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| Talibanism has no future in Kashmir | | | Bhat Sohail
The political discourse over “Taliban and Kashmir” is the new ‘ammo’ for weaponisation of information warfare in the Valley. After Taliban took over Kabul on August 15 2021, the Deep State in Pakistan has been relentlessly whetting its knife on Kashmir. Based on assumptions and relying on exploitation of gullible sentiments of Kashmiris, Pakistan Army is trying to sell its “new dream of deception and façade” that after Kabul, “Srinagar is the new battlefield for Taliban.”
The first and foremost thing is Taliban has downplayed any chance of meddling in Kashmir. However, given its close affinity with Pakistan, there are apprehensions in the security circles in India that Pakistan might re-route some Taliban fighters and allies to the Valley. This might well have stemmed from the founding of LeT in Yunnar province of Afghanistan in 1989-90, soon after Russia was defeated in a land known world over as “graveyard of empires.” India, therefore, reserves a right to be concerned as the Taliban government would always view the 2nd most populous nation in the world through the prism of an “existential threat” in the region.
Pragmatically speaking, it would be naïve to say Taliban will take its chance against a mighty country like India. But when the picture of Pakistan is added to the regional frame, the Narendra Modi government will not sit in its comfort zones, believing miles of difference exists between Kabul and Srinagar. In an era of 5G warfare and proliferation of Social Media, Pakistan can do much damage in Kashmir without the presence of a single Taliban fighter in the Valley. The extremist euphoria created by Burhan Wani on all Social Media platforms is still fresh in the memory of Kashmiris, and the security apparatus of the country.
Historically speaking, India is well aware about the mischievous demeanour of Pakistan Army. Therefore, the possibility of Taliban men being infiltrated into Kashmir can’t be ruled out. The moot point occurring here should be: “Will Kashmiri youth embrace Taliban and lose the freedom of expression they currently enjoy?” The answer is a tricky proposition but worth discussing here in the light of the empirical evidence and ideological differences. We understand and quip this assertion despite knowing Taliban has given assurances in the Doha talks of not allowing foreign actors to meddle in its internal affairs.
Let’s first draw a board on India’s western neighbour. ISI thinks too much of its smartness—in fact the gullible nature of Kashmiris’ would be more appropriate to say. Majority in Kashmir has forgotten how the 67 years of Afghan rule in the Valley didn’t went well in the annuls of history. Ahmad Shah Abdali was sought by Kashmiris’ to give them relief from the tyranny of Mughals’ but he ended up flaying and flogging them, more.
If historical background has been very crude to Kashmiris, why is Pakistan still trying her best to keep the pot boiling in Kashmir? What makes Imran Khan and General Bajwa sanguine about Kashmiris’ believing Taliban will liberate them from India? The answer is based on some well assumptions than undeniable facts. It’s an open secret that Pakistan Army is the biggest strength of Taliban. The +70000 Pashtun fighters would never have defeated USA had Pakistan Army not provided them arms training, sheltered UN designated extremists’ at home, and pumped in the money required to hold the most powerful army in the world, at bay.
This is where Pakistan is drawing its strength from. The fact that Kashmiris’ know Pakistan backed the Taliban till their victory in Afghanistan has become the main springboard of hope for ISI to play its Taliban card in Kashmir. Gen Bajwa sending DG ISI to Afghanistan in suggesting names for forming the government was followed keenly by Pakistan sponsored activists in Kashmir. Cashing in on this, Gen Bajwa is building his narrative, and trying to embolden his “strategic assets in Kashmir” that “our days are coming there.”
However, the ideological factor in following Islam between Taliban and Kashmiris’ would eventually test the nefarious designs of Pakistan in realizing in Kashmir what she could not in 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999—and the unleashing of a spectre called militancy since 1989. We should never dismiss this religious disparity as religious beliefs, tenets and jurisprudence is the main cog in the wheel of Taliban. They will compromise on anything but not on their form of Islam.
This is where India can heave a sigh of relief as Kashmiris’ majorly practice Sufism, a milder and softer version of Islam despite Pakistan leaving no stone unturned in indoctrinating the Kashmiri youth for the last three decades. Majority of the people in the Valley are still rooting for its glorious past and syncretic culture. Kashmir is dotted with shrines of great Sufi saints while Taliban denounce them for “being a source of Shirk (ascribing partners to Allah) and Bidah (innovation).
The gender disparity in Afghanistan, as promoted by Taliban will never work in Kashmir. Despite being a Muslim majority region, women folk iin Kashmir are climbing new ladders of success. The regressive measures of Taliban has no takers in Kashmir as the society in this part of India is well mainstreamed and has embraced modernism and globalism. The misleading reports on Taliban turning over a new leaf in governance is just a hogwash to brush past the regressive times of 1996-2001.
Kashmiris’ or Muslims’ in every corner of India aren’t fools. They know well the reports of Taliban talking about women empowerment, allowing girls’ to attend schools’ and bragging about other “soft measures” is just a ruse to gain international acceptance. They are well informed to learn the last Taliban government was only accepted by Pakistan, UAE and Saudi Arabia. While the Middle East
nations are unlikely to recognize Hibatullah Akhundzada’s men now, countries like Russia and China have joined the fray for geopolitical and geostrategic reasons.
However, let’s keep our focus on Kashmir here, and see has Taliban any chance of succeeding in the Valley? The first and foremost difference occurring here is Taliban’s hard understanding of Islam. While the youth in Kashmir admire Sufi music, Taliban denounces music (as a whole) Haraam in Islam without knowing devotional music takes us much closer to God. Girls’ in Kashmir are rocking in every sphere of modern activism while Taliban, on the other hand, is confining women to the four walls of their homes. Another important religious factor hardly being discussed in the preaching of esoteric (inner) Jihaad by Sufis’ since ages in Kashmir to that of the exoteric (outer)—land warfare—Jihaad by Taliban and allies in Pakistan.
Kashmir for ages has been celebrated as the hotbed of Sufism, the soft brand of Islam promoting communal camaraderie and peaceful coexistence. Every Kashmiri is well versed to what Taliban did to the statue of Buddha in Bamiyan in 2001. Taking this into context, there are thousands of revered Sufi shrines in Kashmir. In case of Taliban f gaining any impact in Kashmir, we’ll get to see Saudi Arabia pumping in millions of Riyals’ to bomb these shrines. It would indeed be catastrophic for Kashmir’s religious syncretism if Taliban men gain some hold in the Valley. Hundreds of innocent Kashmiris’ would be killed at these shrines, even if few Taliban men land in the Valley.
Another factor striking a substantial chord here is that youth in Kashmir is breaking new grounds of success. Cracking prestigious civil service exams, setting up successful business ventures and making the most of online business and self-promotional activities, the youngsters’ in the extremism infested Valley are sitting on a different trajectory, so lofty and lucrative that it would be impossible for Taliban to bring them onto their knees.
However, as Pakistan Army is no baby-sitter, we will continuously get our daily dose of manufactured narratives regarding Taliban devising a strategy on Kashmir. This info-warfare would have never succeeded but the deep penetration of social media and the brutal exodus of Kashmiri Pandits’ after the defeat of Russia in Afghanistan means the whole security apparatus in Kashmir will play very smart this time, and nip any chance of Talibanism in the bud.
Islamisation in Kashmir suffered a big jolt in Kashmir with the onset of militancy in 1989. Many sacred shrines’ and Sufis’ were attacked. But Kashmiris’ always blunted the efforts of Pakistan in turning their home into another Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. However, as Pakistan is feeling emboldened with Taliban defeating an alliance of 54 nations, countries like Turkey and Qatar must definitely be chalking out
future course of action in Kashmir, in cahoots with Pakistan Army and Taliban. The fact that the people of Afghanistan admire India keeps rankling Pakistan, and no effort will be spared to create great discord and fissures in this relationship. |
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