Suffering Kashmir: Present Tense...Future Imperfect
By Kashoo Tawseef
13 November, 2007
Countercurrents.org“If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace,” said Thomas Paine (1737-1809).
They were all there, sitting and enjoying their food. There was a subtle breeze outside their little home. The snow was about to embrace the landscape. The water had not frozen yet. It was peaceful. Yet, the family was finding it hard to gallop the tasty food. They knew that living in this Valley of the gods meant death from the atrocities. But they were not willing to leave, since this was their homeland. How can anybody leave their homeland? They were not expecting somebody to come in, but they knew that their lives were short. This is the everyday thought process that every Kashmiri is going through. It doesn't mean that one type of Kashmiri has it better than the other. All areas within the region are affected by these inhuman atrocities. People of the region that is known as Jammu & Kashmir have been butchered and massacred by forces from all directions. Yes, this land is the Valley of Gods, yet this land has also now become the Land of the Crimson Red.
Sorry to say, prayers for Kashmiri children have fallen on deaf ears. The future of the younger generation hangs in balance, as education takes a back seat because of the situation. Youth, who have spent their lives being spectators of conflict, or bitterly the violence, suffer worst. Often victims of the conflict, the children have not only endured losing their parents and their home, but also their life and limb. Most children, in rural areas, spend their day doing household chores or learning the family trades.
India spends approximately Rs 10 crore (Rs 4.87 crore = US$1 million), each day, to protect just the 140 km long Line of Control (LOC), trying to curb the ceaseless problem of cross-border intimidation. The Water Wing of the Border Security Force patrols in shikaras and speedboats on the scenic 16-kilometer world famous Dal Lake. In the early nineties, at the height of the conflict, the lake was used to conceal and transport arms and ammunition. Vendors in shikaras are frisked by the forces. During their patrols, only one shikara approaches the vessel in question, while the rest maintain a safe distance, in case of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion.
The poetry of the earth is never dead said John Keats, and rightly so. In spite of the conflict and bloodshed, the Valley continues to leave visitors spellbound in its beauty. Here, in Fall, Nature parades in all her finery. The Dal Lake can never fail to captivate the mind of a wanderer. The Mughal Gardens are a sight to behold. This is what the Kashmir is known as Jannat (heaven). Some areas are sealed off for tourists by the forces. People are often frisked while visiting a tourist spot.
Kashmiris have managed to survive harsh economic realties, which are a by-product of conflict. Sahanaz, a farmer's son holds a bunch of saffron flowers in his field, which lies between Pampore and Islamabad. Kesar Baug, 17 kms from Srinagar, is home to farmers who sell their product for the steep price of Rs 400 to Rs 500 per gram. Meanwhile, two fishermen testify, having witnessed the environmental deterioration of Dal Lake for over a decade.
(Author can be reached at: [email protected])
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