Heterogeneous is something that consists of many kind of things. That something be different types of entities or people. So, by the phrase “heterogeneous society” we mean such a society which consists of different kinds of people from different regions of the world, which is basically a society that is ethnically heterogeneous. Such societies include heterogeneity in terms of faith & belief system.

Kashmir is the dynamic example of such a system. Historically the first humans who inhabited this land were Brahmin hindus. The most educated and respected fraction of Hinduism. And they continued their legacy and inherited knowledge and have always been at forefront in developing the state of J&K to its present form. The immigration of Buddhists led to expansion of Buddhism as the form of belief. Then the Muslim scholars mostly from Iran visited the valley and people embraced Islam as a religion. These changes developed a mixture of beliefs, traditions and culture, which is still prevalent in the valley. Variety or variation is the law of nature. We always see ample examples of variations from humans to animals, plants and even the seasonal change which brings the joy of life. Imagine living in a particular season throughout your life. Will it satisfy us?

Heterogeneity is the base of the world, life and the universe. Every night has a day in waiting and every human is different biologically. So when we talk about heterogeneous society, we accept the rules of creator for better and it helps us to survive and excel in this world. People often talk about the threat to culture and traditions on arrival of new individuals. But is anything permanent in this world? Traditions do change so does the culture. What keeps us alive is the social bond, diversity of opinions and religious thoughts. One can still hold his/her traditions and culture intact by following it, and can even preach those traditions to others. Kashmiris have been eager learners from the beginning and what they found helpful and efficient, they adopted. The matting “Kaleen” and “Samovar” (A metallic thermos used to keep tea hot) are inherited from Iran and have been part of Kashmiri culture since then.

Learning new things is only possible if you think out of the box and meet people to understand their viewpoints. In an isolated society such things are barely possible. While as in heterogeneous society, one gets hundreds of opportunities to learn new things and add up the knowledge. Had people not travelled across the globe, we would have been living in pre-historic times. Hindus mostly known as Kashmiri Pandits(KP) have been the elite class. They were well educated and masters in art and crafts. Post independence the KPs played a vital role in bringing J&K at par with rest of the world particularly Asia. Maximum KPs played an important role in transforming the lives of people by providing them education. Name of some KP teachers still echoes in the stories of fathers and grandfathers. Thus their presence enhanced the status of valley by being eminent and visionary teachers and masters of art.

Heterogeneous societies increase the business opportunities, thus helps in generating livelihood. Different trades get flourished based on culture, religion and traditions. When the business flourishes, a society is strengthened. The business on other hand develops a relationship among traders, traders and consumers, irrespective of their religion or culture. This social bond brings in unity, trust and support which is everlasting and ensures the better future. Historical silk route had its origins through valley thus traders from across the globe used to travel through this route. This trade route flourished the indigenous trading and brought in new commodities from west. Heterogeneity brings people of different religions and regions together. They share knowledge, their beliefs and their emotions which ultimately leads to satisfaction. The merger of arts and music brings new melodies and ever-lasting artifacts. The merger of knowledge and business tactics increases the trade. The merger of hearts makes the life beautiful.

Heterogeneous societies provide the unique experience of learning different cultures. It helps in understanding the origin of traditions and cultures and accepting what suits a person from different set of available cultures. One becomes more tolerant to the people of the world. And when we interact with rest of the world it becomes easy for us to exchange our views instead of getting isolated as is the case with homogeneous society. In a heterogeneous society one has the option to choose best things, manners, tradition from vast options of societies. For example in our Country India, majority of people respect animals, birds, trees as symbol of gods and treat them well while as in Japan there are no rules to walk on road because people are so sensible that they follow what is best for all.

Fusion music and culture can thrive in a heterogeneous society more easily than a homogeneous society. The future of Kashmir will be more glorifying and productive if the immigration of people for business, studies and settlement is allowed. The willingness of Kashmiris to imbibe the best in the world is still chasing the dreams. It can only grow and prosper in a heterogenic society.