Former Jammu and Kashmir Head of State and Governor Karan Singh on Saturday, 27 June called for the preservation of Kashmiriyat — the Valley's centuries-old tradition of communal harmony rooted in Sufism and shared cultural values — through sustained interfaith dialogue, asserting that humanity must always take precedence over religious differences. Singh was speaking at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre in Srinagar during an interfaith dialogue on the theme 'Urdu, Kashmiriyat and Shared Cultural Traditions'.

Singh's Core Message on Faith and Coexistence

Opening his address, Singh praised the organisers for uniting the themes of interfaith dialogue, Urdu, Kashmiriyat and shared cultural traditions on a single platform, describing each as a subject worthy of days of independent discussion.

He invoked the landmark Parliament of the World's Religions held in Chicago in 1893, where Swami Vivekananda presented India's philosophy of universal acceptance to a global audience. Singh drew on that legacy to argue that interfaith dialogue is not about establishing the superiority of one religion over another, but about recognising that all faiths ultimately converge on the same truth.

Quoting the Rig Veda's verse 'Ekam Sat Viprah Bahuda Vadanti' — meaning 'Truth is One, the wise describe it in different ways' — he said all religions worship the same Almighty through different paths. 'If God is one, there cannot be different Gods for different religions. Just as there are many routes to reach the top of a mountain, different religions, too, lead towards the same destination,' he said.

Kashmir's Civilisational Heritage

Singh highlighted the Valley's layered spiritual history, noting that Kashmir had witnessed the flourishing of Vedic traditions, Buddhism, Shaivism, and later Sufism. He paid tribute to saints including Lal Ded, Mir Syed Ali Hamdani, and Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani (also known as Nund Rishi), crediting them with nurturing a culture of love, tolerance and coexistence across generations.

'Sufism flourished in Kashmir because it spread the message of love, not hatred. No religion can prosper through hatred; humanity must always come first,' he said.

This comes amid ongoing efforts to rebuild social fabric in the region following years of conflict, making Singh's remarks particularly resonant for those working on reconciliation and cultural preservation in the Valley.

Institutional Efforts for Interfaith Harmony

Singh noted that structured efforts are already under way through the Interfaith Harmony Foundation and the Dara Shikoh Centre to strengthen dialogue across religious communities. He expressed hope that a dedicated interfaith movement would take shape in Kashmir as well, to sustain mutual understanding and communal harmony at the grassroots level.

Defending Urdu as India's Own

Turning to the question of language, Singh firmly rejected the notion that Urdu is a foreign tongue, arguing that it was born in India and remains an integral part of the country's cultural and literary heritage. He recalled that Urdu had served as the official language of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state precisely because it bridged communities speaking different mother tongues — Kashmiri, Dogri, and Ladakhi.

'Urdu must be protected, promoted and used wherever possible. Every language is a gift of Mother Saraswati, and opposing any language is like insulting the very source of knowledge,' he said, calling opposition to any language an act of disrespect towards knowledge itself.

As India navigates complex questions of identity, language, and pluralism, Singh's address at Srinagar signals a continued push by cultural voices to anchor Kashmir's future in the inclusive traditions of its past.