While I was contemplating a response to an email, a prejudiced and ill-informed KM came calling on my wall in face book and I preferred to respond him. He was adamant to prove that Kashmir has always been an separate country and shares no connect with India and India is a colonial power like British. I had to type a customised response which I am sharing here.
You have to understand that the men you have named were fighting against the oppressor and alien occupier i.e British who colonised India primarily for their business pursuits and India was not the only colony being held by them. While talking about Indian Independence you should know that British being outsiders had no historical connect with India nor shared any of civilizational moorings like art, literature, philosophy, way of life, religion and other allied things which could have established a link between British and India. In the back drop of this we must analyse and know the anchors which comprise and bind a nation in one single entity and things which are considered as a threat to the identity of a nation.
While talking of British we should know they belonged to an entirely separate set of belief system which made India and England poles apart. Their presence in India was not natural and their continued presence in was purely for strategic and business terms with a sole purpose of establishing their might in world since they had other competitors like Portuguese , Spaniards , and other European nations . For your reference and better understanding I am defining colonialism so that you with all fairness of though and without any prejudiced mind can apply your mental faculty and arrive at some conclusion.
'Colonialism is the establishment, exploitation, maintenance, acquisition, and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a set of unequal relationships between the colonial power and the colony and often between the colonists and the indigenous population.
Now let us take a ride back home and make a thorough understanding of the relationship shared by India and Kashmir (though I had no intention of segregating them, since there exists no difference between the two, but to assist you with a fair analysis and make you understand the connect between the two, I am compelled to segregate them for a moment)
If you go through Nilamat Puran, it is a Kashmiri Purana ( Puranas are the sacred texts of Sanatan Dharma) referred to by Kalhana - the writer of one of the most chronicled history of India - The Rajatarangini or The wave of Kings, in 11th century, as one of the sources of the ancient history of Kasmira. Buhler, whom goes the credit of saving its manuscripts, states on page 41 of his Report, "It great value lies therein that it is a real mine of information regarding the sacred places of Kashmir and their legends which are required to explain the Rajatarangini and that it shows how Kalhana has used his sources". But as a matter of fact the Nilamata gives besides, the account of sacred places, a lot of information about the Kasmiri way of living, its art, literature, science, philosophy and other allied things.
•Anandavardhana, Philosopher
•Bhatta Kallata
•Abhinavagupta, Philosopher
•Kshemaraja
•Utpaladeva, wrote a commentary on the book Samhita
•Bhaskara
•Lalleshvari, mystic and poet, 14th century
•Jonaraja, Historian, 15th century
•Shrivara, Historian, 15th century
•Prajna Bhatta, Historian, 16th century
•Lalitaditya Mukhtpida - The great King, 8th century
When one goes further and make a thorough study of Indian Philosophy and thought process, one will know the contributions made by these great men have percolated deep into the Indian civilization, it will not be a wrong assessment to say that India and Kashmir are inseparable.
Magray Rafi, since you have dropped in on my wall it is my civilization ethic to respond you in the most cordial manner and deal with you as one learning entity deals with other. While maintaining the ethos I will try and respond you in all truthfulness.
While talking of British we should know they belonged to an entirely separate set of belief system which made India and England poles apart. Their presence in India was not natural and their continued presence in was purely for strategic and business terms with a sole purpose of establishing their might in world since they had other competitors like Portuguese , Spaniards , and other European nations . For your reference and better understanding I am defining colonialism so that you with all fairness of though and without any prejudiced mind can apply your mental faculty and arrive at some conclusion.
'Colonialism is the establishment, exploitation, maintenance, acquisition, and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a set of unequal relationships between the colonial power and the colony and often between the colonists and the indigenous population.
Now let us take a ride back home and make a thorough understanding of the relationship shared by India and Kashmir (though I had no intention of segregating them, since there exists no difference between the two, but to assist you with a fair analysis and make you understand the connect between the two, I am compelled to segregate them for a moment)
If you go through Nilamat Puran, it is a Kashmiri Purana ( Puranas are the sacred texts of Sanatan Dharma) referred to by Kalhana - the writer of one of the most chronicled history of India - The Rajatarangini or The wave of Kings, in 11th century, as one of the sources of the ancient history of Kasmira. Buhler, whom goes the credit of saving its manuscripts, states on page 41 of his Report, "It great value lies therein that it is a real mine of information regarding the sacred places of Kashmir and their legends which are required to explain the Rajatarangini and that it shows how Kalhana has used his sources". But as a matter of fact the Nilamata gives besides, the account of sacred places, a lot of information about the Kasmiri way of living, its art, literature, science, philosophy and other allied things.
Applying your mind further in reading The Nilamat and The Rajatarangini , you will know Kashmir has always been a contributor to the Indian Civilizational moorings like any other state of India. In fact if you make a deeper study you will know Kashmir has always been a front runner attributing meaning and ethos to Indian Civilization and has timely received its share of recognition from its fountain head - India or the Bharat varsha.
Applying your mind further in reading The Nilamat and The Rajatarangini , you will know Kashmir has always been a contributor to the Indian Civilizational moorings like any other state of India. In fact if you make a deeper study you will know Kashmir has always been a front runner attributing meaning and ethos to Indian Civilization and has timely received its share of recognition from its fountain head - India or the Bharat varsha
Here is a list of great Kashmiri Pandits who have immensely contributed to Indian Civilizational moorings :
•Kalidasa - the great poetApplying your mind further in reading The Nilamat and The Rajatarangini , you will know Kashmir has always been a contributor to the Indian Civilizational moorings like any other state of India. In fact if you make a deeper study you will know Kashmir has always been a front runner attributing meaning and ethos to Indian Civilization and has timely received its share of recognition from its fountain head - India or the Bharat varsha
Here is a list of great Kashmiri Pandits who have immensely contributed to Indian Civilizational moorings :
•Anandavardhana, Philosopher
•Bhatta Kallata
•Abhinavagupta, Philosopher
•Kshemaraja
•Utpaladeva, wrote a commentary on the book Samhita
•Bhaskara
•Lalleshvari, mystic and poet, 14th century
•Jonaraja, Historian, 15th century
•Shrivara, Historian, 15th century
•Prajna Bhatta, Historian, 16th century
•Lalitaditya Mukhtpida - The great King, 8th century
When one goes further and make a thorough study of Indian Philosophy and thought process, one will know the contributions made by these great men have percolated deep into the Indian civilization, it will not be a wrong assessment to say that India and Kashmir are inseparable.
