Bayed Mubarak
The streets of Anantnag are adorned with flags symbolizing the tragic event at Karbala, where Imam Hussain was martyred on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. The town’s spaces are occupied by youth distributing water to commuters.
Pro-Hussain banners and flags are being sold, mostly around the Rishi Bazar area, which houses the Jamia mosque of the district. This love for Imam Hussain and the concept of Shia-Sunni unity in Anantnag and its suburbs dates back to the 1980s.
In 1986, Kashmir was gripped by unemployment, silence, and frustration, particularly among the youth. Secret meetings were organized against various policies imposed by the then-governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Jagmohan.
One prominent scholar at the forefront of uniting Muslims in Kashmir was Moulana Abbas Ansari. From the day he arrived in Kashmir from Iraq, he laid the foundations for Itehadul Muslimeen, making determined efforts to unify Muslims. “By 1986, Ansari’s relations with Sunni scholars were very deep. He frequently traveled to Anantnag to meet Sunni scholars and discuss the unification of Muslims in Kashmir,” recalls Syed Sankar of Chattabal, Srinagar, a close aide of Moulana Abbas Ansari.
The first signs of anger against Jagmohan’s policies and the friendship between Rajiv Gandhi and Farooq Abdullah appeared in September 1986. Black and white posters surfaced across Kashmir with a slogan, a date, and a venue:
“Shia-Sunni Ittehad! Zindabad Zindabad!” (Shia-Sunni Unification! Long Live!)
Date: 13 September 1986
Venue: Lal Chowk, Srinagar
These posters were distributed and secretly pasted by volunteers, including women, calling for the entire Muslim population of Kashmir to participate in the Muharram procession on the eighth day of the holy month.
“The administration, led by Jagmohan, was certain that people would not show up for the Muharram procession. They believed no personality in MUF could mobilize even fifty people,” recalls Syed Sankar.
Muzaffar Rizvi, the former general secretary of Itehadul Muslimeen, said, “On September 13, 1986, droves of people gathered around Lal Chowk, Srinagar. We didn’t know where they were coming from. Women raised slogans of Shia-Sunni unification, and men filled the streets, marching to Lal Chowk in black dresses. Throughout Srinagar, two important slogans were raised: ‘Ya Hussain! Ya Hussain! Shia-Sunni Itehad! Zindabad Zindabad!’”
Moulana Masroor Ansari, now the chairman of the organization, says that the procession started from Guru Bazar in Karan Nagar, took the route of Shaheed Gunj, reached Jahangir Chowk, and continued through M.A. Road to Dalgate where it concluded.
People marched in thousands, estimated to be around half a lakh. They came from Anantnag, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Bandipora, and other areas, gathering at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk. The distinctions such as Firqas and Maslaqs faltered that day. All marched to Lal Chowk, where renowned scholars addressed the participants of the Muharram procession, giving the feeling of a revolution unfolding in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk,” recalls Muzaffar.
The turning point was the massive crowd from Anantnag. As Moulana Abbas Ansari addressed them at Lal Chowk, he raised the powerful slogan, “Islamabad se Awaaz aayi–Shia Sunni bhai bhai.” This slogan resonated deeply, symbolizing the unity and brotherhood between Shias and Sunnis, and became a rallying cry for solidarity and harmony. It encapsulated the spirit of the movement, echoing through the hearts of the participants and leaving a lasting impact on the region’s socio-political landscape.
Sajad Ahmed Reshi from Anantnag town who was a part of the procession recalling the days says, “This Shia Sunni unity has existed here for decades. Even before the march to Srinagar, Moulana Abbas Ansari was invited to the Jamia Masjid several times and he impressed people with his views and opinions. This was the first time, perhaps, that a Sunni mosque was thrown open to a Shia scholar. The response to it was overwhelming,” said Sajad.
He said when the rally from Anantnag reached Srinagar, Moulana Abbas Ansari pointed to the cavalcade of over 200 vehicles, with barely space inside or on the rooftops and said, “These are my people. They are fighting the real battle for unity of Kashmiri Muslims and then Abbas sahab,” he said, adding” raised the slogan, Islamabad se awaz aayi, Shia Sunni Bhai Bhai.”