The Spirit of Charity in Kashmir

Mohammad Muslim

“Charity in Kashmir does not seek headlines. It lives in small gestures — a neighbour covering school fees, a shopkeeper extending credit, a volunteer delivering rations through snow in the lanes of Srinagar. In this quiet service lies the Valley’s enduring strength.”

Charitable giving is part of everyday life, not something that just happens from time to time. The tradition runs deep in the hearts and actions of the people in Kashmir and continues to thrive through the many neighbourhoods, mosque communities, home kitchens and volunteer networks throughout the region. While daily reports may highlight the negative aspects of the area due to conflict and crisis, there is also an array of charitable acts occurring on a daily basis by the average citizen working towards protecting the rights and dignity of those individuals that are less fortunate than themselves through donating their time, money and other resources.

Kashmir is a place where charitable giving has been an ingrained gift in the culture of its people and is based on the faith, beliefs, values, and responsibilities of a community. Whether through the collection of zakat, the operation of community kitchens, or participation in volunteer youth groups, these acts of charity contribute to the establishment of one of the largest grassroots support systems in the world.

In Kashmir, charitable donations start at the level of faith. For many Muslims, Zakat is a major source of local assistance and has been for many generations. Many families throughout the valley will calculate their zakat at the end of each year so they can make sure the funds are distributed locally, typically through the mosques.

The mosques serve as the main hub for the distribution of funds through local committees and Bait ul Maal (community treasury). They are responsible for collecting donations and identifying needy families. The collected funds from zakat are typically used to purchase and distribute food kits, cash assistance, and basic household items for families experiencing poverty.

Proximity is the key to success of this system – donors are familiar with the communities they reside in and have volunteers verify cases on the ground; these two factors create trust between donor and recipient and dramatically reduce leakage. For example, in an average village, a mosque committee will know exactly which widow requires assistance or what student is unable to pay school fees or what family has lost their primary wage earner. Additionally, there are now several professionally-managed initiatives for zakat collection on top of existing informal giving; one initiative includes the Islamic Relief and Research Trust Kashmir, which has developed a dedicated Zakat Centre to provide education for donors so that they may make an informed decision as to where their contributions are directed and have a reliable process for collecting and distributing zakat.

The transition to these institutionalised methods represents a significant change from when zakat was collected informally; now records are kept and verified at the time of giving and donors will receive reports regarding the manner in which their contributions were used. This increased transparency provides donors with confidence that their contributions are going towards a good cause.

Despite how beneficial these institutionalised methods are, the majority of citizens in the Valley have chosen to continue using a hybrid approach to giving: they give part of their zakat through a religious-based organisation and give the remaining portion to family and friends. These two types of contribution work together well, keeping personal and efficient. If zakat is considered to be the financing foundation for charitable contributions in Kashmir, community kitchens are the most publicly visible expression of that relationship.

Volunteers provide food drives throughout the Valley each winter and during Ramadan. Some groups distribute hot meals while others provide ready to eat monthly ration bundles. For example, a program will register families who are struggling and provide them with staple food items including rice, flour, cooking oil and spices for an entire year after they have been verified as needing assistance.

Community kitchens play a key role. Harsh weather conditions and the impact of the local economy can cause an instant hardship for daily wage earners. Therefore providing community food support can help to protect people from hunger.

A unique aspect of the Valley’s volunteer culture is the fact that they focus on preserving the dignity of the individuals receiving assistance. Many groups use a door to door delivery model rather than utilizing a public distribution line. In many cases, volunteers distribute assistance during the evening hours in order to protect the privacy of those receiving assistance. This type of consideration shows the strong emphasis of dignity in Kashmir’s culture.

The pandemic has illustrated just how extensive Kashmir’s volunteer community is. As hospitals were overwhelmed with patients and jobs were lost due to the lockdowns, local groups quickly mobilized in an incredible manner.

Volunteer networks provided oxygen tanks, ambulance transportation, plasma donations and food support to the numerous families impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. One nonprofit in Srinagar raised over 100,000 dollars to provide emergency assistance to individuals and families during this crisis.

Healthcare volunteers were working with the staff in the hospitals. Groups of youth also acted as telephone boards. Mosque committees expanded their lists for donations to charitable organizations. While there were gaps in formal systems exposed during this crisis, there was an emphasis placed upon the degree of social solidarity that existed within the Valley.

One respected volunteer in the community made this statement about how we respond to crisis: “Kashmiris react to crisis like one gigantic antibody.” Recently, youth volunteers’ involvement within the community during times of crisis has been viewed as changing rapidly. Almost all donation drives, blood camps, and winter relief campaigns are now led by students.

Social networking sites have also helped to promote this phenomenon by being able to turn to thousands of people within hours when a verified request for donations is placed. The youth groups use digital payments, live updates, and provide verifiable records of their actions to build credibility. This generation includes many people that help during times of crisis with new types of methods (like online fundraising, tracking data, and publishing reports). However, the underlying reasons for their actions still stem from the traditional values of serving quietly, aiding in the local area, and acting quickly.

The participation of women in charitable activities is often underestimated; however, it is very important. There are numerous networks that have been established by women who simply seek to help their community; however, many do not have any identification, so they remain mostly unnoticed and unreported.

As part of the charitable work taking place, women are preparing meals during Ramadan. Women make clothing for children who have lost their parents. Other groups are training women to gain skills in sewing or small industries to provide them with a means of independent income. Many women have been able to provide uniforms and garment production from home due to vocational training programs now available to women within the Valley.

The new model of service delivery allows charities to take care of the long-term needs of clients, which ultimately leads to empowerment. By providing opportunities for people who need help to contribute back as well as receive assistance, this model creates a lasting and stable environment for everyone. However, there are still challenges facing charitable organisations in Kashmir. One challenge is the fragmentation of the charities. There are hundreds of small organisations in operation without much coordination. As a result, some areas will have too many organisations providing support, while other areas will have none at all. Another issue is lack of transparency within these charities due to the lack of a verification system, although many of them do have some type of tracking system in place. For many, credentialing is based on personal relationships; therefore verification is limited. As donations to charities continue to increase, the need for certified and audited systems will become even more critical.

Better coordination between mosque committees and NGOs can help identify the needy more effectively. Technology can also prevent the duplication of efforts. Impact reporting can also increase the confidence of donors.

Schools and colleges can also encourage students to volunteer. Even two hours a week from every student can make a huge difference to the outreach programs in the Valley.

But the most important thing is to ensure the dignity of the cause. Kashmir’s strength lies not only in the act of charity but also in the manner in which it is done.

Charity in Kashmir is not done to seek the attention of the world. It is done through small acts. A person helping the neighbor pay the school fees. A shopkeeper helped the next person with the ration. A person delivering food to the needy in the snow. These acts do not make the news. They do not trend on social media. However, they feed thousands of people every year.

The story of the Valley has often been written in the language of struggle. It is also to be written in the language of charity. For in the streets of Srinagar and in the mountains, the spirit of charity is at work in silence. And in this silence is perhaps the greatest strength of the Kashmir Valley.

Writer is a student and columnist and can be reached at mdmuslimbhat@gmail.com