Yajin Bhatt
On that the region of Kubera to the north, their next the mountain range the father of Gaurey, the Himalayas; and there on the country, that is enclosed; that is Kashmir. (Rajtarangni)
This land, fashioned by gods who somehow forgot to retrieve it to the heavens is beleaguered, tossed and tumbled through the ravages of time. Descended from the blessed to the cursed, now it cries out to the world of what it was and what it has come to be.
The geographical position of J and K as well as the nature itself has not spared this land of its catastrophic fury. This land of Kashmir has always been vulnerable, sometimes to the fires, sometimes to waters and even the disastrous Earth quakes. Natural calamities, aside this beautiful piece of land is up for grabs to our envious neighbors like China and Pakistan. To make the situation even more worsen and worrisome, the whole J and K has become hot bed of terrorist activities. Perhaps only god can save this land from turning it into a hell and scary to visit.
Quite for some time now, it is hard to take our eyes away from TV sets, disseminating information about the monstrous floods which have engulfed the whole state and that too quite instantaneously even for the people to save their lives and important belongings. These gruesome floods have thrown life out of gear leaving every site horrible. Some people stranded in the flood, some crying for help on their roof tops, some looking for safe shelter in the life saving boats. As water is receding from many areas breath taking sites of dead animals and human beings are revealed. The entire valley has been teared apart from the rest of the world. The roads the bridges and the communication towers all are in devastated condition. Kudos to the Indian Army and other rescue forces who are leaving no stone unturned in rescuing the stranded people and supplying them with essentials like food water and medicines.
Watching and hearing the reports of devastation caused due to floods, sometimes my mind becomes suspicious of the hope which we have nurtured for the last 25 years, of returning back to our birth places, shall be washed away with this calamity of flood. Can the nature which nurtures and gives life to every one without any discrimination can be so fierceful and dreadful, destroying the lives within the splash of a second. Hands up in the air craving for help should have been busy in harvesting delicious fruits grains and all other crops in these days.
Today, even though the wounds of exodus of community have still not been healed up but their heart certainly goes out and out to those who are in trouble there in the valley; Forgetting everything about the past, Feeling too helpless to help those in need, tears can’t stop rolling from their eyes. At once the flashback of humanly planned genocide (1989) of minority community strikes the mind, in the wake of which one community were forced to leave the Valley for good. Obviously, what valley and effected areas of Jammu are facing today is the natural genocide. However, difference between the two are immeasurable our exodus didn’t gather any national attention. We cried our hurtful few hundred KM’s away from our homes and hearts. Not the floods but the blood bath were seen everywhere. Family members were scattered, the native of south Kashmir got shelter with the natives of North. Those from the west Kashmir shared their food and water with those from unknown east and vice versa. Everything mingled up just to save the identity and the honor. The whole valley was echoed with sounds of gun shots, bombs, rockets etc. At that time buildings roads and streets bridges and pathways all were under the flood of masses as today the same areas are under the water. But one thing that is common between that past and today this present is the camouflaged dress men rushing in all possible directions rescuing the common man. The whole minority community were shun to deserts, those old age people who were never exposed to 35° C were forced to shift overnight to 45°C.
Today, free boat and free aircraft services and other aids are being provided to those stranded is quite exemplary in itself and role model for the entire humanity. At the time of exodus people left their ancestral properties, their valuables with a hope in their eyes to return back after that bad period would be over. Unfortunately, till now that bad period is becoming worst day by day. It is humbly appealed to one and all there that even though we may not reach to them but our arms are always open to welcome them and take shelter in our present homes (so called migrant camps) till this bad phase is over. Let forgiving and forgetting be the stepping stones of our new Kashmiryat and ages old traditions. Let we all pray together for a better tomorrow that is embedded with the jewels of unity and brotherhood and woven with the threads of unflinching bond that is not broken by any force in this world. We are all ready to embrace those who are destroyed by the floods because we know the pain of losing our nears and dears. Though we have left our homes and hearts forever but we pray that they should return back sooner or later hale and hearty. Let the neighborhoods become lively again with the shouts of children and the laughter of men and women. Last but not the least, let those rest in peace, who have lost their precious lives in this floods.
