Muhammad Subhan Hajam: Kashmir’s Forgotten Hero
Kashmir’s history has always been layered with beauty and struggle. Among its lesser-known tales is the grim story of prostitution, which existed in the Valley from ancient times. Even historian Kalhana condemned certain kings for their indulgence in courtesans. Sultan Sikander once tried to ban this practice, but centuries later, the Afghan rulers turned it into a business—exporting Kashmiri women and men as slaves to Kabul. Under Afghan Governor Amir Khan Jawan Sher, prostitution became institutionalized, and all involved were registered.
When the Dogra Maharajas took over in 1846, the Valley became a cash cow. Almost everything was taxed, including human flesh. Young Muslim girls, initially trained as dancers, were coerced into prostitution to fill state coffers. Known as Hafizas, they had to pay hefty registration fees and surrender a significant portion of their earnings. The middlemen, called Kanjars, supplied girls to red-light districts both inside and outside Kashmir, from Srinagar’s Maisuma, Gawakadal, and Tashwan to cities like Lahore, Delhi, and Lucknow.
The social cost was immense. Venereal diseases ran rampant; a Church Mission Society survey recorded nearly 13,000 cases in just two years. Despite this, the trade was supported and protected by the Maharaja’s administration, formalized through the Public Prostitutes Rules of 1921.
It was in this harsh environment that Muhammad Subhan Hajam emerged—a simple man with a small hair salon near Lal Chowk, Srinagar, yet armed with extraordinary courage. He refused to accept society’s decay. Through his poetry, known as Hidayat-Nama, he denounced prostitution and exposed the pimps and brothel owners. His verses warned of the damage to marriages, families, and society at large.
Hajam did not stop at words. He mobilized people, meeting religious leaders, civil officials, and common citizens to rally support. He led protests in the heart of red-light areas, chanting his poems, and shaming the pimps. Predictably, he faced threats, attacks, and false cases orchestrated by influential figures like Khazir Gaan, yet he stood firm. Courts eventually exonerated him, and public opinion turned in his favor.
In 1934, with the backing of leaders like Molvi Mohammad Abdullah Vakil, Hajam’s fight bore fruit. The Maharaja passed the Suppression of Immoral Trafficking Act, banning the sale and purchase of women and closing red-light areas in Srinagar and Jammu. Police officers were deputed to repatriate Kashmiri girls from cities across India and Pakistan, giving them new lives in weaving, silk factories, and other respectable work.
Today, Kashmir’s streets are free of red-light districts, a testament to the relentless courage of Muhammad Subhan Hajam—a man who, with a humble salon, poems, and unwavering moral conviction, transformed society.
Sources:
- Dr. Shazia Malik, The History of Prostitution in Kashmir
- Sir Walter R. Lawrence, Valley of Kashmir
- Omar Khan, Kabul to Kashmir
- Articles from Greater Kashmir, Daily Aftab, and Prof. Fida Hasnain