THE BARRICADED VALLEY

I have spent over 10 years of my Army service in the northern Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. And in these years, there were few places where circumstances did not take me. Overall, a rewarding experience. Kashmir Valley, I am more than ever convinced, remains one of the most beautiful places on earth but certainly not endearing any longer! Beautiful because it is endowed with natural beauty and resources and not endearing because there are more guns than flowers now. There is hardly a place where you can go unhindered, unchecked.

 I had the fortune (I am not sure good or bad) of going again into the valley on 01 Feb 12. Last I spent time over there was in Jul 2010. Every time I enter the Valley, the scene by and large is the same which I have now been watching since 1989, when insurgency began its deathly grip over this beautiful land. Wherever you may glance down from and whatever direction your eyes may decide to take, one thing you will surely see is guns. Every nook and corner of this paradise is covered through a gun sight. There are explosives, ammunition, violence, protest, anger, suspicion, grudges and much more. Incidentally, I have not understood the meaning of liberty in the context of Kashmir. Aren't the people of Kashmir liberated already? To my mind the true liberty means the following:

(a) Freedom to express

(b) Freedom to move unhindered

(c) Freedom to work

(d) Freedom to enjoy

(e) Freedom to live peacefully

But above all else, freedom means a very strong sense of responsibility and a sound base of discipline. All this and no more. Man has historically been argumentative, possessive and violent. We don't need materialistic largesse, we only need bare essentials to sail smoothly through this beautiful world.

Just see the photos on this page and judge for yourself which looks beautiful: unspoiled nature or barricades?

 How I wish we can one day get that same Kashmir Valley back, which I first witnessed in May 76 and when Yash Chopra'a blockbuster Kabhi Kabhie had just been released, showcasing the beauty of Kashmir.