Pilgrimage politics: Kashmiri leaders embark on 'Umrah' ahead of polls

Srinagar: In Kashmir where politics for decades has remained a battleground for competing ideologies, a new chapter is unfolding as Kashmiri politicians are setting out on a journey of faith and politics.

With Parliament and probably Assembly polls nearing, leaders are trying to woo voters through a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca for “Umrah”. These leaders share pictures and videos on social media platforms while performing the holy pilgrimage in Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

The “Umrah” is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, the holiest city for Muslims and can be undertaken at any time of the year, in contrast to the Ḥajj, which has specific dates according to the Islamic lunar calendar.

As the leaders embarked on their pilgrimage, they draped themselves in humility, clad in the simple attire of pilgrims, shedding the garb of power and authority. Each step toward the sacred precincts of Mecca symbolized a gesture of humility and devotion, a gesture intended to resonate with the hearts and minds of their constituents back home.

First to embark on the “Umrah” was National Conference (NC) president, Farooq Abdullah and his son and party vice president Omar Abdullah, who left to perform “Umrah” on January 24.

Omar posted on his X handle a picture of his dad and himself, wearing the “Ihram”. He also posted, “O Allah, I intend to perform Umrah, so make it easy for me and accept it from me”.

The NC president while pinning one of the videos, while performing the "Umrah" on his X handle on January 25 wrote: “Deeply grateful for this moment of good fortune, to lay my hands on Bayt Allah, The House of God.”

Omar is seen touching the cloth known as ‘gilaaf’ covering holy Kaaba and then placing his face in between hands and reciting the prayer in the video. The post has so far generated 2.8 million views and 7400 likes.

NC's arch-rival People Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has also left for “Umrah” last week. Though she has not been posting as many pictures and videos while performing the pilgrimage, in one of the videos shared on X she praised Kashmiris based in Saudi Arabia.

“Met Ishfaq Bajard from Poonch at Jabal al-Nour in Mecca. He was kind enough to offer lemonade & gave me beautiful tasbihs. Wonderful to see residents of J&K do well for themselves here (sic),” she wrote on X.

The sight of their leaders seeking blessings in the holiest of places ignited a flicker of hope and expectation among their workers, a hope that transcended the boundaries of politics and ideology.

Political analysts say the decision of the NC and PDP top leadership to embark on the spiritual voyage is “strategic and a calculated move to harness the sentiments of the populace and demonstrate a profound connection to their faith.”

“Amidst the backdrop of contentious political discourse, the leaders aim to strike a chord with the voters, emphasizing unity, piety, and solidarity,” they said. In Kashmir where every gesture carries profound significance, the journey of the politicians to the sacred precincts of Mecca holds significance.

Yet, beneath the veneer of spirituality, the pilgrimage seems to have political contours.