A Visit to Kashmir: Some Impressions

I visited Kashmir in July for my research. It was a research trip, hence there was little time to roam around the valley and enjoy its serene beauty. The valley, which was once the center of militancy related violence, was witnessing calm. There were sporadic incidents of violence such as the one in which a militant threw a grenade at a telephone communication facility, or a few young men displayed the Islamic State flags in the outskirts of Srinagar. But overall there was calm in the valley. It needs emphasis that in the vast landscape of undivided Jammu and Kashmir, or in the part that is in the Indian side of the Line of Control, the Kashmir valley was the most turbulent during militancy years. Now the violence has gone down.

One of the marks of declining violence was the rush of tourists to the valley to enjoy its cool climate to escape hot northern India, and enjoy the Dal lake and house boats on it, and beautiful gardens around the city. As I walked on the banks of the Dal Lake I saw hundreds of tourists from different parts of India roaming around the banks . One of the local businessmen, who was an owner of a hotel and also a houseboat, told me that the leaders of the militants now realize that targeting the tourists would hit the local economy and the local people. One of the major sources of income of the valley people is tourism, and the peak tourist season is summer. The militants were apparently aware of this economic dimension of the conflict. And in the case of the grenade attack mentioned above, one of the individuals who were present in the facility complex told me that the grenade thrower first ordered the office occupiers to leave the building before throwing.

About the display of Islamic State flags or shouting anti-India slogans, one professor from Kashmir University told me that these events are more for display and media consumption. These events usually take place after Friday prayers during which few young men from the congregation display their frustration at India’s policies by shouting anti-India slogans and, nowadays, by displaying Islamic State flags. The professor told me that Indian government in this situation behaves like a Spanish bull, which at the display of a red flag rushes towards it. Though the peace loving local people downplayed the importance of such events, the news that Indian government is establishing an agency to counter the spread of Islamic State influence has shown India’s seriousness towards the issue. I went to a place called Nowhatta, a suburb of Srinagar, to see the display of IS flags, but by the time I had reached, the protesters were dispersed by the police.

As I walked around the city, and particularly the areas surrounding the famous Hazratbal Mosque, I could see normal life all around. I could see women walking around the busy alleyways in the market, children from school queuing up for halwa puri in front of a sweet vendor, two individuals talking about Sufi poetry, and stray animals particularly dogs roaming around. Besides the local people, there were a large number of tourists enjoying the parks and gardens around the Mosque, buying souvenirs such as book stands or holy book. Against the conventional advice not to walk around in night, I enjoyed the cool breeze in the banks of the Dal Lake till late evening. It was full of life; there was least fear of militant attack. Though the environment, much more created by media and the past events of violence generated fear, I did not confront any such event. A student told me that a part of the university, with dense trees, was a site of regular cross-firing between India’s security forces and militants at the height of the militancy. But now there is total calm.

When I travelled towards the border at Uri to visit the trade center, I could not come across any unusual incident. I could see visible signs of alienation and protests. I found many stores and market complexes writing KMR, instead of J&K, on their sign boards. This was another sign of protest because J&K, implying Jammu and Kashmir, is the official name of the state, while KMR is unofficial and perhaps illegal from Indian state perspective. The driver of the vehicle informed me that KMR stands for Kashmir, which some of the local people preferred than the India’s abbreviated term for the state J&K. Though the sight of KMR was not frequent but that somehow brought the point that alienation is still a factor in the valley. As I visited the border areas crossing small towns and a district headquarter town called Baramulla, I could see the flow of life all around. While driving towards Salamabad trade center, the center of trade between the two parts of Jammu and Kashmir, I could see on the way power projects on the river Jhelum. For one of the projects, built jointly by UK, Sweden and India, the water was diverted 16 kilometers in a tunnel under mountain. I could come across an old Hindu temple in Uri, called Datta Mandir, selected as a UNESCO heritage site and one central school and a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya.

The hospitality of people of Kashmir is without parallel. Whether it is my host in Srinagar, or in Uri, or in other places in the valley, I have always been enamored by their hospitality. They have emerged stronger from the shock of the flood that devastated the valley last year. I remember during my last visit after the flood, it was difficult to find a suitable place to stay as most of the hotels on the banks of the lake were damaged . Whether it is offer of Kashmiri bread, or salt tea, or Kahwah, the people are always forthcoming. Even the officials, at Uri or at Srinagar, were very helpful. As I talked to the traders and officials at the trade center, the traders expressed divergent views on cross-border trade. One trader told that the ex-militants have benefited from this trade, which in turn has helped address the alienation of the people. They also argued that the trade is not enough to address the alienation and the stakeholders to the conflict have to engage more effectively.

While walking around the trade center a consignment of trucks arrived from the Pakistani side of the LOC. I could see trucks with name plates Balochistan (see the photograph). The trucks carried apple, herbs and almond. One official took a handful of almond from one packet and offered me as a gesture of good will. I started chatting with people including the drivers from Pakistan. When I requested two drivers whether I can take a photo, they smiled and said, “why one, take two photos.” I could see through their genuine smiles, and felt in my heart that these drivers are not different from the people in this side of the border. I thought – it is the human folly that creates borders and divisions. Human being by nature is full of good will and friendship.