But over the past few years, the Valley has experienced a renewed groundswell for its Sufi roots. Large sections of the population, particularly in South Kashmir, who were once the dedicated followers of Jamaat-I-Islami, have returned to the influence of Barelvi thought propagated by Abdur Rashid Dawoodi.

Like Sufism, Barelvi Islam does not forbid its followers to seek the blessings of saints, which has been traditionally the way of life for most Kashmiris. And this is also seen as the reason for its fast spread. So the attack on the procession of worshippers — which, according to separatist organisations was the handiwork of Indian agencies—is seen as a reaction against the resurgence of Sufism, which Kashmir observers think has serious implications for the Valley’s prevailing political and religious alignments.

Jamaat-I-Islami, Kashmir

Founded in the late 1940s, it started chiefly as a religion propagation party but rose to become an influential political cadre based party of the state, with steadfast separatist leanings. It drew its clout from its schools set up in every nook and corner of the state. These schools, however, did not limit themselves to teaching religion alone but imparted modern education complete with teaching of Hindi, which in the early Eighties was not a case in government run schools.

The party participated in the state’s electoral process but it hardly managed to get more than a few of its candidates elected to the Legislative Assembly. However, in 1990, Jamaat members led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani resigned from the Assembly and joined the separatist struggle that broke out in late 1989.

... contd.