Electoral Politics and Religion in J&K

By Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander, New Age Islam 11 October 2024 Electoral process has always been a contentious issue in J&K. The opposition in the early decades soon after accession with India was not tolerated, so most political parties called for boycott of elections. The participation and boycott of electoral process was justified while using religious edicts, dictums and interpretation. Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, whose variegated politics confused the masses and did not let a proper democratic culture take root in Kashmir, was known for his melodious voice while reciting the Quranic verses and Allama Iqbal’s poetry as an introductory note to his speeches. He was responsible for using the pulpits of shrines and hospices for delivering political speeches. The hospice of Mir Syed Ali Hamdani, known as Khanqah i Mullah and shrine of Hazratbal was used for political purposes by Sheikh Abdullah, prompting Mirwaiz to use pulpit of Jamia Masjid, Srinagar for the same purpose. Sheikh Abdullah was very intolerant of any political opposition. He either incarcerated or exiled them. Others, he marginalized by discrediting them in the eyes of masses. It is what he did to Congress party leaders, workers and members. He called them as Kaafir (infidels) and asked people not to offer their funeral prayers. Many had to be buried without funeral prayers with only immediate family joining the ritual. Later on Sheikh himself compromised with Congress and his grand daughter got married to a Hindu Congress leader. This marriage still is criticized by the masses on religious grounds. Sheikh was the person responsible for institutionalizing exploitation of religion for political purposes, whose bizarre display was witnessed during 1977 Legislative Assembly elections in J&K. With the Janta Party wave at its zenith in the centre, Sheikh and his coterie particularly Mirza Afzal Beg in their election campaign used the Holy Quran and rock salt wrapped in green kerchief, making people swear on it, that they will vote for Muslim N.C instead of Hindu Janta Party, that was demonized as a party aiming to reduce Muslims as second class citizens, while interfering with their religious rights. The green kerchief symbolized Muslims and rock salt depicted allegiance to Pakistan. The same tactic of making voters to swear on Quran was used by N.C politician Sakeena Itoo in 2014 election campaign. It became viral drawing flak. Religion was explicitly used in the infamously rigged elections of 1987, in which Muslim United Front (MUF), an amalgam of religio-political parties took on the combined might of N.C-Congress. The masses saw a new ray of hope as MUF and their candidates were religious and honest, as compared to N.C candidates, who were corrupt and evil. Being threatened by the popularity of MUF the elections were heavily rigged, that shook the faith of masses in electoral process, rendering it as a forbidden fruit. The participation in electoral process in any form was decried as collaboration with oppressors, so boycott call ruled the roost. Many were killed by the insurgents for their participation. In the current scenario, the call for boycott has been retrograded to oblivion and insurgents too have not issued any threats of violence. What has changed is the fact, that the ideology of Hurriyat has got mainstreamed and manifested in the rise of Engineer Rashid, who calls of taking revenge through voting. This revenge is quite broad, ranging from resolution of Kashmir Issue, decrying the snatching of Article 370 and release of political prisoners. Although, Engineer has not explicitly used religious jargon, but the underlying current is religious in nature. People empathize with him because they see him as a victim of Hindutva tyranny as compared to the collaborative elite of PDP, N.C, P.C and other regional parties. Taking cue from Engineer Rashid’s success, Sugra Barkati, a teenager whose father, Sarjan Barkati (Aazadi Chacha) was a rabble rouser in the aftermath of killing of Burhan Wani in 2016. Sarjan is incarcerated since last few years and later his wife too was imprisoned. Now their daughter is campaigning on behalf of her father, and asking masses to vote for her incarcerated father because he is victim of a cause and deserves freedom. Dressed in an abaya with her face covered, she is drawing massive crowds in Beerwah that witnessed sixty six percent voting and is giving a tough competition to the former C.M Omar Abduallah. Another important entry in electoral fray is that of Jamaat e Islami J&K (JeIJK), who earlier were in the boycott camp since 1990s, but now some ex members, expelled leaders and resigned cadres have hijacked JeIJK and are contesting elections on the basis of safeguarding the Muslim character of the valley. Among them Sayar Ahmad Reshi, contesting from Kulgam, while appealing to voters informed that his defeat will be synonymous to the defeat of Islam. Safeguarding the Muslim character, identity and sentiments has been general and common theme of most politicians. The 2008 Amarnath Land Row Agitation had its origins in the apprehensions of Demographic change in J&K, that ideologues like Sheikh Showkat Hussain call, “Palestine in the Making.” The steps BJP regime took particularly about cancelling 13 July martyrs Day commemoration and replacing it with 23 September birthday of Hari Singh and 26 October as Accession Day. Further, the concessions granted to non muslim government employees during religious festivals, while rendering Muslim employees as absent on Eid and forcing them to celebrate Meelad un Nabi a day earlier, all reinforce these apprehensions of a common Kashmiri Muslim that his religious identity is being threatened. How Muslims are lynched and mosques demolished in India are rendering masses apprehensive, so the use of religion or exploitation of religion for political purposes becomes inevitable. Given these circumstances and the threat felt by a common Kashmiri Muslim, we will soon witness the rise of an Owaisi in J&K. JeIJK, has the potential to fill that void and earlier it was among its cadres that mainstream turned secessionist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani owed his political trajectory. ----- M.H.A. Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-politics/electoral-politics-religion-j-k/d/133415 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism