BACK TO CARNIVAL
TIME IN KASHMIR
S.M.
Kumar
The weather gods
were merciful. When the clouds on the mountain top had dispersed,
the flight got clearance to resume its journey. The AN 32 of the
Indian Air Force taxied back on the runway for take-off, lifted
its nose, gained height and flew over the plains and mountains
for an hour when the verdant landscape of Kashmir came into view.
Steering clear of the air pockets the flight landed at Srinagar
Air Base in perfect weather conditions. The sun had set but the
visibility was still very good. The air was invigorating.
As one stepped
out of the airport, the familiar landmarks of Srinagar emerged
one after another. The river Jhelum, the Dal Gate, the Boulevard,
the Dal Lake and, above all, the Shankaracharya Hill. The shikaras
and the majestic house boats had a ubiquitous presence all over
the Dal Lake.
Massive crowds
surged all over. As the evening progressed, hotels and house boats
reported full occupancy with the tourists. Lights dazzled from
all visible corners and mirrored from the clean waters of the
Dal Lake, they created a keleidoscopic ambience.
Srinagar was
experiencing the return of carnival time after years of unrest.
One could easily see the contrast. Where terror and bloodshed
had ruled the roost, bonhomie and joy were to be seen everywhere.
The locals and the visitors mingled freely without any inhibitions.
Their mutual trust appeared to have been restored so much so that
many tourists arriving late in the night would readily accept
the offer of hospitality at modest prices from local residents
without any questioning. This was unthinkable till sometime ago
when the entire city used to be silent at dusk. Very few tourists
came to the Valley.
But this time
nobody seemed to be afraid. The festivities even at midnight were
something one had not anticipated. There were people from all
over the country. The children were the happiest lot. Everyone
seemed to be enjoying the drizzle and breeze and freshness not
experienced elsewhere. The Amarnath pilgrims on their way to Baltal
seemed to be a spirited lot. It appeared everyone had overcome
fear.
As the clock
struck midnight, we, a group of scribes, set out on a shikara
ride in the Dal Lake. Our enthusiasm knew no bounds even though
it rained in torrents for some time. Undoubtedly, that was a lifetime
experience of being rowed around the renowned lake in a moonlit
night and see its beauties including the islet of Char Chinar
in the backdrop of mountains. Everyone had forgotten when the
night ended. There were floating shops selling all kinds of merchandise
and delicious, piping hot cuisine of the local variety. One did
not mind gulping down cups after cups of kehwa, the spicy
local tea. The dawn came when we were passing through an area
full of blooming lotus flowers. Soon the golden rays of the sun
touched the lake waters and the calls of different native birds
were heard. All of a sudden, a cormorant dived under the water
and surfaced with its prey, a fish.
Today the local
people in the Kashmir Valley seem to be very happy. Their faces
are beaming. After experiencing the worst phase of militancy over
a long period, they are seeing an economic boom now. The revival
of tourism is bringing them a fortune everyday and they are confident
of overcoming all their desperation and impoverishment. The terrorism
that gripped the Valley in 1989 had not only vitiated the local
socio-economic life but also dealt a body blow to its mainstay-tourism.
The ornate house
boat in which we stayed was owned by Shamima. She was thrilled
on having a regular clientele but could not restrain herself when
she described the gruelling times her family had faced for survival
during the years of militancy. She recalled how economic hardships
had brought the locals to a breaking point. With the rise in militancy
and violence after 1990, tourist arrivals dwindled from lakhs
to just a few hundred. Shamima reminisced when the militants unleased
their brutal agenda on tourists, the local people were terrorized
into complete subjugation. The militants’ diktats brought an endless
agony to the people in Kashmir. But in the prevailing gloom one
fine day when she unexpectedly received a call from Mumbai for
booking both her house boats for a group of tourists, she took
it as a divine blessing. There was no food to serve the visitors
and she was skeptical if they would ever come at all. But they
did come, enlivening the spirit of the whole family.
Since then there
has been no looking back for Shamima. The times have changed overnight.
The flights and buses are always coming with full occupancy and
over one lakh people have already visited the Valley in the last
three months. This number excludes the Amarnath pilgrims. After
ages the Bollywood has also once again turned to the picturesque
locations of Kashmir like the Dal Lake, Pahalgaam and Gulmarg
for shootings. The President, the Prime Minister and other national
and foreign dignitaries have visited Kashmir in this season. High-profile
political meetings have sent the unmistakable message all around
that the State is safe. The contented Amarnath pilgrims this time
have also created an enormous goodwill for the people of Jammu
and Kashmir.
The Indian Air
Force (IAF)has organized several recruitment rallies in the State
to give a chance to the meritorious local youth in its services.
Already, the IAF has recruited 300 youngmen from Jammu and Kashmir
in its ranks. It has also organised air shows in Srinagar and
elsewhere in Jammu and Kashmir, drawing enthusiastic spectators
everywhere. They have been a tremendous success. Such activities
have tremendously raised the morale of the local people.
The prospect of seeing
the Valley on the country’s railway network in a few years from
now has also enthused the people of Kashmir. With a perceptible
improvement in governance and concrete steps to fully integrate
them in the national mainstream, one finds that the residents
of Kashmir are increasingly overcoming their scepticism and pessimism.
They are now sure of a secure future for themselves without any
let or hindrance.
As one leaves
Srinagar, a roadside bill board on the Boulevard attracts one’s
notice. It reads: "Kashmir wants peace. Restore it with dignity".
(PIB Features)
