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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Negative Outcomes of the Sectarian Clashes and Conflicts in Gilgit, Northern Pakistan |
| 2005-09-09 |
| NEGATIVE OUTCOMES AFTER SECTARIAN CLASHES IN GILGIT NORTHERN PAKISTAN BY FAZAL AMIN BEG M. PHIL, SOCIAL/CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY This article is an attempt to get a sketch of the past sectarian conflicts and clashes of January 2005 in the Northern Areas, and ultimately the direct effects upon the communities and their development. Todayâs Northern Areas of Pakistan had different political entities in different parts and valleys of the region that included princely and acephalous states. Even though, the Northern Areas had a united governance for around three weeks, by pushing the forces of Dogras and Maharajas out of this region, after partition of the Indian sub-continent into India and Pakistan in August 1947, but the inhabitants of this region voluntarily annexed with Pakistan keeping in view the Islamic notion and spirit. Now, it is another question that to what extent this voluntarism was honoured and the peoples were facilitated in the process of and towards their political rights and autonomy? Or conversely, what sort of other strategies and tactics, positive or negative, have been playing in this regard by different governments and agencies due to the regionâs significances. The significances of the Northern Areas, which comprises on six districts, are varying. On the one hand are the natural features and resources, such as the worldâs giant mountain ranges and glaciers, great steppes and plateaus, beautiful fountains and lakes, gorgeous streams and long rivers, diverse wildlife and plant kingdom, very significant internationally geo-strategic location, and nationally geo-economic contributions. On the other are the human settings such as the diverse ethno-linguistic and religio-cultural settings, which may rightly be termed as a naturally cultural lab and museum in anthropological perspective. These cultures have been living here side by side in somehow pluralistic manner for centuries rather for millennia. The question of different faiths, practices and interpretation is not a new phenomenon in the Northern Areas rather from the beginning of its cultural histories since time immemorial. Islam itself is also not a novice faith rather for centuries it has been in practice among all population of this region having the Islamic faith in its root and the four different tariqas (interpretations) or schools of thought in its shoots that includes the Shia Ithaâatharia, Shia Ismailia, Sunni and Noorbakhshi, Such diversity in faiths, valleys, histories, cultures, languages, and ethnicity make the Northern Areas as a garden of colourful and fragrant flowers rather than a place of riots and insecurity. Till the first half of 1970s, as is being narrated by different respondents, there was no sectarian conflicts or clashes after annexation with Pakistan. During the the month of Muharram, especially the Sunnis used to arrange sabeel, water/juice to the peoples of the mourning processions, particularly in Gilgit. This is the proof of religious pluralism that how other communities showed their tolarance and generosity. The religious clashes and conflicts are, unfortunately, a recent phenomenon, and particularly an external diffusion to exploit the communities by breed sectarianism through the agents and divert their minds from their political rights, demands, unity and other human rights. The malignant missions and goals of different agencies however involved different native individuals and groups. As a result, the worst and state-sponsored tragic event of sectarian clashes in 1988 between the Shia and Sunni Muslims, which caused thousands dead, nurtured and left its wider and negative impacts on both communities of the Northern Areas in terms of psycho-phobia, insecurity, hatred, intolerant and vengeance attitudes. The recent sectarian clashes of January 2005 further led to enormous negative effects and broader impacts on the lives of the entire communities of the Northern Areas. These effects and impacts vary from social to economic sectors and from the kinship to communal relationships. Some of the effects are being outlined as under: In social sector, the common life paralysed and all community members felt, and still feel, insecurity while travelling or walking in the bazaars and the suburbs, having their duties, businesses, and travelling down countries or en route to China. The academic institutions and studentsâ community suffered to the whole extent, which is equal to genocide of the coming generations. The following points are worthy to note: 1. Since June 2004, when Shia-Sunni clashes erupted on the syllabus of Islamiat, five schools in Gilgit city were closed due to these sectarian clashes. According to a report, in one of the high schools, presently there remained less than 100 students out of 500 due to closure and greater number of drop out of students. 2. The Karakoram International University (KIU) and the colleges closed for more than three months, and students deprived of their education. 3. The board of examination, which has round the year real task to do, suffered and ultimately the direct looser were the students at different levels in different regions and valleys. . Of equal importance is the worst negative effect on the health and lives of a number of innocent patients, whose ailment multiplied and intensified because of curfew. According to different relevant individual and organisational sources, due to curfew about forty patients lost their lives en route to but inaccessibility to the hospitals in Gilgit and down countries and absence of medicines in the hospitals. Furthermore, some patients lost their lives having heart attacks due to the fear of clashes and tension. A melancholic and pitiable situation was experienced by the general masses in terms of unavailability of food stuffs, who became locked into their houses due to curfew. Other bad experiences were seen in kinship relationships, considered as the foundation of a family and society, which plays it vital roles in such circumstances. Due to the clash and curfew, all relationships, whether blood, marriage or fictive, severely blocked and suspended among the clashed communities as well as others. Many individuals entrapped in different places and couldnât move to their homes for couple of days. Taking advantages of such clashes and conflicts, some individuals in both communities, who had their personal enmities and rivalries, whether within their own community or another, got chance to take the revenges because they know that they will escape and will be generalised as sectarian killings. Further worst effects (visible and invisible) were on the economy of the peoples (individuals, groups, organisations and societies), which are even though uncountable at this moment, but can be measured in trillions of euros rather pounds. Some of the losses can be highlighted for rational analyses to the rational peoples. Investment on students by their parents and organisations went in vain as precarious effects of drop outs took place, loss of their most crucial times and detraction from their careersâ establishment emerged. The daily wagers and labourers affected miserably for more than four months. Huge losses to the employers, whether public sector or NGO or private, who had to pay to their permanent employees imprisoned and remained in their houses. On the other, cancellation of funding and donations happened at national and international levels. Cut in the budgets of development programmes and projects and spending of money on the security and security measures to different forces. Heavy losses happened to the tourism industry and all its stakeholders. Further, the government had to compensate for the losses of properties and lives of the peoples.; a lot of businesspersons, who were doing their businesses in Gilgit, fled the area leaving aside their businesses. On the other hand, many business employers winded up their businesses and left the place. In conclusion, it must be described that if adequate and honest steps were not taken, by the government and the communities, for the permanent resolution of the conflicts and clashes, and if the genuine demands were not met by the government and bureaucracy on the one hand; and if cautious, visionary and moderate ways were not followed by the political leaders and civil society organisations and members on the other, the situations in the near future may deteriorate rather intensify further, and explode like the lava that will then not remain within any externally tight cage. Second, the youths do not require ill-cultivation. In contrast, the youth, who are well-aware of their rights and responsibilities, and the future generation need peace, security, prosperity and quality education and educational institutions based on meritocracy multiplied by all their civic and human rights, and developments, which the United Nations has granted and guaranteed to the peoples of its member states. Third, an unexpected phenomenon can come up that the coming generations, becoming fed up of such sectarian abhorrence, may divert their attention from Islam to other universal religions if different agencies (whether internal or external) and leaders further cultivate such religious conflicts and communicate such negative perceptions and impressions regarding the long embraced faith. So, it is imperative to foresee such sensitivities and be in sense, and come out from ignorance to light and step ahead in this global village with best of education, knowledge along with action and wisdom, and honouring the dignity of humans, which is the in the core of Islam. At the end, the following recommendations are being made after consultation with some intellectuals of the region so that it should be made part of the overall development policies and strategies. 1. Enough is enough. The rule of different agencies must be stopped, and all community members should be given awareness to monitor such evil practices by devils of different agencies. 2. De-weaponisation campaign is a good and practical step. It should be continued with more depth and seriousness and must not be limited to the Gilgit city only rather should be extended to other places, districts and sub-divisions as well. It is strongly recommended that more and serious attention should be focused upon the manufacturers/producers and suppliers of weapons in the tribal agencies as compared to users of weapons. These manufacturers must be sealed by the government; and serious legal actions should be taken against those weapon manufacturers. 3. Research studies on the sectarian clashes/tensions and their effects as well as long impacts (in different fields) need to be carried out by different groups of researchers. 4. Justice must be provided to the sufferers by really punishing the culpritsâcreators, sponsors and masterminds of the tensions and tragic events. 5. Political institutions (from the grassroots to levels of the so-called Northern Areas Legislative Council) ought to be strengthened; and checks and balances require regarding their smooth and steady performances. 6. Sooner political autonomy (the constitutional rights) and human rights need to be brought in realistic manner rather than in idealistic and utopian style. Rather than under the tight control of the federal government, promptly declare the Northern Areas either as a province or a region of an autonomous governance at least like Azad Kashmir. 7. Sooner establish âan institution (within Karkoram International University or autonomous) for the promotion and development of Pluralismâ in the Northern Areas. 8. Time to time dialogues, workshops, seminars, conferences and conventions should be held for different segments of the society with regard to peace and security. 9. The pluralistic values of Islam should be taught and emphasized also in the educational institutions at secondary and higher secondary levels. 10. In order to bring peace, harmony and security, and promoting pluralistic values among different social and communal groups, religious interpretations (tariqas), region, cultures and languages, it is essential thatâbesides or along with political institutionsâeffectively voluntary committees, boards and councils should be formed from tehsil level to Northern Areasâ level, which should be represented by the politico-religious leaders, intellectuals, community leaders in line with social development, representatives of studentsâ and business communities and the like. 11. Cultural and sports programmes need to be promoted genuinely in order to improve interfaith and inter-region harmony. 12. Writers and poets need to intensify their creativities with regard to pluralism of faiths, cultures, languages, regions, politics and the like. 13. More and more employment opportunities should be created in order to employ the minds of the youths towards peace, security and economic prosperity. |
| Posted by:Grating Gruns3185 |