
DURING election season, red CPI (M) flags stream from the hands of two-wheeler riders with the same ease as ripe apples hanging from laden branches in autumn-bold, vivid and unmissable.
The region, known as the rice bowl of the Valley, has long been a stronghold for the communists in Kashmir. The trademark flags, sometimes worn as headgear, give the constituency a unique character in Jammu and Kashmir.
Unlike other constituencies in the region, Kulgam stands out as a battleground for ideological conflict. Debates here often peak with intense discussions on Islam and Marxism, questioning whether the two can coexist in a Muslim society.
That is, until the subject of a women-only gym hits the conversation.
Both communist leader M Y Tarigami and his opponent, the banned Jamaat-e-Islami-backed candidate Sayar Ahmad Reshi, 42, speak of revolution and a new Kashmir that is "free from fear and full of opportunities for all".
However, these discussions often veer off into debates on issues like whether women should have access to gyms, overshadowing the broader ideological conflict.
The CPI (M) office is located next to a mosque. Inside, large posters of Fidel Castro with quotes like "Ideas do not need weapons" adorn the walls. There are also posters of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara reading the Communist Manifesto. In another room, the CPI (M) election symbol-hammer, sickle and star-is displayed on the door, along with the slogan "Haq ka hami, Tarigami (Champion of Justice-Tarigami)".
As the communist leader walks towards a nearby village, songs like "Kitna diler hai hamara leader, sheron ka sher hai hamara leader (how brave our leader is; our leader is the lion among lions)", play in the background.
Esta historia es de la edición October 01, 2024 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición October 01, 2024 de Outlook.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar

Life is a Mela
Modern intellectuals are yet to appreciate the specialness of melas, a unique Indian cultural phenomenon

Shopping With God
What is lost through the glitz that Mecca has acquired is the subtlety of the spiritual experience

Religious Itinerary
In India, religious tourism is not a new thing, but the upsurge is unprecedented, leading to a very evident mixing of religion and politics, where temple reconstruction is one of its features.

No Brotherhood, This
India's foreign policy initiatives in recent years have shown signs of giving in to pressure from the United States

The Chak De! Gang
Unconditional love for the sport and systemic support have resulted in Jharkhand turning into a nursery of hockey players, especially for tribal girls

Piecemeal PEACE
Forget a ceasefire, the spat between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump at the White House has further complicated the situation, with Europe seeking to put a spanner in Trump's plans for a peace deal

The Lord's City Sits on Sand
As the underwater search continues for relics from the mythical Dwarka of Lord Krishna submerged under the Arabian Sea, are ecological threats to the still- inhabited city on the Gujarat shore getting less attention than they deserve?

In Baba-Land
The advent of social media changed life in the sleepy town of Gadha, where a 28-year-old Dhirendra Krishna Garg aka Bageshwar Baba, has amassed an unbelievable following who believe he has supernatural powers

Sitakund
With Sitamarhi in Bihar included in the central government’s Ramayan Circuit list, Sita’s birthplace may finally get the same stature as Ram’s in Ayodhya

Sacred Games
Pilgrims are being fast-tracked into 'spiritual tourists'. This places impossible demands on the vulnerable Himalayan region