KASHMIR IN 2030
“This is the paradise I belong to
The woods are my home and the trees my family
Mountains my goals, rivers my path
Snow my cushion and the wind my friend”
It was a bone chilling morning in the month of January 2020 at the apple town Sopore. Hamid Butt, a renowned journalist was taking his routine journey to the office on a two wheeler. At a chowk, couple of miles away from his house, two unknown gunmen came across him and fired a burst of bullets on Hamid. Hamid died on the spot. He had reported extensively on the idea of ‘Naya Kashmir’ and the progressive development happening in Kashmir post abrogation of the infamous article that had created a furore amongst the anti-nationals. He was survived by his wife Nasreen and two sons, Irfan and Shahid. Inspite of the despondence, Nasreen made all efforts to ensure a rewarding future for her teenage sons. Irfan, the elder of the two, followed the footsteps of his father and went on to pursue journalism and started working in a reputed national daily in New Delhi. While Shahid went on to become a state civil services officer. Ten years down the fateful morning of 2020, Irfan decided to fulfill his compelling aspiration to return and report on the human stories that had regained his homeland the lost title of “Jannat-E-Kashmir”. Thus started his journey which he called “Kashmir in 2030 – Human Stories”.
Being in the civil services, Shahid, who was posted in Srinagar, had chalked out a plan for his brother Irfan. Irfan started with the story of Ishfaq Kahwa, a local entrepreneur who had set up a handicrafts industry in the districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal, and Budgam. Ishfaq had received huge funding from entrepreneurs for setting up this industry. The land owner from whom they bought the land also got a great monetary deal at par with rates in rest of the country. They dealt with embroidery, shawls, crewels, namda, chain stitch, paper mache, costume, jewellery, kani shwals, carpets and more. Ishfaq narrated to Irfan how this had eased the initial financial strain and created a hassle free export both nationally and internationally through collaboration. His industry employed more than a 1000 youth. He next went to the new ‘Switzerland of India’. the majestic ‘Bangus.’ On reaching, he got to know that the shooting of a Bollywood film was underway 2 kms away at the Dhoks in Bod Bangus. Shahid had told him about the exquisite resorts that had come up in Bangus. There, he met Nighat Bashir, who was the co-owner of Klosters, a trekking and skiing startup. She informed Irfan how she dreamt of opening her own adventure company, owing to the avid passion she had for it, given that the tourist influx in Bangus had tripled to 25 lakhs in last 10 years. “It was the first time Bangus recorded these many tourists, almost a rise of 2 lakhs from 2018. We organise trekking in summers and skiing during the winters. There are people who have been visiting every winter for the skiing course”.
A lot of Bollywood and even Hollywood movies are being shot here which has further boosted the tourism economy of this place and Bangus is metaling Gulmarg in tourism”, she told Irfan.
Irfan’s further destinations were the AIIMS, IIT and IIM of Kashmir. Around a total of 3500 students from all across the country were studying in these institutions. Many had been doing exceedingly well in their respective professions. One such person was Dr Mehraj Malik whose father had died in a grenade blast at Shopian in 2015. Mehraj’s mother had died at the time of his birth. “I was left orphaned, the pain of losing my parents still lingers. Many have died in Kashmir in similar incidents. I am happy that we haven’t had such an incident in the valley since 2026”, he narrated to Irfan. Mehraj also informed that he runs free NEET classes for the aspirants who have had an orphaned childhood. He tells Irfan with pride that so far 36 of his students have made it to top medical institutions of India. He further adds that many medical tourists from the Middle East and East Asia come to AIIMS for treatment. Moreover, major private universities have come up across the valley. Apart from increasing the higher education opportunities, this has also increased the employment as well as self-employment prospects for the youth.
He next turned to Macchal in Kupwara on the advice of Shahid. Once a remote location a decade ago, this border town had come a long way. Many educational institutions and healthcare facilities had come up. There he met Neha Bhat, who along with her team was running a school for the differently abled children. She informed Irfan about the immense support she got from the government for setting up her school under the right to education which had come into force post the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. “My family had left Kashmir in the exodus of 1990 when I was just 6 months old. My husband is not from Jammu and Kashmir, this did not allow me to own our ancestral land here. But the change in 2019 granted me my right through which I was able to set up this school. We had not thought we would come this far, our effort was acknowledged by many institutions which further helped us in better management of our school”, she tells. She also shared that the students who complete their education here move on for further studies through collaboration with academia across the country or take up jobs appropriate to their skills through partnership with industry, both in Kashmir as well as outside. Further, the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act 2005, Child Marriage act and the Juvenile Justice act were now applicable and had ensured adequate protection of women and child rights.
On his way back from Macchal, he stopped at Kupwara to meet the local MP Shah Nawaz Butt who hailed from the Gujjar Bakarwal community and had championed their cause after coming into power. He tells Irfan , “ Ten years ago, despite having nearly 12% population, the socio economically disadvantaged tribal community (ST) had no political reservation (Gujjars, Bakarwals and others), tribal/ST communities residing in forests since generations had no rights or protection. But now in 2030, we get political representation through reservation in regional parliament seats like in the rest of the country. The Scheduled Tribes & other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 has now been made applicable. Rights of tribal/ST communities residing in forests are now protected. The most disadvantaged castes (SC) employees were not getting full benefits of reservation especially in promotion like their colleagues in the rest of the country. Sanitation workers in Kashmir were being denied citizenship rights. As a result they could not get other jobs forcing them to remain sanitation workers. But today, all sanitation workers get full citizenship and other rights and benefits. Manual scavenging has stopped, National Commission for Sanitation Workers Act, 1993 is in vogue. This has improved the working condition of sanitation workers and provided for redressal of grievances. Other backward castes in J&K have now got full benefits of reservation in employment and education like in the rest of the country.” Back in Srinagar, he met Prem Singh, who worked as a computer operator in Shahid’s office. Prem was a West Pakistan Refugee (WPR) whose father was a daily wager as he could not apply for a job in Kashmir. “I have completed my diploma and got this job two years back. I am living a life of dignity and the economic condition of my family has improved. Many of the WPRs have now got good jobs commensurate to their caliber”, he told Irfan with a feeling of content visible on his face. Irfan continues his journey and reaches Bana Koot village in Bandipora. He meets the village sarpanch Ashfaq Ahmed. Ashfaq tells him that back in 2018, the establishment of local self-governing institutions was erratic and at the whims of the state government .For long periods, no elections to Panchayats were get held. But after the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendment became applicable, constitutional status has been given to local self-governments in rural and urban areas. All provisions relating to Panchayats and local self-governments are fully applicable. Panchayats now get direct funding, people decide their own developmental priorities. This has strengthened the grass roots of democracy. On reaching back to Srinagar, Shahid further informed him that now all anti-corruption central laws including Whistle Blower were applicable. Oversight by all central agencies and watchdogs has reduced corruption. Transparency and accountability has increased. Funds earmarked for the people are actually reaching the beneficiaries and corruption has been controlled. 106 people friendly laws and 9 constitutional amendments of the Indian Constitution were made applicable in 2019.
So many progressive laws such as Right to Education, Maintenance & Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Act, 2001, National Commission for Minority Act and acts for benefit of Women, Children, Disabled are now applicable. The application of these laws has helped most vulnerable sections of the population. Seeing the progress common Kashmiris had made, Irfan remembered the words of his father 11 years ago, “The cultures and languages of Marathas, Tamil, Gujaratis, Assamese and others have prospered and grown. Adequate provisions and safeguards are there in the Indian Constitution to ensure that the religious and cultural rights of every group and community are protected and preserved. There is absolutely no threat to the culture, traditions and religion of Kashmir or any other region. People belonging to all faiths reside in J&K, Jammu and Kashmir shall continue to be together even after reorganization and hence no communal angle or attempt to override any cultural or religious group will be made. Economic growth, development and generation of more employment will benefit all sections of the society. We are sure to see that the problems which have been preventing Kashmir from realising its true potential will go away and a new world of opportunities and possibilities will open for the people of J&K.” As Irfan went to sleep after having dinner with his mother and brother, he said to himself, “Abba, the dream of Naya Kashmir has indeed reached realization”.
“This is the paradise I belong to
Where illusions fade away and dreams become reality.
After eluding each other for years,
This is our moment of permanence
Of belongingness which even time can’t snatch”
