Kashmir- The Paradise on Earth.

Kashmir- Paradise which turned Hell.

“Khuda se mannat he meri,… Lotta do Jannath he teri….:- a song on the Beautiful or once Beautiful Kashmir…” As I boarded the bus back home, it hit me from the speakers. I squeezed myself in and after a lot of pushes and pulls, managed to get myself a side seat. The lyrics still ringing in my ears, I caught glimpse of the busy traffic passing by. The music was so melodious but the lyrics were disturbing now, but why now? I am not sure.  The words felt so real. It was a painful appeal to God to bring back the old Kashmir…

The Kashmir, I remember from my school lessons was always described ‘The Paradise On Earth’. But can we still describe her with the same words? Paradise is a place where all people will unanimously be so eager, happy and excited to go. What would be your reaction now if you were offered a trip to Kashmir.. Fear..Doubt.. Anxiety.. Or would it be a strict NO..?.

If so have we ever imagined the emotional trauma, the Kashmiri people are undergoing. What would be their daily life like, the women and the children with no or very little hope or dreams, with so much a foggy future before them, let alone the physical and mental atrocities done to them in the name of religion, sex or what not. Where each day is a new fear of the uncertainties, beyond, fear of life and death, where is the question for a dream or aspiration.

In this century we claim to be at the epitome in all fields, let it be education, science, arts, literary, sports whatever.. But still are we able to do anything to stop all these nonsense. Yes, it’s not a national issue but involves other countries also. In that aspect, it makes me wonder where have all the moral values like humanity, consideration, sympathy, concern, righteousness, honesty and integrity gone. Is the world deteriorating in human values? Can’t we just believe in the policy of ‘Live and Let Live’ to stop all these. Why couldn’t all the high bred democrats come together and decide to follow this policy and stop the constant war. Why are we still fighting like the dogs and cats? They fight for a very basic necessity –Food which is very noble. Or is it for food that we are also fighting?

If then the blame would go to the economy. It was so much easier in the beginning of civilisation where people just exchanged whatever they had and lived a content life .Now we have all the complicated formulae and jargon associated with economy, the dollar, the share market, the rupee, its ups and downs, the exports, imports and what not and people’s food (or cost of food) somehow dependent on them.

As far as my understanding, the initial rift for Kashmir the most beautiful place on earth was because of the economic value it promised to the nation. And with the fight over it, all these years what have we made of the same paradise- a battlefield! tearing the lives of its people in the name of religion. Where is religion here? There is only a big conspiracy to destroy the economic value of a priceless land in the name of war. Who is to be blamed....?

-          Author -Anjana Jayasankar