Kashmir: The Paradise and
the Paradox
Vipul Shaha, Pune, Maharashtra
My family had made plans to visit Kashmir on a vacation this
summer. Since I prefer charting out my own exploratory solo journeys rather
than going on organized tours, I wasn’t sure whether I would be joining them. Thanks to a chance encounter with the father
of one of my Kashmiri students at a Krishnamurti School, who very
enthusiastically invited me to visit his place that I decided to go. The pride
with which he spoke about Kashmir got me convinced to take up his
invitation. Once in Kashmir, I realized
that it isn’t just he who holds such immense pride about this region, but it
was true for every person I met here.
Everyone was equally welcoming in extending their warm hospitality. One of the first things I was impressed to
observe about the culture in Kashmir was the ease and comfort with which men
expressed their affection and brotherhood towards each other through hugs and
touch.
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Sunset, Dal Lake, Srinagar
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What was meant to be purely a fun vacation trip packed with
visits to common places of tourist attraction in Kashmir, ended up being so much more than that!
Over the course of 2 weeks that I spent in the Kashmir Valley, I got the
opportunity to not only unwind and enjoy myself with my family as a tourist,
but also to meet hundreds of local people in different towns and villages, stay
with local families in different households, visit schools and dialogue with
the young, visit and pray at various mosques, Muslim shrines, read up about
Islam, the history and current affairs about the region and many such off-beat
engagements which I had not earlier anticipated on this trip.
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Visit to a mustard farm
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My time in Kashmir left me filled with many mixed emotions,
thoughts and questions. I had discovered
a stunningly beautiful landscape and a rich culture which I was completely
ignorant towards until I actually came here.
Coming to Kashmir, one cannot escape being drawn into burning issues of
this region. I have to admit that my only little understanding about Kashmir
had come through news as reported in mainstream media—usually around militancy,
terror and political unrest. Growing up,
it was easy to look at the map of India and regard it ‘one whole nation’ and
assume it to be so with great pride. The
moment we set foot in Kashmir however, my assumptions began to be challenged
and perspectives started to shift. It
was the unsettling self-realization that reality is far more complex and
dynamic than what one sees, reads or hears from a distance.
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Visit to Mazar-e-Shuhada (Martyr's Graveyard) in old part of Srinagar. Martyrs' Day is observed in Kashmir in remembrance of the people killed on 13 July 1931 by the state forces.
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I spent time with people living together in a tight-knit
community with a spirit of kinship very proud of their unique cultural
heritage. At a Kashmiri wedding
procession I saw young women dancing on street with utmost joy even as there
were fresh incidents of riots and violence all over the Kashmir Valley that
day. A young man told me how Kashmir
region has been invaded time and again over centuries and yet their hardiness,
resiliency and humbleness have kept them going through tough times such as the
ones they find themselves currently caught up in. Across the Valley, a deep sense of fear,
distrust, sadness, frustration, helplessness and even anger towards the way in
which successive governments and political leadership have let down the people
of Kashmir was very much palpable. Many
individuals I met had poignant stories of loss of loved ones to militancy /
army related conflicts. The youth here
were particularly restless and yearning for better opportunities and a
different socio-economic-political narrative in their lives—many openly
demanding separate nationhood --‘Azadi’ or ‘Free Kashmir’ while many asking for
greater political autonomy. One could
see wall-graffiti with many such slogans painted in various towns across
Kashmir Valley (more provocative and offensive graffiti expressions were also
noticeable in some places). Somehow,
despite the best of intentions perhaps, it seemed that India has not succeeded
in making the people of Kashmir feel truly integrated and belong to the larger idea
of Indian nation. Heavy and often intrusive
military presence and divisive politics here is being resented by most people
of Kashmir who are finding themselves rather oppressed than being heard. Public
protests have been violently crushed with the enforcement of long periods of
curfew in recent past—severely affecting day-to-day lives of ordinary
people. Schools and Colleges were shut
for several months during 2016 when the curfew was administered. It was a new discovery to me that Jammu
& Kashmir State has its own state flag along with the flag of India, the
state has its own constitution and had a prime minister of its own until the
year 1965. I read up about the Article
370 of the Indian constitution which grants special status and a degree of autonomy
to this region and how over decades it has played out leaving the people in the
Valley feeling betrayed.
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| Organic kitchen garden at my host's place |
On the other hand however, there was much appreciation,
warmth and admiration for the common people of India—Bollywood, cricket, trade
and business, tourism and higher studies related travel to different parts of
India has played a big role in keeping the ties intact I believe. Despite the conflict related wounds and
disappointments about their unfulfilled potential, I experienced that most the
people I met in the Kashmir Valley have largely retained their innate goodness
and have not yet developed bitterness towards the ordinary people of India or
among each other. Some attributed this
to the lingering influence of Sufi/spiritual tradition in the Valley and call
it the ‘land of rishis’. We visited some
of the very old Hindu temples and a Gurudwara, which were still highly well
regarded. Many spoke of how different religious communities have harmoniously
co-existed in the region until recent decades when the winds of communalism
started to blow over this land.
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| Shepherds near a Kashmiri village |
Blessed with awe-inspiring Himalayan mountains and
incredible natural beauty, forests, water resources, fruit trees and fertile
lands, the people here have traditionally been largely content and
self-reliant. Most households still continue
to have their own organic kitchen gardens and fruit trees (a big savior during
the times of curfew they said!) Horticulture and tourism have been considered
the backbones of the economy, although tourism has greatly suffered over past
couple of decades due to continuing unrest in the Valley. Traveling through Kashmir one gets the sense
that the region has not been able to fully reap the benefits of economic
liberalization and globalization to the extent the rest of the country has been
able to do so. Many places give one the
feeling as if they have been‘frozen in time’. From a mountaintop the lake city of Srinagar
offers a beautiful panoramic view of horizontally spread-out human habitation—buildings
with traditional architecture not going above 2 or 3 stories—as if it were one
large village. I was told that movie theaters
in all major towns had to be shut down due to the rise of insurgency and security
threats. I did not come across any big shopping malls either. By coming to
Kashmir, I was happy to have escaped the modern urban sprawl, the noise,
traffic and pollution and yet I wondered if the young Kashmiris watching the
story of growth and modernization taking place in the rest of India may be
feeling left out? Due to the paucity of
private sector jobs and corporate opportunities, young college graduates seek
security in opting for government sector even as many of them may personally
find themselves in conflict with the government establishment in Kashmir. Some expressed the desire to move someplace
else in an attempt to escape the political uncertainty and turmoil that
threatens their growth and potential here.
Newly released videos about military atrocities as well as
civilian rebellion against military had started to spread like wildfire while I
was traveling in Kashmir—forcing the government to block internet for longer
periods of time. Walking through old
parts of Srinagar one of the afternoons, we happened to witness heavy
stone-pelting and a tense clash between army and the local youth. We quickly rushed into a local shop trying to
seek shelter. The kind gentleman in the
shop tried to soothe the shock and anxiety which we were experiencing—“Please
don’t worry. They won’t harm a
tourist. These are common happenings
here. We are sick and tired of it. Let’s talk about something else. How I can
serve you?”
It became evident from spending time in Kashmir that mere
systemic/administrative/legal/political changes, fear inducing strategies,
forceful occupation or suppression (as many have come to feel about it) and not
even any allure of ‘development and progress’ can truly win the hearts of the
people who seem to have lost their faith in the government here. Only 7% voter turnout in a recently held Lok
Sabha seat by-poll election which later dropped to mere 2% re-polling was
telling of this fact.
If I had the opportunity, it would have been interesting to hear the
perspectives of military and state officials on these issues. Few of the army jawans that we got to talk to
definitely seemed to live under a lot of fear and stress themselves. What must it be like for them I wondered—being
at the receiving end of mounting public resentment and having to stay vigilent
in tough uncertainty so far away from their own homes, with no real sense of
connection or belonging to the local culture or community where they are
stationed.
Introspection and reflection on India’s own struggle for
freedom from the British Raj may offer many lessons and confidence in India’s
ability to remain a light of peace and non-violence in the world. Ultimately, whose interest does violence and
conflict serve and how long can power and force mute the voices and
aspirations of the masses? As a human
civilization, isn’t it high time that we grow up and out of our narrow ideas of
separateness and conflicts based on religious or regional divisions? What have
we learnt from the history of wars and colonial imperialism? Connecting up with
some of the journalists, activists, former politicians, community leaders and
peace-workers in the Valley offered me hope and glimpse of a different
possibility despite the cynicism that is easy to fall prey to under such
circumstances.
At a seminar on peace held at Initiatives of Change
(Panchgani), the speaker, who had closely worked with Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. during civil rights movement in the USA, had said something very insightful
which has remained with me over these years and finds particular relevance as I
ponder over Kashmir: “Association without understanding breeds conflict”. Another quote by the commencement speaker at
Naropa University--Parker Palmer had made a particular impression on me when he
observed that “Violence is what happens when we do not know what to do with our
suffering”. Reflecting on these
thoughts, I feel that the healing of wounds in Kashmir requires more than just
knee-jerk reactions, quick-fix solutions and tightening of a forceful grip over
a region. It calls for going to the root
of the issues and being able to listen to each other and rise beyond apparent
divides. A couple of weeks of my attempts of connecting with ordinary people
here opened my heart and mind towards their daily struggles, hopes, dreams,
uniquely rich offerings and differences and most importantly our shared
humanity. It created in me a desire to
learn more and contribute towards our collective peaceful future. More such
travels and dialogue between people in different parts of India to Kashmir can
go a long way in building bridges, mutual cultural respect and empathy,
cultivate trust and goodwill between our fellow brothers and sisters—this would
be my appeal to fellow Indians who wish to truly bring to life our nation’s
motto of “Unity in Diversity”. Else, more
of the same and business as usual is likely to get this boiling pot to explode
sooner than later. During an interaction
I had with Class 8 students in a village school in Kashmir, a young girl said
something very moving: “Agar hum sub
aakhir khuda ke pass hee jaane wale hai toh aaj mera tumhara karake zagadaa
kyon kar rahe hai?” (If we all are ultimately going to God, why do we fight
today saying this is mine or that is yours?)
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| Interactive dialogue with youth at a village school |
While I may be naïve in my understanding of the complexity
of issues playing their role in Kashmir and my commentaries from the brief time
that I spent here, I do wish to draw from my experiences and belief in the
transformative power of genuine human-to-human connections. I also wish to continue to approach these
issues with humility, curiosity, openness, courage and respect—in this
interconnected world, I cannot choose to remain isolated from what is happening
within another part of my own country—if I truly regard it to be so. Moreover, being in Kashmir was a reminder for
me to not take for granted the idea of freedom and to be alert to the fact that
what may be happening in a particular region may be a reflection of a larger
tide/trend that we as a global community are a part of and may even be
unintentionally contributing towards. It
also called me to investigate the seeds of violence and conflict which may be
buried deep within my own self. I had
known philosophically that the microcosm and macrocosm are deeply intertwined.
The significance of this thought and my own role in this ‘wholeness’ have become
more pronounced than ever—thanks all the churning that was set in motion during
my brief visit to Kashmir.
1. For additional historical and political analysis of the
situation in Kashmir, please refer to this recently published article by former
cabinet minister P. Chidambaram:
2. Parker Palmer on Five Habits to Heal the Heart of
Democracy and his Commencement Speech at Naropa University:
