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| Subhana
Hajam: Forgotten Savior
By: Zahir ud Din |
 "Is
there not among you a single right-minded man?"
(AI-Qur'an
11:78)
- Promiscuity
and licentiousness have become a way of life in contemporary
Kashmir. According to a renowned academician, prostitution
has assumed alarming proportions in the entire Valley.
In fact, he has compared today's Kashmir with the
Kashmir of Subhan Hajam's times when prostitution
was legalized. The academician believes the society
will crumble if preventive measures are not taken
now on a war footing. Unfortunately, there is no Subhan
Hajam available now to do the much needed reformation.
In this back ground Zahir-ud-Din remembers the forgotten
savior and hopes the people who matter today follow
his foot steps.
During my college days, a teacher while delivering
a lecture on Portland cement made a sarcastic remark.
"Look, even masons in West are scientists. They
can invent cement. But, unfortunately our scientists
cannot compete with the masons of the West".
I was shocked but could not say a word. At that time
I did not know that a barber from Maisuma had performed
a remarkable feat single handedly. He was a social
engineers, a political thinker, a philosopher, a poet,
a revolutionary and a statesmen at the When this hero
lived, prostitution was legalized and the menace was
eating into the" vitals of the society, The determined
barber would go to his shop for a couple of hours,
earn a few bucks and then come out in the afternoon
to eradicate prostitution, He was arrested several
times, he was booked in fictitious cases, he was humiliated,
and he was offered money 'to keep his mouth shut,
But, he continued his struggle with dedication, courage
and honestly. He succeeded in his mission. Prostitution
was banned. Can the contemporary people forget their
savior? But; the hero has been forgotten. Today very
few people know about Muhammad Subhana Hajam of Maisuma
who did what highly learned people of his times could
not even think of.
Elderly people say, Subhana Naayid would appear with
a dholak (drum) and amid chanting of slogans to which
he himself carved out) would urge people to refrain
from going to prostitution centers.
This activity was strongly detested by the police,
the government and the goons who enjoyed the patronage
of the prostitutes and the influential people involved
in the trade. Subhana Hajam was manhandled several
times by the goons but the crusade continued unabated.
Finally Subhana were arrested. A case under section
36 of the Police act was filed in the court of City
judge. The FIR reads, "The accused was arrested
for addressing people at Maisuma. He was telling them
not to go to prostitution centers. The assembly caused
traffic blockade and subjected the people to inconvenience".
Subhana Hajam pleaded not guilty and told the court
then chaired by pandit Bishember Nath that he had
taken people to a side and had not created road blockade.
"Does this act of mine invoke the provisions
of section 36 of the Police Act. I have been telling
the people to refrain from, immoral practices. I have
been stressing need for character building",
Subhan pleaded.
The learned judge acquitted Subhana for want of sufficient
proof. The case was filed in the court on 15 Sawan,
1991. Subhan never looked back and published number
of pamphlets in Urdu and Kashmiri. Commenting on spread
of prostitution in Srinagar, Subhana Hajam says in
his pamphlet Hajam ki Fariyaad, "The government
takes me very lightly and does not extend cooperation
to me. Had the government helped me suitably, the
prostitution would have been eradicated by now. The
government must take my reports and statements seriously.
It will go a long way in eradicating this menace".
'
In the same pamphlet he further says, "I have
faced problems from various quarters. Vested interests
tried their best to sabotage my mission but Allah
the almighty helped me and I stood like a rock. I
have been told that the courts do not award proper
punishment to prostitutes. This will encourage the
practice once again. When a person is arrested for
prostitution, I approach the respectable of the locality
and get their signed statements which I have been
submitting to the authorities. However, I have been
told that some vested interests have been telling
the authorities that I extort money from the people.
I am more concerned about my mission. Such cheap methods
and false allegations cannot deter me from pursuing
my mission".There is no date on the pamphlet
but it appears that it has been written after the
government was seriously considering a ban on prostitution.
Subhana was pained by the presence of three prostitution
centers at Maisuma. Once he said, "There are
three prostitution centers in Maisuma. One is at Takia
(Gaw Kadal), second is in a tailoring shop and the
third near a liquor shop. These centers enjoy the
patronage of the goons in the area".
Subhana further said most of the women involved in
the trade were Bhungies (sweepers). 'They change their
names and sit in a prostitution centers. This relieves
them of the hard work of sweeping the roads and the
lanes", he said.
Subhana Hajam tried his best to muster support for
his crusade against prostitution and succeeded to
a large extent. He took care to involve people from
all schools of thought. He persuaded seven hundred
people who included a good number of Pandits and Sikhs
to submit a memorandum seeking ban on prostitution
to the then district magistrate, Srinagar. The memorandum
had a great impact on the government. .
In his memorandum, Subhana suggested framing a list
of the pimps, who according to him, were to a great
extent responsible for the spread of the menace. Subhana
says, "A big and strong group is always associated
with the prostitutes. We call them Dalay. They are
criminals involved in serious offences. If a list
of the pimps is framed and called for questioning
at regular intervals, the crime rate will also come
down. These people marry women and then sell them
for a hefty amount in big cities like Lahore, Calcutta,
Peshawar, Bombay, Karachi and Delhi.
Subhana Hajam further suggested ban on use of Burqa
(veil) by the prostitutes. "When the prostitutes
use veil, the life of charactered women becomes miserable.
Unless a prostitute proves that she is no longer involved
in the detested practice, she should not be allowed
to use veil", he suggested.
In his memorandum, Subhana made clear that his crusade
was purely apolitical. "We have nothing to do
with politics. But the
authorities are invoking laws on us meant for political
activists. This is being done with a purpose. The
authorities want us to give
up our crusade but that cannot happen", he made
clear. .
When this memorandum was submitted, the government
exonerated the singers (female) from tax. Subhana
strongly resented it. He said it would encourage prostitution
as most of the female singers worked as sex workers
in hotels and house boats. The crusade continued fro
several years. Subhana Hajam had to face number of
problems but he was too determined to give up his
mission. And, finally one day, the prostitution was
banned in Srinagar. Subhana thanked the then district
magistrate for eradicating prostitution from Srinagar.
Soon after the ban, Subhana came to know that two
hotels in Lal Chowk, one owned by a Hindu and the
second by a Muslim were involved in prostitution.
Subhana wrote to them and warned them of dire consequences
incase the trade was not stopped immediately. "I
warn you to stop the detested trade immediately otherwise
I will publish your names in a poster and expose you".
The threat had the desired effect.
Similarly, Subhan came to know that some women in
Buchwara and Dalgate areas were running brothels.
Subhan published their
names in a pamphlet and the brothels were closed down.
Subhan was critical of the role of the press. According
to him, the editors had sealed their mouths in lieu
of a handsome consideration which they received regularly
from the prostitution centers.
SUBHAN AND POLITICS:
Subhan Hajam tried his best to stay away from politics.
He believed that politics will harm his mission. But
when it sent wrong
signals to different Quarters, Subhan came out with
a statement. In his pamphlet Mulki halaat aur munafiqeen
ki amun soz harkaat, Subhan said,"'1 have
been saying time and again that my crusade is free
from politics. But I have never said taking part in
politics was a sin. I fully understand the political
situation of my state. It is a virtue to take part
in constructive politics meant for the betterment
of the people".
A HUMBLE PERSON:
Deeply concerned over the deteriorating social order,
Subhan printed number of pamphlets from time to time
urging the people to live strictly in accordance with
the sayings of the most revered Prophet (SAW). "I
am a humble person, in fact a sinner. I feel ashamed
of advising the people. But, I am a follower of the
most revered Prophet (SAW) and it is in this capacity
I dare address the people.
Subhan said the bakers make their women sit on the
shops with a purpose. They think a beautiful woman
will attract more
customers. Similarly, Subhan expressed shock over
teasing of fisherwomen by the goons. "The rural
women do not wear anything
beneath the phiran. This must be avoided", Subhan
said.
RIGHTS OF LABORERS:
Subhan Hajam did not confine his activities to fighting
prostitution alone. He raised voice over exploitation
of laborers in silk factory and the carpet weavers.
"The laborers in the silk factory work in miserable
conditions against a meager payment. If this factory
is running in a loss, it should be closed down. The
government must have a sympathetic attitude towards
the laborers. The director has recently stated that
the factory is not running in loss. The laborers are
forced to resort to agitation. I urge the government
to address the problems of the laborers".
This appears a casual statement. But, in those times,
this could land a person in serious trouble.
Similarly Subhan raised his voice for the carpet weavers.
"The loom owners have been exploiting the workers.
I urge the government to solve their problems or withdraw
the concessions given to them", Subhan says in
his Kashmir main insidaad zinakari wa rusoomat-e-qabiha
aur digar mulki halaat par dilchasp tabsara.
SUBHAN'S SON:
Subhan Hajam was lucky enough to have a shop of his
own. Prince Hair Cutting Saloon, Lal Chowk was a hot
spot those days. People would come to the shop, and
discuss everything ranging from polities to market
rates for hours together. However, Subhan's son is
not that lucky. He has no shop. He sits on a footpath
near old Chrar-e-Sharief bus stand (Naaz cinema) to
earn his livelihood. However, he is proud of his father
and has preserved his photos, documents including
the pamphlets whose pages are reproduced here.
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