Shaukat Khan comments : In your article you emotionally narrate the wrongs done to the Kashmiri Pandits, but you conviently forget the wrongs done to the Kashmiri Muslims who despise the Indian rule. Additionally, you also forget to mention that about 400,000 - 700,000 Indian security forces are employed in the Indian-Kashmir to brutally keep Kashmiri Muslims down. Many of these Kashmiri Muslims are kidnapped, shot, and killed by Indian security apparatus. How come you ignore the pains of Kashmiri Muslims and misdeeds of Indian establishment.
I am sorry what happened to Kashmiri Pandits, but Indian policies are largely to blame. Moreover, the extremist RSS, Jihadi Mullahs and hawkish Pakistani establishment also take advantage of this bad situation in the Indian held Kashmir.
Z. Balaparia comments : Sharma religious fundamentalism is not only in Pakistan - it is equally in India too. Your tone says that all is well in India which i think is WRONG ... you are mature and grown up - Wrongs are wrong in every place and should be condemned -
Regards
L. Misra comments : Vikram Jagdish is speaking about his own people. If there is so much wrong all around it does not mean you don't voice the wrongs happening to us.
Ihope Kashmir Muslims soon realise they are highly misguided by the external interests in the area. They have lost everything even if they are living there. As shown by JV, the beauty of the valley is lost. I remember my first visit to the area in mid 60s. it was heaven on earth in Kashmir. I could not believe and absorb all the nature's beauty. People looked happy. There was thriving tourism and handicraft industry. Though I remember there was some resentment among local muslims towards their countrymen from other parts of India.
I was attracted to your column as it talked about Jhelum,my favorite river and a very fertile area in Pakistan with very loving and nice people. Little did I realize the reference to Jhelum till I read the column. It is indeed very sad that you are an alien in your home land and are not looked upon with kindness and brotherhood concept that you would imagine in a diverse state. But there is something lacking in your flow. I do not want to be judgmental as you are writing your feelings and concerns, but still the following needs to be read and digested:
a) Few years back, I met a senior Kashmiri Muslim Woman in the US, who was a principle of a college in Sri Nagar and had come to the US for her Ph.D. During our conversation, she vehemently spoke of Kashmir as an independent state. There was no love or compassion oozing out for Pakistani Muslims. Yes, as Muslims there was a bonding but that was it. No soft corner at all. Just to give you a perspective.
b) Now, it's obvious that being a hindu(I do not like writing or addressing people based on their religion but this is strange that on this forum this clear demarkation is brought up off and on)your leanings will be with the country or state of your religious majority. It will be completely foolish to think otherwise. Being a Punjabi myself, I have only seen Indian Punjabis as a community dullo-fying on Pakistani Punjab as it was the land of their ancestor's birth and they still have immense love and affiliation for that part. Please keep in mind the reason for the affiliation.
c) There is no such thing as Indian Muslims having a soft corner for Pakistan. This is extremely sad about India as a country. They have always doubted the intentions of those who never migrated. The ones who chose to stay at the place of their birth must feel like orphans.
Pakistan has its own challenges to deal with and I pray and wish that we do not go out and solve anyone's problems but care to look into ours only. Pakistanis are the only ones to have soft corner and love for their land of birth. We do not need any Kashmiri and for that matter Indiam Muslim from any part of the world to have soft corner for us.
d) As a Pakistani, I simply abhor the topic of Kashmir despite having a lot of Kashmiris in my own family and being an expert in Kashmiri Chai only. If I am given a fairy wand I would draw a big wall like the Great Wall of China so that the valley is on one end and we are on the other without worrying about the musaib and alaam of Kashmiris.
On a practical note, India and Pakistan will always be very vulnerable when it comes to the issue of Kashmir not because we have a soft corner or vice versa, but because of the people. When migrations took place, families dispersed. There is a connection that cannot be easily cut off. That's why a lot of Indian Muslims who migrated to Pakistan but have some family back in India would feel bad when anything happens to the Muslims there. You do not need rocket science to understand the linkage. You do need two eyes and a good heart to be able to see and interpret the obvious.
On reading your travelogue, I would suggest if you get a chance see if you can find the book on Tasveer'ae' Kashmir by Late Hafeez Jalandhri. The poetry is heavy on Persianized-Urdu but speaks volumes. Probably, I will put it in black and white as a full lyrical ballad some other time. Thanks for bringing out your side of the story. But do realize that trust does not shatter without any rhyme or reason. External influence can never be that strong to completely write off one's own people. There must have been enough internal anarchy to lead to that mistrust and hatred(that you have identified in your write-up).
Z Balaparia comments : Zahra Very balanced and mature comments. I am impressed.
Thank you. At least I feel good now for passing the test of maturity :) Well, one can be very balanced on certain points in life whereas not so well versed on others. Isn't that part of our evolution to constantly seek and stay alert :)
Bahi comments : Vikram is sad as thousands like him were hounded from their ancestral homes by the very people whom he trusted most. Muslims anywhere have their sympathies with Pakistan due to bondage on religion forgetting that Indian Muslim population is much greater in numbers than the total population of Pakistan. Moreover Pakistani muslims have no love for their fellow relegoin people as evidenced by creation of Bangla Desh. It is just a diversionary tact used by Militry Junta who ruled Pakistan for decades and democratic political system also find a sheild behind Kashmir whenever things were bad on home front. The truth is ethenic cleansing was and is still being performed by Kashmiri Muslims with the full logistic support of Pakistan. With reference to Muslims being killed it is mostly Pakistani nationals who have been killed and in most cases tabsence of greiving relatives proves the point. Yes in some cases there were weiling relatives who became relatives by the fact that many Pakistanis in guise of Indian Muslims got married to Kashmiri girls and then died in a military encounter. We have yet to see a genuine Kashmiri Muslim getting involved in any seroius crime. The maximum usage of Kashmiri youth is in street demonstartions, gun running, logistic support, body gaurds and other menial jobs for foreign terrorists. Is it not surprising that not a single Indian Muslim or Kashmiri Muslim was ever found in any rank or file of AL Qaueda. Indian Muslims are genuinely better than his counterpart but misguided on the name of religion and they got involved in hounding away Kashmiri Pandits as the luring directives from Terrorists were that any Pandit property evacuated including women and valuables left behind are property of the occupier. This was a resisting offer for unemployed youths or youths belonging to the downtrodden section of Muslim society. A silent majority of Muslims still abhor all that is happening in Kashmir.
Z. Balaparia comments : Bahi people of both countries have different views on this issue. to bring normalcy to the existing situation - a compromising steps have to be initiated .... a solution which does not harm anyone should be introduced for the benefit of the poors at both sides ...... the negative ideas and blaming eachother will bring No betterment. the region need peace and better life for its population ...........and that should be the only reason in front of us.... that is what i feel, think and want...SIR
AKaul comments : Excellent essay! But a couple of factual in accuracies - Saffron grows in Pampore and not Badgam and similarly Char Chinar is a very small island in Dal Lake and to the best of my knowledge no vegetables are grown there.
