Panun Kashmir Slams Criticism of Gulmarg Fashion Event, Calls It Theocratic Intolerance

Jammu, March 10: Panun Kashmir has strongly condemned the backlash against a private fashion event held in Gulmarg, calling the outrage a blatant assertion of religious supremacy in Jammu and Kashmir. Dr. Ajay Chrungoo, Chairman of Panun Kashmir, stated that the controversy surrounding the event exposes the enduring grip of theocratic diktats in the region and raises serious questions about the claim of secular governance.

“The orchestrated condemnation of the fashion show, not on the grounds of obscenity but on the basis of religious proscriptions, is a glaring demonstration of how theocratic authoritarianism remains the primary operating principle in Kashmir,” Dr. Chrungoo said. He argued that the reaction to the event proves that the writ of clergy still prevails in the region, much like it did during the forced exodus and genocide of Kashmiri Hindus.

Highlighting that the event was a private affair conducted within the legal framework of India, Dr. Chrungoo questioned the swift alignment of political and religious leadership in denouncing it. “Would the government in any other part of India so readily capitulate to an outrage that is fundamentally rooted in theological restrictions? The speed at which state actors have moved to placate this backlash is alarming,” he remarked.

According to Dr. Chrungoo, the controversy is not about morality or public decency but an attempt to enforce a rigid theocratic order that has historically been used to suppress freedoms and justify the persecution of non-Muslims in Kashmir. “It is precisely this religious absolutism-the wielding of theological dictates as instruments of political control-that led to our genocide,” he said.

Criticizing the statements made by political leaders and religious figures, Dr. Chrungoo stated, “This is further proof that Kashmiri Pandits were driven out not due to any political conflict but because the state refused to challenge the religious supremacist forces that now dictate cultural expression.” He asserted that the outrage against the Gulmarg event is part of the same ideological continuity that enabled the Genocide of Kashmiri Hindus.

Dr. Chrungoo also called on the government to take a definitive stance on whether it upholds constitutional liberties or continues to accommodate religious diktats. “India must decide whether it is committed to secularism or whether Kashmir remains an exception where theocratic censorship overrides constitutional freedoms,” he said.

Panun Kashmir maintains that unless theocratic veto power is dismantled in Kashmir, the region will remain a space where fundamental rights are subjugated to clerical authority. “This incident proves that the ideological machinery responsible for our genocide remains intact and unchallenged. The government must act decisively to end this cycle of appeasement,” Dr. Chrungoo concluded.