I think this day will be remembered as the most notable day in the history of AJK, certainly in terms of rebuilding religious harmony in a territory which practically extinguished all such credentials by 1948, when the last caretaker of Sharda Peeth, namely Swami Nand Lal Ji was forced to leave:
The event - video captured above - was by no means 'plain sailing'. There was much we - as civil society in AJK - had to ponder in terms of the boundaries of our own faith and then consider the possible repercussions of the ignorant and extremist elements in our society. Many of whom have been taught from a very young age that everything valuable in this world and the hereafter is the exclusive domain of Muslims.
This ignores the message of the Holy Qur'an that it is a divine book providing guidance for the whole of humanity and not just Muslims. Every human being is entitled to whatever beliefs they choose to possess and it is the Almighty Allah who will judge the intention and conduct of each and everyone of us. We cannot be genuine Muslims if we forego the needs of humanity at large. After all, they (other humans) all breathe the same air we breath, they all need the same things we need viz. right to protection of life, wealth and honour and if they co-exist amongst us - viz. Jammu Kashmir & Allied areas - it is our responsibility to protect and facilitate them in their just needs and demands. Otherwise, we will all continue to suffer from needless conflict until doomsday.
In short, the freedom of Muslims is bound in accepting the freedom of everyone else who co-exists on this planet.
We began our quest for religious harmony in Sharda by visiting the grave of one of the local pioneers of this aspiration, who had - by fate and coincidence - passed away a few days ago. Namely Bashir Chittah:
Contrary to common perceptions - particularly aroused by political parties in AJK - that I operate as an individual and not as a team; this public event like all previous public events has involved heavy engagement with my co-citizens beforehand, followed by appropriate participation. This particular event involved 10 of us - some from the Muzaffarabad division including the Neelam Valley and some of us from Mirpur division.
When we put up a white flag on the wall behind where we camped at Sharda Peeth, the Pakistani army which has been protecting this heritage site for the last few decades became agitated. There had already been an altercation between them and some members of our team when one of us (amongst the youngest) decided to climb onto the roof of the Peeth (mandir/temple).
After a period of cooling down between both antagonists (viz. the Pakistani army and us) we set about embarking on the job we came here to do. Namely, putting up the two portraits (of Sharda Devi and Swami Nand Lal Ji who was the last saint and caretaker of the Peeth until 1948) handed over to us by a South Indian couple living in Hong Kong (Venkataraman and Sujaata) who had visited AJK in October 2019. Here's BBC coverage of their puja (Hindu worship) on the banks of the river Neelam (Kishenganga) at Pateeka, which was the first time such puja had taken place in AJK since 1948:
It should also be noted that the Hindu couple were not allowed to proceed to Sharda to conduct this puja ritual (as directed by Pakistan's clandestine agencies to concerned local quarters) but after prolonged negotiations with the local AJK administration at the time, we settled on Pateeka as the venue. Here's a discussion on Facebook at the time highlighting the obstruction:
Returning to today's proceedings, we went about our task while the Pakistani army intermittently came up to the Peeth but thankfully they didn't disturb us. For me personally, I had to go through much soul searching to play the hymns that my Hindu co-citizens had requested me to play while filming at the Peeth. Obviously, I want to minimise the level of controversy that may emerge from carrying out this human endeavour. I do understand that my Hindu co-citizens have not been able to visit this temple of theirs and thus, neither have they had the opportunity to worship here for over 7 decades. This is the closest they can get at this stage and I felt it my duty to fulfil their innocent aspirations. What tilted my decision is imagining if we as Muslims were deprived of visiting Makkah for decades and how we would feel if somebody were to play the 'takbir' for our spiritual upliftment at the Kaaba, for us to watch on video from afar.
Soon after we were done and just waiting for the banner (requesting visitors to take off their shoes before entering the sanctum of the temple) to arrive from Muzaffarabad; a stern message was relayed by the Pakistani army that we should take off the portraits from the mandir forthwith. In response, I sent 3 of my colleagues (all politicians or political workers led by Sadaqat Mughal of Athmaqam in Neelam) to speak to the army's senior-most representative at Sharda.
They were initially met by a Subedar, who then escalated the issue to a Major, who in turn referred my colleagues to Colonel Najeeb (probably the senior-most Pakistani army representative at Sharda).
The gist of the conversation with the Subedar was as follows:
Subedar: Aap Hinduo ki baat kyou kartey hain?
(Why do you talk on behalf of Hindus?)
(Response by Sadaqat Mughal hereafter SM): Wo hamaarey riyasat ke shehri hain bilqul usi tarah jaisey Pakistan me Hindu, Sikh aur Isai bastey hain aur aap par farz hay un ki baat karna aur tahaffuz karna
(They are our co-citizens - of Jammu Kashmir & Allied areas - in an identical manner to how Hindus, Sikhs and Christians live in Pakistan; whom you are duty-bound to talk on behalf of and protect)
Subedar: Aap Pakistani nahi hain?
(Are you not Pakistani?)
SM: Nahi me Kashmir ka hoo
(No, I'm of Kashmir)
Subedar: Kaun si Kashmir ka?
(Which Kashmir?)
SM: Jammu Kashmir
Subedar: Aap apney aap ko Pakistani nahi samajhtey?
(Do you not consider yourself a Pakistani?)
SM: Nahi me Jammu Kashmir ka shehri hoo jis ki azaadi adhoori hay
(No, I am a citizen of Jammu Kashmir whose freedom is incomplete)
Subedar: To hum kis liye aaye huwey hain?
(So, what are we - the Pakistani army - doing here?)
SM: Ye to aap jaaney
(You should have an answer)
As mentioned earlier, the Subedar then escalated the matter to a Major. This time Sadaqat Mughal posed the question that if this (Sharda Peeth) is not under your control as you say then why are you giving orders to the public? Please give us this order to take down the portraits in the temple in writing.
My colleagues were soon taken to the Colonel (who we presume was the senior-most representative of the Pakistani army at Sharda). The Colonel did begin by explaining that he was new in this particular post. Whereupon Sadaqat Mughal explained that this is a matter of our State (Jammu Kashmir & Allied) and particularly its citizens who haven't been able to visit their places of worship here in AJK for over 7 decades. He elaborated that we want the Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists of this State to respect and help protect our Masaajid on the other side of the divide and thus we are trying to show the same respect and aim to help protect all non Muslim places of worship on this side. Further, that this is a multi religious State and we all need to respect each other's beliefs.
The Colonel then suggested that they (my colleagues) get something in writing from the AJK government. In response, Sadaqat Mughal provided my reference that in previous years when I had engaged the local AJK administration on Sharda, they took pains to explain that they had no power to take any initiatives on Sharda. That power was 'vested' in the Pakistani army and its agencies. Sadaqat then explained that in consequence I even visited the Pakistani army brigade headquarters at Kel, in the summer of 2019. Here's a video taken after my aforementioned meeting:
The Pakistani army's senior most available representatives (in Kel and Sharda) in turn explained that there was a local government here and the Pakistani army is restricted to matters of security and doesn't engage in governance. Under such ambiguity the inheritors of this territory (the public of AJK at large who retain de jure sovereignty) have to take initiatives in public interest themselves.
Finally, Sadaqat Mughal explained that we don't want to create fresh conflict which may benefit your adversaries. This is a peaceful initiative which we have executed and we simply wanted you to be aware of what's happening around you. Engagement is better than mutual aloofness.
Given that the Pakistani army wanted us to take down the 2 portraits we had put up in the mandir and we wouldn't do so unless they gave us this order in writing - so that we may proceed with this issue at an appropriate forum with clarity - there was a deadlock. Consequently, the Pakistani army referred this matter to the local police whom we had a detailed conversation with at Sharda police station:
We thanked them for their time and advice before agreeing that I will meet the Director General of the Department of Tourism & Archeology upon my return to Muzaffarabad, to discuss matters further.
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