The lights illuminating the houseboats and surroundings were mesmerizing. The vibrant reflection of sparkling colors in the reflection of Dal Lake was as if the canvas had been filled with laughter and smiles dancing back and forth in the ripples. The air was surrounded by sweet sounds of giggles and roars of laughter of tourists enjoying their evening ride in Shikara. Such was the sight of Dal which could not have been imagined earlier. We have been brainwashed to see Kashmir from the Lense of power-hungry politicians where everything was just turmoil, but today the fog which had gathered around us has been cleared. Today, I see Kashmir as a promising land filled with opportunities and development. Gone are the days when powerful hands and people of influence would create a path for us. They created an illusion which would keep a common Kashmiri under control whereas they and their families prospered upon the fears of common person.
Kashmir of the past was filled with hatred towards our own brethren from other states. In various parts of the country, kids and young people would prosper to play sports like cricket, football and others. In Kashmir, a whole generation of youths were destroyed by summoning them to play and hurt with stones in the name of Azadi. Azadi from whom? It was the question to which never had an answer. How could this false narrative have any answer to it? Because this movement of Azadi was created so that Kashmir could not develop. The so-called politicians and people in power just wanted to create a situation where every second day there would be clashes. The youth are forever entangled in the false narrative whereas, on the other hand, their own offspring enjoy the luxuries abroad in safe heaven. Lots of blood, limbs and life have been lost to this stupid and delusional cause. I witnessed this mayhem in my younger days. As a young girl blossoming into a woman, I was always scared of the situation. I never knew what the future held for me.
But today, sitting on the banks of Dal watching my kids bicycling the footpath, I am happy and satisfied with my life. All my fears of the past vanished not in one go, but layer by layer. The situation in the Valley started taking a positive turn after the abrogation of article 370. The positivity in the environment also took some time to spread its wings. We were continuously fed with false stories about how we would be destroyed and crushed if 370 were removed from the Valley. Scary stories about losing our ethnicity, our identity and our freedom were falsely spread during people’s gatherings and after prayers by so-called Himayati. They wanted to create an atmosphere of mistrust and doubt in the minds of people with their fiery speeches and manipulation. There is a saying that after every tunnel there is light. The light of prosperity and development came shining after 370 was removed. However hard these hardliners tried to create suspicion in the minds of locals, they were not getting the desired result. God bestowed his blessings on the people of Kashmir with rays which showed the people’s path towards prosperity and the real meaning of freedom.
Today we Kashmiris enjoy a ride in Shikar even at odd hours at midnight, which could never have been possible earlier. Tourism has flourished and for local shopkeepers it is a boon. Today, shops remain open till dead at night where business flourishes for everyone, be it an elegant shop opposite Dal or the local vendor on the street. People from all levels of society enjoy the delicious lip-smacking food with stalls spread across Lal Chowk. A night walk from the Food Street Lal Chowk to Koker Bazzar is bustling with tourists well past midnight enjoying the local cuisine and ice cream. Shopping for clothes and winter wear at Makkah market is no less than a 50% sale for tourists here.
Development in the form of wider roads and bridges shows the good intention of the current government to bring Kashmir on the map of a self-sufficient and self-reliant state. The foundation stone for the IIT-level campus has been laid and once completed, the students of Kashmir will no longer have to look beyond their state for academic excellence. Investment in the upgrade of the infrastructure in the form of a Rail and Hydro project is taking place which will add self-dependency to the state. The completion of Zojila tunnel will ease the travel hardships of the locals as well as tourists visiting the Valley and the neighboring state of Leh Ladak.
When I look at my kids today, there is no fear in my mind as to what their future will be. I have full faith and trust that my kids will never turn into stone pelters or cross the border. Today, as a mother, I have faith that my kids will have books or laptops in their hands which will nourish and educate their minds. They will have a brush in their hands and they will paint the canvas with the beauty and smiles of their thoughts. Someday I will also see one of my kids’ names featured in newspapers as a shining sportsperson, an orator, an educationist or an upcoming artist. My kids today are getting all the facilities and guidance which we never got in our childhood. We were fed with songs of hatred and visuals of massacre, but today my kid sings folk songs by Habba Khatoon and wants to represent his state on Indian Idol.
My daughter today can dream of becoming like Iqra Rasool, Sadia Tariq or Bilquis Mi. Today’s Kashmir and the faith of people here is a tight slap in the face of extremists and politicians. We have understood their games where we are just pawns whose only fate is to get crushed and destroyed to protect the Queen. I want to send a message to every such politician and so-called religious leader. The pawns have decided to etch a path of their own which has paths of success and prosperity. It is high time that the so-called queens and kings understand the power of a common Kashmir who will now not sway to their false promises, but who can now sweep them away into oblivion.
My message to our so-called caretakers across the border, Before lighting a fire in my country, be sure that the spark does not reach your house. My country and its security forces are well-equipped and capable enough to extinguish every fire that you try to light. Our peaceful dialogue is not our weakness but a chance that we are giving you to mend your ways. Our silence has the power to turn you into ashes at any moment, but my country believes in living and letting others live peacefully. The more you try to fund terrorists and help them in creating unrest for us, the more you will fall flat on your face. Remember that. My country is the most peaceful country in the world, but if it comes to protecting its people, its roar will not only make you shiver to your core but will make you vanish.
