While one will have to wait for the consequential ramifications of Guru’s execution on the security and political situation in Jammu and Kashmir and may be in some other states, it is imperative to have a close look into the possible implications of the Mufti’s ‘fatwa’ for the strife-torn Kashmir as such edicts usually have long-term fallout on the social, religious and political lives of the people.

According to Karl Marx “Religion is the opium of the people”. Over the period, religion was used by dynastic rulers to goad the people to serve their vested interests. Since the dying decades of the twentieth century religion has become the breeding ground of extremism and separatist terrorism. The clerics and clergies have also been issuing edicts by interpreting the scriptures often to seek or perpetuate their recognition as saviours of their communities and religions and also serve the vested of their appointers.

The latest example is the ‘fatwa’ issued by Kashmir’s self-appointed Grand Mufti Bashiruddin against the all-girl rock band. The Mufti who is claimed to have knowledge of theology, religious jurisprudence and law termed the three teenage girls ‘non-serious’ saying that such an approach leads to ‘gang rape’. He said that gang rapes happen “when women are given freedom to roam around, sing and dance.” On facing criticism for issuing the Talibanised diktat he said that his fatwa against the all-girls rock band extend to everyone, including boys and “for every community whether they be Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus or Christians”.

While the Mufti sees something un-Islamic about music he does not seem to be against all things foreign. Sons of the Mufti’s son Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam have studied in Switzerland, Canada and Dubai while his wife works as a senior scientist in Abu Dhabi. Mufti’s other son was appointed as a senior government servant during Girish Chander Saxena’s rule as Governor.

Bashiruddin’s fatwa needs to be seen in the backdrop of similar edicts issued by the militants and self-proclaimed protectors of religious values and traditions in Punjab in the eighties and in Jammu and Kashmir since the beginning of the nineties. Some of their diktats had also laid down dress codes and ordered closure of places of entertainment, cinema houses and cable TV networks. Their directives were claimed for maintaining sanctity of religious values and traditions. But they neither ever explained nor the people dared ask them due to the fear of their gun whether such measures were ordained in the scriptures, particularly when there could not be any mention of them due to their non-existence in the medieval times.

One need not go into the details of the militants using such diktats from their fortified holiest Sikh shrine of Golden Temple Complex, Amritsar to foment separatist-militancy and spread terror which killed thousands of innocent Hindus and Sikhs.

To Bashiruddin’s apologists his fatwa may appear innocuous given the relative peace and normalcy Jammu and Kashmir has been witnessing for over three years. But three factors have now lent a worrying dimension to the situation. One, such like diktats used to be issued during the reign of terror unleashed by the Pakistan-backed infiltrators and their home-grown separatist-extremists two decades ago. But over the period due to the Indian security forces intensified counter-terrorism measures, the security situation in the state started witnessing near normal conditions leading to influx of tourists and reopening of cinema houses, cable networks and other places of entertainment.

Two, there has been a spurt in 2003 ceasefire violations and infiltrations from across the LoC during the past few weeks threatening to unsettle the hard-earned near-normalcy. Simultaneously, there have lately been signs of frequent interactions between the hardline separatists, the Pakistan-based militants and elements in Pakistan establishment.

The third and most important factor is the reports that a US military withdrawal from Afghanistan could lead to an increase in terrorist activity by the Lashkar-e-Toiba. The worrying reports say that LeT cadres are moving towards Kunar and Nuristan provinces in eastern Pakistan, looking for bases that would provide them an independent base for training and collection. Pakistani militant groups were reported to have carried out a similar strategy of being based in Afghanistan of attacking Kashmir from there when the Taliban government ruled Kabul in the 1980s.

My column “Currents and Undercurrents” published in the Indian Express in late eighties had apprehended that after the US-Pak-backed jihadis withdrew from Afghanistan after the Soviet forces ouster in 1988-89, they were likely to come to the help of Punjab militants and also infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir. As feared there was spurt in terrorist activities in Punjab in the late eighties. Infiltrations by Pakistan-backed armed jihadis into Kashmir also sparked the two decades long terrorism in Kashmir.

All these factors coupled with the possibility of re-surfacing of unsettling consequences following Guru’s hanging make the state vulnerable for emergence of fresh problems on the security and political fronts. New Delhi will have to redraw its contingency plans to meet possible new situations. (IPA Service)