Kashmir from sociological perspective

Book: Sociological Papers on Kashmir (2 volumes)
Publisher: Jay Kay Books, Srinagar, 2010,  
Price: 1990  INR
Author: Dr .Bashir Ahmad Dabla

Dr. Bashir A. Dabla is an eminent sociologist of Kashmir. After doing Masters in Sociology in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, he carried out M.Phil. and Ph.D. programmes of research in the same university. At present, he is Professor and the former Head, Department of Sociology, University of Kashmir, Srinagar. In fact, he had established this department in 1989. He has worked as Assistant Director, Social Welfare Department and Press Officer to Chief Minister, J&K govt. and Lecturer, Department of Sociology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. Dr. Dabla has published several books, scores of research papers and about 50 newspapers-magazine articles on his areas of research. The topics of his books are polity, Society and Change? Working Women in Kashmir, and slam and Muslims etc. He has carried out successfully several research projects sponsored by international and national agencies, especially UNICEF, Save the Children Fund [UK] and Ministry of Planning, Government of India, New Delhi. In the past several years, he has completed successfully SCF research project on impact of Conflict Situation on Women and Children in Kashmir and MOP Project on Multi-Dimensional Problems of Women in the Kashmir Valley? Moreover, he has organized several national and regional seminars, conferences and workshops on various sociological themes. Dr. Dabla’s areas of specialization are [a] Social Change and Development, [b] Women, Children and Society, [c] Sociology of Minorities/Islam/Muslims and [d] The Kashmir Sociology.

Dr Bashir Ahamd Dabla is a seasoned sociologist of Kashmir who has contributed to scholarship in his own field of study and research and he is the only Kashmiri sociologist who is known internationally and quoted in the journals and publications of repute world wide .He is interviewed by  international Broadcasting agencies like BBC on the issues relating to the societal problems ,like gender discrimination ,migration ,orphans ,widows marginalized and the sections of society which are suffering from mental problems and sometimes commit the heinous crimes against humanity like suicide.

He is the only sociologist who like Ali Shariati analyses Muslim predicament in the sociological manner by indicating its various variables by quoting widely from Max Weber Durkheim, Max Muller and other well meaning sociologists .Though he is a fan of Shariati but he has created a niche for himself in the world of Muslim sociology in general and Kashmir sociology in particular .However it is very deplorable that he has not got the recognition he deserved and has been neglected by the politically motivated custodians of  institutions otherwise meant for encouraging such luminaries as our these institutions and their directors are busy in earning the good will of the powers that be to remain in job even after their retirement .Otherwise how was it possible that the commendable work in the sociological and academic field would have escaped their attention .He deserved several covetous awards and rewards as no one else can compete with in his field of specialization given his great  contribution to the neglected fields of research where even the angels dread. He has learnt the tools of cool and serene research shorn of fan fare from the Oxford of India JNU New Delhi where I have seen him pursuing his research in the field of inter disciplinary sociological studies, he has worked on various dimensions of women problems of Muslim countries like  sociological developments in modern Turkey and social change in the Gulf with special focus on Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during his stay at JNU  and later on he has written a very good book on Ali Shariati .He has written a very good and research based article on Abul Kalam and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan ,which was published in my three volume edited book Challenges to Religions and Islam in 2007. Despite his serious illness he reminds us of Stephen Hawking as he like this scientific genius, our sociological philosopher Dabla has produced volume after volume on such dimensions of Kashmir that a full-fledged institute could not undertake such a stupendous project. He has worked with such a focus that his writings have assumed the status of the treasures of information to be quoted for substantiating otherwise unsubstantiated positions taken by various sections and social and voluntary organizations at home and elsewhere. His data base approach is supported by the findings based on field work reports he gets scrupulously arranged by his research scholars and students by utilizing the latest research techniques and tools used in such cases throughout the world, rendering these most dependable and reliable information resources.Dr Dabla has thus provided an optimistic stance in otherwise the dormant political and social landscape of Kashmir where rumours and emotions reign supreme and hardly any activity seems based on well planned and long term survey and assessment. He by his objective and candid studies has brought a positive dimension of our actual predicament to fore and without mincing words has shown every social actor a mirror to see the actual social problems without blurring the images in the reflections emanating from light of his analysis. He is sociological philosopher and an objective researcher not governed by emotive tendencies most of our writers suffer from, tarnishing the real facts under the guise of subjective instincts we have become captive of given our vulnerabilities to name and fame. Moreover, his systematic and on going research and exploration of facts separates him from the bands of our jingoist ambitious and publicity hungry armchair intellectuals who are fascinated with their  journalistic treatment to otherwise very intricate social dilemmas and obsessions. He analyses the problems with the “tough mind” but “tender heart” to quote John Wisdom, and reaches to the kernel of the subject without compromising with its precedents and antecedents.

In this two volume book Dabla deals with nationalism, politics society women migration of Kashmîrî Pandits orphans widows demographic changes, and social mobility etc.He views regarding our society being respectful to women and  not being close as elsewhere are quite true . According to Dabla nationalism: “… essentially represents a parallel ideology to that of Islam.” p-18

In the same paper on Nationalism and Kashmiri Muslims he says:

“The rishi (Sufi) influence on Islam in Kashmir had made it more of a folk religion than an ideology for change. This kind of Islam could not provide an alternative to the secular –socialist Koshuriat in its formative stage.”_p-20

Talking about the ill affects of accession he says:

“..the accession isolated the Muslims of Kashmir from the rest of the Muslim Ummah .It married them with a country which had neither a history, geography ,culture ,language nor religion in common with Kashmir.” P-20

He echoes Sheikh Abdullah’s statement published in Illustrated weekly that: communalists of north India want to convert Kashmir into a Hindu pilgrim” when he says: “ But the fact is that Sheikh Abdullah had enmeshed himself completely .He could not revolt but simply complain that the north Indian communalist were bent upon changing the demographic composition of Kashmir so that the Muslims would be turned into a minority .”P-22

Talking about the far reaching consequences of the accession he says:

“”..the ideological indoctrination of Indian nationalism was made the supreme objective. In addition to other efforts, reduction was utilized fully for this cause through its central organisation and the school syllabuses. Its effects were deeply felt. Muslim children in kashmirlearn about India but know hardly anything about Islam and Kashmir. As, a result, a new generation of Muslim youngsters is growing up whose commitment to Islam, Muslims and Kashmir is questionavble.”P-24

What is more significant in Kashmir context that the traditional religious leader ship in Kashmir was “changed into an interest group”p-25?

Analyzing the factors responsible for the insignificant presence of religious leadership Dabla enumerates several factors. Why Islam could not become “political ideology” in Kashmir: Islam in Kashmir developed a folk (rishi) character with roots in pre-Islamic traditions laying much on rituals. Traditional leadership was “not completely Islamic; in some cases it was un-Islamic .It was often used against the Muslim interests in Kashmir. It was interested in the status quo because its status, authority, power and interests lay in the maintenance of the feudalized religious institutions.” P-26

A more serious analysis, ade of the religious leadership of Jamaat is more interesting:

“The Jamaat –e-Islami movement attempted to provide an Islamic dimension to koshuriat .It strongly emphasized the Islamic identity of the Kashmîrî Muslims, their relationship with the Muslims of the world .the liberation of Kashmir and the establishment of Islamic state .It provided strong critique of the Kashmîrî nationalist leadership but it lacked the leadership and necessary intellectual tools for a revolutionary Islamic movement. While it preached the independence of Kashmiris, it participated actively in Indian electoral politics.Finally, it started a political battle against the Kashmîrî nationalists without mobilizing and preparing the masses, which led to its disastrous defeat.”P-27

He is perhaps the first sociologist to have assessed the social impact of militancy in the Kashmir valley. On education demographic transformation psychology marriage practices family and kinship etc.He says as per unofficial estimates: “about 35 percent students studying in primary and secondary stages in the villages had to drop –out for reasons directly or indirectly related to militancy.p-111

Talking about psychological influence he says:

“As a result of direct and indirect implications of militancy .The entire Kashmîrî society has been exposed to the psychological abnormancy .While the mental health of significant proportion of the community is not satisfactory ,even out of 10 members in the families face slight to extreme mental depression”.p-112

Discussing about the rise of crime he says some people used guns “to fulfill all their objectives: they were involved in numberless cases of sexual offences, violent behaviour .and drug abuse and so on. With these developments in the traditional society of Kashmir, the field was clear for crime and criminals. That exactly happened in Kashmir with the arrival of gun in those hands who used it for individual momentary gains rather than for political objectives. Thus Kashmiris joined the mainstream of crime at the global level. The crime situation here can be compared with any crime –spot in the world. In the present –day situation, all acts of major crime [such as murder ,torture ,kidnapping ,rape ,financial embezzlement and printing fake currency ]and minor crime [such as thefts in houses and shops , snatching valuables .,molestation ,fraud ,adulteration and bribing have become the usual news –items for the people living in the valley……. The daily crime reports in the local press and regular official crime statistics reveal that not less than 50 cases of major and minor crimes take place daily in Kashmir.”P-115

It is interesting to note here that at the initial stage of the movement, there were very less cases or no case of major /minor crime in Kashmir .But, the crime situation was changed radically in the last 15 years.p-115

Talking about the plight of widows and orphans the author says while showing the psychological impact on these vulnerable sections of our society:

“Majority of these widows and orphans faced mass depression and other psychological problems. These mental health patients suffered more in the absence of treatment facilities in the valley .Very few among them could go outside the state for ideal treatment .These unfortunate families faced social disorganization in terms of loss of traditional patriarchal authority .loosening of social control ,erosion of values and norms and undesirable socialization. In this situation, late marriage and sexual promiscuity could not be avoided. Traditional kinship ties got disturbed which created a feeling of ‘helplessness’ and ‘insecurity ‘among widows and orphans. The presence of security forces and other elements increased this feeling.”p-124

To address the multiple issues of destitute and affected people scores of NGOs came to fore but only few are genuine and most of these mushrooming NGOs are fake and the chief means of earning money .He sys :

“It is important to note here that thee was a mushroom growth of local NGOs in Kashmir from mid -1990s.Within a brief period of a few years, many such NGOs .even up to hundreds in number, cropped up. Most of these organizations were fake and fraud and existed on paper only, but grabbed the whole money collected on the name and cause of widows and orphans. In fact, some of these organizations were sponsored by outside agencies and were also used in counter –insurgency measures.” P-125

While talking about genuine national and international NGOs and civil society organizations however the author has not mentioned important NGOs like Islamic Relief and Research Trust and Shama Foundation which are doing commendable work for the orphans destitute and especially women of Kashmir.

  Though working women have undergone “significant change but at the same time have enhanced their problems .Though ,in their case ,the degree of dependency ,discrimination and exploitation has been reduced considerably ,it seems, and studies ,reveal that new problems have completely engulfed the working women. Even some of their achievements have been slightly nrgagted.”P-180

Society has not accepted or “accommodated/ integrated the changing role of women at the ideational as well as behavioral levels.”180

Due to women’s regular work outside house “the structure and function of family”   and it has contributed to development of nuclear units especially it had its affects on in the context of the traditional situation wherein the joint family was a general norm. Secondly women’s change at attitudinal and behavioral level helped in weakening the joint family system and led also to the erosion of the legitimacy of joint family system as about 47.14 percent working women who were interviews have opined like wise.p-173 even change in child bearing and child rearing practices were affected by this situation and because of the demands of job they preferred to have two children per women on an average. The children were given to the care of grand parents, servants or other relatives and thus the childrearing problem was solved by providing children non parental care during the daytime, it created other problems especially related to the socialization of the children. The problems like “generation gap between children and their parents” “carelessness and laziness of children” “loneliness of children”. And “developing a social attitudes” p-174

Problems like delayed marriages, more possibilities of divorce ete also surfaced.-p-174

Interaction with male colleagues created problem though less comparing to other parts of India like ill talk about the working women p-177

In Kashmir polygamy though allowed by shariah has had been very less practices and practice of divorce very less however no payment of mahr has not become  a grave problem. However “though the inheritance rights for women for women in Kashmir existed in theory, they were denied to them in practice. In actuality, a customary law was developed which did not allow a due share to women from their parental property.”P-200

Women are ill-treated by women themselves also “the intra –sex conflict among women here proved more damaging for women.” P-200

Women had a minimal social role “they participated actively in the economic activities. In the urban areas, while women of Sayyid and hojja families were confined to their homes and were not allowed to perform any manual labour outside their homes, women belonging to various occupational groups, worked with their men within and outside their homes. Wearing or observing  no pardah and interacting freely and constantly with unknown customers of both sexes ,these women helped their male members in carrying out the occupational activities .Similarly ,in the rural areas ,all women (except the women of Sayyid families ) worked shoulder –to-shoulder with their male counterparts without purdah in fields and with their men in the family.”P-201

A practical suggestion given by Dabla to improve women’s condition is:

“…there emerges an urgent need to develop among women here legal awareness……In this connection ,special emphasis must be laid on problems related to marriage, divorce ,inheritance,mahr,economic –social security ,education ,income and employment.”P-209

…the mahr is not paid fully and on time in all cases in Kashmir……same is the case with giving daughters their share of the father’s property.” P-209 

In this  chapter Dabla shows that the phenomenon of Gender discrimination exists more or less in all societies of the world, irrespective of their difference in region, religion, economy, polity, education, culture, social structure and so on. The sociological studies carried out at the global level and in cross-cultural context have revealed that women in general were not considered equal to men at the social level and they were not allowed to become active partners in the processes of change and development. Like other societies and communities in the Indian subcontinent, the Kashmiri women faced certain set degree of gender-based discrimination in the traditional situation. However, as a result of cumulative effects of the processes of modernization, this situation has changed qualitatively as well as quantitatively. While the direction of this change stands towards their total development and emancipation, it has also given rise to some crucial problems for themselves.

In the second volume he talks about caste in terms of social features more than cultural features there are more class stratifications rather than Varna stratification. Strange feature of syyidisation has led at times to “partial or full mobility among lower castes and occasionally among middle castes. In fact this phenomenon of adopting Sayyid caste names by non –sayyid families have emerged significantly in the valley in the previous few decades. In this process, the lower caste families, after undergoing economic, social, and educational mobility, changed the old and opted for new Sayyid caste names .According to a survey ,about 30 to 40 percent Sayyid caste names were not original but adopted names. These families were not Sayyids before fifty years but have become e Sayyid in the last decades. This process of sayyidaisation has partial similarity with the phenomenon of sanskritisation (, p-306 foot note no 23 Dabla)

Though Sayyids feel angry about the emergence of neo or pseudo Sayyids, but caste as the ideal basis of social stratification was “delegitimized and defuntionilized “.” Moreover, the criterion for putting castes into lower/middle/upper status have also been challenged. In totality, this criticism has intensified the process of Islamisation among the lower and middle castes.” P-258

Talking about the problems involved in marriage of destitute and victimized women he suggests that we have “to work for development of very positive social environment which will legitimize as well as emphasize the marriage with the girls related to the militants’ families.” Their marriage is to be made a “broad day reality.” Moreover, widow remarriage must also be emphasized, so that the widows no more remain disadvantaged members of the society,.” P-282

This is a duty according to Dabla both of government and NGOs .281

About the impact of tourism he says that more boys prefer to marry girls outside the endogamous circle because tourism related activities provide them ample opportunities to develop contact and interact with girls outside their families/groups/communities.” It has been observed that some boys prefer to marry non-Kashmîrî and outside girls. These outsiders were the Indian Muslims and Christian foreigners.p-298

Worth mentioning was the impact of tourism on the family’s social cultural ethos

, which negated many traditional practices of marriage such as endogamy, parental arrangement, polygamy, early performance and divorces  more and more boys prefer to marry girls outside the endogamous circle because tourism –related activities provide them ample opportunities to develop contact and interact with girls outside their families/groups /communities. In this way, the primacy of the endogamous circle has gone.pp-298-299

On important impact from tourism was development of multi-religious experience though Dabla Sahib’s study revealed “that the tourists interaction with the hosts and their families had led to certain degree of ‘egregiously’ and in some degree of ‘multi religiousity’ in the cultural ethos of the locals. While the phenomenon of ‘irre-religioisity’ meant that the concerned people were devoid of religious considerations while they dealt with the tourism and the related activities. This also meant practicing lesser religious practices among the local hosts at the individual and group level. This may also be explained in terms of the ‘secularizing’ impact in the urban context. On the other hand, the phenomenon of ‘multi-religiosity referred to the development of consciousness about other religions and religious followers. Both these processes led to the situation characterized by religious tolerance and religious understanding. This was helped by the local traditions of sofism and Rishism”.-pp- 302-303

Bavhaviour patters and attitudes led to the materialistic orientation and world view among the people related to tourism in most cases as “accumulating money “became et he chief objective, which was reflected in their “tourist mentality which emphasized accumulation of large amount of money in as short a period as possible” sometimes at the cost of “deviation or violation of established values an304d norms.  Means were more important than for these people than the ends .As a result “a lot of fraud, deception and dishonesty goes on with the tourists in general. But, this attitude and behaviour is condemned and rejected in the broader Kashmîrî society.p-304

Apart from these disadvantages to society by tourism, one of its kinds sex tourism has brought some new challenges to fore. According to Dabla:

“The ideal case of sex –tourism can be identified in Thailand and Phillippines where local women are offered to outside tourists in lieu of financial gains” Government in these countries does not intervene in these well organized trades of human flesh trade..But these gains are in most cases disadvantageous to women as “the core of these sex activities is the dehumanization and exploitation of women,. Quoting Robin Cohen and Paul Kennedy he says “sex tourism is mainly associated with the exploitation of women and girls.” p-307

Though the tourists coming from different destinations of India and foreign countries are usually accompanied women “whom they take from brothels or other sex rackets Women involved in these activities can be “traced to Bihar,Bengal,Nepal,BNorth India and North –Eastern areas. Thank God “no state –subject was found among them.”Though these women belong to Middle class or upper middle class socio-economic background, some of them have been college or university students. They are mostly Hindus, if not, “they pose as Hindus.”P-310

But some new emerging scenario can prove nightmarish to all of Kashmiris According to Dabla “the extreme economic debacle “had serious material and moral repercussions for men and women both .Some women were  compelled to opt for sexual practices in order to get their minimum economic needs fulfilled .Thus we observed a situation in which significant number of women belonging to lower and lower middle classes adopted prostitution type activities. They were sexually exploited and blackmailed by the affluent, official and influential sections of society. (P-313)

However this was not a “system like the one which prevails around prostitutes, clients and middlemen. It was a simple network in which these women fell trapped and suffered till they got out of it, which was comparatively easy for them. All these local women upheld these sexual activities as “crimes”.p-313

While discussing a very crucial aspect sex activates Dabla thinks that after imposing religious oriented cultural code forcefully by some forces which was not in tone with local cultural norms and values related to sex, in reaction “Kashmir valley experienced the emergence of sexual permissiveness among the significant section of local youth. In reality, when the local youth was culturally suppressed, they revolted against this and preferred modern norms and values. In this kind of situation, the permissiveness of sex relations and roles could not be stopped.Agian the exploitation of women on the part of affluent, official and influential sections of society could not be stopped.p-314

In this regard Dabla has referred to some groups who have been somewhere involved in this regard, Pattan Sex Racket 1980s, Chinar Sex Scandal 1980,VIP Sex Scandal 2007,Sex ,Tourism and Military presence etc and discussed some unexplored dimensions of this subject in most sociologically convinced manner.(pp-310-322)

There are other subjects like child labour and social problems of the children, which have been discussed nicely giving data, based analysis for each and every subject with convincing sociological arguments backing his conclusions. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates, 246 million children are child labourers and ‘one out of six children in the world today is involved in child labour, doing work that is damaging to his or her mental, physical and emotional development. 73 million children are less than 10 years of age. India with a population of more than one billion in 2001 A.D. has the largest population of these working children in the world. 

There are many child labourers in Kashmir also. Though the precise number of these child labourers is not available but according to 1981 census the total number of children in the Jammu and Kashmir state in the age group of 0-4, 5-9 and 10 to 14 years was 21, 11, 303, which comprised 35.26 percent of the total population in the state. Their number increased to about 40.00 percent of the total population in the year of 1991. However, as per unofficial estimates, about 47 percent of the total numbers of children work outside their homes regularly for earning and supporting their families. According to the census 2001, there were 1, 75, 630 child labourers in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Prof. B. A. Dabla’s study shows with a lot of evidence that, despite lot of efforts on the part of governmental and non-governmental agencies the child labour in Kashmir has not decreased but increased significantly, especially in the last five decades. The increase as well as the intensity of child labour problem was observed both in urban and rural areas. The study found that the main motivating agents for making the child labourers to join handicraft centres were parents, and motivation by poverty conditions, etc. The study observed that majority of the child labourers had an experience of 3 to 6 years and the rest were in this business from last 7 to 10 years. It has been found that four main areas of handicrafts work of Shawl-Bafi, Kaleen-Bafi, Doen-Hutch Kaem, and Paper-Mache are the dominant as well as common. the child labourers are exploited to the maximum extent by employers as well as by parents of the child labourers through wages, work (less wages and more work for employer and receiving the wages of the children by parents and forcing them to go for extra work), etc. The life long work of the child labourers in the handicraft centres has led to some disastrous, chronic diseases and life long disability among the child labourers, like weak eye sight, back ache, head ache, mental stress etc. Majority of the child labourers interviewed were drop-outs from schools. The study found that the problem of child labour as existing in Kashmiri society has given rise to multidimensional problems having implications on one’s physical, social, emotional, moral, and educational development. 

He thinks that the pardah has more sociological orientation   than religious is also a significant point .He thinks that there are fake NGOS and authentic ones operating in Kashmir is also a serious matter . He differentiates between the practice of veiling amongst  the Syed dynasty in Kashmir and commoners and describes it in the latter’s case as a pardah ritual .He has talked about some serious issues also .Analyzing Jamaat –i-Islamis he concludes that it could not present any alternative to koshuriat ideology as it was not even used for good reasons even by nationalist given their myopic vision of ultimate goals and exposure to secular dialogues .He thinks religious clergy is ‘self serving’ and they have lost the confidence of people in Kashmir ,a statement loaded with  subtle criticism. He thinks that when the authority of Kashmiris was eroded, Sheikh Abdullah and his son could only “complain rather than protest”. These are only  some of the issues he has discussed and his explanation of nationalism and koshuriat or Kashmîrî identity and ethnicity is very comprehensive. His ideas about the impact of social and educational policies of the centre on Muslim young and modern generations are very astute and thought provoking. He has analyzed all the small and big factors in well documented papers and has presented his candid comments without mincing words in clear cut sociological manner and this objective and dispassionate analysis reminds one of Shariati’s approach, though without the flowery style of the latter and lacking the philosophical content of Shariati amidst sociological expounding of the problems. He has however based his studies on the field work reports he has carried through his students and researchers and himself in a scientifically approved sociological  manner without loading his findings with emotional outburst we are prone to when it comes to analysis of the heart rendering facts Kashmir has no dearth of .He tries to reach at the real problem and then comes out with such a resolution that we feel that he has explained away it in a manner that we are not left with any hangover or confusion .He has tried to maintain his cool at every stage and has presented  a wealth of information on history customs problems menaces maladies ,nuances and follies of our society without hiding the antecedents and precedents in a cool objective manner though without much fanfare and allurement .He however has not displayed complete mastery over the religious dimension while discussing divorce or other such social problems we face, his views about the cultural ethos of Kashmir which was challenged by the moral codes of Islamizing groups in nineties is also not well pronounced. However, his research and analysis is based exclusively on broader and deeper empirical investigations.  All propositions and conclusions are drawn after following a long scientific methodology in the broader sociological perspective.