' Thum Alla ka Bacha Hain'

My first visit to Kashmir in last June changed my perception about that place. When I landed, Srinagar airport resembled of an ‘army barricade’ ,with all men in uniform around. I couldn’t find any traces of people in the airport. I was vainly searching for the person who was supposed to receive me at airport in the midst of staring glances of army men. I made a call to that I could hear only my host’s voice saying ‘I am here come out’.
Then I realised unlike in other airports visitors are not allowed anywhere near the premise of airport. I was under the impression that Kashmiri’s are living under terror.

With a kind of anguish and anxiety I left the airport with my host, but on the way I could find lush greenery and misty mountains all around Srinagar. I haven’t seen such amount of greenery in any cities of India. The gigantic and elegant ‘chinar trees’ stand everywhere as a representative of Kashmiri pride. The people seemed bothered about nothing other than their daily cores, life seemed flowing as usual.

The lovely place and her smiling beatiful people captured my heart. I was clean bowled by the hospitality of the people of Kashmir. Wherever I have been to, they made me feel at home. They serve ‘ Kashmiri kawah’ (a delicious drink made of cinnamon, saffron, cardamom and green leaves) as if treating someone very close to you. I never felt like this anywhere in India, except may be in Dharamsala among Tibetans.

I could see hope in people’s eyes during my stay there. They are just like any others struggle to make a living, ordinary people having ordinary dreams, hopes. And every Kashmiri complained me of how media portray their land in a bad light. ‘They don’t write anything good about Kashmir, but keen to write bad things’. One Kashmiri Business man told me. I even wondered are we too much interested in negative things? Bad things get good publicity.

It was a refreshing experience to watch the dal lake from the house boat in the early morning when the foggy mountains were pampered by the mild sun rays. The cool breeze around me lend fresh air and I would like to be in that feeling again with a hot cup of Kashmiri Kawah. The sight of boats moving through the lake in the morning itself was so enchanting to my soul. Dal lake is like a town in itself. Everything from vegetables to dresses and jewels to handicraft items are available inside the lake.

I left Kashmir with a hope to visit again, with so much wordless emotions stored in my heart. The kind words of an old village man at my host’s bunglow rebounded towards me, ‘Thum Alla ka Bacha Hain’,(You are child of God). I couldn’t hold back my tears when he murmured that to me while putting his hands on my head.