The Jammu and Kashmir police have launched a large-scale exercise to collect information on mosques in the Valley, as well as their imams, muezzins, members of their management committees and their charity wings.
While the exercise seeks information on the sect, capacity, construction cost, monthly budget and funding source of these mosques, it also demands granular personal details of those associated with the mosques, including the model of their mobile phone, its IMEI number, and details of their social media, ATM cards, ration cards, and credit cards.
A four-page form — one page for information on mosques and three pages for their members — is being distributed across various parts of the Kashmir Valley, The Indian Express has learnt.
It is for the first time that police are seeking information at this scale on mosques and their members. Beyond identifying a mosque’s ideological sect — Barelvi, Hanafi, Deobandi or Ahle-Hadith — the form requires details about its physical structure, number of floors, approximate construction cost and source of funds for its construction. It also seeks details about the monthly budget of the mosques, their bank account details, and how they are managed, as well as about the nature of land — whether state, milkiyat or shamilaat — on which the mosques are constructed.
The form also seeks complete family details of members of a mosque’s management committee, as well as its imam (person who leads prayer), muezzin (person who gives the call for prayer), khateebs (those who deliver Friday sermons) and the Bait-ul-Maal (the mosque’s charity wing).
The exercise seeks personal details like date of birth, phone number, email address and educational qualifications of those associated with a mosque.
Such persons have also been asked to furnish passport details, including passport number, date of issue and expiry, as well the number of countries visited by these persons and the names of relatives living abroad.
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They are also asked to provide their voter card number, Aadhaar details, driving licence number, ration card number, mobile phone number and bank account information.
Further, the form seeks specific details such as the IMEI numbers of their phones, information about their ATM and credit cards, as well as their PAN.
The detailed financial standing of those associated with the mosques is also sought, including information on their monthly earnings and expenditure, as well as property ownership with estimated values.
While the form seeks information about any past involvement of these persons in militancy or other criminal activities, it also requires details of their social media presence and the apps they use on their mobile phones. They have been asked to provide their WhatsApp number, email addresses and social media handles. Details of their family members, including parents, siblings, and children, are also sought.
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The survey has triggered some unease in the Valley, with many viewing it as a “direct interference in religious affairs”.
“We are seeing this for the first time. People associated with religious places are being singled out and asked to put their private lives in the public domain,” said a member of a mosque management committee, adding, “If they want to verify our credentials, they can conduct background checks. But probing our religious beliefs, family details and our monthly expenditure and credit card details goes too far.”
While police have not officially acknowledged the exercise, sources said this has been in the works for some time. “We have been asked to fill these details and submit the forms,” said a police officer.
Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter.
Expertise and Experience
Two Decades of Frontline Reporting: Bashaarat has spent 20 years documenting the evolution of Kashmir, from high-intensity conflict and political shifts to socio-economic development.
Award-Winning Investigative Journalism: He is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award (2012). This honor was bestowed for his reporting on the Pathribal fake encounter, a series of stories that highlighted his ability to handle sensitive human rights and security issues with investigative rigor.
Specialized Beats: His authoritative coverage spans:
Political Transitions: Tracking the shift from statehood to Union Territory, electoral dynamics, and the pulse of local governance.
Security & Conflict: Providing nuanced reporting on counter-insurgency, civil liberties, and the impact of the conflict on the civilian population.
Development: Documenting the infrastructure, healthcare, and educational landscape within the Valley.
Academic Background: He holds a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir, providing him with a localized academic and professional foundation that is rare in regional reporting. ... Read More
