Srinagar, Aug 02 : Noted broadcaster and senior journalist Nayeema Ahmad Mahjoor on Sunday made a strong pitch for preserving and promoting Kashmir’s rich spiritual and cultural heritage, asserting that the valley’s syncretic traditions and Sufi legacy are integral to its identity and global connect.
Speaking to news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) Nayeema Mahjoor said Kashmir’s spiritual fabric owes immensely to the great saints and Sufis who arrived in the region centuries ago, shaping its ethos and guiding its people.
“Whatever we have today, whether spiritual or religious, is because of them. Whenever I come to Kashmir, I knock on the doors of these holy places to show my respect and gratitude. If not for these great saints, we would not be in this situation today. Our life is going on because of them; we are protected because of them,” she said.
Stressing the need for conservation of these heritage sites, Mahjoor called upon both civil society and the government to shoulder responsibility.
“We should take good care of these holy places. We should do it ourselves, and the governments here should also do it. We should protect the treasure that we have and tell the world how rich our legacy is,” she said, adding that no place in the world matches Kashmir’s unique spiritual landscape.
Drawing parallels between Kashmir and the Middle East, Nayeema Ahmad Mahjoor, who has travelled to Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afganistan besides other countries said the cultural and religious connect is palpable.
“There is a lot in common. The saints that have come here are famous there. It is so connected. When people from the Middle East come here, they say there is a lot of similarity; they do not feel far away. We have a great cultural and religious connection,” she said.
The senior journalist also emphasised the need to leverage social media and modern platforms to showcase Kashmir’s spiritual and artisanal wealth.
“We should spread the message through social media. Show people what kind of wealth we have and what we have achieved because of these great saints. The legacy left by Hazrat Ameer Kabir Mirza Ali Hamdani (RA) is our signature,” she said.
On the crafts and traditional industries, Mahjoor noted that despite the global fame of Kashmiri shawls—once gifted to the queen of Napoleon in the 19th century—adequate promotion has been lacking.
“People are trying, and we should support them. We need dedicated workers and businesses to bring out the original craft. We should see our potential and take it to other places,” she said.
Responding to a question on youth, Mahjoor stressed on the revival of Kashmiri language and literature.
“We should follow the religion given by our ancestors—our culture, religion, language, and literature. We have a very big treasure. Our children should see it, read it, understand it, and follow it. I don’t think it is the fault of children; it is the fault of parents who do not encourage them. We should tell our children such things and try that the Kashmiri language is spoken at home because it is our identity. People are forgetting it now; I want to revive it again,” she asserted.
She called upon civil society to play a proactive role in this revival.
“We should work for it. I see a huge role for civil societies—they should come forward and work for it,” she added. (KNS)
