Sikhs and Kashmir is a story that everyone knows but rarely introspects about. The reason being, who wants to speak up for people who can’t speak up for themselves. While the words seem harsh yet their necessity is exacerbated by the existential threat that Kashmir Sikhs and their relevance has been facing since always and more so in the last few decades. This sad scenario is brought out by many factors and has also been leading to negative consequences. These are disastrous not just for Kashmir Sikhs but for the synergetic culture that valley has profoundly cherished for centuries.

Absence of Dynamic Political Discourse

Most of the academic work that has been done relating to Kashmir Sikhs is in the field of history. While history is indispensable part of any cultures story and provides basis for their identity and existence, this static approach has not been successful in highlighting the present plight and needs. What is required, and has been missing all along, is an understanding of the dynamics of Kashmir politics, the place of Kashmir Sikhs in it ,various issues they can mobilize themselves upon and the methods to articulate their evolving collective interests.

What are These Collective Interests?

The community is facing an existential threat today, Which is largely attributable to the slow migration of those who chose to stay in valley during the unrest in 90s and from that time have been living a life of dilemma of whether they exist in any discourse of Kashmir or not. Neither they have been discussed by the various State Governments in power as the resilient micro-minority within the valley nor have they gained any affection in the eyes of Union for addressing their concerns as micro minority within a peculiar State. But what rightfully belongs to them must be given, otherwise their already dwindling existence and dilution of identity would suffer a death blow.
This calls for the recognition of linguistic rights of Kashmiri Sikhs. The overwhelmingly spoken mother tongue in Kashmir Sikh household is largely in line with the Pothwari subgroup of languages. It has been influenced by Kashmir vocabulary and idioms as well which has carved out a distinct sub-group within the group. This presents their distinct linguistic identity which is mutually intelligible with other Pahadi speaking groups in the valley as well as different parts of J&K.Thus, their special-right as a Pahadi speaking population of the valley should be recognized and so the public policy benefits associated with it be extended to them.This, however, is being denied on the pretext of many ill found arguments
Executive argument in this regard posits that the idea of Pahari community is based out of ethnicity. But where have been the limits of ethnicity defined , if one may ask?For all one knows, ethnicity means anything from race to religion to language to culture, anything giving a sense of belongingness. The dominant role of term ‘ethnicity’ in politics has been that of an instrument used for political gains whose definition is fluid as Asghar Ali Engineer points out. This argument by executive is diluting the identity of a community that lacks a strong voice either at the political stage or in academics .This exacerbates their plight in addition to their larger irrelevance in the kashmiri political dynamics.
So the answer to , what is and should be the collective interest of Kashmir Sikhs, is the right to be legitimately recognized for what they are - linguistically Pahari and Territorially kashmiri. This is a rightful claim of community, for it has the potential to address the want of their social, economic and political needs. The articulation of this identity, outrightly ,becomes the most important concern for the community.

How to Articulate this Interest ?

The pity is that the community and it’s leaders are oblivious of their legitimate collective interests and the methods to be adopted for their articulation. The leadership is fragmented with numerous petty leaders whose voice doesn’t reach beyond the four walls of religious bastions. Most of them are driven by parochial interests , lacking vision as well as political acumen to represent the community as a whole at the state level. Some, who have gained any sort of relevance, are pushing into assimilationist tendencies within the larger idea of Sikh brotherhood, subsuming the distinct identity of Pahari speaking Kashmir Sikhs. They and consequently the whole community gets easily played with by the outside elites.Some leaders, who have overlapping economic and political prowess have underlying bourgeoisie interests.
The community as a whole has not been able to come on a common table and chart out a program to address their collective interests of distinct linguistic identity. A strong, unified voice must push this forward into the political realm for the bosses to understand their real needs. The present dynamics of Kashmir politics have given them this opportunity on platter and they must put forth fair arguments to push their case.
There’s also a call for Sikhs of the valley and concerned leadership to come out of fire fighting approach wherein the politician within them awakens only with some spontaneous, anomic event and dies down as soon as the event has served considerable political mileage and popularity.
This could be done by establishing the whole Kashmir Sikh community as a proper pressure group which united has the weight to influence the electoral politics. This requires unification as a group throughout the stretches of the valley, for a Sikh living in North Kashmir has exactly the same linguistic interests as one in South Kashmir. Pressure group politics can be exercised even better in the emerging fragmentation of political elites in the State and thus flowering of a large number of political parties who are looking for their shot at glory and power. This gives Kashmiri Sikhs an opportunity to flaunt their minuscule but relevant demographic weight to make a difference in electoral outcomes.
For this, vertical mobilisation seems to be the route feasible at state level politics ,wherein they will have to play in pragmatically and stand with a party which pushes their case rather then keeping the community at bay, as has always been done.But this requires commitment from the community as well, for they cannot play an opportunistic game and ride through dole-drums. There also lies an opportunity for several leaders to rise via local body polls.
Have time and again tried to dive into political scenario but largely in anomic groups. They have also been hushed by the existing leadership and told to stand in a line that is politically correct, for what they have been driven by is mostly passion, taking them from slumber to radicalism in a jiffy and thus pushing for an uncalled-for approach. The community does however need that enthusiasm but in a more channelised and positive way. The long term interests have to be taken into account and mobilization of community must be for that rather than spontaneous passionate events. Also, in academic discourses, coherent view of political relevance of Kashmir Sikhs is missing, the onus to present which lies on same youth.
The bottom line being that political naivety has to be undone, fragmented leadership has to be unified, existence has to be converted into influence and youth have to be inspired to become a part of a new story with a better future ahead.

Email:------------------p.s.bali200@gmail.com