State Born from a Nation Torn...

It’s 2:30am. Bakeries are opening there doors and there is already a long line of customers. Petrol pump owners are witnessing the same scenes. Milkman is knocking the doors of his customers at around 4am. Soon follows the vegetable vendor. Household are not worried about there sleep, instead they are happy that they can buy this essential commodities. The reason: Traders, business owners and households want to beat the curfew hours. Over the past three months, pupils have attended school for less than 40 days while shops and other establishments have done business only for as many days. Teachers have started giving lessons to students via telephone. University students are getting there lessons via internet.

Politics has taken control of the day to day life of the people. Grenades, stone throwing and curfews have become part of the normal course of life here. This is how days and days of curfew and violence on the streets of this city and some other urban areas of this region has changed the life of its citizens. Night has become day.

This place is not a scene from any Middle East city nor is it a Sub-Saharan African town. This, my friends is Kashmir!!

Kashmir, India…Kashmir, Pakistan

For Kashmiri’s life has come to a standstill since the day Maharaja Hari Singh acceded the Princely State of Kashmir to India. Of course being an Indian I will always feel that Pakistan should be kicked out of Kashmir and I am sure feeling of hatred is mutual on the other side of the border. I am not an expert on this issue, but it seems that no one from either side is, for this issue is been dragging on since last 60+ years. Three wars have been fought over this land. Thousands of lives have been lost both from war and terrorist/separatist activities. It’s a fact now that local Muslim leadership is been influenced by foreign elements. Calling “Bandhs” every other day and giving political statements during the Friday prayers is not a way to bring ‘peace’ in the region. India’s policy is also very porous. Military administration in form of a pseudo democratic government is not an answer for gaining local support. I don’t want to be political here, but if division is the ‘only’ solution than seat together and draw the lines. For how long will the childhood be stolen from Kashmiri kids, for how many times will kashmiris re-built there broken homes.

See the irony here, Kashmir is the “Heaven on Earth” but the political interests, separatist/terrorists activities and cross-border interference has made the lives of the people in the region...Hell.