The home and the world

Once again after a lull period, Kashmir ,once homeland to all Kashmiris and erstwhile paradise is in the news ,for the fresh surge and revival of terror,macabre serial targeted brutal killing of innocent minorities ,creating a threat to the lives of Hindus living there and forcing them to flee,a grisly revisiting of 1990 ,the rancourness for minorities living there is back and seems we are wading into the mayhem of exodus two.

This spate of terror killings,profanous desecration of temples ,people fleeing away , clambering and scrambling frantically to any vehicle they get hold of to reach Jammu brings back nightmarish,ghoulish marrow chilling memories of 19th Jan 90.

 It's not humble bragging,but a truth that Kashmiri pandits have been a peaceble,erudite  community,genetically programmed and inclined to evade conflicts,aggresion and violence. There have been caustic and sardonic comment's" you should have stayed back and fought for your identity and homeland,why so much brohaha? " It's not cowardice or timidity but our inherent and ingrained salt of earth kind of nature,we always disdained crime,violence and upheld our moral and ethical values, preventing us from resorting to guns . I can vouch ,there will not be a single incident of our community person involved in swindling,maraudering,delinquency,vigilante,Let alone killing people. So exodus in 90 was to save our honour,lives and dignity,and we strongly believe that survival is the best revenge rather than reprisal . Our success,accomplishments,survival against all inclement and unforgiving conditions is the best retaliation. We have more than 30 years of experience of lives in exile under our belts, that is testimony to our mettle,intrepidity and resilience.We braved through the harsh ,hot summers( which took years to acclimatize to),smothering  sweltering monsoons in make-shift tents with perils of snakes and scorpions, not to mention the stony glares and loathsome looks of people who took us as intruders. All this didn't make us bitter ,we endured it all with a stoic and stolid face. We underwent astronomical physical and mental agony,to older people it cost them their health and sanity. Who wouldn't lose sanity seeing their colossal,opulent houses in kashmir  smouldering to heaps of rubble and living in tents and temporary settlements in an arid and hot place. Despite all this,we didn't spew venom,or detour to violent means.Education was our biggest asset,Ma Saraswati's blessings bestowed upon all and sundry heped us to come out unscathed  of this upheaval.

   As times passed,and government's efforts to rehabilitate Hindus in Kashmir continued ,we were tossed a bone in form of government jobs in valley,infact guinea pigs for  the experimentation,and people toed the line without giving a hoot to their security arrangement. The rope that seemed to pull us out from flood became a noose around our necks and the leash getting tighter, the Phantom hope of returning back permanently chipped away with the recent turn of events. This is a canary in the gold mine, undoubtedly ,the sick warped and murderous mindset of the terrorists will bring back the blood clots in our moon,they will ensure that minorities are driven out and tip toed away.

We are too exasperated,languid and rankled to face anther exodus and relive the terror and horror of this unimaginable brutality. Let us not squander away our lives chasing a piece of land ,which hands down is close to our heart and soul. We have been globally accepted and accorded thousand welcomes, we were uprooted and we replanted ourselves  .Let us be like

the Banyan tree ,symbolic of immortality and longevity, spreading our branches and boughs far and wide,sinking into the new welcoming soil and taking fresh roots, the resulting branches more strong and under the shady capacious canopy nurture our progeny.

We have a rich cultural heritage,tradition ,legacy to be proud of. We must strive to preserve and glorify that,even if it's outside our land of ancestors.  So what if the lush meadows, eye some green pastures, towering shady chinars, willow trees doting the vistas are amiss, so what if the sun kissed blossoming blooms of spring seem chasing a pie in the sky, the snow swathed landscape of winters only pinned in the walls of memory and the rustling of  leaves of the fall in autumn a distant nostalgia.

Let s endeavour to remain connected , be it in any  nook and cranny of the globe, glorify our culture,preserve the aura of our festivals,promote our language  ,build and venerate the replicas of our pious and sacred shrines. Our gourmet has always been an impulsive and coveted attribute. Kashmiris are arguably connoisseurs of  sumptuous cuisines, lets mantain and enhance that. Let the punch of saffron kehwa fill our homes with  the nostagic aroma for  ever 

We have to be stronger than our misfortunes ,and thrive amidst all adversities  ,politics is amazing as well as apalling , we should not cling to the false hopes and promises made by politicians, not get lured by paltry economic assistance or  jobs in the trouble torn valley,never fall to any bait. Sink in the fact that we are a small fry as far as vote bank is considered ,so our welfare doesn't matter to any govt which so ever comes in power. But in no way shall our name be air brushed from history....