Oh Kashmir!

Oh Kashmir!

 A young colleague recently went to Kashmir for her honeymoon and showed us the beautiful, scenic pictures of India’s paradise on Earth.

Snow-capped mountains, serene lakes, verdant valleys, floral forests… every scenic spot was a slice of heaven.

Long ago Kashmir used to be a must-visit location for families. Who can forget the dimpled Sharmila Tagore smiling to the effervescent Shammi Kapoor in the shikara on the lake in Kashmir Ki Kali. Every romantic couple wanted to recreate that moment at least once in their lifetime.

Then for a long while tourism took a backseat as across-the-border militancy grew and terrorism spread its deadly tentacles. Kashmir became forbidden territory for tourism.

Some years back, the tide turned and Kashmir opened its beauteous arms once again to embrace tourists and visitors from all over the world, once more reclaiming its position on India’s map as one of the most-loved tourism destinations. Trade flourished, prosperity grew, peace was being restored.

And then out of the blue comes the Pahalgam terrorist attack to claim so many innocent lives, injure and disable many more, and scar for life a whole people. The sheer brutality and the utter inhumanity of perpetrators is a shock to our collective sensibilities, killing holidayers and families with no personal enmity.

How senseless is all this violence. Where does it all end? Who wins? Everyone only loses.

Kashmir – India’s beautiful crown – which should have been red with its flaming famous kesar (saffron) and its splendorous bountiful flowers, is today red with blood and anger and fear and hatred flowing through its valleys.

What a shame.

Pullout

Our beautiful paradise-on-earth is bleeding again…