NAYA KASHMIR
As I walked down the road, fresh breeze whistling part my ears, I looked at Asmat, her eyes were lit up. She clenched my hand more firmly and smiled. As we walked down the road, I remembered all that my father said about Kashmir being a paradise once. Yes, Kashmir was finally free and my daughter living every ounce of that very paradise that once existed.
As a child I was once shoved into my storeroom by Mujahids because they wanted to stay put in my house that night. I remember holding on to my mother, crying and whining as I slept in her lap. The next day when I woke up I found my mother crying as “the so called saviors of Kashmir” had taken away whatever little saving we had.
In another incident I remember packing my books for school & my father laughed at the innocence with which I was getting ready for school. He said, “Aaj Bandh Hai”. That day I did not go to school & many days thereafter. Such few instances & many more pushed my life and life of every Kashmiri towards unemployment, corruption and are towards an era unending darkness.
With changing years, things changed but we Kashmiris were still there standing in shackles wanting to get out. When I look back at times when I grew up, things I missed, opportunities I could not avail due to band calls by those very leeches on the system who promised us development. I feel anguished & in pain. As I closed my eyes, a tear rolled down my cheek. Asmat looked at me & asked, “Abbu is everything okay?”. As I opened my eyes, I came to face with reality. Yes, everything was fine. I feel happy & elated seeing students going to schools, shopkeepers selling groceries, labours working their way to new infrastructure & development, children singing National anthem, people moving freely without any restrictions and a Kashmir free of terrorism. Yes, this is paradise, paradise which my father told. As I walked down the road, I could breathe this Resurging Kashmir, which will bring peace, prosperity & development to all.
