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| Time for Gujjar and Bakerwal Muslims to take on Geelanis | | | RUSTAM
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Aug 7: Tehrik-e-Hurriyat chief and ardent believer in the concept of theocratic Pakistan Syed Ali Shah Geelani has dismissed the Gujjar and Bakerwal Muslims as non-Muslims. He has said that the Gujjar Muslims are different from Muslims and that they belong to a "separate religion." Geelani expressed these views on Thursday while talking to the correspondent of NDTV.
The Gujjar and Bakerwal Muslims constitute the third largest social group in Jammu and Kashmir after the Jammu Dogras and the Kashmiri-speaking Sunnis. These tribal Gujjars and Bakerwals mostly inhabit the hilly and mountainous areas of the state. Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu province and the erstwhile Baramulla and Kupwara districts in Kashmir province are the areas which house maximum number of Gujjars and Bakerwals. They are all Sunnis.
What Geelani has said is understandable. After all, Geelani belongs to that school of thought that doesn't provide for reservation in the government jobs, legislatures, technical and professional institutions and universities for any segment of Muslim society on any ground whatever. He also belongs to that school of thought that doesn't regard Shiite Muslims and Ahmediyas as true Muslims. According to this school of thought, all Muslims are equal. This school of thought dominates the entire Muslim world. There is not a single country in the Muslim world that provides for reservation in any sphere for any segment of Muslim society. India is the only country in the world that has conferred the Scheduled Tribe status on the tribal Gujjar and Bakerwal Muslim and entitled these communities to have a separate share in the government jobs, legislatures, technical and professional institutions and universities. The objective is to enable these extremely backward communities to regenerate their socio-economic and political life so that they also lead a dignified life and have a say in the governance of the country.
The Gujjar and Bakerwal Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir also enjoy this status. In fact, they struggled hard for decades and got this status in 1991, when Chandrashekhar was the Prime Minister. They got reservation in the government jobs, technical and professional institutions and universities, but not in the state legislature. Ever since then, they have been demanding political reservation under the Indian Constitution.
It is this that perhaps has annoyed Geelani and others of his ilk. How could he consider the Gujjar and Bakerwal Muslims as Muslims when they are seeking their empowerment under the Indian Constitution? How could the Geelanis forgive these tribal communities? He cannot. Besides, he cannot forgive these communities because they have not join his anti-India crusade. The fact of the matter is that the Geelanis in Kashmir have never considered any non-Kashmiri Muslim community as part and parcel of the Kashmiri Muslim society. The Gujjars and Bakerwals are virtually considered untouchables in Kashmir.
The Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation (TRCF), a well-known research organization of the Gujjars, has taken an exception to the statement of Syed Ali Geelani and accused him of outraging the religious sentiments of the Gujjars. In fact, Secretary of the TRCF Javaid Rahi has asked Geelani to refrain from outraging the sensitivities of the Gujjars and told him that Gujjars of Jammu and Kashmir are all Sunni Muslims and that they are the true followers of Islam.
If Javai Rahi and similar other Gujjars believe that the likes of Geelanis would reform themselves and adopt a soft approach towards them, then they are living in fool's paradise. If they really wish to take on the Geelanis, they have no other option but to expose the true nature of politics - Geelani style. The Geelanis want to divide each city, each town and each locality into Pakistan, Hindustan, Khalistan and Gujjarsthan. They do not believe in the concept of peaceful co-existence. Anyway, to say all this is not to undermine the significance of the stand Javail Rahi has taken on Geelani. He has taken a right stand. He must educate the members of his community about what the Geelanis stand for. The likes of Geelanis have to be isolated. It is an irony that there are elements in New Delhi who want to put all eggs in the basket of Geelani as if he is the sole factor in the state's political situation. |
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