Theso-called Kashmiriyat, beingpropagatedby Kashmiri separatists and Left-liberals is nothing but Islamism by another name. Through a series of tweets, a Sikh Kashmiri youth who goes by the name Amaan has exposed the dark, insidious, exclusivist ideology beneath the bright tapestry of Kahsmiriyat often clubbed with insaniyat.
Aman’s first Twitter thread evoked huge response from his own community. He states, “An eye opener and another gentle reminder to Sikhs in Kashmir about the real truth behind the masked of Kashmiriyat. I was highly criticised by people of my own community about series of tweets not because they didn’t agree with that but for the fear.I received whooping 211calls and uncountable messages and the point was clear, “We understand but you do realise we have stakes here right” (sic).”
According to Amaan, those who speak about majoritarian atrocities on minorities and call spade a spade in Kashmir are subjected to psychological terrorism. “Without going into fear psychosis that militants have put on minorities, their leaders are playing the double game…Hurriyat leader Mohd Ashraf Sehrai took to Sikh platform of Sikh Siyasat and made sure he would give new color to my voice so that innocent Kashmiris believe him. So calling spade a spade in Kashmir is being a secret agent. Amazing. Now what you are going to see next is what I want all minorities in kashmir to watch (sic).”
When Amaan posted his first series of tweets, there was huge response from members of Sikh community. Although many of them agreed with him, they were advising him not to rake up issues as they have to live among the Muslim-majority.
Amaan then posts a video in which the father of a jihadi killed in encounter with Indian security forces tells a group of youths: “…he says that everyone who dies for land is a shaheed and shaheed should be respected. He goes on to say that Kashmir will be free one day and it will be free in Islamic ways, not in the secular ways of India. He clearly maintains it that Islamic way is the only way.”
Amaan wanted his ‘Kashmiri Sikh brothers’ to school the people like the old man in the video who dreams of ultimate victory of Islamism in Kashmir or “may be prepare themselves for Islamic movement”.
In another video he posted a Sikh man is seen asking his community members to observe roza (fast) in Ramazan as an example of Kashmiriyat. “This is the level of appeasement that they give to these Islamists and you expect them to come up and talk openly against them. All this under the big banner of Kashmiriyat. How many Muslims have you seen bowing head in Gurdwara? I have seen countlesss leaders come to sikh gurdwaras and walk straight to podium without bowing to Guru Sahib. I don’t want them to do it, it’s not what their religion says but at the same time Fasting is not what Sikhism says either, don’t count it as Kashmiriyat. In other data, a girl named Diljit kaur made news bcoz her Muslim husband left her and she had no money. Sikhs in kashmir again blamed her for the situation and failed to call out Kashmiris for the sake of Kashmiriyat. The number of Sikh girls who have been lured by these Islamists in kashmir is 73 since 2001. (sic)”
‘Kashmiriyat is a scam…it needs to stop’
In the first series of tweets, Amaan writes: “…Why Kashmiriyat they show you is a scam and how religious minorities are abused. You need to understand the definition of abuse in order to make sense of it. Please correct me if any of the following isn’t an abuse.”
He begins the thread with his experiences as a school boy in Kashmir.
1. “I attended a convent school in Kashmir and even though it’s a nice people school, I along with fellow Sikh students which were only handful in a class were name picked and called ‘sicka’ and ‘zov Sikh’ (meaning Sikhs with lice). Imagine what that does to a second grader. Does it count as abuse?”
2. We were always mocked and asked why we carried a tomato in our patka. Does this count as abuse?
3. I have literally grown up hearing that I am kafir, you are made to feel like a second class citizen in Kashmir just because you are not Muslim.
4. Growing up in my high school, tensions escalated and there were fights. We were always asked what are we going to do When Green flag would be raised. Where would we go? Does this count as abuse?
5. Then came Chittisinghpora and before that Mehjoor Nagar incident, I am not sure how many of you have heard your neighbors decide among themselves on which house they would occupy after you leave but it was discussed in our neighbourhood. And mind you I lived in an uptown colony of Srinagar.
Does this count as abuse?
6. Let’s go to impartiality in exams, during my 12th exams, the Muslim invigilator made sure he showed and helped everyone but me because I was the only one who was Sikh there. Nevertheless I didn’t need his help but it was confusing for me at that time. Does this count as abuse?
7. Let’s talk about jobs. If you are a Sikh employee please understand that your timing is as prescribed by govt but if for them they can come to work at 10 and leave at 2. Also It is made sure (or at least it was) that Sikhs never reach top spots.
8. During my tuition times, I have always heard them talking ill about Sikh girls. I literally had to fight twice.
9. I’m not stuck in school, let’s talk business. A friend of mine tried to start his food cafe and he was told that he cannot serve jatka in that area (they basically didn’t want competition for one of their famous star entrepreneur of valley).
10. Sikh Gurdwaras lack any govt attention and are at the mercy of local committees. I can quote examples of gurdwaras that urged for roads for years and ultimately had to create themselves.
11. If you are a Sikh in public transport, they will deliberately smoke to annoy you or will play religious sermons or inciting lectures on radio. Journey from Srinagar to Baramulla once was hell. I kept patient because my dad had already told me this would happen.
12. If you are a Sikh in kashmir you are automatically assumed to be siding with Kashmiris otherwise your life is in danger, our community has been living in this dilemma for years. So many times have our presidents just condemned army action and told the community secretly that it was ‘need of hour’. Do you understand the abuse?
“Do you understand how you are told that you have to live in Nizam e Mustafa Or else Kashmir is not yours. Kashmiriyat is a scam they have been selling since ages. This needs to stop.”
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