Srinagar, Feb. — The Kashmir valley has registered a mushroom growth of fundamentalist organizations whose outlook is essentially secessionist.
Seven such major organizations function in the valley. Besides ‘these three other organizations the Kashmir Liberation Front (K.L.F.), the AlJehad and the Kashmir Liberation Movement (K.L.M.) are also in existence but they are yet to receive much public attention.
These three organizations have so far confined their activities to circulating handwritten posters, usually anti India. Whenever there is any trouble in the valley, one of these organizations claims responsibility for the event. It was AlJehad which owned up the responsibility for the two bomb blasts in the city on Sunday. The office-bearers of the K.L.F. and the K.L.M. are unknown, but activists of these organizations often try to confuse the police in their investigations.
The continuing flow of Arab money is stated to be the reason for the growth of these organizations. Greater the number” of organizations, bigger the amounts received. One of the Arab States sent books and copies of the Quran in large numbers to one organization in Kashmir for free distribution. That organization sold them all and collected Lakhs of rupees.
A few business houses engaged in import and export business also finance these organizations.
Business men, engineers and doctors working in the Gulf countries also send money under different names to these organizations. In fact it was a row over Arab funds that led to the parting of ways between the Jamaate Islami and the Jamaate Tulba, which for a number of years had functioned as the Islami’s youth wing. The JamaateIslami has now floated another youth wing —‘“‘Shoabe Tulba.” This youth wing has set up units at all district and tehsil headquarters. Mr. Mohammad Altaf, who had worked as Secretary of the Jamaate Tulba, has been appointed Acting President of this body.
The Islamic Study Circle is another fundamentalist organization. Its units function in educational institutions, and teachers, engineers and doctors are among. The members.
The Islamic Youth Welfare Society circulates religious literature and runs centers for religious training.
The Shoabe Tulba organizes camps for imparting religious training to youths. The Islamic Study Circle and the Islamic Youth Welfare Society put stress on shaping the career of young Muslims. They have succeeded in sending a few young men to foreign countries for higher professional training. They have also arranged lucrative jobs for them.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 15, 1985
