Is this a beginning of a new life…

In the past one year, we have seen 2 major scandals coming to light. Lots of skeletons coming out of closet. It started with the infamous sex scandal, which was no less than a bollywood script with the involvement of High profile bureaucrats  to the Ministers and Senior Police officers. Then followed, few more scandals. And now this Fake Encounter. All of it, though was known to kashmiries, was far from truth for the people outside the valley, esp indians. It was just a figment of imagination of a kashmiri, for all the people outside kashmir (read Non Kashmiries). They(indians) still are skeptic about the truth behind and would prefer the version of truth which says Parihar was innocent and a pawn of big conspiracy. Yeah, version of truth, as the truth seems to have versions these days… One version, which is on the national newspapers and the other which is on our local newspapers. I always wonder which version should i believe in.

Coming back to the main subject, is this a new beginning and an end to miseries, pain and suffering. Has God finally tested us enough to finally provide us much wanted relief. I somehow feel so. May be i am wrong. But i hope i am right.

 It doesn’t feel good when you move out of your house in the morning and are casualty of a blast somewhere. You end up in a hospital with your leg amputated, or your arm amputated or worst, found dead.

Kashmiries have so grown in this state of uncertainity, that they have started to accept it as part of their lives. Death of a near one in his teens doesn’t come as a shocking surprise. I remember, when it all started back in 90s’, a death of a youth was mourned with the departure of a “Maharaaz” (Groom). Songs were said, which were no different from what were sung on the marriages. The grief was so deep, that it could loom on you for weeks.

Nothing of such sort happens now, because we have accepted it as part of our life.

I wonder, what if i wake up tomorrow and find everything normal. Not a single security man or a bunker on a street. What if we are sent in a time machine back to when it all started. But.. then.. we dont really know when it started. I wonder, if we are given a choice to start a fresh from a certain point in time, where would we like to start. Would it be ‘89 or ‘71 or ‘63 or ‘47 or … dont know where.

I wish i could wander around the streets of Srinagar at 2 in the morning without fear. I wish i could play with my friends the same way i did during the days without fear of a “security woul”. I wish we didn’t have to live in this fear. I wish we could see flourishing business-shikaras full of tourists, those tourists from all over the world.

I wish and hope this is a beginning to a new kashmir, a kashmir free of fear and injustice. A kashmir free from uninvited death at every nook and corner. A kashmir full of beauty and security. I wish.. this is it.. this is the time that god had chosen to take us out of this misery and pain.