it.
There is no dearth of excuses to weaken other national symbols in Kashmir. The easiest thing to do is to inject the element of “religious sensitivity” into the narrative. Those who do it know very well that there are so many buyers for such a narrative outside Kashmir as well, who take no time to seize the chance. That is why it is important to curb it right at the beginning.
National emblem embossed on a foundation stone placed way outside the holy shrine in no way hurts or contradicts any religious belief or sentiment. Those crying over “hurt sentiments” are trying to create a mountain out of a molehill. And here, there is no molehill either.
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