Re-constituting

Identities

Some milestones, Historical Analysis, Some experiences of Unsung

Bhalessa

By Sadaket Malik
MA, B.ED

Published by: Bhalessa Heritage Centre of

National Students Welfare Association Bhalessa &
Internet Version : http://www.rootsofbhalessa.blogspot.com

E-mail: rootsofbhalessa@rediffmail.com

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 Foreword
Any accomplishment require efforts of many people and this task is
no different, as the roots of a tree anchor it in the ground and give
it stability, the knowledge of one's cultural educational, religious
and spiritual heritage gives a sure foundation on which to build
one's sense of identity.
However, for a tree to become tall it must grow tough roots among
the rocks. Bhalessa corner of J&K state sharing boarder with
Chamba District of Himachal Pradesh of Indian Himalayan region
speaks of the past tales and present socio educational, political,
religious and cultural canvas.
Roots are meant the peoples movements vis-à-vis activities before
50 years and now. Their educational status, economic conditions,
socio-cultural and Hindu-Muslim relations. Roots here are the origin
of the people who are working at national repute in politics,
education, sports, Airways and those whose physical presence in
the area is acute. These people are having their roots in Bhalessa.
I got disappointed over the manner that owing to the origin of some
national level hero’s and even people representing high profile
offices, they change their regional identity. They regard their origin
from another region.
This is a wake up call for them, either to be ready for forfeiting their
citizenship or to workout in a patriotic manner…...! The populace
representing a creamy layer of this terrain……!
The major bottleneck we confront here, I am focusing on. This
booklet is a source of inspiration for my associated fraternity who
are keen to bring the cart back and compelled. We have to
reconstitute our identities tarnished by the rulers of neighboring
regions who enslaved us for 50 years so that we may prosper our
terrain where for us a strategy meets a reality.
What else I apt to explain in this very handout is tale of Bhalessa
masses being slaves for the last 50 years?
I mention our slavery of 50 years, who were the masters? Who
enslaved us? Who brought sea changes in our social fabric ? and
who leaded us then and now.
Of late, Roots of Bhalessa is a Youth initiative to aware our masses
to get ready for change.

All the credit to this piece of work goes to my revered

teachers and my friends, Information Department J&K Govt. Dy.
Commissioner Doda owing to their timely support I became torch
bearer for highlighting the roots…

Sadaket Malik

2 2
 Chapter 1:
Historical Overview and Physical Features:-
The folk people of Bhalessa were called Bhalls in the past which
makes one to believe that queen Bhala of Raja Nagpal have been
from Bhaderwah. There are variety of opinions from different
people regarding the origin of its name “Bhalessa” some talk it as
Land of “Bhaley Manus” (Bhaley Lougun Ka Desh) which is meant
the decent people with distinct identity. Dr. P K Koul who conducted
a research on Bhaderwah, Chamba, Kangra and Bhalessa in early
nineties opine that the Bhalessa area derived its name from Queen
Bhalla-The Queen of Nagpal. Some people regard it as land of
“Bhalay Loug” (The right people with right destiny)

It has become very difficult for the person of my stature to gauge

the history of this otherwise hilly terrain. Before the Roots of
Bhalessa saw a light of the day, I go through the pages of several
researches conducted on the Himalayan region. The historical
evidence regarding the area like of Bhalessa is not found widely in
the books like “Rajtarangni” of Kalhana or other regional studies.
Nevertheless, some of the historians like Dr. P K Koul, Parvaiz
Deewan (IAS) and Wali Mohd. Aseer has had spared their three lines
regarding Bhalessa.
Bhalessa as it is commonly called comprised of the twin valleys of
Bonjwah drained and carved by the rivults and Bhalessa drained by
Kalgoni stream whereas the former emerges from the mountain
ranges of Chamba near the Sach Peak. The later emerges from the
Katari range near Son Bain (Golden Spring) mountain. The two
rivults unite near Donadi, a few miles above Thathri on the National
Highway 1 B where it finally merges into the chenab river.
The upper valley is very beautiful and picturisque. In former times
the valley of Bhalessa were easily communicable from Churah
Wazarat of Chamba state through more then one pass, namely Padri
Gali (12862') and Mahlwar Pass (13027'). On the north, it is
bounded by snow clad peaks of Kishtwar and Padder and in the east
it is bounded by chamba district of Himachal Pradesh through a
padri pass.
The main divisions viz a viz locations are Neeli, Jatota, Pingal, Chilli,
Nanota and Basnota, these areas seemed scattered owing to the
The area is having several picturesque places like Bal Padri, Kanthi
Dhar, Soin Bhagar, Naglotan etc. The area of Bhaderwah and
Bhalessa comprise of glaciated mountain slopes and terraced fields.
The Churah and Bhalessa must have been closely linked in the
social and cultural fields as is evident today by a large of relations
between Chamba and Bhalessa. There seemed a unity in social
structure.
Bhalessa is full of meadows popularly known as Dhar like Kanthi,
Naglotan, Soin Bhagar, Roharhi, Dagan, Bal Padri, etc. the area is

3 3
mountainous, it has umpteen number of trekking routes which pass
through places with unbelievable captivating scenic beauty.
The place is a comfortable base for trekkers and mountaineers, on
their way to the Great Himalayas. By road, bus services from Doda
connect Bhalessa.
Tiny patches of maize and mustard, like patchwork quilts, straddled
the edge of the stream that rushed down from the snow-capped
peaks in the distance with an irrepressible passion to merge into
the Chenab beyond. Children played cricket on improvised pitches
on patches of land left fallow or lazed around on conical haystacks.

Weather-beaten Bakkarwal men-with their hennaed beards and

loosely wound turbans, led flocks of hairy mountain goats. Their
children and womenfolk followed after them, driving mules laden
with pots, pans and bedding their mobile homes. The perfect
picture of serenity. It has a Muslim majority, with a Hindu minority
of a little more than a third of the population.

The history of Bhalessa and Bhaderwah dates back to 200

B.C. When the revered Buddhist scholar Nagsena was invited to a
discussion by king Mender in his palace at Sakla.Kishtwar. In the
discussions Nagsena replied all the questions of the king who then
embraced Buddhism and became king Milinda. Nagsena recorded
the discussion in “Millinda Panha” a Pali Treatise on the
fundamental principles of Buddhist philosophy.
The principality of Bhaderwah Bhalessa was distributed into 15
administrative units. The total area of Bhaderwah Jagir (including
Bhalessa etc) was 533 sq.miles which after amalgamation with
Udhampur district in 1931 was reduced to 213 sq.miles only. The
earliest mention of the place is traced from Rajatarangni around
(1112-28A.D.)
Bhalessa had come into existence in the year 1948 and its
Headquarter is located at a distance of 241 Kmts from the Jammu
winter capital and 282 kmts. from the Srinagar, the summer capital
of the state. The area is located between 32-52 and 41-97 degree
longitude.
The altitude of the area varies from 3200 to 15000 ft. from the sea
level. The area is surrounded by Chamba district of Himachal
Pradesh.
The form of the land is rugged and mountainous
surrounded by the sprawling mountains of Himalayas from north to
west. These are named as great Himalayas. Besides there are other
lofty ridges and peaks. The nullahas like historical Kalgoni streem
merge into river Chenab at Thathri. Nullahs called “Kalguni” is
Pavitur in the sense that it is surrounded by historical Basaka Nag
temple at the corner of village Kilhotran.
The main river in Bhalessa is Kalgoni straching from
“Kansozoo” that merge into the chenab after. Besides this there are
some other small Streems/ Nullahs such as Beer Sow with its origin

4 4
from Ludoo Kansar with enormous hight, Kanchu sohow near
Makhan Chuchool (local popular name of hindus and muslims) has
its origin near Goha Kahagugasar. These rivers flow through gorges
and are mainly exploited for generation of Hydel Power. Of late
Bhalessa is rich in natural resources if exploited may contribute for
the states economy.
The climate is almost dry. The rainfall is scanty, because of this
reason the area is declared as Drought Prone Area by the Ministry
of Rural Development Govt of India. The temperature remains snow
bound for five-six months of the year. Summer is generally without
rain and precipitation often occurs during the winter season.
The soil is generally loose and Gruti and in some places
Sandy with very low moisture. The incidence of soil erosion is very
high and roads blockage is frequent during the rainy season.
The places are notorious for fall of slides during every
rainy season and cause inconvenience to all. The Soil conservation
Department is surveying the area but no concrete steps has been
put in place by the concerned officers to aware the people about
the soil conservation schemes.
The role of NGOs is strongly laudable in this direction for
contributing their bit owing to which many wastelands became
green. Bhalessa is rich in coniferous forest wealth.
The forest provides timber of important varieties viz,
Deodar, Fir, Kail, Chir, etc.These also yield products like dhoop,
resin, guchian and other products. For rehabilitation of degraded
forests and increase the forest area by plantation in the area taken
up in a big way of the forest Department.
There might be some world’s oldest Deodars s in Jitota
Zone of Bhalessa. The precious stones in the area are also expected
to be found in the Dudwar area in abundance. The main crops are
Maize, and wheat.

There is enough potential to hold back the tourist in

Bhalessa and areas around for at least a fortnight. Imagine how
much good it could do to the local economy. Places of pilgrimage if
promoted will help bringing the tourist to these areas even while
the infrastructure is being developed. Of course The Tourism
Development Authority required have to be established.
Bhalessa presents beautiful picturesque as well as
attractive fields on way to Padri Top which could be promoted as a
health resort as well as a picnic spot. This is a connection line of
Bhalessa and Bhaderwah. An everlasting Glacier, Bal Padri is just 15
Km from Padri Top/ Dhaar/ Khanni Top on foot/ horse back from
Bhaderwah side. It is on huge heights and one could find large snow
field here even in the month of June. Enough scope exists for
Gandola rope ways. Bhadherwah to Kansar could be a good Gandola
venture with Khanni Top, Padri Dhaar , Nagni MataTemple and Jaai
Valley are lying around Bhalessa. Unfortunately, the area has been
divided and has not taken care of geographical proximity or

5 5
administrative conveniences. The areas like Bonjawah, Kahara,
Basnota, Pingal and Cilly. There seemed more or less discrimination
meted to people of these areas.
Bhalessa is presently a part of Bhaderwah Constituency
including some little part of Bhatyas and chilly hamlets, whereas
the areas like of Basnota (Kahara) and Bonjawah are part of
Inderwal assembly segment.
Owing to the scatteredness of these areas the composite
culture has been deteriorated. The regional chauvinism led its head
high due to its political dislocation. The local traditional ethos has
been damaged and area has been little progressed& planned. It
may be due to poor administrative and political set up. The areas
like Kahara and Bhatyas are disconnected owing to inadequate
administrative presence.

Of late, the people in governance are in favor of creation of

separate constituency under the pretext of Delimitation Commission
report. Administrative reforms are already in place. The recent
changes seemed to be happened. The Tehsil Thathri and Tehsil
Bhalessa carved out of Sub- Division Bhaderwah very recently is a
milestone in the history. Tehsil Bhalessa has been upgraded as Sub
– Division. This way there again remain two Sub-Divisions i.e.
Bhaderwah and Bhalessa with three Tehsils namely Bhaderwah,
Bhalessa and Thathri in District Doda.
As such, in any case one Sub-Division is to have two Tehsils while
the other will remain Sub-Division for one Tehsil. It may be in place
to mention that the distance from Thathri to Tehsil Headquarter
Bhalessa is only 30 Kms whereas distance from Thathri to
Bhaderwah is around 60 Kms. Furthermore, the distance from
Bhalessa to Bonjwah is only 20 kms and is geographically very close
to Bhalessa.

6 6
However, In view of the above considerations the government
proposed that new Sub-Division Bhalessa shall comprise, Tehsil
Bhalessa and Tehsil Thathri.
Previously, a demand was projected by the public that twenty three
villages falling in three Patwar Halqas namely Kansoo, Jora and
Malanoo be attached with Tehsil Bhalessa after their deletion from
Tehsil Thathri.
The demand for the setting up of Niabats at Bhatyas and Kahara is
justified as the area is disconnected administratively.
Another demand received by the government team during its visit
to the area pertained to attachment of eleven villages of Patwar
Halqas Patnazi and Jawalapur commonly known as Bunjawa with
Tehsil Thathri after their detachment from Tehsil Kishtwar on the
ground of proximity of the area and convenience of the people.
After considering all counter claims in respect of these demands
and taking into consideration, the proximity of Patwar Halqas,
administrative convenience and public demand, the team
recommended strongly that eight villages of Patwar Halqa Kansoo
namely Kansoo, Bathri, Indlu, Dichhal, Bhatoli, Dharyouth, Piyakal,
Kuthyara with population of 5,744 can be deleted from Tehsil
Thathri and added in Tehsil Bhalessa. The demand for attachment of
Patwar Halqas Jora and Malanoo with Bhalessa Tehsil is not found
justified and agreeable. The government find it unjustified. This was
suggested by the committee formed by the government.
The area of Bonjawah is in close proximity with Bhalessa
including Bhatyas and Khara. Geographically Bonjawah, Khara,
Bhatyas and Gandoh Bhalessa upto khaljugasar is a single
geographical unit.
Unfortunately, the area has been divided and has not
taken care of its geographical proximity, Bhalessa is presenty a part
of Bhaderwah Constituency including some little part of Bhatyas
and chilly, whereas the areas like of Khara and Bonjawah are part of
Inderwal assembly segment thereby the local composite culture has
been deteriorated. The regional chauvinism has its head high due to
its political dislocation. The local composite culture has been
damaged and area seemed little progressed & planned.

The locals are in favour of creation of separate political

and administrative unit under the pretext of Delimitation
commission by combining Tehsil Bhalessa, Khara, Bhatyas, Chilly
and Bonjawah and deleting Bhalessa from Bhaderwah and Bonjawah
from Inderwal.
It will be a progressive step if Bhalessa-Bhatyas –
Bonjawah might be carved as a separate political and
administrative unit. The state government should set up a
committee for taking into account the sentiments of all three zones
viz Tehsil Bhalessa, Bonjawah and Bhatyas Pingal & Chilly areas.
The advantage of separate unit may lead to the progress
as far as developmental arena is concerned. The local community

7 7
especially the people of all these areas be taken in confidence while
preparing the final document on achievable motherhood so that the
people of the area might get solace of the problems of inadequate
development and help to maintain the age old tradition, folk lore
and above all culture and geographical oneness.

Deterioration of Identity by the perspective rulers

Basnota, Nanota, Pingal, Jitota, Chilly

Nestling amongst high mountainous and cliffy terrain, off shooting

high where skies are the limits, it is most prominent townships like
Bonjawah, Basnota, Chilly and Pingal in Doda District.
The spirituality attunes the skies resting aside castes, creed and
colours and above all religions, The Ruby Gems on mountainous
slopes glows and glitters and marble of Thathri twinkle amidst
dense, vibrant, lush green uplands.
The topography of the area is hilly and mountainous. There is Lack
of transport communication as compared to other areas of the
erstwhile Doda District.

It is the most backward which is evident from the low literacy rate,
dilapidated road conditions, poor road net work, low per capita
income, Non-existence of industries and lack of adequate
agricultural inputs.
There is enough potential to hold back the tourist in the area for at
least a fortnight. Imagine how much good it could do to the local
economy. Places of pilgrimages if promoted will help bringing the
tourist to these areas even while the infrastructure is being
developed. Of late, The Tourism Development Authority required to
be established firstly.
Bhalessa presents beautiful picturesque as well as attractive fields
on way to Padri Top which could be promoted as a health resort as
well as a picnic spot. It is on huge heights and one could find large
snow field here even in the month of June.

Of late, the people in governance are in favor of creation of

separate constituency under the pretext of Delimitation Commission
report. Administrative reforms are already in place. The recent
changes seemed to be happened. The Tehsil Thathri and Tehsil
Bhalessa carved out of Sub- Division Bhaderwah very recently is a
milestone in the history. Tehsil Bhalessa has been upgraded as Sub
– Division. This way there again remain two Sub-Divisions i.e.
Bhaderwah and Bhalessa with three Tehsils namely Bhaderwah,
Bhalessa and Thathri in District Doda.
As such, in any case one Sub-Division is to have two Tehsils while
the other will remain Sub-Division for one Tehsil. It may be in place
to mention that the distance from Thathri to Tehsil Headquarter
Bhalessa is only 30 Kms whereas distance from Thathri to
Bhaderwah is around 60 Kms. Furthermore, the distance from

8 8
Bhalessa to Bonjwah is only 20 kms and is geographically very close
to Bhalessa.
However, In view of the above considerations the government
proposed that new Sub-Division Bhalessa shall comprise, Tehsil
Bhalessa and Tehsil Thathri.
Previously, a demand was projected by the public that twenty three
villages falling in three Patwar Halqas namely Kansoo, Jora and
Malanoo be attached with Tehsil Bhalessa after their deletion from
Tehsil Thathri.
The demand for the setting up of Niabats at Bhatyas and Kahara is
justified as the area is disconnected administratively.
Another demand received by the government team during its
visit to the area pertained to attachment of eleven villages of
Patwar Halqas Patnazi and Jawalapur commonly known as Bunjawa
with Tehsil Thathri after their detachment from Tehsil Kishtwar on
the ground of proximity of the area and convenience of the people.
After considering all counter claims in respect of these demands
and taking into consideration, the proximity of Patwar Halqas,
administrative convenience and public demand, the team
recommended strongly that eight villages of Patwar Halqa Kansoo
namely Kansoo, Bathri, Indlu, Dichhal, Bhatoli, Dharyouth, Piyakal,
Kuthyara with population of 5,744 can be deleted from Tehsil
Thathri and added in Tehsil Bhalessa. The demand for attachment of
Patwar Halqas Jora and Malanoo with Bhalessa Tehsil is not found
justified and agreeable. The government find it unjustified. This was
suggested by the committee formed by the government.
The area of Bonjawah is in close proximity with Bhalessa including
Bhatyas and Khara. Geographically Bonjawah, Khara, Bhatyas and
Gandoh Bhalessa upto khaljugasar is a single geographical unit.
Unfortunately, the area has been divided and has not taken care of
its geographical proximity, Bhalessa is presenty a part of
Bhaderwah Constituency including some little part of Bhatyas and
chilly, whereas the areas like of Khara and Bonjawah are part of
Inderwal assembly segment thereby the local composite culture has
been deteriorated. The regional chauvinism has its head high due to
its political dislocation. The local composite culture has been
damaged and area seemed little progressed & planned.

The locals are in favour of creation of separate political and

administrative unit under the pretext of Delimitation commission by
combining Tehsil Bhalessa, Khara, Bhatyas, Chilly and Bonjawah and
deleting Bhalessa from Bhaderwah and Bonjawah from Inderwal.
It will be a progressive step if Bhalessa-Bhatyas –Bonjawah
might be carved as a separate political and administrative unit. The
state government should set up a committee for taking into account
the sentiments of all three zones viz Tehsil Bhalessa, Bonjawah and
Bhatyas Pingal & Chilly areas.
The advantage of separate unit may lead to the progress as far
as developmental arena is concerned. The local community

9 9
especially the people of all these areas be taken in confidence while
preparing the final document on achievable motherhood so that the
people of the area might get solace of the problems of inadequate
development and help to maintain the age old tradition, folk lore
and above all culture and geographical oneness.

Chapter 2

Period of early Educational and Political Uprising

Fifty years ago, we were just toddlers….

Fifty years ago, we were just playing with stones, trucks and
dolls….

Fifty years ago, we just tried to learn our ABCs…..

Fifty years ago, we were just wondering for our bread and
butter…….

Before a recent decade, during the darkest nights, our parents had
to hide us in their chests in order to escape the claws of fissiparous
tendencies of nefarious designs looming over our heads…..

Now, Bhalessa has grown up and the only passion in lives of the
masses is to look for a sea change in their lifestyle in hitherto
heritage.

Before I apt to go for a brief discussion on the life and

achievements of the people who keep Bhalessa on Driver’s seat. I
mention here that Bhalessa before 50 years of slavery was ruled by
people of outside regions thereby we remained under agony, we
remained ignorant of the rights and duties. No education, no
leadership was the order of the day.
Interestingly, some people started movements to bring change in
the lifestyle of the masses.
I put in place the exemplary services rendered by the then Director
Education Ghulam Rasool Azad who owing to his social and Political
movement- The cohesive social order seemed to be revealed. We
are all taking fruits of the the main root of our terrain-who
contributed richy or the educational advancement, economic
development and in diverse fields of his activity.

1 10
 I mention the names of those who contributed immensely for the
popularization of Bhalessa’s social political and developmental
convas were, Ghulam Rasool Azad, Munshi Mohd. Anwer, Munshi
Ram Chand Parihar, Gahulam Nabi Rather, Master Anoroud Singh,
Hari saran Jaildar, Habib ullah Malik, Prof. Umer Din, Abdul Aziz Batt
and Talib Bhalessi.

Over time there seemed less political or social awakening among

the elites, the area was little progressed, there was no education
rather primary schooling to the people. People used to go to
Bhaderwah for their primary studies.
The political staire was also lacking as people represented a
low income strata and economy was poor. The people seemed out of
such activism. Hari Saran Zaildar of Batara was regarded as a chief
Chowkidar of the hamlet. The first teacher was Anirud Singh of
Khaljugasar who was educated from Bhaderwah.
Some families over time migrated from Kashmir. The whole
Chenab valley and Bhaderwah Jagir was ruled by Rana’s and
Thakurs. The area of Bhalessa was a part of Bhaderwah Jagir and
Bhaderwah was regarded as a main centre of decentralization.
It is learnt from our elderly that they used to go Bhaderwah for
ration to feed them.
Owing to the close proximity with Bhaderwah, people
maintained healthy relations with Bhaderwah.

However, many families in Kashmir have migrated from one

part to another in search of habitation and livelihood. One such
family was the Batt family which migrated to the Chamba District of
Himachal Pradesh while a few factions stayed in Bhalessa's Soti
village. The family at Soti took up peasant work. Ghulam Rasool
Azad was born in the year 1916 to this peasant family. There were
only two schools then in Bhalessa - the Primary school Kilhotran and
the Bhaderwah Amar Singh school. Rasool's father Kh. Khazra Batt
sent him to both.

In 1935, Ghulam Rasool Azad passed the graduate entrance

examination from Jammu Centre. He graduated in Mathematics. He
did his post graduation from Punjab University in 1943.
Munshi Mohamed Anwer was also enrolled in Bhaderwah

**************

1 11
Ghulam Rasool Azad- Life and Works

Munshi Mohd. Anwer

Munshi Ram Chand Parihar

Ghulam Nabi Rather

Prof. Umer Din

Habib ullah Malik

Master Anrod Singh.

Abdul Aziz Batt MLC

Hari Saran Jaildar

Talib Bhalessvi

Ch. Noor Mohd. MLC

Ghulam Rasool Azad’s Kashmir Policy

The history of the state lacks absurdly the evidence of viewpoints

made by majority of unsung heroes of the state on the trouble torn
Kashmir. Their Kashmir policy, handling the situation of communal
disharmony over time, the pages of history are absurdly lacking the
mention of such epitomes of peace who played acted as a catalyst
for the cementing Hindu Muslim amity during a course of time.
Ghulam Rasool Azad was very sensitive over the issue on
Kashmir. As a freedom fighter, he pleaded the cause of minority
community and shouted for Hindu Muslim relations. The fact reveals
that he is not in the history owing to his belonging from improvised
Jammu region. Even sheikh sahib himself once that if Kashmir
region can produce leaders like Azad, like of Jammu region, it may
go a long way to help in achieving the slogan of Naya Kashmir.
Azad opposed the prevalent Propaganda of heartedness
disseminated by the political forces of that time.
Moreover his policy on Kashmir was quite clear that he
advocated that that the issue should not be put in isolation.
Azad being a renowned journalist wrote in his owned weekly
“Dahr” where he opposed the foreign imperialism and the atrocities
and discrimination meted by the Muslim minority. He opined that

1 12
Kashmir is a commodity discovered from where? Is it discovered
from Aligarh to Jamsheedpur to Ranchi, Ahmedabad to Kanpur or
Jabulpur to Sagar or Nagpur, from Indore and samba ?
As per his analysis, the issue has been discovered from the
central departments and military, department of posts and Railways
and Banks and has finally discovered here in Jammu and Kashmir
where the Muslim minority is being harassed and there is of late
discrimination meted to them, Azad pointed in his weekly “The
Dehr”. He was sensitive over the central government’s faith
towards the minority of Bihar, UP, Delhi, Bangal, Maharashtra,
Gujrat and Orrisa and suggested the centre for Justice with the
community. He was of the opinion that be it the central government
or the stations of chauvinism, these be stopped and ultimately the
Kashmir issue will be stopped. However, such an ideology of Azad,
was endorsed by the BJP leader Sh. L.K Advani on 21st of June 1990
in Calcutta during his speech like this: “ Over the years, instead
of looking upon the Muslims as part of Indian masses, the
congress by its actions, has segregated the community and turned
it into an instrument of electoral politics by talking about the so
called “Muslim Voters”.
Mr. Advani appealed the community in Calcutta to consider the
Muslim as Part of Indian nation.

Azad’s Perception of Kashmir Problem:

He advocated that Kashmir issue should not be taken in isolation. It

is deeply connected with the insecurity and deprivation of the
muslims of India who are most deprived, the most discriminated
and the most oppressed and suppressed community in the country.
Military in Kashmir is the symbol of the assertion of Muslim Identity
in India. It should be recognized and dealt with as such.
Azad asserted the elimination of internal factors responsible for the
problem, the problem actually was a discrimination and injustice
confronted to the minority community. He advocated that the
external factors like of Pakistan’s interference can be ended only if
the Government of India can take care of the internal factors
responsible for the Kashmir issue. Azad viewed that even if all the
militants are wiped from the valley and there is no militancy left in
the state, the Kashmir problem will still remain with ferociousness
on account of the unprecedented sacrifices made by kashmiri’s till a
just political solution is arrived at and stopping the bullet for bullet
policy adopted by Militants and Indian soldiers.
In a letter to Ghulam Nabi Azad on 30th August 1992,
Azad wrote:
“We are all sick. The most painful events and aweful situation in the
state have made us all sick and most miserable and every one longs
for a solution of the Kashmir problem, an honorable and Just
Political solution”.

1 13
 It was a time when former Governor of the state, Dr. Karan
Singh and his wife visited the spot at Hazratbal Kashmir where forty
day’s encounter ended between Militants and Indian Soldiers. Azad
endorsed the former Governor for this visit, while endorsing Dr.
Karan Singh for his visit to Hazratbal, Azad writes on 3rd November
1993 to him as like this:
“Kashmir issue is neither “Hamara Androoni Mamla” or “Our
integral part” as such, nor terrorism sponsored by Pakistan nor can
the two nation theory of 1930, 1940 or 1947 be applied to the
Kashmir of 1993”.
Azad further writes,” Kashmir is neither Punjab nor
Afghanistan, It is Kashmir” (Jammu and Kashmir only).

Chapter 3

Period of reforms and Political Awakening

Gone are the days when area like of Bhalessa witnessed a
tumultuous days. Of late, there was a paucity of community
leadership on the one hand and sacracity of a membership in
assembly to represent the improvised terrain of Bhalessa on the
other.

Mohammad Sharief Niaz- rated high in the realm of Politics was the
only torch bearer to provide solace to the people during the turmoil.

1 14
Niaz, born in improvised family on 24th of April 1944 in village
changa Bhalessa, He is a law graduate, being a legal luminary, he
was entrusted the responsibility as Law Minister of the state in
1989. He patronized the improvised people above the castes and
religions.

Packed with outstanding achievements in democratic arena. Niaz,

joined student Union, trade unions and teachers unions. He joined
congress party in 1976, worked as a trade union leader and pleaded
the cause of working class, nominated district president of congress
committee Doda in 1979, unsuccessfully contested 1983 assembly
elections on congress ticket from Inderwal constituency but elected
in 1987, inducted into the council lof ministers of minister of state
Law in1989, From 1992 to 1996 he remained a member of USERS
consultative committee in Northern Railway of India, elected to
assembly in 2002 . He polled 16,962 votes and defeated his nearest
NC rival Mohammed Aslam by a margin of 6,827 votes He was
inducted as Minister for power in Mufti-led Congress-PDP coalition.

Paving the way to the then Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to
contest the Assembly elections, He resigned from the Bhaderwah
constituency from where he was elected in 2002. Mr. Niaz's
resignation was accepted with effect from March 1,

It was mandatory for Mr. Azad to be a member of any of the two

Houses by the end of April since he took over as Chief Minister on
November 2, 2005. Due to the resignation of Niaz, by-election was
held in Bhaderwah constituency on April 24, 2006. He won this seat
with an overwhelming margin of 58,000.

In 2007, Niaz was elected as a Member of Legislative Council (MLC)

for Doda replacing Mohammad Iqbal Bhat.

This is interesting to note that in the aftermath of Jammu agitation

while the assembly constituency like Bhaderwah witnessed sharp
polarization, here the impact was not so deep for Niaz being the
lonely competent condidate for congress high command.

Lo and behold, Niaz reportedly broke down at the declaration of the

result,when he was contesting from Bhaderwah in 2009 By elections
as he himself was not expecting to win. Niaz, defeated Mr. Dalip
Singh of BJP by a margin of 2,747. While Mr. Niaz polled 21,966
votes, Mr. Singh polled 19,219 votes, out of total 53,219 votes
polled.

Niaz was not only pitched against strong candidates of other parties
but also his own party leaders, workers and a number of close
relatives worked against him. The youth and disadvantaged played

1 15
a pro-active role to ensure his victory. Niaz saw a bitter contest
with the BJP roping in Ghulam Ali, brother of Ghulam Nabi Azad, to
campaign for the BJP candidate. Ghulam Ali raised a storm by
supporting the Babri Masjid demolition in his speeches.

Local people opines that he won the election keeping in view the
contribution of Niaz during tamultous days of termoil.

To focus on his contribution to the state in general and Bhaderwah

Bhalessa area in particular before 42 years. We can speak it as
Political representation of Bhalessa in assembly since time
immemorial. Things seemed changes due to the visionary
programmes of Niaz.

He resigned as a Teacher and joined Indefinite strike to metigate

the suffering people at that time. when Bhalessa was witnessing
atrocities committed no to the people by nefirious designs, a fire
owing to the turmoil, its he who remained all along with the people
who became prey of violence. The times itself are witnessing that
Niaz has by and large contributed for the peace and amity of the
land. He seemed Pro-Active in socio-developmental convas of
Bhalessa.

Regarding the Kashmir conflict, he is on the screen as a think tank

for Indo-Pak process viz-a-viz good goverenance in the state. He
always raised the issues in his that a large number of people living
under the constant fear of gun along the border on both sides, are
today are most relieved with this decision. He advocated that
Pakistan should take desired measures to control the militant
organisations operating from its soil and indulging in bloodshed in
Jammu and Kashmir.

During his tenure as a cabnit Minister, he ordered a probe into the

reasons for the collapse of the diversion Tunnel Number 2 at the
450-MW Baglihar hydroelectric project in Kashmir.

Chapter 4
1 16
 Period of Insurgency and Atrocitities

Chapter 5
Madersa Movements:

Serving Education with a difference

There has been unprecedented growth of Maddersa’s in a hilly

hamlet Bhalessa (Doda). There is rising tide in madersa education,
as is being witnessed today. The Madersa’s increased in number.
Interestingly, the number rose to 10. Besides nurturing the Islamic
clerics from these Madersa’s including Hafiz and Ulema, these
institutions seemed increasingly imparting modern education also
at the pattern of other government schools under the ambit of the
state government.
Innovative madrasa’s like the Jamia Gunyat ul Uloom are
increasingly visible today, Jamia Gunyat ul Uloom Bhatyas
established in the year 1983 and was named after Hazrat Abdul
Gani Sadiqui. The madersa is managed by Gunyat Ul Uloom Trust
Bhalessa is the largest Institution imparting Madersa and academic
education to the students of hilly terrain of Bhalessa.
It currently has more than a thousand students on its rolls.
Patterned on the Dar ul Uloom Deoband model, it is one of the few
madrasas in the state of Jammu and Kashmir that provide Islamic
education till the Alim Fazil or specialization level.
Besides Jamia, there are several other maddersa’s like Maddersa
Asrar Ul Uloom at Neeli Bhalessa named after Shah Asrar ud Din

1 17
Bagdadi (RA). Other Madersas are:- Maddersa Anwar-e-Madina
Gandoh, Maddersa Aweesya Ameenya Dhraveri, Gulshan-e-Madina
at Dhadkai hamlet, Akhyar ul Uloom at Kahara, Gayas Ul Uloom at
Gingota hamlet, Inam ul Uloom at Donadi, Ume-Sadiqa at Kilhotran,
and Zia-ul Uloom at Thathri.

A view of newly constructed Blocks of Madersa Asrar ul Uloom in

Bhalessa

All these institutions follow the curriculum prescribed by the Jammu

and Kashmir State Board for Education,
These maddersa’s are either affiliated to the state education
department or are the sister concerns of the Jamia Gunyat Ul Uloom
Bhatyas. In Jamia there are as many as 250 students memorizing
Quran popularly called Hifz.
They stay for a night in the hostels managed from the donated
money by the management of the institute.
The students, neatly dressed in spotless kurta-pajamas and topis,
sit in a circle on a large quilt accompanied by a qualified Hafiz or a
Maulana- The teacher who teaches the students in maddersa. The
Maulana translate verses of Quran or teaches as to how to
pronounce the verses in a particular language. Jamia is situated in a
mountainous slope where Haji Sahib’s residence is located. Haji
sahib who is also regarded as a Mohatmim of Jamia.

There is a frequent visit by one and all even by the local state
politicians like Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to express their
sympathy to Maddersa on an occasions like of annual celebrations
or a meeting with revered Sufi Haji Sahib.

On being prompted by management committee, the Maddersa

organize an annual day celebrations with the initiative of the local
masses and students of nearly maddersa’s. The students stand up
and deliver an impassioned speech in Arabic and recite Naat
Khuwani in Urdu.
I had a frequent visit to this Institution especially in connection with
the Annual day celebrations. On that very day I sit among the
students to listen the details of the programme presented by the

1 18
students on that day. The management focused on the importance
of academic education and on how Islam positively encourages it.

Apart from Islamic education in the institution, the academic

education is an indispensable part of the Jamia curriculum; The
Jamia is till 10th grade and is affiliated to J&K State Board of School
Education. The result is also very excellent as the institute gets 10-
12 distinctions every year in the matriculation examination
controlled by J&K Board of school education in this improvised area
of Bhalessa.

The welcome addresses over on the annual day of maddersa, I sit

with the students and discuss their studies. One of them wants to
know how to secure admission in the English department of the
university of Jammu. Another wants to know how he can I prepare
for Kashmir Administrative services exam after completing my
graduation in Islamic studies or Arabic. A third asks me, in
impeccable English, 'Why are Muslims, especially the ulema of
Deoband, thought of as terrorists by many, while they had actually
played a leading role in India's anti-colonial struggle?'
The students and their teachers insist that the Deobandi elders are
not against modern education as is commonly imagined. Mufti
Ishrat Mattu who was graduated from Jamia argues with me, 'Islam
says that all beneficial knowledge can be acquired and so our ulema
have never opposed what is good in the modern educational
system. What they were opposed to, however, was Western culture.
We can and, indeed, should acquire knowledge of all the beneficial
modern disciplines, provided this is done according to our culture
and that it helps us become better Muslims.

A view of students of Madersa Asrar ul uloom in Morning Assembly

Maulana Shoket Ali Qasmi President of Madersa Asrar Uloom Neeli

Bhalessa tells me about the 60 such students. Who are enrolled in
the hifz course in Asrar ul uloom to memorise the Quran.

1 19
However, Asrar Ul Uloom was sat up in 1980, It has 210 other
students enrolled for academic courses upto 8th class and is
recognized by the state government. The Maddersa is functioning
on public donation as is clear from the very recent block
constructed from the public donated money.

In contrast to most other institutions that specialize in hifz, the

students here must also study English, Urdu, Mathematics and
Science.
Maulana Shoket Ali Qasmi also refers to his plans to arrange for his
students to simultaneously enroll for the tenth grade examinations,
so that after they finish their course they can join various different
departments in regular colleges and universities. 'Our ulema must
keep themselves abreast of modern knowledge and contemporary
developments', he stresses. 'That is essential for them to provide
proper leadership to the community'.

I ask the Mufti Abid Hussain who joined after, about the Kashmir
dispute, but he brushes aside my question politely. 'We have
nothing to do with politics', he says. He stresses, however, that
allegations about madrasas in Jammu and Kashmir being allegedly
involved in promoting 'terrorism' are false. 'We are completely
transparent, an open book, and have nothing to hide. Mufti added
that anyone can come and visit us and sit in our classrooms', he
replies. 'Not a single madrasa in Jammu and Kashmir has been
identified by intelligence sources as engaged in that sort of
activity'. He added further that the vision of Madersa is different
from the Politics of land” He explained me a curriculum of Asrar ul
uloom. He added that in madersa we offer to the aspirants the
teachings like, Nazra Quran, Tajweed e Farsi, Ilm-e-Nahw, Sarf- e-
tafseer, Hadees-e-Mantiq, Falsafa-e-Bayan, balagat and fiqah.
He told me as we sit in a circle on a tiny play ground at Maddersa
flanked by other Mufti’s. They stressed me in response to my
question regarding the Hindu -Muslim relation in this hamlet. They
stressed, “We talk about inter-community relations”.
Moreover, he adds, 'we must learn about each other's religions and
sentiments not to condemn and denounce others, but to understand
them'.
Lastly, the call (Azaan) for the Friday prayer comes floating in. As
we get up to offer the prayer in nearby Jamia Masjid at Changa, the
Maulana hands me a bunch of booklets that the Madrasa has
published, including Taaruf of Maddersa.

2 20
 Chapter 6

Period of Normalcy

Peace Movements put the cart back

Bhalessa- off shooting high where the skies are the limits. During
the tumultuous days the area witnessed migration of the people
from Khaljugasar to Chamba District of himachal Pradesh. The area
engulfed under the terror attacks on common hindus and muslims,
Children and women, elderly and innocents. The atrocities on the
part of Indian soldiers were not less in number. The people ware
harrased and some killed by militants and Indian soldiers, but no
human rights Organization seemed to probe the atrocities of the
people of this terrain.

Bhalessa a hilly town in Bhalessa and National political mafia has

been emerged from this fertile land. The immediate peace in the
region might be due to the several indirect and direct reasons. It
may be due to the wide spread of education in the area or extensive
campaign for Peace in the area.

There were and are several forces which help maintain peace and
other forces which ensure the roots of nefarious designs by the
chavinsits and fundamentalist leaders.

As far as democratic set up is concerned, some public and scholarly

circles opine that peace came owing to the representation of the
area by Ghulam Nabi Azad in the last regime. Azad sahib was ardent
of secular values and envisaged the same in these backward belts.

Moreover, some NGOs at work has had initiated a mass movements

to dessiminate the massage of peace in the area. One of these
NGOs is National Students Welfare Association (NSWA) which
launched “G R Azad Peace Mission” headed by Mr. Sadaket Malik
and others. The initiative got support form all the people and other
political and Non political organizations of the state. The movement
was galvanized by local District and Tehsil administration of
Bhalessa.

2 21
On June 15,2003 a mass scale Peace rally was organized by the
above NGO in which more then 3000 people of Bhalessa pledged to
work and ensure peace and brotherhood in this otherwise hilly
hamlet which was a prey of fissiparous tendencies.

Letter of Appreciation received by Sadaket Malik from Principal

Govt. Degree College Bhaderwah, Sh P L Koul and SHO Police
Station Gandoh

2 22
Students in Bhalessa taking Peace Rally

2 23
A Peace Mission initiative by NSWA NGO in Bhalessa

The area revealed mobalization of youth by the insurgency. Those

who not supported the nafirious designs were bound to face a bullut
of gun. As is evident from the assassination of Dr. Mujib-Ur-Rehman
of Bhalessa who served as first research scholar of the area from
India’s Alligarh Muslim University.
For the last two years, things began limping back to a semblance of
'normality' in the Doda including Bhalessa. The number of killings
registered a rapid decline. Long spells of curfew were done away
with. As were the army checkpoints that had come up at every
kilometer or so on the road connecting Bhalessa with Doda and
Jammu.

There were of course so called peoples leaders over here before,

but till date the youth activists tried their level best to eliminate
the empty slogans perpetuated by them. They had zikr-e khuda
(the name of God) on their lips, but their hearts were empty of fikr-
e khuda (remembrance of God”).
But at the same time as communal identities have become
increasingly polarised, large numbers of Hindus and Muslims still
privately insist on the need for cordial relations and do their own bit
in that regard in their own ways: Jointly demonstrating against the
slaughter of innocent villagers in a remote village,

Besides walls of suspicion strong ties bind other Hindus and

Muslims and have halted the complete polarisation of the populace.
This is something that I've been attempting to study since long. A

2 24
township well knitted by historical kalgoni temple managed by
Sanathan Dharam Sabha Bhalessa. The people in community social
work, Aman Committees of hindu and Muslim populace presents a
very interesting picture and reveal the massage of brotherhood.
Kalgoni Temple nestled with village Kilhotran is located on the
Kalgoni stream in Bhalessa. The stream is paviter in the sense that
the devotees of all areas of the erstwhile dirstrict visit
Dharamshalla of the Kalgoni in this improvised area of the state.

The temple organize an annual festivals like of Baisakhi, Navratra,

Dussehra, Holi, Deepawali as a Joint venture programme felicitated
by both the communities inhibiting here.

People are busy in pooling resources to rescue people trapped in an

avalanche or injured in a road mishaps, or simply pointing out that
true religion teaches love and that, as the tired clichés go, 'God is
one' and 'Everyone's blood is red.
Bhalessa terrain surrounded by Mosques, Temples; ancient Hindu
places DURGA MATA CAVE in Khaljugasar, and MEHLWAAR, Kalgoni
Temple and Jamia Masid’s are realy a great mortars for cementing
this age old tradition of living with peace and botherhood. A fair is
held at Kalgoni Temple in the month of Bishakhi where the local
Muslims and Hindus celebrate the same as a common venture. Holy
places could be promoted to conduct the tourists to historical
places like Kalgoni Temple as well as in other village temples.Jamia
Masjid Changa and Kalgoni temple are historical one, The ties
between two communities has had maintained owing to such
monumental holy places of hindus and muslims. The Markzi jamia
Masjid is managed by Bhalessa Tameeri Committee while as Kalgoni
Temple is excuted by Sanathan Dharam Sabha. Here is an Aman
Committee aims at creating peaceful environment in the terrain.
The committee has played a key role during termoil. Both the
communities pledged to live and protect one an other from
nefarious designs.
There are secular hindu leaders, as well as secular muslim leaders
who represent their own communities in line with the religious
guidelines. On the eve of ID, Deepawali, Holi, Ramadan people are
hosting function for each other. It will be wrong for my efforts if will
not mention here the names of secular epitomes of Bhalessa.
I mention here names of respectable front runners of hindu muslim
unity which include Neel Kanth Parihar, Alhaj Mir Munwar Din, Alhaj
Ghulam Hussain Bhall, Alhaj Mohd. Din Mir, Alhaj Mohd. Shrief Mir,
Mohd. Shafi Matoo, Alhaj Gul Mohd. Mir, Ghulam Hussain Malik,
Ghulam Nabi Ahangar, Ghulam Rasool Chogani, Daleep Singh
Parihar (President of Sanathan Dharam Sabha) Sh. Amar Chand (BJP
Leader), Abdul Kareem Rather, Ch. Abdul Quyoom, Charanjeet Lal
Kotwal, Kiker singh Manhas

2 25
 Basaka Nag and vernacular temples
It was on Friday the 7th of June 2005 that Anjman-e-Islamisa was
established in Bhalessa with diverse objectives. It was formerly the
seerat committee set up by Ghulam Rasool Azad and the same has
been set up by the prominent masses.

The cause was later pleaded by Alhaj Ghulam Hussain Bhall as there
seemed a feasibility to set up several mosques and Madersah’s. The
newly set up Anjman has had its diverse objectives. The newly set
up Ajman has its major object to eliminate the social evils from the
society and maintain the cohesive social order in the terrain.

Chapter 7

Hindu Muslim relations

The towering town of Bhalessa, thickly carpeted with evergreen

forests and dotted with tiny hamlets, is home to roughly equal
numbers of Hindus and Muslims, Owing to movements of several so
called leaders of communities for their divisive policies, strong ties
bind other Hindus and Muslims and have halted the complete
polarisation of the populace. This is something that I've been
attempting to study since long.
In his article Youginder Sikand- a writer par excellence working in
Jawaharlal Lal Nehru University New Delhi has conducted an
extensive tour of the area to study Hindu Muslim relations in
Bhalessa. He wrote an exclusive story on Hundu-Muslim relations of
Bhalessa. He met Respected Alhaj Ghulam Qadir Ganipuri sahib.
Mr.Yogi pointed that the people of the area owe peace and end the
nefarious designs. The story of yoginder Sikand in his articles
entitled “Hundu Muslim relations enthralled me. The story goes like
this…..!
“

2 26
“For the last five years, things began limping back to a semblance
of 'normality' in the Doda including Bhalessa. The number of killings
registered a rapid decline. Long spells of curfew were done away
with. As were the army checkpoints that had come up at every
kilometer or so on the road connecting Bhalessa with Doda and
Jammu. My friends in Doda, Hindus and Muslims, were ecstatic
about the prospects of peace. But now, with the ongoing agitation
in Jammu and in Kashmir over the Amarnath yatra, that might be a
mere chimera if things are allowed to spin out of control, as they
indeed seem to be”.
Yogi- A good friend of mine shared with me during my interaction
with him as like this:-“It was a little after noon that we arrived in
Bhatyas, a settlement consisting of a row of houses and shops
along the main road, some seven kilometers from main town.
Exhausted and ravenous, we entered a tea-shop, whose amiable
owner rustled up for us a sumptuous meal of rajma-chawal,
standard fare in these parts.”
“We shared the single table with a friendly young Muslim man, a
peasant from a village nearby. 'Times are bad', he said gravely. 'Just
the other day, a young man was killed in a village in this area'. He
went on to speak about how a group of militants had stopped the
vehicle of a local BJP activist, demanded that the Special Police
Officer accompanying the man hand them his weapon, and then fled
into the forest on the other side of the river. In retaliation, he said,
a Hindu member of the local Village Defence Committee (VDC) had
shot dead a Muslim lad in the village, the only son of his parents.
The boy, he stressed, had nothing to do with militancy. The enraged
Muslims of the village demanded that the VDC member be arrested
and his weapon, provided to him by the state, be seized.
Consequently, he went on, several Hindu families had left the
village and were camping in Gandoh in order to prevent this from
happening.
'The situation in the village is still very tense', the man said, when
we asked him if we could go there to see things for ourselves.
The man shortly left us, and a short while later we were joined at
the table by an elderly Hindu, a shopkeeper. His version of the
recent events was quite different. According to him, the boy had
been killed in cross-firing between militants and the VDC team and
had not been deliberately killed by the latter. Fearing retaliation by
militants, he said, several Hindu families had fled the village and
had taken refuge in Gandoh.
Although we could no verify whose claim was correct, the two very
different accounts of the same event brought home to us the sharp
communal divide in Gandoh, a result of the many years of
unrelenting conflict and violence the area has witnessed. At the
same time, what was equally striking was how, despite the walls of
suspicion that have come up between local Hindus and Muslims, the
two communities continue to live together in the same towns and

2 27
villages in relative peace, barring occasional incidents. While
sporadic killings of civilians lead to further polarisation and
mistrust, there are other forces that are at work that help maintain
centuries'-old bonds between Hindus and Muslims in this area. And
one of these was a Sufi we had come all the way from Doda town to
meet, Haji Sahib of Akhiyarpur.
A two-hour walk up a steep slope brought us to Akhiyarpur, to Haji
Saheb's modestly furnished meeting chamber. We were
accompanied half the way by two local Muslim youth, who, while
they said they were the best of friends, were politically completely
at odds. The older one was bitter about the militants, and insisted
that most locals, Muslims, and, of course, Hindus, felt the same
way. His cousin, he told us, had been kidnapped and killed by a
group of militants because he had refused to pay them a certain
sum that they had demanded or else provide them with one of his
own sons as a recruit. 'Earlier, many militants were in the
movement for purely ideological reasons and that is why they
enjoyed considerable support', he stressed. 'But now', he said,
'unemployed and illiterate youth have joined the movement.
Wielding a gun gives them a sense of power, which some of them
don't hesitate to misuse to settle their own personal scores'.
The man's friend shrugged off his comments. 'Don't listen to him',
he insisted. He made no effort to conceal his support for the
militants and their cause. 'Muslims continue to be persecuted in
India. See what happened in Gujarat', he said. 'So, how can we ever
willingly agree to live in a country where Muslims have no place?',
he wanted to know.
The men left us roughly half way up the mountain. For the rest of
the strenuous walk ahead I juggled in my mind what they both had
said, trying to imagine how I would have looked at the world if I
were in their place. The thought was hardly comforting, for, clearly,
like almost everyone else in the area, they had seen or else heard of
death and destruction in their neighbourhood on an almost daily
basis.
When we finally arrived at Akhiyarpur and entered Haji Sahib's
room, he was sitting in a corner on a mattress with a crowd of
supplicants in rows in front of him. Most of them were Muslims, but
some, I later discovered, were Hindus, too. A few of them had come
from so far as Poonch and Kathua in the hope of a miraculous cure
to their woes. One by one they narrated their troubles to Haji Sahib
in hushed tones. He listened to each of them patiently, advising
them on what to do.
After the last of his other visitors had left, Haji Saheb turned
towards us. His eyes were soft, yet sad, gentle and the same time
firm and determined. He looked considerably younger than the
roughly seventy that we were told he was.
Haji Sahib, we had been told, was a Sufi who was held in
considerable respect and reverence by many local Muslims as well
as Hindus. He went on, on our asking him, to tell us about himself.

2 28
He had, he told us, taught for over four decades in various
government schools in Gandoh tehsil and was now running the one
of the area's few private schools. In this relatively inaccessible and
impoverished part of Doda, this was no mean achievement. The
school is till the tenth grade and is affiliated to the Jammu and
Kashmir Board of School Education. Most of the roughly 1000
students come from poor families, and the fees are relatively low.
Numerous very poor children receive education free of cost. The
school has a number of Hindu students, and almost a tenth of its
teachers are Hindus, the rest being Muslims. In addition to the
school, Haji Sahib has set up a madrasa, the Jamia Ganiatul Ulum,
which has some fifty students training to become ulama or Islamic
clerics. Most of these children are from impoverished families, and
in the madrasa they receive free education, boarding and lodging as
well as the possibility of a job as a religious specialist once they
graduate.
Our conversation turned to the ongoing conflict in the region.
Hindus and Muslims, Haji Sahib assured us, had traditionally lived
harmoniously in the area, even in the tumultuous days of the
Partition. Killing an innocent person, he referred to the Qur'an as
saying, is tantamount to slaying the whole of humankind. That
principle applied in every case, he stressed, when I asked him about
the atrocities committed both by militants as well as Indian
soldiers, which were not few in number. 'May God grant the world
His blessings', he cryptically replied in response to my query about
the possibility of a realistic resolution to the Kashmir conflict.
The Haji Saheb insisted we spend the night in the village. In any
case, we had missed the last vehicle to Doda and it was simply too
dangerous to trek back to the main road after sunset. And so we
were directed to the house of a friend of the Haji Sahib, a steep
ascent ahead.
An hour later we found ourselves snuggled under layers of thick
cotton quilts, tucking into a sumptuous meal in the house of the
principal of Haji Sahib's school. The principal and his son were
impeccable hosts, and despite the fact that we were complete
strangers and uninvited guests we were treated like some long-lost
friends.
We talked late into the night, mostly on the ongoing conflict and
the impact this had had on Hindu-Muslim relations. Before we
finally retired for the night, the principal read out to us a letter
written by him and recently published in a Jammu-based Urdu
newspaper.
To protest the deadly massacre of more than two dozen Hindus in
Kulhand, a hamlet near Doda, this May, the letter stated, Jammu
town observed a complete shut-down. That very morning the
principal's grandson, a student in Jammu University, had to appear
for an important examination.
He assumed that because of the strike the examination had been
postponed. In the afternoon, he rang up a Hindu friend of his, who

2 29
told him, to his shock, that the examination was actually on
schedule and that he had just entered the examination hall. No
vehicles were plying in the streets that day and the principal's son
had no way out to reach the university. However, his friend
magnanimously rushed out of the examination hall and sped on his
motorcycle all the way to his house and picked him. They arrived in
the examination hall just in time to write their paper. 'Such
examples of Hindu-Muslim harmony and friendship must be
regularly highlighted in the press', the letter stressed. It concluded
with a line in which the principal revealed that he had sent an
appeal to the Chief Minister to announce a reward to his grandson's
Hindu friend for having 'served as a model of communal harmony'.
The next morning, after a heavy breakfast which we had to accept
after much protest, we trudged down the mountain back to the
main road to head back to Doda town. And as the principal hugged
me in farewell, I promised him that I would, in my own modest way,
do what he had advised in his letter: to highlight this instance of
love and friendship beyond communal boundaries as a lesson that
others could emulate.

The analysis of the writer is clear that people here inhibit has had
thrown away the communal chauvinists initiated by so called
leaders. There was of late a movement of fundamentalist’s and
chauvinists before, but the things seemed changed now. Education
has wiped all this.
There were of course so called peoples leaders over here before,
but till date the youth activists tried their level best to eliminate
the empty slogans perpetuated by them. They had zikr-e khuda
(the name of God) on their lips, but their hearts were empty of fikr-
e khuda (remembrance of God”).
But at the same time as communal identities have become
increasingly polarised, large numbers of Hindus and Muslims still
privately insist on the need for cordial relations and do their own bit
in that regard in their own ways: Jointly demonstrating against the
slaughter of innocent villagers in a remote village, Aman Committe
jointly spearheaded by the elderly and eminent masses of Bhalessa
is a major revolt against such communal frenzy. People are busy in
pooling resources to rescue people trapped in an avalanche or
injured in a road mishaps, or simply pointing out that true religion
teaches love and that, as the tired clichés go, 'God is one' and
'Everyone's blood is red.
Bhalessa terrain surrounded by Mosques, Temples; ancient Hindu
places DURGA MATA CAVE in Khaljugasar, and MEHLWAAR, Kalgoni
Temple and Jamia Masid’s are realy a great mortars for cementing
this age old tradition of living with peace and botherhood. A fair is
held at Kalgoni Temple in the month of Bishakhi where the local
Muslims and Hindus celebrate the same as a common venture.

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Holy places could be promoted to conduct the tourists to historical
places like Kalgoni Temple as well as in other village temples.
Jamia Masjid Changa and Kalgoni temple are historical one, The ties
between two communities has had maintained owing to such
monumental holy places of hindus and muslims. The Markzi jamia
Masjid is managed by Bhalessa Tameeri Committee while as Kalgoni
Temple is excuted by Sanathan Dharam Sabha. Here is an Aman
Committee aims at creating peaceful environment in the terrain.
The committee has played a key role during termoil. Both the
communities pledged to live and protect one an other from
nefarious designs. There are secular hindu leaders, as well as
secular muslim leaders who represent their own communities in line
with the religious guidelines. On the eve of ID, Deepawali, Holi,
Ramadan people are hosting function for each other. It will be
wrong for my efforts if will not mention here the names of secular
epitomes of Bhalessa.
I mention here names of respectable front runners of hindu muslim
unity which include Neel Kanth Parihar, Alhaj Mir Munwar Din, Alhaj
Ghulam Hussain Bhall, Alhaj Mohd. Din Mir, Alhaj Mohd. Shrief Mir,
Mohd. Shafi Matoo, Alhaj Gul Mohd. Mir, Ghulam Hussain Malik,
Ghulam Nabi Ahangar, Ghulam Rasool Chogani, Daleep Singh
Parihar (President of Sanathan Dharam Sabha) Sh. Amar Chand (BJP
Leader), Abdul Kareem Rather, Ch. Abdul Quyoom, Charanjeet Lal
Kotwal, Kiker singh Manhas,

Reference & Notes: Yogi Sikand a writer and a Professor in Jawaher Lal Nehru
University is close associate of mine, He shared a religious tale to me. His articles
are published worldwide. The story “A day at Gandoh” can be viewed at
maddarassareforms.blogspot.com. Yogi is writing for Hindu Muslim relations in
India and abroad.He personally visited Bhalessa/Bhatyas/Gandoh to guage hindu
muslim relations in Bhalessa.

Chapter 8
Educational Canvas

Chapter 9
Living Activists

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 Chapter 10

Tourism Potential/Economy/ Civic issues

Unheared Voice
Deaf and Dumb Dhadkai Village lacks government’s sight

Rehabilitation agencies sould provide effective special schooling

Despite the repeated assurances of total rehabilitation of a Deaf
and
Dumb
“Not only the government
sponsored rehabilitation agencies
failed in providing medication but
they lacked absurdly in imbibing
basic language skills viz a viz an
effective Special education
programme to the affected children
of deaf and dumb in Dhadkhai
village of Bhalessa in Doda”.
village in Bhalessa area of Doda, The affected people continue to
suffer from rehabilitation facilities like education, health care and
special schooling.
A remote village in Bhalessa, Doda seems reverberation with the
sounds of silence and government has turned nelson’s eye towards
the nomadic deaf and dumb populace. There are 340 families, which
have over 95 members who cannot speak or hear.
Fed up with the of the successive governments as well as of the
rehabilitation organizations, people of this village pinned their
hopes on the two youth of their village, who after getting special
training from National Institute of Mental Handicapped, returned to
their native place to change the lives of the residents of this
mountainous hamlet.
Jan Mohammad and Ali Mohammad, who completed their training in
June this year, have opened a school for the rehabilitation of this
affected populace. With the help of an NGO, both were selected by
the Army and sent to Hyderabad for a special training to become
instructor for deaf and dumb.

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In the school, both instructors imparted special education to the
deaf and dumb but the expected result is absurdly poor as the
children were not even in a position to grasp the skills or
whatsoever the object of was. The area need special school as
envisaged by the agencies likes Rehabilitation Coulcil of India (RCI).
The Rehabilitation Council of India itself is acting as a silent
spectator on the Total rehabilitation of this deaf and dumb populace
residing here. Neither the RCI nor any national Institute has visited
the site to conduct even a single preliminary survey of the village.
The children continue to suffer and add three or more children
to the exiting numbers every year.
The village first reported 36 deaf and dumb cases in 1986, and two
decades later, the village has neither a school for the deaf and
dumb nor other facilities that can make life easier for them.
On an average, three children are born with such disability every
year in this village. The villagers mostly belong to the Gujjar
community and the researchers believe the disorder could be due to
marriages within the family.
The ever increasing number of deaf and dumb has reached to 92 as
some more cases were detected among newborn children during the
past two months.
“We hope that they will bring some changes,” Jan Mohammed a
local villager said. He said: “Except promises nothing concrete has
been done by the authorities so far to solve our problem.”
Though some efforts were taken by the government to ascertain
cause of this congenital defect, nothing concrete has been done so
far. Three years ago, a team of scientists and doctors came from
AIIMS, New Delhi, to study this village’s case, but no conclusive
findings have been made public yet.
Earlier, The Health Department had conducted a survey through
which it found 90 such cases in the village. Subsequently, the
matter was taken up with the additional professor of genetic unit of
paediatrics in AIIMS, Dr Madhulika Kabra, who in turn conducted a
genetic study on blood samples of the villagers. The doctor said
there was no curative treatment. However, she opined that future
generations could be saved provided villagers avoid getting married
within close relations.
However, the youth trained by the Hyderabad institute are doing a
commendable job at their level to rekindle the hope of the populace
but there is a need to set up some foreign and language special
personals specialized in the area pf special education.
The government neither has any remorse nor any plans up its
sleeves to cure the village of deaf and dumb people, except for
extending cooperation to an AIIMS medico for carrying out further
studies.
“Despite repeatedly raising the issue in the lower House, none from
the government has visited the village,The government is simply
not bothered about the problem and poor villagers continue to live
in shambles.The village is located in the home town of Union health

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Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad’s but he too has turned a blind eye
towards these villagers.
Not only the government sponsored so called rehabilitation
agencies failed in providing medication but failed absurdly in
imbibing basic language skills viz a viz Special education to the
affected children of deaf and dumb Dhadkhai village of Bhalessa
in Doda.
What is needed is special schooling through the special
education programme initiated by the central government through
its autonomous bodies like Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI)
Composite Regional Centres, The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Health
Ministry, and other institutes of national importance in so that they
may seem on the mainstream of the society.

Chapter 11

NGOs and their Activities: Cohesive Social

Movements

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 Roadmap for Achievable Motherhood

Of late, the people in governance are in favor of creation of

separate constituency under the pretext of wazir Commission
report. Administrative reforms are already in place. The recent
changes seemed to be happened. The Tehsil Thathri and Tehsil
Bhalessa carved out of Sub- Division Bhaderwah very recently.
Tehsil Bhalessa has been upgraded as Sub – Division. This way
there again remain two Sub-Divisions i.e. Bhaderwah and
Bhalessa with three Tehsils namely Bhaderwah, Bhalessa and
Thathri in District Doda.
As such, in any case one Sub-Division is to have two Tehsils while
the other will remain Sub-Division for one Tehsil. It may be in
place to mention that the distance from Thathri to Tehsil
Headquarter Bhalessa is only 30 Kms whereas distance from
Thathri to Bhaderwah is around 60 Kms.

Bhalessa- An administrative set up

In view of the above considerations the Committee of the

government proposed that new Sub-Division Bhalessa shall
comprise, Tehsil Bhalessa and Tehsil Thathri. Accordingly, the
details of Patwar Halqas and villages forming part of the
Bhalessa.

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Further it was mentioned that during the visit of the Committee to
Bhalessa, a demand was projected that twenty three villages
falling in three Patwar Halqas namely Kansoo, Jora and Malanoo
be attached with Tehsil Bhalessa after their deletion from Tehsil
Thathri.

Another demand received by the government team during its visit

to the area pertained to attachment of eleven villages of Patwar
Halqas Patnazi and Jawalapur commonly known as Bunjawa with
Tehsil Thathri after their detachment from Tehsil Kishtwar on the
ground of proximity of the area and convenience of the people.
After considering all counter claims in respect of these demands
and taking into consideration, the proximity of Patwar Halqas,
administrative convenience and public demand, the team
recommends strongly that eight villages of Patwar Halqa Kansoo
namely Kansoo, Bathri, Indlu, Dichhal, Bhatoli, Dharyouth,
Piyakal, Kuthyara with population of 5,744 be deleted from Tehsil
Thathri and added in Tehsil Bhalessa. The demand for attachment
of Patwar Halqas Jora and Malanoo with Bhalessa Tehsil is not
found justified and agreeable. The government find it unjustified.
This was recommended by the committee formed by the
government.
Chenab Formula lead to Communal holocaust
The only Muslim-majority areas which would remain unaffected
by the Chenab formula, will be Gandoh, Bhalessa and Bunjwah of
Doda district, since they fall on the wrong side of the river
Chenab. It needs to be underlined that the people of these areas
are vehemently opposed to the Chenab formula. They believe its
implementation would seal their political and economic fate and
endanger their religious and social life. In fact, the Chenab
formula if implemented could lead to a communal holocaust. It
would go counter to everything that a secular and pluralistic
nation like India values.

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 About the Author

Sadaket Malik, educated at Govt. Higher Secondary

School Kilhotran Bhalessa (2000) Govt. Degree College
Bhaderwah (2004), University of Jammu (2006) and
then in IGNOU (2007), He served as Working President
College Students Union Bhaderwah (2003-04)

He founded Students Welfare Association Bhalessa (SWAB) in

1999. Worked as Unit Leader of NSS Bhaderwah College and won
120 Hours Vice Chancellors Medal in 2003. Remained associated
with Nehru Yuva Kendra Doda in 2003 and got District Youth Award-
2003-2005 from Dy. Commissioner Doda.
He joined Peoples Union for Civil Liberty (PUCL) in 2007. Worked as
Coordinator IGNOU Bhalessa centre in 2006 and was elected as a
Visiting Research Fellow of Third World Centre Philippine in 2009 to
study the Peace keeping Operations and human conflicts in J&K.
His articles seemed published in leading papers like Employment
News New Delhi, Daily Excelsior Jammu, Kashmir Times Jammu,
State Times Jammu, and one Online web magazines like
www.merinews.com. www.articlebase.com www.employmentnews.com
www.indiaedunews.com
He has put in efforts to throw light on the socio-educational and
political convas of the area.

Sadaket- a writer par excellence is exclusively writing on India’s

educational policy parameters as it clearly shows from his plethora
of articles published in National and International magazines.
In the booklet entitled “Roots of Bhalessa” Sadaket has tried to
bring alive past and present of the tranquil land that has been the
arena of his young life.

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