Recently I visited Kashmir Valley and got the opportunity to spend
time and interact with Kashmiris staying in a remote village called
Larnoo as well as few days in Srinagar city. It gave me a good insight
into the Kashmir imbroglio and challenges that we as Indians have in
front of us as a Nation which has its roots in plurality, diversity,
democracy and mutual acceptance. My previous visit to Kashmir valley was
in 2010, when the Separatist movement was at its peak with large scale
violence, stone pelting, and firing happening almost every day in
different parts of the Valley. This time there was relative peace all
over, though few days ago, 8 Army men were killed in an ambush by
terrorists near Srinagar.
One of the main purpose of the visit was to attend my friend
Sandeep Bhat’s wedding in Anantnag. It was a great occasion meeting my
friend after so many years. Sandeep Bhats family like hundreds of other
Kashmiri Hindu families were forced to leave Kashmir Valley in
1989-1990, when separatists selectively targeted Kashmiri Hindus and
created an atmosphere in which they had no option other than to leave
the valley. But still there are few Hindu families in Kashmir Valley
who did not leave during that time. And Sandeeps wedding happening in
Kashmir is a welcome sign and an indication that there is a strong urge
in hundreds of Kashmiri Hindu families who are right now settled in
Jammu and Delhi to return back to their homes in Kashmir Valley. I was
glad to attend the wedding and meet all his family members.
At around 5:30 in the evening,
Mohammed Faizal, a School teacher, came to receive me in Anantnag. We
both boarded a Sumo (the most used vehicle for public transport in
Kashmir Valley) to Larnoo. Larnoo is a small village which is a one and
half hour drive from Anantnag. The journey was very scenic and soothing
with mountains, valleys, rivers, and streams on the way. I then started
thinking about the turbulence that Kashmir has been going through the
past few decades. But I felt that all these beautiful mountains and
rivers were in peace with itself, unaffected by any external disturbance
created by human interference. We reached Larnoo at around 7:30 and
from there we had to go further up in the mountains to reach Lessoo. We
reached the residence of Faizal at around 8 in the night. After having
some refreshing Kashmiri tea (majority of Kashmiris drink salty tea)
and snacks, I sat informally with all the family members of Faizal.
There were 14 members who were staying in the house and were very glad
to have me as their guest and every one of them made sure that I was
feeling comfortable. After an hour or so we had our dinner. Like
majority of south India and states such as Orissa, Bengal, and Assam,
rice is the staple food in Kashmir. Chicken, Mutton, Paneer, Rajma are
the major constituents of Kashmiri Cuisine. After dinner I spent some
time with Faizal and discussed about the present situation in Kashmir
and went to bed since we both were tired after the journey.
After having out tea and Kashmiri rotis (made of corn) the next
morning, we went up to explore the mountains and valleys. It was an
amazing feeling to walk through the valleys, and Faizal told me that at
the peak of militancy all those places used to be the hideouts of
terrorists. The terrorists moved freely in those areas as was a sign of
bravery to be a militant. Faizal said his own uncle
had gone to Pakistan and received training in a Terrorist training
camp during the 90s. While talking to Faizal, I felt a strong feeling
of alienation exists amongst Kashmiri Muslims, they are really fed up of
Militancy. Pro-Pakistan and Separatist rhetoric have reached to a
critical point where they feel that their future lies with India. Even
the villagers say that in all these 23 years we have lost everything as
part of these agitations for Azaadi and we have gained nothing. One
generation has gone without proper education because of which now we are
suffering. They feel left behind when they go to places such as Jammu
and Delhi. Many villagers also said that when their children go to
other cities in India they are viewed with suspicion. School teachers
feel they don’t even have access to information about the options that
they have for higher education. While talking to them, it became clear
to me that because of the misinformation campaign and lack of exposure
to other cultures, there are a lot of stereotypes and bias against India
and Hindus. Before I stayed and ate with them, they felt that as a
Hindu it was not possible for me to do these things.
When we reached the top of the mountain, we had our tea which we had
carried in a flask. There was no need to carry water bottles since there
were several streams flowing through the mountain. Faizal told me that
the name Anantnag has its origin from ’spring’. “Nag” in Kashmiri means
’spring’ and so Anantnag is “Endless Springs”. After spending some time
in the mountains during the day in the evening we went to the banks of
the river Brangi. It was serene, calm and peaceful. Faizals friend
Zahoor also joined us and while walking we met 8-10 villagers who
invited us for tea when they realized that I am Faizals guest. Kashmiri
is the local language and not everyone speaks Hindi. Kashmiri is
written in Arabic script, though I was told that there is an effort
going on to re-embrace the original Kashmiri script. I also realized
that many Kashmiri Muslims are also proud of their Hindu ancestry and
personalities such as King Lalitaditya and Avantiverman, who ruled
Kashmir, and historians such as Kalhana the author of “Rajatarangini”
written in the 12th Century which gives a historical chronicle of
Kashmir. Though I could see strong strains of Islamic fundamentalism in
the youth, a sense of openness and eagerness for more exposure also
existed. For instance, Faizal did not have any problem in me doing
Surya Namaskar and Yogasan beside him while he did Namaaz;he also learnt
few aasanas and pranayam from me later. In the villages, I found
majority of women wearing traditional Kashmiri dress without burqa. We
returned home in the night, after having dinner and an hour long
chit-chat with other members of the family, and I went to bed.
The next morning Faisal and I visited Martand, a place near Anantnag
where an ancient sun temple is situated. We reached Anantnag town at
around 10 in the morning and took a bus to Mattan (the ancient name is
Martand) and reached the Martand temple at around 11. The ancient Sun
temple of Martand was built by King Lalitaditya in 500 AD. This temple
was destroyed by the Islamic invader Sikander Butshikan and it is said
that it took one whole year for him to destroy this temple completely.
There is also a Gurudwara adjacent to the mandir and it is believed
that Guru Nanak Dev had visited that site when he was returning from
Tibet. Since that particular day was the birthday of Guru Hargobind, 6th
Guru of Sikhs, there was a procession where hundreds of Sikhs were
present. There is a spring nearby where water flows continuously to the
pond in front of the Mandir, in the middle of which is a Shiv ling.
After having darshan and spending some time in Mattan, we went to
Nagdandi, another small town near Anantnag where there is an Ashram run
by Vivekananda Kendra. I had visited this Ashram three years ago and I
wanted to meet the Swamiji over there as he is not keeping well health
wise. After meeting Swamiji, we had our lunch over there and spent some
time in the Ashram. Several Kashmiri Hindu families have very strong
ties with this Ashram, and during festivals and special occasions,
hundreds of people come and stay over here. Swamiji of this Ashram has
also developed good relationships with all the Muslim families of the
Village. During my previous visit it was Nag Panchami day and there was
Hawan, Pooja which was also attended by hundreds of Muslims of the
locality. In this Ashram, there is a small temple dedicated to
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa at the foot of wooded hills and Samadhi of Swami
Ashokananda (A Yogi who lived in this area 40 years ago) is also
within the precincts of the Ashram.
We returned to Larnoo by 4 in the evening that day, and rest of the
day I tried to capture the beauty of the village, mountains, and rivers
in my camera. Also while talking to local Kashmiri youth and elders
about the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus, it became clear to me that they
sincerely believe the Separatist propaganda that the then Governor
Jagmohan who asked Kashmiri Hindus to stay away from the Kashmir Valley,
so that he can wipe out Kashmiri Muslims without any difficulty. We all
now know that there was no element of truth in that statement. But when
I asked them whether they would like to see Kashmiri Hindus back in
Kashmir, they all replied in affirmative.
The next day morning I started for Srinagar from Larnoo and reached
Srinagar at around 2 in the afternoon. Shri B.L. Khan and his son
Zaheer had come to receive me at Lal Chowk. Lal Chowk is the place
where separatists hold their anti-India and pro-Pakistan rally every
year when they try to show their strength hoisting Pakistani flag and
burning Indian tri color. This is the same place where Murali Manohar
Joshi of BJP had hoisted the tricolor in 1992. We reached B.L. Khan’s
home at around 3. B.L. Khan is a well known and influential person in
Srinagar, who was working previously in Civil Secretariat and was also
actively involved in Trade Union. A staunch nationalist, B.L. Khan has
always been a strong proponent of complete integration of Jammu and
Kashmir with India. It was a great experience listening to B.L. Khan
who is born and brought up in Srinagar and has witnessed all the major
events in Kashmir firsthand . Khan explained to me how vested interests,
including international forces, are working in Kashmir, and want to
keep this issue alive for their own benefits. He further added that all
the main stream political parties in Kashmir like National Conference,
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Congress are working as
semi-separatists trying their best to keep Kashmir burning and doing
nothing towards integration of Kashmir with the rest of India. Khan
also talked about his past background when he used to work for the
Communist Party and the reason for which he left Communism. He told me
that in the early 90s a meeting was convened by the Communist Party,
presided by Comrade Surjeet, which primarily focused on Kashmiri
Muslims. In that meeting, Surjeet asked all Kashmiri Muslims to join
hands with Militants and reiterated that the Communist Party stands for
Self Determination of Jammu and Kashmir. Hearing this B.L. Khan got
agitated and walked out from the meeting. After that incident, I came to
know about the true colors of Communists, Khan added. That day I took
some rest as I had sprained my leg the previous day. I also spent some
time talking with Zaheer, who has just completed his Bachelor’s Degree
in Commerce from Kashmir University. Zaheer shared his experience in the
University where classes getting suspended is a usual norm because of
the whole unrest and how education of thousands of Kashmiris is getting
affected. University students are also lost because of lack of exposure
and employment as there are hardly any companies in Kashmir Valley who
can offer jobs to graduates. Because of all these factors, there is
high level of frustration amongst youth. After having lengthy
discussions on this topic with Zaheer, I went to bed that day night as
my leg was still paining because of the sprain.
After breakfast the next morning, Zaheer and I went to Karan Nagar
in Srinagar where Ramkrishna Mission Ashram is located. I had emailed
Swami ji who is in charge of the Ashram, and had requested for his
time. Swamiji was very happy to receive us, and when I introduced myself
and Zaheer, he was pleasantly surprised and puzzled on how come a Sangh
Pracharak has come along with a Muslim youth, that too in Kashmir
Valley. Swami ji is native of Kerala, and is stationed in Srinagar
center since last 5 years. He explained about the Dispensary and
Coaching classes run by the Mission for the local people there. I also
updated Swamiji about our Sangh activity, which is happening all over
the country including Jammu and Kashmir. After having tea and spending
some time with Swamiji, we returned back home. On our way back Zaheer
took me to Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area in Srinagar, where Mirwaiz Umar
Farooq , Leader of Hurriyat Conference (M) gives his sermons every week
after Friday prayers.
In the afternoon B. L. Khan, Zaheer and I went to have darshan at
Mata Kheer Bhavani temple in Tula Mula, 25 kms north of Srinagar in
Ganderbal District. Kheer Bhavani Mandir is a very important holy site
for Kashmiri Hindus. It is called as Ksheer (which means milk) or Kheer
Bhawani because thousands of devotees who come there offer milk and
kheer (rice pudding) to the sacred spring on which the deity is
worshipped. The legend associated with the temple goes that Lord Rama
worshipped Ragnya Devi during his exile. After the exile period, Rama
asked Hanuman to shift the seat of goddess . The seat of the goddess was
brought by Hanuman first to Shadipora and later to the site where the
temple is situated today. It is believed that it was the wish of mother
Ragnya that her seat be placed in Kheer Bhavani Mandir in Kashmir.
Another interesting thing I came to know was it is said that color of
the spring goes on changing and if it becomes black, it is an indication
of inauspicious time for Kashmir.
After having darshan at Kheer Bhavani, , we also visited Hazratbal
shrine in Srinagar city which is the holiest Muslim shrine in Kashmir.
It contains a relic which is believed by Muslims in Kashmir as hair of
Mohammed, founder of Islam. This is the same masjid where terrorists
were hiding in 1993, making it as their base. The Army cordoned off the
whole area, but unfortunately all the terrorists who were hiding inside
were given free passage by Congress Party led Central Government at
that time. In the evening while having our tea, I asked B.L. Khan about
the alleged Human Rights violations and excesses in Kashmir by Indian
Armed forces. His replied back saying that such cases happen very
rarely, but it is reported out of proportion and is used as a propaganda
material by Separatists. He also added that when terrorists in civilian
dress attack armed forces, public property, and plant bombs, strong
action is required by the Army so that the situation is under control.
That evening Zaheer and I went on his motor bike to enjoy the beauty of
Srinagar City and Dal lake in the night. Shankaracharya mandir was
standing majestically on the top of the hill, as if it was conveying a
message of cultural unity of whole of India from Kerala to Kashmir,
which is challenged by the terrorist and separatist forces. After
enjoying the night ride we returned back home by 10.
The next morning we went to Dal lake to meet Sangh Karyakartas from
Punjab who had come to Kashmir for sightseeing. After spending some time
with them, we met Jayesh Kapoor, who owns a Cloth store in Srinagar.
Jayesh is Swayamsevak from Punjab and was really glad to see us. In the
afternoon I spent time with B.L. Khan. Spending time with Khan was
indeed an enriching experience for me as many of my questions and doubts
about Kashmir got cleared, and I also got a nationalist perspective of
things happening in Kashmir. After bidding good bye to Khan, I went to
Rajesh Kouls home. Rajesh, a Kashmiri Hindu from Shopian, is working in
Civil Secretariat in Srinagar. Rajesh’s family had to move out of
Kashmir Valley in the early 90s during the rise of Militancy and they
are settled in Jammu now. Rajesh narrated his experiences in Kashmir on
his perspective on how the Kashmir issue can be addressed. One incident
he mentioned, was last year as he was returning from Anantnag to
Kashmir along with his wife and daughter. There was a shutdown call that
day by Separatists and on the way, his car was stopped by a mob. As
they forced him to say slogans such as ” Naree Taqbir- Allaho Akbar” and
” hum kya chahte hain, azaadi” the tension was building up.His wife
and daughter asked him to say the slogan, but he refused. But somehow he
was allowed to go, though his windows got damaged as they threw stones
at the car.
The next day morning was my flight from Srinagar. The previous day
night, I was contemplating on my experience that I had in Kashmir, and I
felt that one possible solution to this problem is people through
people interaction and relationship. If Kashmiris get more and more
exposure with the rest of India, like having education in other cities
and meeting people of different backgrounds, this can widen their
horizons and remove the negative notions and biases that they have about
the rest of India and Indians. At the same time, people of rest of
India also have a big role to play such as finding ways to build
relationships with families in Kashmir and spending time interacting
and living together, instead of just visiting as tourists.
Unfortunately mainstream political parties are not doing this and in
addition to that they are adding fuel to the fire. Similarly our Armed
forces have a role to play, and they are doing an exemplary job by
maintaining peace and countering terrorism in the Valley. But this
person-to-person interaction, I feel, can address the issue of
separatism, alienation as well as strengthen the nationalist forces in
the Kashmir valley which will help in the complete integration of whole
of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India.
Here I remember the quote of Ronald Reagan ”I’ve always believed
that a lot of troubles in the world would disappear if we were talking
to each other instead of about each other .” Many NGOs like Sewa
Bharati, Ekal Viyalaya, Ramkrishna Mission, Vivekananda Kendra are doing
an excellent work in Jammu and Kashmir by carrying out service
activities and running schools serving the people of the State and it
became very clear from my experience that Majority of people in Majority
areas of Jammu and Kashmir are strongly with India, and the question is
about that part of Jammu and Kashmir which is under the illegal
occupation of Pakistan ( Gilgit, Baltistan, Muzzafarabad) and China (
Aksai Chin ). Also it is a fact that the whole of Jammu and Kashmir
became an integral part of India, when Raja Hari Singh signed the
instrument of accession on October 26th, 1947 and India as a nation has
the strength to defeat the nefarious designs of Pakistan and Separatist
forces.
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