Vinay Thusoo
While sitting at Jammu and in the evenings watching News Channels especially on issues of Kashmir and Kashmiri Pandits everything looks bleak and frosty, giving thereby impression that ever since exodus of KPs, the return of KPs is bleak. Self styled representatives from KPs and the Kashmir Muslims poking their point of view with impression that before coming to debate they have consulted respective communities .
But my recent visit to Kashmir especially to Vessu and Matan was an eye opener. The things on ground are different and heart wrenching. I also went along with the impression which TV Channels gave and was ready to believe that the things on ground would be the same but to my disbelief and strongest rebuttal to the debates on tv channels they spoke for Kashmir and the cooperation rendered by majority community ever since they got employment under the Prime Minister announced package for return of KPs. From last four to five years they are yet to come across a single incident which made them insecure.
The basic and genuine problem they shared was that three to four families are sharing one quarter which is unfortunately too much to share for. The present dispensation on ground seems to be concerned and taking care of basic problems like electricity, water and drainage problems which they have been facing since long. Besides other basic problems what they found annoying was the KP organizations sitting in Jammu have disowned them and hardly talks about them. The visit to Mattan was equally good in terms of their frequent interactions with the muslims and their concerns for them. But there is one problem which I also felt need to be addressed on priority basis because pre migration era not a single school going KP students must have gone through which is segregating KP Students aside during morning prayers because morning prayers have now become more religious specific that too more in Govt Schools and less in private schools.
What impact it will have in the long run on their minds is easy to imagine. I still believe whatever has happened in past is unfortunate. Even my family have also gone through worst parts of Pre & Post migration. But question arises does confrontation really solves problems?. Why we are not taking cue from Vesssu and Matan because that is the model with its own merits and demerits .Let us work on this model and make them the brand ambassador for reconciliation of both the communities. Let them speak for KPs and not the self styled leaders of Kashmiri Pandits who just like separatist wants to keep the pot boiling.Had I not been to these places I would have believed what Tv Channels preach. But I also believe there are certain vested interest ,let me define them first, the religiously intolerant ,second who had made fortunes from this issue and those who have grabbed the properties of KPs and don’t want to part with it, if KPs return.
The meaningful silent majority wants normalcy and the normalcy with all. I also realised one more thing that at this stage it is Kashmiri Muslims who require KPs the most because any society which has no pluralistic values is bound to doom. So in the interest of everyone, let us all come together and walk the words of Mahatama Gandhi ji who saw ‘ray of hope’ in Kashmir.
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