We landed at noon and realized we have absolutely no way to contact our friends who were coming by other flights almost the same time. Our outside sims were not working at Srinagar Airport. Life without phones after such a long time. Came outside and saw the snow peaked mountains far away and realized it is actually true. We are really in Kashmir far away from irritating humidity we had just a couple hours ago in Mumbai. Ahh the feeing. Some clouds here and there and it started drizzling.
Talked to two young men at a shop outside the airport. They had been to Rajasthan once and after 5 minutes of chatting they invited us to their homes. Felt quite amazed at their hospitality and warmth. Little did we knew that it is what we are going to relaize for the next one week. They taught some kashmiri there and then but said it is a very difficult language and it is good if some kashmiri teaches us.
We collected somehow and met Mr. Sudarshan Rodreguiz, a tiss faculty who came here only to assist us. A fine young man graduated from LSE. One of my friend told us he had checked his fb profile and he is really a dude with interest in biking at Ladakh. Later we came to know he handles a lot of multi disciplinary Projects from Ladakh to Andamans. He shared so many of his experiences with UNDP and other agencies in the week.
We found ourselves greeted by Director of Rural Development, Mr. Ishtiaque himself at the airport. A real humble person who has actually “adopted” us by now. In the car our driver Mohd. Sultan told us at the lal chowk how people come from both sides when their is a fight with security personnels. At the same time he mentioned the fight for ” Azaadi is nothing but for chair. All a kashmiri want is to be like he is right now. Nothing more nothing less.”
Just near lal chowk we had reached IMPA – Institute of management in public administration and rural development. Got good comfortable rooms. Had lunch outside and realized Srinagar market was really good. Two men of our age started discussing politics just when we told them from where we are.
IMPA
Our hostel
Next 3 days we had lectures from 11-4pm comprising of economics, demography, geography of J&k. Also some special laws like RTI and public services guarantee acts of the state. Many of the speakers mentioned how Art.370 becomes hurdle and some laws have to be passed again by state assembly like RTI. Mostly the concern was about the lack of private investment in the state due to the same article denying people from outside to buy land in the state. Legally a person from PoK can buy land but not from Banglore. The professors did not leave the absurdity of the article going unnoticed. They said even the term PoK itself is a misnomer. A large part of jammu had also been occupied by Pakistan. In the last one week when I chatted with some people I found even the ones who believe Kashmir should be separated and be governed by islamic laws feel that private investment is still necessary and the law should change accordingly. This is when one would wonder how ridiculous the whole “debate on having a debate” on Art. 370 is.
In the evening we went to shalimar bagh. Beautiful sceneries in the backdrop and a mughal architecture filled with number of fountains in the garden. We realized dal lake is just 5 min walk from our hostel and made sure we are coming here the next morning.
By 6 we were in the lake. No tourist could be sighted. We were all alone watching village people doing their mundane works in the lake. It was here we realized that calling Kashmir heaven is not an overstatement at all. I would request you to go to dal only in the morning, nothing would be better place to be. Some of us even swim in the cold water and it was totally worth it.
We spent our evenings and mornings visiting places. Chashm e shahi is a garden having spring. The water from here is said to poccess high digestive properties and used to be sent to Pt. Nehru. The time we went it was all under clouds and a magnificient experience. 3 of us went there and we really felt royal in garden. Met an amazing guy who ran the only reatuarant there. First time had a Kewah. It is a hot beverage using saffron, almonds and cinamon. It was really very good. He invited us to frisil, Anantnag at his home and said that people there love to have guests. Generally everyone we met in Srinagar emphasized that there is a hardly a security threat in Kashmir as projected by media. And times have really changed. Our driver mentioned that in 90s the situation was really tense. People died in dozens daily in the crossfires. While we were passing across the ministers bunglows he mentioned their used to be bullets all around on that very road. He had to give up his studies in college. But now situation is very normal.
Four days later we read two LeT members were killed in an encounter in Frisil, Anantnag. Sitting in impa hostel comfortably we wondered if it is really as normal as it was projected by the restaurant owner at his hometown.
Next morning 5 of us went to shankracharya. We could see the hill with temple on top near our impa road daily. The view from top was again mesmerising. I wish they had allowed our cellphones and I could show how beautiful it was, dal lake on one side and highly meandering Jhelum on the other. One of my friends remarked, “No wonder Shankracharya sat here for years!”
We came back tracking down. Some of the pictures on the way I can post here.
Reached conference room sharp on time congratulating ourselves only to realize the class was delayed by half an hour. The lectures went on. Most of them were very good. Mr. Alam was the head of IMPA and had assured that we had as much exposure to state as possible. He was also a very friendly person and asked us to go to Gulmerg as soon as possible. Pointing at our faculty he said dont worry about reports and all just take a car and go visit Kashmir.
Next morning was Sunday and we were at Gulmerg. An hour journey and the road itself was worth exploring. We realized it was a place where you can take a photo anywhere and it would be worth setting as a wallpaper. Some of the random photographs from my mobile are here:
We had a guide, Altaf , who told us it is difficult to be depended only on tourism which is easily effected by weather and conflict in the valley . He said he takes care of his studies also. He pointed out another guide to me telling he is an mba and still a guide. No jobs at all. He spent an year in Delhi as a car salesman but the attitude of the boss and salary was too bad to survive and hence returned to Tangmerg, a town just below Gulmerg. On our way back in Gondola he mentioned in winters he teaches skiing and come from top to the gate of his house skiing only.
Returning back I had a chat with Sameer, our driver. One can note here that people are generally involved in a loy of things professionally. As there are less class barriers in mind one could see a driver or a restaurant worker better off than many others. Another thing which would go unnoticed here is the fashion among youth. Sameer seemed to be like any other guy from Mumbai with trendy shoes, shirts etc. but with more warmth. He also invited us to his home. He mentioned how he made one of best friends from Rajasthan who came to his home. He took his 2 year old son from his in laws on the way.
In last 4-5 days we realized it is not just courtsey or formality people really wish to have guests. The tradition here is mehmaan-nawazi. I remeber in an autorikshaw when we asked about if we would find difficulty in staying at a village in Kashmir the driver said people in village are very good and they would welcome us to their homes even for months, while in Srinagar people are money minded and would even charge you for your stay!
Sometimes I wonder if it is the beauty of this place that has made people so wonderful here. I am writing this blog a week later than the events mentioned. I am far from city sitting on the bank of jhelum in district pulwama. It is different from Srinagar but yet very beautiful. The very place I am sitting and writing look like this . the extreme right is where I am staying.
