HARMONY IN KASHMIR –A STEP TO STRENGTHEN ROOTS

 

       HARMONY IN KASHMIR –A STEP TO STRENGTHEN ROOTS

                                     The Kashmir valley by named as ‘Paradise on Earth’ and endowed by nature with implausible beauty, tranquil lakes, crystal blue rivers, stunning Chinar trees etc. has been an alluring homeland of mortals with multiple religious beliefs and faiths. This land has not been a place, not a region, not a province and certainly not a borderland but for all practical purposes, it has been a land known for its fabric of coexistence, the Kashmiriyat, for all Kashmiris, be it Pandits, Sikhs or Muslims. As they used to don the pheran over their bodies and place the karakuli over their heads, this fabric of mutual coexistence, Kashmiriyat, represented the portrait of calmness, tranquillity and harmony. However, after the exodus of mortals of one single faith from valley in 1990 due to the Kashmiri resistance movement, this concept of Kashmiriyat in last three decades or more has suffered a lot and ultimately the concept has got reduced to a minuscule term being whispered in few liberal seminar rooms or perhaps odd lecture halls only. The whole valley got turned into a hostile zone and as per the Guardian 2019, it is one of the most unsafe places to live in.

                                 The exodus of Pandits was worse than a nightmare and in a glimpse the community with their strong and deep roots were rendered rootless. There was a fall from grace putting the life, respect, prestige and status of all Kashmiri pandits at stake. The exodus unveiled multi-dimensional challenges and a different kind of struggle started altogether, where the motto was not only about living but also about survival. Despite the hardships, all sorts of efforts were made at an individual level and in the battle of life and death, not only the battle was won but the grace from where they had fallen was also achieved back. At an individual level all the procurements, accomplishments and achievements are worth to mention and have made them taller in status yet the roots that determine the real strength still remain weaker.

                                 Since exodus there have been persistent efforts by the exiled Kashmiri Pandits, both at an individual and a community level, to get connected to their roots. The presiding of award ceremony by Harmony India in Kashmir is one such endeavour to strengthen the connection with roots and revive the concept of Kashmiriyat yet again. Although the Harmony India awards has been in vogue since 2004 yet this year’s commemoration has got the precedence over all others as it is for the first time that the award ceremony was being conducted in the valley. The awardees, who were chosen by the jury, were short listed from various fields of art, culture, sports, literature, social service, journalism and entrepreneurship irrespective of their lineage or religious faith. The only criteria that was kept in consideration was the excellence in their respective fields and the glory they brought to the state.

                                  After a successfully conducted G20 summit in the valley, the culmination of Harmony awards has been an icing on the cake. Not only has it unlatched the blocked pathways of communication but it has given wings to the dream of every Kashmiri pandit to get connected to their roots yet again. The harmony India by conducting their 9^th ceremony in valley has taken an initial step towards the achievement of such goal. It has reignited the ray of hope and kept the beam of light alive at the end of a dark tunnel which otherwise seemed to be a dead end. The initial step has been taken and it is now the responsibility of all others to come together, sit across the table and come up with a common minimum programme that helps in strengthening the roots and benefit the community at large, irrespective of their political and social affiliations.

Dr. Pawan Suri

Director & Chief Cardiologist

Global Hospital, Jalandhar, Punjab

email: psuricardio@gmail.com