A House, But No Home in Kashmir

Two weeks ago, on a hot summer day, I visited Jagti along with my father. Jagti is a village near Nagrota town in Jammu province, which straddles the national highway connecting Jammu and Srinagar. At present, Jagti gives shelter to around 4000 families; seeing the clustered structures, I couldn’t fathom how they must live. Families…

Letter to Pradhan Sevak of India

Dear Pradhan Sevak of India, On January 19, 2015, that is today, Hindus of the Kashmir valley will complete 25 years of forced exile away from their home. Ah! A Silver Jubilee of Exile! 25 years of homelessness. 25 years of loss. 25 years of desolation. 25 years of melancholy. 25 years of longing. 25 winters. Your…

Long Dream of Home

January 19 marks the exodus/displacement day of Kashmiri Hindus from the valley. The Hindus of Kashmir valley started leaving Kashmir on this day in 1990 because their blood was sought by Islamic fanatics. Around four lakh Kashmiri Pandits took a hard decision of leaving their ancestral homeland in order not to get slain. They left…