Let us start from Kashmir-Part three

Prolonged alienation will be suicidal for both
After Mangalore Plane crash on the run way, every time a plane takes off and lands and sometimes wobbles in the mid air due to wind turbulence, there is always an inexplicable uneasiness, fear and anxiety for passengers. I too shared this fright as an ordinary human.I am sure both the crew and the passengers would soon get rid of this fear factor as the time acts as a healing agent.

When I sat in the plane at Chennai airport, I did not have any great expectation; or any kind of set image about Kashmir. As I don’t have much knowledge about its political history and its economic dimensions, I just flew without much dreams, ambitions or inhibitions. But after reaching there and feeling and smelling the cool wind of Himalayas and getting enchanted by the pleasantest touch of the Mother Nature there, I began worrying about the discomfort of the region being weighed down by politics and military monitoring, albeit in a modest way, for the fear of militant’s attack or disturbances.

Our connecting flight to Srinagar was delayed for many hours. The Indian Airlines, enjoying the captive market of Government employees, was an embodiment of inaction. It was just true; there was no one to respond to our queries. This gross indifference on the part of Indian Airlines was just irritating. There was no mention about our flight number at all at the display board. At quick intervals one or two flights towards Srinagar were taking off. Having lost all my patience and the level of endurance, once I located a middle aged lady officer, I was about to give vent to my feelings and blast her left and right. But alas, when I picked up the conversation, I was pleasantly shocked by her kindly gestures and words. “Sir, the flight is getting ready. In a few minutes we will announce the gate number. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused,” She replied. There are still a few souls, which are saving white elephants from being tarnished.

Thanks to the bungling of the travel agent and his attempt to book the ticket at the last minute, all of us found ourselves berthed in the business class. Later I was told that he paid only economy class fare and we were accommodated there. I don’t know how far that story would be true. My neighbor was sitting with a small kid, a cute boy. All through the journey the boy took only water and nothing else. My neighbor was a business man of all shades and color and traveled more frequently. Since he is also a contractor I could get some empirical proof about the quantum of corruption ruling there like other regions.Late Rajiv Gandhi was very much worried about rampant corruption in Bombay congress meet long ago. At that time the young leader was very much concerned that very little indeed reached the common man from the Government expenditure.This hydra headed monster has assumed a Himalayan proportion now. A casual chat with him made me realize that how Kashmiris, having their own distinct personality and life style are getting themselves alienated from the mainland .I put it differently to him that India has not made any sincere or serious attempt not only to assimilate and absorb the Kashmiri population but also the North eastern states into the mainstream politics and economics. I will come back to this question later.

Like a small kid , taking only water and not touching anything else, treating them as foreign, Kashmir too doesn’t want to have much truck with the mainland. I could smell and feel that in the next one week. Please note, this feeling of alienation was very subtle, gentle and fully explicit; but I must hasten to add that almost all the Kashmiris I met were very polite, polished and refined in their behavior. For this prolonged alienation, who is to be blamed? I don’t know. But one thing is clear to me that the both sides must do a honest soul searching and try to develop deep bonds, avoiding the trust deficit among themselves in order that like a typical traditional Hindu marriage the political union would survive and sustain itself on a stronger foundation with mutual give and take. But it is easier said than done because the crucial economics has not gone deep into the soil of Kashmir and dirty and destructive politics has virtually molested that rich soil. Kashmiris are neither poor nor rich.Mnay tribals are in a pathetic state, struggling with subsistence living and dependent on horse, grass and forest food and of course on the arrival of tourists. Being poor and ill clothed they fight among themselves for survival. I will come to that aspect later; it is really a Darwin’s world for the survival of the fittest.