“Over the years, Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir has navigated a complex and often controversial path, balancing its ideological roots with political aspirations”
(This is Part-I of three Part article)
Faizaan Bhat
Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir, a socio-political organization deeply rooted in religious ideology, has played a significant role in Jammu and Kashmir’s political and social fabric.
However, it is banned, with key leaders like Dr Abdul Hamid Fayaz, its chief, and Advocate Zahid Ali, its spokesperson, imprisoned.
The origins of Jamaat-e-Islami trace back to the Jammu region in 1943-44. Chaudhary Mohammad Shafi, along with Abdul Majeed Salahi, Abdul Wadud Chauhan, and others, laid its foundation before the organization shifted to the Kashmir Valley.
The founding members, predominantly middle-class individuals steeped in Sufi traditions, were profoundly influenced by the writings of Syed Abul A’la Maududi.
Noor Mohammad Publisher’s shop in Maharaj Gunj, often called the “Naval Kishore of Kashmir,” became the hub where Maududi’s literature was disseminated, shaping the ideological underpinnings of what would become one of the region’s most prominent Islamist movements.
Following India’s partition, Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir separated from its parent organization in India. In 1954, it was formally established as an independent body at Barzulla, with Saaduddin Tarabali elected as its first Amir.
The organization’s functioning has always been guided by a consultative process involving the president (Amir) and the Central Advisory Council (Markazi Majlisi Shura). Its constitution, drafted by Maulana Ahrar and G R Abdullah, laid the groundwork for its operations.
Two decades after its formation, Jamaat ventured into electoral politics with the aim of Islamizing Jammu and Kashmir, establishing God’s sovereignty, and keeping the right to plebiscite and the Kashmir movement alive.
In 1969, the organization participated in the Panchayat elections, followed by the 1972-73 parliamentary elections. Jamaat fielded candidates in Doda and Kashmir, though none were successful, a result they attributed to alleged rigging by the Congress party.
In the 1972 Assembly elections, Jamaat nominated 22 candidates, of whom five won, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani from Sopore and Qari Saffuddin, who contested from jail in Srinagar.
When Sheikh Abdullah signed the Indira-Sheikh Accord in 1975, Jamaat was the only party to oppose him by contesting against Sheikh Abdullah and Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beg. The organization, however, suffered a crushing defeat.
Jamaat’s political ambitions were often curtailed by bans and restrictions. During the 1977 parliamentary elections, it could not officially contest but supported independent candidates.
By the 1987 elections, Jamaat allied with the Muslim United Front (MUF), which anticipated significant victories but managed to win only five seats, a result Jamaat again blamed on rigging.
This perceived failure of democratic methods led to a rise in militancy in the Valley, and Jamaat refrained from contesting elections thereafter, citing their lack of fairness.
Despite its political forays, Jamaat faced severe criticism for taking an oath on the Indian Constitution while simultaneously rejecting Indian sovereignty over Kashmir. Jamaat defended its participation in elections, arguing that it sought to challenge Indian rule and advocate for a plebiscite from within the assembly.
However, figures like Syed Mir Qasim, former Chief Minister of J&K, were critical of Jamaat’s stance. In his autobiography, “Dastaan-e-Hayat”, Mir Qasim accused Jamaat of fostering doubts about Kashmir’s accession to India and engaging in communal politics. He even discussed the issue with then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who reportedly suggested banning both the RSS and Jamaat.
Jamaat’s ideological position has always regarded Kashmir as an unresolved issue of partition. It has, however, remained ambivalent and changed its stand on achieving political goals through violence.
While it condemned the 1984 hanging of Maqbool Bhat, the leader of the Jammu and Kashmir National Liberation Front, it criticized his politics and path of violence, a stance it would later contradict by actively supporting militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Over the years, Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir has navigated a complex and often controversial path, balancing its ideological roots with political aspirations.
Its legacy remains a contentious chapter in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, emblematic of the region’s enduring struggle with identity, sovereignty, and justice.
—–
Have you liked the news article?