Kashmiri literati try bridging cultural estrangement

SRINAGAR, OCT 7: A rendezvous with a purpose. After years of mutual suspicion and communication gap, dozens of Kashmiri writers, poets and...

SRINAGAR, OCT 7: A rendezvous with a purpose. After years of mutual suspicion and communication gap, dozens of Kashmiri writers, poets and academicians gathered together here to talk and discuss and thus create bridges between the two communities, which have been driven apart during the decade-long violence.

A socio-cultural group, Lal Ded Foundation, was recently launched by sevenKashmiri writers and poets with the aim of a cultural renaissance, especiallyto help revive Kashmir8217;s composite cultural ethos. 8220;We don8217;t want politics. Our aim is to initiate a dialogue on an intellectual level between Kashmiri Hindus and Muslims,8221; said a noted Kashmiri broadcaster, Bashir Akhtar, president of the Foundation. 8220;We want to speak with each other, to create bridges and cement relations.8221;

The group organised a function to felicitate noted Kashmiri journalist, P N Jalali, now a migrant in Delhi, besides releasing a book written by another noted Kashmiri writer, Moti Lal Saqi. Saqi, also a migrant, died in Jammu recently. And today there was a two-day All India Conference of Kashmiri Writers, Poets and Intellectuals.

8220;I feel overwhelmed. It is great to be with friends and colleagues after years,8221; said leading dramatist and broadcaster, Pran Kishore, who flew from Mumbai to attend this conference. 8220;A bridge is important. Milap zaroori hai re-union is essential. Diloun ka milap zaroori hai reunion of hearts is needed,8221; he said, adding, 8220;It is not possible, politically. We have strong cultural bonds and only culture, language and tradition can cement it.8221; He said that he had reason to believe that the wall between the two communities will vanish one day. 8220;If the Berlin wall can fall, why not this barrier between us Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits?8221; he said.

A migrant Kashmir Pandit scholar, Pearay Hatal expressed his happiness in speaking in Kashmiri. 8220;We don8217;t get an opportunity to talk in Kashmiri often,8221; he said. 8220;I want to talk today. Bhe luterave ha panun bous kasher path I want to give vent to my pent up feelings in my mother tongue8221;

Though the scholars read academic papers about the problems faced by theKashmiri language and relevance of Sufi saints like Lal Ded and Shiekh Noordin, the focal point seemed the reunion of long-lost friends, colleagues and neighbours. Prof. Shafi Shouq, head of the Kashmiri department at Kashmir University blamed the 700-year long repression to be the main reason for the decline of Kashmiri language. 8220;The issue of language in Kashmir is purely a political issue. Unless you accept Kashmiris as a nation, the language can never be promoted,8221; he said.

A migrant broadcaster, Brij Nath Betab also came from Delhi. He too felt that language can work as a binding force. 8220;It is a matter of life and death for me. Lifestyle, geography and language make the identity of a nation. I am away from all of it,8221; he said. 8220;Nobody speaks my language at the place where I live now. I feel isolated. I feel I am cut off from my roots.8221;

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People from both the communities were nostalgic about being together afteryears. And when a famous local singer Gulzar started singing folk Chakri8217;,many in the audience started dancing to it. 8220;This folk song is not just entertainment but a prayer as well. It is a prayer that suspicions end and wounds heal,8221; said Mushtaq Ahmad Mushtaq, the general secretary of the Foundation. Many in the audience had listened to a folk singer live after years.

Another Kashmiri poet, Arjun Dev Majboor had come down from Jammu. He toolives there as a migrant. 8220;I want to talk,8221; he said. 8220;I have to talk a lot. I feel as if I haven8217;t spoken at all for the past 11 years.8221; Responding to a paper read on Lal Ded by Prof M H Zaffar, he stressed upon the need to revive the message of this famous Kashmiri woman saint. 8220;Lala is very relevant in these times of despair,8217; he said.

Muzamil Jaleel

Muzamil Jaleel is a Deputy Editor at The Indian Express and is widely recognized as one of India’s most authoritative voices on Jammu & Kashmir, national security, and internal affairs. With a career spanning over 30 years, he has provided definitive on-the-ground reportage from the heart of the Kashmir conflict, bearing witness to historic political transitions and constitutional shifts. Expertise and Investigative Depth Muzamil’s work is characterized by a rare combination of ground-level immersion and high-level constitutional analysis. His expertise includes: Conflict & Geopolitics: Decades of reporting on the evolution of the Kashmir conflict, the Indo-Pak peace process, and the socio-political dynamics of the Himalayan region. Constitutional Law: Deep-dive analysis of Article 370 and Article 35A, providing clarity on the legal and demographic implications of their abrogation in 2019. Human Rights & Accountability: A relentless investigator of state and non-state actors, uncovering systemic abuses including fake encounters and the custodial death of political workers. International War Reporting: Beyond South Asia, he provided on-the-spot coverage of the final, decisive phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009. Landmark Exposés & Impact Muzamil’s reporting has repeatedly forced institutional accountability and shaped national discourse: The Kashmir Sex Scandal (2006): His investigative series exposed a high-profile exploitation nexus involving top politicians, bureaucrats, and police officers, leading to the sacking and arrest of several senior officials. Fake Encounters: His reports blew the lid off cases where innocent civilians were passed off as "foreign terrorists" by security forces for gallantry awards. SIMI Investigations: He conducted a massive deep-dive into the arrests of SIMI members, using public records to show how innocuous religious gatherings were often labeled as incriminating activities by investigative agencies. The Amarnath Land Row: Provided critical context to the 2008 agitation that polarized the region and altered its political trajectory. Over the years, Muzamil has also covered 2002 Gujarat riots, Bhuj earthquake, assembly elections in Bihar for Indian Express. He has also reported the peace process in Northern Ireland, war in Sri Lanka and national elections in Pakistan for the paper. Awards and Fellowships His "Journalism of Courage" has been honored with the industry's most prestigious accolades: Four Ramnath Goenka Awards: Recognized for J&K Reportage (2007), On-the-Spot Reporting (2009), and Reporting on Politics and Government (2012, 2017). Kurt Schork Award: From Columbia University for international journalism. Sanskriti Award: For excellence in Indian journalism and literature. IFJ Tolerance Prize: For his empathetic and nuanced reporting in South Asia. International Fellowships: Served as a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley and worked with The Guardian, The Observer, and The Times in London. He has also received Chevening fellowship and a fellowship at the Institute of Social Studies, Hague, Netherlands. Professional Presence Current Location: New Delhi (formerly Bureau Chief, Srinagar). Education: Master’s in Journalism from Kashmir University. Social Media: Follow him for field insights and rigorous analysis on X (Twitter) @MuzamilJALEEL. ... Read More