Ladakh’s Iran connection

On May 19, 2024, Ebrahim Raisi, the eighth President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, died tragically in a helicopter crash near East Azerbaijan where he had just completed an official visit. Raisi’s funeral was attended by high-ranking officials from 68 countries, including the Vice-President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar. The Government of India declared a day of national mourning on May 21, 2024.

That same day, another homage was paid to the late Iranian leader – in the union territory of Ladakh. Thousands of Ladakhi Shia men and women, dressed in black and chanting Labaik Ya Khaminaie (“We are always there for your help Khamenei”), participated in a massive procession at Hussaini Park in Kargil, to mourn Raisi.[1]

Ladakh comprises the Buddhist-majority Leh district and the Muslim-majority Kargil district. Kargil is home to 125,000, of whom 48% are Shia.[2] They follow Twelver Shi’ism[3], also known as the Imāmiyya sect, the largest branch of Shia Islam.[4]

Shia Islam reached Kargil in the 15th century through a combination of invasions, missionary activities, and trade interactions. In the early 16^th century, Mir Shams-ud-Din Araqi, a Shia scholar from Iran, visited Gilgit-Baltistan and Kargil with his missionaries to spread his faith. Subsequently, local rulers and chieftains in Kargil and the surrounding areas began to support Shia scholars and institutions, facilitating the establishment and growth of Islam in the region.[5]

The Iranian Revolution of 1979 had a profound impact on Shia Islam. It established the doctrine of Vilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist) as the basis of governance in Iran. This doctrine of Vilayat was developed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and assigned authority to a senior Shia cleric over political and religious matters in the absence of the 12th Imam.[6] This was a significant shift from the traditional Shia view that clergy should stay away from direct political involvement; it elevated the clergy’s status.

The revolution strengthened Shia identity, giving pride and empowerment to Shia Muslims worldwide and shaping perceptions and the role of clerical authority. Khomeini, as the first Supreme Leader, became a central figure not only in Iranian politics but also in the global Shia community. This status is enjoyed by his successor. Even today, the portraits of Khomeini and Ali Khamenei, the current supreme leader of Iran, are displayed in Shia mosques and other community places in India. The importance of Iran’s Supreme Leader significantly influences Iran’s bilateral relations with countries that have sizeable Shia populations.

Local clerics from these countries often receive their religious training and funding from Iranian seminaries, located in Qom, Isfahan, Tehran and other parts of the country, reflecting Iran’s substantial investment in shaping Shia religious and political landscapes abroad.[7] Often, they become key figures in their home countries, promoting Iranian theological perspectives and political interests. Consequently, major global events involving Iran resonate strongly within these communities.

Unlike other regions in India like Lucknow and Hyderabad where Shia communities are more dispersed, Kargil presents a concentrated and coherent Shia community that can be more easily engaged with and influenced. The cultural and religious practices of the Shia community in Kargil align closely with those in Iran, through religious scholars, pilgrimage routes, and cultural exchanges

An example of the Iranian influence is the reaction to the killing of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force, a unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). After Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike on January 3, 2020, thousands gathered on the streets of Kargil to protest against the U.S., raising slogans such as “Down with America,” “Down with Israel,” and “Solidarity with General Qassem Soleimani.”[8]

Religious organisations such as Jamiat-ul-Ulama Isna Asharia, Kargil-Ladakh (JUIAK), and Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust (IKMT), registered in India, mobilise Ladakhis. IKMT, which organised the procession following Raisi’s demise, actively engages in political activities, including organising anti-Israel and anti-U.S. protests and the annual celebration on the anniversary of the Iranian revolution in Kargil.[9]

In April 2024, Acuber Books International, a publisher based in Uttar Pradesh, released a Class 6 textbook listing Khomeini among the “most evil people of the world.” In response, IKMT urged the Central Government to pursue legal action against the publisher. Subsequently, the publishers issued an apology for the “unintended error” and committed to withdrawing the book from circulation.[10]

Since March 2024, Ladakh has witnessed significant protests to advocate for the implementation of the Sixth Schedule, which will enable the establishment of autonomous district councils vested with legislative and executive powers. In these protests, Buddhist and Muslim populations of Ladakh joined hands as the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), a grouping of political, religious and social organisations in Kargil supported the hunger strike by environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk.

Amidst this political upheaval, Shia leader and independent candidate for 2024 general elections Hanifa Jan emerged victorious in the Ladakh constituency with a vote share of 48.15 %, triumphing over both the ruling BJP and the primary opposition, Congress. Jan’s electoral success underscores the political importance of the Shia community of Ladakh, which now has a direct voice in the Indian parliament.

Aditya Shinde is Research Assistant, Gateway House.

This article was exclusively written for Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations. You can read more exclusive content here.

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References

[1] ‘Procession taken out to mourn martyrdom of Ayatullah Raisi,’ Daily Excelsior, May 24, 2024, https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/procession-taken-out-to-mourn-martyrdom-of-ayatullah-raisi/ ‘Kargil : Zainabiya pay tribute the Martyrs of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi & his Companions.,’ Ladakh Express, YouTube, May 23, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymFWyjnJ1Ww

[2] Rest of Kargil’s population include 29% Sunni, 14% Buddhist and 7% Hindu. https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/11376

[3] The term Twelver refers to its belief in a succession of 12 divine leaders, known as the 12 Imams, who are considered as the rightful successors to the Prophet Muhammad. The 12th Imam Mahdi is considered the prophesied redeemer who will appear before the Day of Judgment to restore justice and equity in the world. But in his absence, for centuries, Twelver Shi’ites followed the learned scholar known as Marja’ al-taqlid (sources of emulation), who provided rulings and guidance on legal and theological issues.

[4] ‘Demography,’ Kargil-Ladakh, Government of India, https://kargil.nic.in/demography/

[5] Gupta, R. (2022). Islam in the Trans-Himalayan ecumene. In J. J. P. Wouters & M. T. Heneise (Eds.), Routledge handbook of Highland Asia (pp. 129-138). London: Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780429345746-11

[6] Mavani, Hamid. “Ayatullah Khomeini’s Concept of Governance (Wilayat al-Faqih) and the Classical Shi’i Doctrine of Imamate.” Middle Eastern Studies 47, no. 5 (2011): 807–24. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23054264.

[7] Gupta, Radhika. “Experiments with Khomeini’s Revolution in Kargil: Contemporary Shi‘a Networks between India and West Asia.” Modern Asian Studies 48, no. 2 (2014): 370–98. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0026749X13000759.

[8] ‘Kashmir: Shia groups in Kargil, Valley protest Iran commander’s killing in US strike,’ Indian Express, January 5, 2020, https://indianexpress.com/article/india/shia-groups-in-kargil-valley-protest-iran-commanders-killing-in-us-strike-6200012/

[9] ‘IKMT Kargil Marks 45th Anniversary of Islamic Revolution with Massive Rally and Calls for Action on Global and National Issues,’ Voice of Ladakh, February 12, 2024, https://www.voiceofladakh.in/2024/02/ikmt-kargil-marks-45th-anniversary-of-islamic-revolution-with-massive-rally-and-calls-for-action-on-global-and-national-issues/#:~:text=Kargil%2C%20Feb.,a%20congregation%20at%20Hussaini%20Park.

[10] ‘“Will not accept apology, initiate legal action”: IKMT responds to derogatory remarks against Ayatollah Khomeini,’ Voice of Ladakh, April 27, 2024, https://www.voiceofladakh.in/2024/04/will-not-accept-apology-initiate-legal-action-ikmt-responds-to-derogatory-remarks-against-ayatollah-khomeini/