The way the region has withstood the pressure of militancy and maintained communal harmony during the two decades of conflict, despite all the provocations, should be noted and recognised. Jammu, it needs to be emphasised, is more heterogeneous than any other part of the state of J&K. Unlike Kashmir which is homogeneous on religious, linguistic and cultural lines, Jammu is diverse on all these counts. Though it is a Hindu-majority region, it has a strong Muslim minority. Other than Kathua and Udhampur which have a predominantly Hindu population, the sub-regions of Doda, Poonch and Rajouri are largely Muslim. Diversity is also defined by the multiplicity of languages on the one hand (Dogri, Punjabi, Pahari, Gojri), and tribal, cultural and caste differentiations on the other (Gujjars, Bakerwals, Gaddis, Paharis, caste Hindus and Muslims, and Dalits). Since societal plurality has political manifestations, politics therefore is not defined merely in terms of the Hindu or Muslim identity of people but also in terms of their cultural, linguistic and caste identities. Incidentally, one of the most competitive politics in Jammu region is that between Paharis and Gujjars, both predominantly Muslims.

Heterogeneity has contributed to the richness of Jammu. Apart from the fact that different religious and cultural groups live side by side, there is much that has evolved as ‘mixed living’ and ‘shared spaces’. What has been particularly striking is the level of comfort with which people deal with each other’s differences. Distinctions of religion, culture or language do not give them a sense of danger and do not invoke a sense of suspicion about the ‘other’.

... contd.