‘Peace’ is an abstract term. It is regarded as an emotion that is understood and assimilated in different ways by different individuals. Peace as seen by one is not viewed the same way by another. With one feeling that peace is acceptance, some feel that peace stems through freedom. Thus, the paradigm of peace is vast and it encompasses various notions and beliefs; with none being right and none being wrong at the same time. This article seeks to trace the notions of ‘peace’ and how it affects the livelihoods of individuals, limiting the jurisdiction to the Kashmir Valley.

Kashmir - An Emotion

Kashmir, the crown of Mother India has always been in a state of turmoil throughout the centuries, be it mild, or palpable, its presence has always reverberated throughout the Nation. ‘Agar Firdaus bar Roy-i Zaminast, Haminast-u Haminast-u Haminast’, which translates to ‘If there is a heaven on Earth, it is here… it is here… it is here’. So said the Mughal emperor Jehangir, starkly taken aback by the snowcapped mountains, magnolia dotted clouds, crisp blue waters and blooms of every colour imaginable. All who have walked the land have been left with a sense of awe, appreciating even the chasms and dunes lying in their way. The beautiful poetry of God, Kashmir, just as the pages of an ancient book, has travelled through misunderstandings, battles, tears, confusion, sorrow and a lot more. But, she stands to be a delicate reminder of the fact that poetry does not always need pages and words. Rightly said, “When the pages are torn and the ink is faded, the living poetry can be felt through heartbeats and emotions”.With constant struggles and constant liberations, Kashmir has always been a place of interest, especially owning to its lush and bountiful beauty.

Peace - Throughout the Years

Kashmir, having had various sets of Rulers, has thus had various versions of peace. It is not surprising to note that humans have different values and different notions held as that which are right, and without logic or reason, it is difficult to pinpoint one as right and the other as wrong. Kashmir has had a rich history and a rich set of values since its birth. Legend holds that Kashyapa, an ascetic reclaimed the land by draining a lake, with the land coming to be known as Kashyapamar and later, Kashmir. Kashmir has seen religions and practices of varied shades, with Buddhism introduced by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka in 3rd century BCE; followed by Hinduism from the 9th century to the 12th century. A succession of Hindu dynasties had their stronghold on the land till 1346 when it came under Muslim rule. The rich heritage and culture of Muslim rule lasting nearly 5 centuries was rooted deep in Kashmir and the beliefs continued even after being annexed to the Sikh kingdom of Punjab in 1819 and then to the Dogra Kingdom in 1846. Through all the changes, Kashmir has held her rich culture, unbeknownst to all that would unfold.
Being a land with a majority of Muslims, ruled by a Hindu prince, all was well, till the British empire decided to cause chaos and confusion using that which stirs human emotions the most… religion. With the British rule ending in 1947, the dominions of Pakistan and India were formed as the successor states to British India. Princely States were left with the choice to choose which side to join; and there began the inception of a many years turmoil.
Pakistan showed its gruesome side, deciding to unleash clans of Pushtoon and Pathan tribes to engulf the Paradise in flames. With the noose set around her neck, her ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh decided to set forward on the path that would serve to be in the best interests of Kashmir and Kashmiris, acceding to India. The cogs were set in motion and Kashmir was freed from the violent hold and unimaginable tyranny of the forces placed by Pakistan.

Peace - What does it Hold?

The Quran, the holy book of Islam is organized into 114 chapters in total with different chapters aiming to delve into different aspects of life. Quran emphasizes on a way of life, pruning and perfecting the system of living. Paragraphs 190 and 191 speaks of ‘Jihad’, which when literally construed, means striving or struggling. This struggle that is denoted as ‘Jihad’ has in its ambit, a plethora of acts and omissions. To be more precise in understanding how and why it was possible for the term ‘Jihad’ to be misconstrued and misunderstood, one can trace its roots to one of its definitions – fighting against an individual’s evil inclinations, proselytizing, efforts towards moral betterment.
Any and every terminology, whether it be religious or otherwise has the capacity to be interpreted in various ways during various times to suit various needs. The classic interpretation of Jihad refers to the armed struggle against unbelievers and rising against one’s oppressors. This classic expression which meant something entirely different in the time frame that it was set has unleashed a group of people using words to their whims and fancies and is till date being used by terrorists to nourish their ego and has become a means of giving the colour of righteousness to their extremely wrong deeds.
Humans are different, in stark contrast to one another and unique which is why the World is segregated into thousands of religions, languages and races and thus it is no surprise that interpretations of the term ‘Jihad’ has brought out a stark difference in the manner of making choices. The jurists of Islamic study have put forth rightly that the obligation of ‘Jihad’ had to be construed in a purely military sense, more like a norm on the battlefield, with rules elaborating and including prohibitions on harming individuals who were not engaging in combat. Unfortunately, the modern era is seeing till today, the expression being used to fulfill personal agendas and the whims and fancies to get their ulterior motives satisfied.
The changing of the term ‘Jihad’ has been as light, fast and unnoticeable as the change in wind directions; what started out as a war tactic is now being used as an excuse by terrorist outfits to pursue their personal agendas. The very notions of extreme violence and self-sacrifice was unheard of and unthinkable before 1983 and it was only towards the dawn of the 1990s that the justification of killing innocent Muslims and other members of the public space who were not a part of the battlefield was brought up.

Conclusion

Peace is a term that is independent of any particular religion and so is radicalisation. Radicalisation is a psychological abstract; a term stemming from pruning and watering of one’s existing ideas that eventually grows to be one-sided thoughts paving the way for extreme ideologies.
No religion and No God has ever preached violence or advocated futile bloodshed and warzones. The beautiful lines and words of a peace loving God is being bent to appease individuals’ own hunger and greed while using other innocent minds as props to inch towards the former’s personal goals for personal gains. Religion and radicalism are two opposite poles and people who use terror in the name of God, do not have any religion or God. The inception of peace can only be through the destruction of radicalism. ‘Religion is as necessary to reason as reason is to religion. The one cannot exist without the other.’