Rachna Vinod
The autumn had set in. Now again, it was time to stand and stare at the changing colours of the trees especially majestic Chinars. Slowly and slowly, the lush green leaves turned yellow, amber, then slightly red then orange and finally deep orange or flaming red as if Chinars were set on fire. All these different shades of yellow, red, light orange and deep orange colours of trees spread all over the valley presented wonderful phenomenon of nature. You could just stand and stare at leisure watching this mesmerizing view and imbibing with wonders of nature for hours together without getting tired or bored. What a blessing it was to be surrounded by sheer divine nature and be able to live those moments out of busy hectic life to look at the beauty of nature. Inevitably Sikhya would remember popular lines “What is this life if, full of care; We have no time to stand and stare.” written by Welsh poet W.H. Davies in his poem “Leisure.” She wondered whether the poet had written these poems for this beauty of nature in Kashmir. Looking at valley from Shankaracharya hill or Hari Parbat or walking through dry fallen leaves of thick burning Chinars in Naseem Bagh, any artist’s imagination would give soaring high wings to give shape to her/his art without fail. Not surprising over the number of scholars and artists, the valley had nurtured.
Chinar tree, a symbol of Kashmir, carved in its wood carvings, handicrafts, woven in Kashmir embroidery, a tradition carried forward from generation to generation, known for its multifarious benefits, was held in high esteem by Sikhya. Nothing could be called useless about this tree. Besides providing protection against sun and rains, it provided such a cool breeze in summer that you preferred to sit under it than be indoors under fans. Some people used its leaves and bark for some medicinal use. The parks and gardens had Chinar trees in abundance where you could find a large number of people especially during holidays, thronging these outdoor public places enjoying bounties of Chinar trees. In autumn, when it was time for Chinar to shed away its dry leaves, the people would start accumulating those dry leaves in heaps and lit very slow fire under the leaves. This was a perfect indigenous art developed by the locals. The coal thus prepared supposed to provide enough warmth when used in their kangri (fire pots) during winter. Sikhya always felt at ease while communicating with nature and she was ever grateful to nature for its benevolence. Same benevolence she felt in Chinar for being such a beneficial part of living and non-living world.
More Sikhya studied English literature, more she felt many similarities between Europe and Kashmir and many a time she would imagine herself to be in some European surroundings living the life of romantic characters out of English literature, falling in love with handsome nobleman sweeping off her feet. Soon she was to complete her post-graduation and keen to experience European way of life, she applied for further studies in some universities in UK where she succeeded in getting admission in one of the reputed Universities. Amused at her soft feelings, she would smile to herself. Was it a result of mixed surroundings of pleasant weather, beautiful nature or coming into contact with some students declaring their love life unabashedly? And then, she was swept off the ground when she came face to face with Walker, a Scot who had come to meet Paras whose script to be picturized in Kashmir, was approved by the production company in United Kingdom where he was working. Two weeks that Walker spent with Paras family in Kashmir proved to be enough for Walker to feel himself as part of the affectionate family. Long walks with Walker on the crunching sound of dry fallen leaves amid burning Chinars, set Sikhya’s heart on fire and was further fuelled by Walker’s passionate response. The warmth emitting out of flame of their love couldn’t help reaching Rama and Paras who were taken aback and dumbstruck.
We start taking things for granted when the life moves on with no apparent hassles. The childhood is the time when you feel safe and secure in loving and caring family fold. It was at least true in case of Sikhya who had heard about incidents related to spree arson and damaging public property in the name of drawing authorities’ attention towards grievances of such activists. The nature of their grievances and the means to express them was beyond her comprehension but one thing was sure that such incidents did arouse fears in her. Maybe she was too young to understand and feel brave enough to shrug off those fears. She had begun to grasp the situation when she grew up more. By then she had understood that the intellectuals at any time, were the important opinion makers of the society. Her father was also one among them whose word carried weight. The healthy discussions over any topic for the welfare of society as a whole, sometimes turned into heated loud arguments but always ended amicably. Deep down, these intellectuals genuinely cared about the aspirations of the society they lived in. Invariably the topic of self-determination and self-rule by the political alliance was emphasized.
Sikhya was perplexed by the recurring emergence of anti-national voices and activities. Since her childhood, she had been exposed to these voices and witnessed anti-national elements asserting themselves through acts of hooliganism. Whenever she felt scared, her father Paras would dismiss her fears, saying, “We live in a democracy where everyone is entitled to express his own point of view. These individuals hold ideological differences that are deemed unacceptable by the government. Therefore, they have chosen this method as a means to make their presence felt.” Ignoring the potential dangers, she remained focused on achieving her goals, never foreseeing any immediate threats to her life or the lives of her loved ones. However, a strong and persistent desire to understand the underlying reasons for the feeling of alienation among a particular segment of individuals in her native country continued to disturb her. She belonged to the post-independence generation, fortunate to reap the rewards of the tireless efforts and sacrifices made by great freedom fighters. This generation was driven to propel the free country forward and worked diligently for the betterment of their motherland.
(Excerpts from author’s book ‘KASHMIR KONNECTIVITY:A BIOSKETCH’)
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