Hindu – Insight on Kashmir

Swami Agnivesh: A progressive Hindu Crusader

Not all Hindus belong to the BJP, nor does BJP represent Hinduism in its spiritual sense.

It is with these thoughts I remember saffron-clad Swami Agnivesh, who fought for social justice on his Hindu turf instead under the Hindutva ideology of the BJP.

Swami Agnivesh, 81, who died September 11, 2020, in Delhi, was a multi-crusader social activist best known for his work against bonded labor.

He also campaigned against female foeticide. A man with a world vision of one humanity argued that people should be allowed total freedom of movement across borders by eliminating passports and immigration laws.

Swami Agnivesh was a leader of Arya Samaj, a prominent sect of Hinduism. But in 2008, he was expelled from the organization for his radical and progressive views and activities.

His most critical and controversial views were:

1. The Puri Jagannath temple in Orissa should also be opened to non-Hindus; the temple priests vigorously opposed the remarks as “purely anti-Hindu in nature,” and they burnt his effigy.

2. In May 2011, hundreds of Hindu priests protested against Agnivesh’s claim that the oval-shaped ice lingam representing Lord Shiva in Amarnath cave in Kashmir is just a piece of ice.

Swami Agnivesh’s dislike for the governing BJP and the rest of its “Parivar” or clan members for their anti-Dalit and anti-minority agenda got him physically attacked. As an “agent of Pakistan,” he was called to “go back.”

For the BJP and its ideological guideline of Hindutva, Swami Agnivesh could be a rebel, but for many, he represented the democratic and progressive sentiments and values of Hinduism.

Promod Puri

Promod Puri is the editor of progressivehindudialogue.com and promodpuri.blogspot.com.

Immersing the ashes of a Hindu Refugee from Kotli in river Chenab | By Promod Puri

He Could Never Go Back To his Birthtown But Mother Nature Carried His Wishes

He could never go back to his place of birth, the home of his childhood and youth years in the racial-mixed company of his friends: Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs.

Mr. Kundan Lal Bakshi always wished and prayed to visit, at least once, the warm and friendly town of Kotli in Azad Kashmir- the Pakistan-administered part of the divided state of Jammu and Kashmir.

He wanted to roam the streets of his birth-town, speak his mother tongue ( Mirpuri) freely, and get the nostalgic feel of the neighbourhood where he grew up.

The family moved to Jammu, and so did Mr. Bakshi during the horrific and deadly communal riots of 1947.

The Line of Control (LoC) bars the region’s citizens from crossing the other side from where they got uprooted just in a matter of days and hours.

The Line of Control (LoC) is a military control line between the Indian and Pakistani controlled parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir—a line which does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary, but serves as the de facto border.

A simple folk with jolly good nature, Mr. Bakshi spent the rest of his life in the city that gave shelter and a new beginning to most refugees from the region that was once part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

The religious divide of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 gave rise to two nations, but it crushed humanity in genocidal and brutal waves.

What people on both sides of the divide got? A never-ending hostility. Caught in this hostility between the two neighboring nations was Mr. Bakshi, who died recently in Jammu.

He lived a long life till the age of 103 years. Perhaps he waited for the opportunity that one day he would see the place of his childhood again. But it never happened.

The family immersed his body’s ashes as per Hindu customs in the flow of mighty river Chenab in Akhnoor, a small border town near Jammu.

It was Mr. Bakshi’s sentimental wish that let mother nature carry his ashes through the waters of Chenab entering Pakistan, the land of his birth and home of his ancestors for generations.

(Promod Puri is a journalist, writer, and author of Hinduism Beyond Rituals, Customs, And Traditions. Originally from Jammu, now resides in Vancouver, Canada.)

Glimpses from history: Dhanidhar Fort in Rajouri

Insight on Kashmir // Danidhar fort in Rajouri district of Jammu Kashmir attracts less visitors than any other place of attraction in the area perhaps because of its dilapidated condition. However, its grandeur and loftiness is still worthy to be viewed particularly when one is inside the huge building. The Rajauri government describes that this historic fort was built during the reign of Mian Hathu- the then governor of Rajouri. He ruled this small governorate from 1846-1856 AD under the rule of the Lahore Darbar. In this very period, the governor started the construction of Dhannidhar Fort. The Fort was completed in 1855 AD. The main intention for the construction of the Fort was to keep Dogra Forces in this safer place because from this place, the whole Valley of Rajouri could be viewed. Apart from this during the Dogra regime, the revenue was collected from the farmers in the shape of grains and the grain was dumped in the fort which was sold later on.

The fort has been constructed utilizing the remains of the Jarral Rajas buildings. Lt Nawang Kapadia describes that before the advent of the Muslims, Rajouri was ruled by Hindu Kings belonging to the ‘Pal’ dynasty who claimed to be descendants of the Pandavas. Dhanidhar Fort is believed to have been built by one of the kings of this dynasty. The fort commands a complete view of the Rajouri town. The name Dhanidhar was given to this highest elevation of land portion overlooking Rajouri town and the valley below, on the basis of a village called Dhanidhar in its close proximity.

Rajouri”‘ is situated to the south of the Pir Panjal mountain range. Poonch
is in its” west while Bhimber lies in the south.

Nazakat Hussain, a Ph D scholar of the Aligarh University mentioned in his thesis titled ‘Archeology of Kashmir’ that the fort was originally built by the Mughal emperors.

Being on the Imperial route it was the halting place of Mughal Emperors during their visit to Kashmir. The fort was built by the Mughals with the help of stone blocks and baked bricks. There were mosques, gardens, rooms, assembly halls and hammams. All the structures, except the ruins of a small mosque in the market’ (Gujar Mandi) were once occupied by the cixil Hospital and forest department. Therefore it was not possible to trace out and prepare plans of the structures. Only the fortress wall towards riverside is standing there perhaps due to strong ‘ built of huge
stone blocks and bricks. These could have been part of a riverside summer
palace which used to be a common feature of the Mughal buildings on imperial route leading to Kashmir.

Religious Tourism: a cross-border necessity in Jammu and Kashmir

Religious tourism has become one of the most lucrative travel businesses around the world. Faith tourists are now willing to spend more money to visit holy places locally and abroad than recreational visits. Faith tourists from China, India and South Korea were among the largest group of visitors to Israel in 2018. Similarly, the Kumbh Mela in India attracts over 100 million pilgrims annually. Saudi Arabia welcomes millions of Muslim faith tourists every year and their numbers are ever-increasing.

Religious tourism in Jammu and Kashmir

The divided state of Jammu and Kashmir is one of those places in South Asia that can attract millions of pilgrims of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Buddhist religions. Pakistan recently opened the Kartarpur corridor in Punjab for Sikh pilgrims from India. Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara in Narowal district of Pakistani Punjab is one of the most sacred places of Sikhs, where Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life.

Over 600 holy places for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists

There are over 600 places of religious importance for followers of Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist religions in Azad Kashmir. Sharda Peeth is a popular Hindu temple in Neelum Valley Azad Kashmir. Historically, the temple was a prominent place in Hinduism.

The campaign to help Indian pilgrims in Azad Kashmir

The Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir has launched a campaign to ease pilgrims from India to visit holy places in Azad Kashmir. This is a welcoming gesture for people of both parts of Jammu and Kashmir. The AJK government has taken the first step in the right direction by asking the federal government’s approval.

The purpose of the request is to start planning to renovate, re-condition and open these places for followers from Indian-administered Kashmir.

The move will strengthen the confidence between the people, and governments of Pakistan and India to resolve conflicts peacefully in the region.