Monday, February 28, 2011

Bollywood in Gulmarg-II!

The longest interaction I had with Bollywood stars was with Shashi Kapoor. He had come for the shooting of "Namak Halaal" which was produced by Prakash Mehra. In the plot of the movie Shashi Kapoor (some Indian Prince) is supposed to be skiing in Europe and the bad guys go to Europe to assassinate him. Prakash Mehra told my friend Pappoo Sharma one night that he was planning to go to Switzerland to shoot and by chance he spoke to Nazir Bakshi. Nazir suggested to him that a scene like Europe could be created in Gulmarg.

He took his advice and came there with his crew. They took close shots of French ski lifts and Highland Park Hotel. Fortunately for them, at that time we were conducting our internal races which they shot. They were successful in creating the ambiance of Switzerland in Gulmarg! Most of these film units were trying to create European outdoors in Gulmarg especially in winter. Those days it was quite expensive to go abroad for shooting and also the budgets for these films were small compared to present day. Now film producers prefer to go abroad and the budgets are in crores! The most popular film which showed Gulmarg as Gulmarg was Bobby. The shooting was done in one of the huts of Hotel Highland Park which came to be known as the Bobby Hut! One of the spots for sight seeing for Indian tourists to Gulmarg was the Bobby Hut. Probably, the Indian film units would have continued to come to Gulmarg and other parts of Kashmir but for the turmoil of nineties. The violence scared away all these units. We tried our best to motivate these units to come back after 2003 but they did not feel confident enough. Now, the Tourism Department has been trying again with some success but mostly low budgeted film units are coming. Only a few big ones are venturing into Kashmir. The most of the big ones still prefer to go abroad!

Coming back to Shashi Kapoor’s trip to Gulmarg, it was an exciting adventure. Off and on we used to take a day long trip to Srinagar in our jeep to bring some provisions and hold some official meetings. During one of these trips while moving on the Residency Road we met Nazir Bakshi. He hailed us to a stop. It had been raining in Srinagar. Gulmarg had over 8 feet of snow and it was still snowing intermittently. There were three of us in the jeep. Pappoo Sharma, my friend from Jammu was driving the jeep. He is an expert driver and owned a four wheel drive Cherokee. Vijay Kaul, the best skier from the Central School was accompanying us. Nazir Bakshi told us that one of the film units conducted by him was in Gulmarg. He had to send Shashi Kapoor to Gulmarg for shooting. The road was through for four wheel drive vehicles with chains only. Nazir requested us to give him a lift from Tangmarg to Gulmarg. He would be sending him by car to Tangmarg. We told him that we would be back in Tangmarg by 5 pm and he should reach there by that time. After finishing our chores we reached Tangmarg around 5 pm but there was no sign of Shashi Kapoor. We started putting chains on the wheels. It was snowing but not heavily. As soon as we finished the mounting of chains on the wheels of the jeep, Shashi Kapoor arrived in a car. He was dressed for a social evening in Mumbai.

A kurta-shalwar, with a white pashmina shawl draped over the shoulders. He was wearing a pair of fancy casual shoes. I was surprised. Probably he had absolutely no idea where he was going? Pappoo drove the jeep and we put Shashi in the middle on the front seat. With a film hero sitting next to him, Pappoo got somewhat excited and showed us his driving skills in a virtual snow tunnel with about six feet on either side. In spite of the chains, the jeep would skid into left or the right snow wall sometimes. Each time Shashi would utter a cry of fright! I told him to relax. It was not a Bollywood movie but a reality show. It was a job to calm him down. Due to falling snow and very slippery road our drive up to Gulmarg was quite slow. We reached Gulmag around 7 pm when it was already dark. Those days the front road up to Hotel Highland Park was not cleared. We had to drive on the Alambal Road to the back of the Hotel and climb 100 odd feet or so to reach the Hotel. Pappoo and I walked up with Shashi to the Hotel lounge. The climb was an ordeal for Shashi. He must have had over a dozen falls in soft snow. We virtually carried him up. Those days Shashi was quite slim and smart. He was shivering with cold in his fancy dress and shoes. After getting warmed up, he left for his room and asked us to stay back for dinner. He was profusely thanking us for saving his life! As we too had to go to our hut, we excused ourselves and let him relax. Next evening he gave a gala dinner in our honour in the Highland Park Hotel and told everyone that we had saved his life in the snow storm. Subsequently Pappoo and I met Shashi Kapoor number of times during his shooting forays in Kashmir. Unlike other celebrities, he would always meet us very warmly and recall the events of that evening in Gulmarg. These days whenever I see his recent photos on the internet or in journals, I cannot believe it is the same Shashi Kapoor, slim, smart, and active! Time changes everyone but the memories are everlasting!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Who wants a “Hot” summer?

The attitude of Delhi and Srinagar suggests that they are preparing for another “Hot” summer?

For some unknown reasons, inadvertently, or deliberately, both the central and the state governments have been taking steps which appear to be sowing seeds for a confrontation with the masses on a much larger scale next summer. It appears as if they are preparing for another “Hot” summer in Kashmir. On one hand even the Prime Minister is keeping his fingers crossed but on the other hand, right from the President downwards all are claiming from the pulpits that there is improvement in Kashmir situation. They seem to be either deliberately projecting the present calm as deceptive peace or they are so naïve as to take the lull before a storm as return of peace and reconciliation. Firstly, there appears to be total confusion in Delhi. The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing! Home Secretary announces recall of 10,000 troops while as the Defence Minister says no troops will be withdrawn. The Army General in Kashmir goes a strep further and says not a single soldier will leave Kashmir. Civilian authorities both in Delhi and Srinagar keep on parroting that the notorious legislation AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) is being re-viewed and the Chief Minister declares that many areas would be taken out of the disturbed area regime. In contrast, the Defence Authorities including some Generals, usually favourites of the electronic media, throw a spanner in the works declaring that their troops cannot fight insurgency without AFSPA! The interlocutors appointed by the Central (Ministry of Home Affairs) send an invitation to Geelani for talks but Delhi Police which comes directly under the Union Home Ministry directs him not to leave Delhi. Who is in charge? Or is it deliberate attempt at frustrating these leaders? What messages are they sending to common Kashmiris?

No doubt there has been a simmering discontent for last 60 years or so, yet the things have carried on with off and on upheavals. However, for last few years these upheavals have not only changed in character but have taken the shape of mass upsurges throughout the valley. The main trigger for these upsurges has been the oppression indulged in by the security forces. The turmoil of last two decades had converted Kashmir into a huge security forces’ camp. Kashmir became the largest militarised area of the world. The unbridled powers of these security forces added to the woes of the local population. The security forces could indulge in all types of atrocities and still go scot free because of AFSPA (Armed Forces Special powers Act). The violence of last two decades brutalised people but at the same time convinced them that they were getting nowhere through violence. This resulted in an attempt to achieve the goal through peaceful protests. However, the authorities instead of welcoming this change in the thinking of the people, viciously suppressed these peaceful protests. Instead of gracefully allowing people to air their grievances against the harassment of security forces in a peaceful manner, they termed it agitational terrorism and came down on it with a heavy hand. The stone pelting did not start ab initio. It was a reaction to the brutal suppression. People named it the Kashmiri “Intifada”. It was suggested that the local youth had taken a cue from the Palestinian “Intifada” In fact, some areas were given the name of “Gaza Patti” by the local youth. Deliberately refusing to see the reality, the authorities created hype about stone pelting and stone pelters by labelling the protests as violent agitation! The stone pelters were labelled as LET (Lashkar-e-Tayyaba) members and so on. Killing of innocent youth fuelled the unrest to an uncontrollable level and even the brazen show of force by conducting of flag marches by the army in unarmed civilian areas did not contain it. The worldwide coverage of the killing of unarmed peacefully protesting civilians unnerved the central government and they tried fire-fighting measures by sending groups of officials and parliamentarians to defuse the situation. For the first time it was admitted on the floor of the Parliament that the problem in Kashmir was a political one. “A unique problem needing a unique solution!” Many confidence building measures were announced and a group of interlocutors was appointed to ascertain the governance difficulties faced by the people as well as propose a political solution to the problem. However, strangely the government appeared keener to ascertain the problems faced in carrying out development activities in Jammu and Ladakh than giving a real healing touch to the sufferings of the valley dwellers! It was expected that the lull in the turmoil would be used by the central and the state governments to address the immediate grievances of the people so that there was no repeat of the last year’s situation.

Even if one would regard the recent contradictory declarations from different authorities in Delhi as part of the Kautliya strategy, the actions on the ground starkly demonstrate that the authorities are not interested in peace but are sowing seeds for another upheaval. None of the steps mentioned in the eight point package of confidence building measures have been implemented on ground. Out of 400 bunkers hardly 20 have been removed. Now, it is given out that all bunkers on the road leading to Srinagar Airport will be removed. This appears to be a step to deceive outsiders visiting Kashmir. They will feel everything is honky dory while the heart of Kashmir continues to be under the iron clamp of the security grid! Instead of releasing political prisoners, hundreds of youth have been detained all over the valley and on some of these the Public Safety Act has been slapped. Instead of so called habitual stone pelters, all able bodied potential young men capable of participating in mass agitations are being rounded up like criminals. These measures appear to be in line with the Chief Minister’s emphatic declaration that he will not allow in any case the repeat of the last summer! The moot point is whether this is the way to forestall a new upheaval or it is the best possible way to restart the earlier one? Added to all these negative measures is the globally telecast “Egypt Effect”. There have been umpteen articles about similarities between the Egyptian uprising and Kashmir turmoil. There is no comparison as regards the basic problem. The Egyptians are fighting for internal self-determination while as Kashmiris are struggling for the external self-determination. However, there is a clear message from the Middle Eastern upheavals. Peaceful leaderless mass protests conducted in a disciplined manner can even dethrone a powerful Pharaoh! True or false, a whispering campaign had been going on at the end of the last upheaval calling for blood revenge in June. There is still time till “June!” Delhi and Srinagar should get their act together to give relief to Kashmiris and not sow seeds for something worse sprouting next summer! The new “Intifada” inspired by the Arab Revolution may be impossible to suppress.

****************************************

Comments at: ashrafmjk@gmail.com

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Seeding a new agitation!

(Both the State and the Central Governments appear to be deliberately or inadvertently seeding a new agitation in Kashmir next summer!)

There is loud thinking going on about the possible situation in Kashmir during the forthcoming summer. The state government is supposedly taking umpteen measures to prevent another “Hot” summer. The Chief Minister has emphatically declared that he will not allow the repeat of the events of the last summer! For more than five months last year Kashmir was under virtual siege. Calls for shutdowns were reinforced by government curfews, both declared and undeclared. Schools were shut making students miss sizeable portion of their syllabus. In economic terms, the loss was in thousands of crores. No doubt there has been a simmering discontent for last 60 years or so, yet the things have carried on with off and on upheavals. However, for last few years these upheavals have not only changed in character but have taken the shape of mass upsurges throughout the valley. The main trigger for these upsurges has been the oppression indulged in by the security forces. The turmoil of last two decades had converted Kashmir into a huge security forces camp. Kashmir became the largest militarised area of the world. The unbridled powers of these security forces added to the woes of the local population. The security forces could indulge in all types of atrocities and still go scot free because of AFSPA (Armed Forces Special powers Act). The violence of last two decades brutalised people but at the same time convinced them that they were getting nowhere. This resulted in an attempt to achieve the goal through peaceful protests. However, the authorities viciously suppressed these peaceful protests. Instead of gracefully allowing people to air their grievances against the harassment of security forces in a peaceful manner, they termed it agitational terrorism and came down on it with a heavy hand. The stone pelting did not start ab initio. It was a reaction to the brutal suppression. People named it the Kashmiri “Intifada”. It was suggested that the local youth had taken a cue from the Palestinian “Intifada” In fact, some areas were given the name of “Gaza Patti” by the local youth. Deliberately refusing to see the reality, the authorities created hype about stone pelting and stone pelters by labelling the protests as violent agitation! The stone pelters were labelled as LET (Lashkar-e-Tayyaba) members and so on. Killing of innocent youth fuelled the unrest to an uncontrollable level and even the brazen show of force by conducting of flag marches by the army in unarmed civilian areas did not contain it.

The worldwide coverage of the killing of unarmed peacefully protesting civilians unnerved the central government and they tried fire-fighting measures by sending groups of officials and parliamentarians to defuse the situation. For the first time it was admitted on the floor of the Parliament that the problem in Kashmir was a political one. “A unique problem needing a unique solution!” Many confidence building measures were announced and a group of interlocutors was appointed to ascertain the governance difficulties faced by the people as well as propose a political solution to the problem. However, strangely the government appeared keener to ascertain the problems faced in carrying out development activities in Jammu and Ladakh than giving a real healing touch to the sufferings of the valley dwellers! It was expected that the lull in the turmoil would be used by the central and the state governments to address the immediate grievances of the people so that there was no repeat of the last year’s situation. Unfortunately, inadvertently, or deliberately, both the governments have been taking steps which appear to be sowing seeds for a conflagration from the masses on a much larger scale. Right from the President downwards all are claiming from the pulpits that there is improvement in Kashmir situation. They seem to be either deliberately projecting the present calm as deceptive peace or they are so naïve as to take the lull before a storm as return of peace and reconciliation. Firstly, there appears to be total confusion in Delhi. The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing! Home Secretary announces recall of 10,000 troops while as the Defence Minister says no troops will be withdrawn. The Army General in Kashmir goes a strep further and say not a single soldier will leave Kashmir. Civilian authorities both in Delhi and Srinagar keeping parroting that the notorious legislation AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act) is being re-viewed and the Chief Minister declares that many areas would be taken out of the disturbed area regime. In contrast, the Defence Authorities including some media favourite Generals throw a spanner in the works that their troops will not fight insurgency without AFSPA! What messages are they sending to common Kashmiris?

Even if one would regard these contradictory declarations as part of the Kautliya strategy, the actions on ground starkly demonstrate that the authorities are not interested in peace but are sowing seeds for another upheaval. None of the steps mentioned in the eight point package of confidence building measures have been implemented on ground. Out of 400 bunkers hardly 20 have been removed. Now, it is given out that all bunkers on the road leading to Srinagar Airport will be removed. This appears to be a step to deceive outsiders visiting Kashmir. They will feel everything is honky dory while the heart of Kashmir continues to be under the iron clamp of the security grid! Instead of releasing political prisoners, hundreds of youth have been detained all over the valley and on some of these the Public Safety Act has been slapped. Instead of so called habitual stone pelters, all able bodied potential young men capable of participating in mass agitations are being rounded up like criminals. These measures appear to be in line with the Chief Minister’s emphatic declaration that he will not allow in any case the repeat of the last summer! The moot point is whether this is the way to forestall a new upheaval or it is the best possible way to restart the earlier one? Added to all these negative measures is the globally telecast “Egypt Effect”. There have been umpteen articles about similarities between the Egyptian uprising and Kashmir turmoil. There is no comparison. The Egyptians are fighting for internal self-determination while as Kashmiris are struggling for the external self-determination. However, there is a clear message. Peaceful mass protests can even dethrone a powerful Pharaoh! There is still time till “June!” Delhi and Srinagar should get their act together to give relief to Kashmiris and not sow seeds for something worse sprouting next summer!

*********************************

Comments at: ashrafmjk@gmail.com

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Bollywood in Gulmarg

Gulmarg Nostalgia-IX (Bollywood in Gulmarg)

One of the most interesting experiences during my stay in Gulmarg was the film shooting by scores of Bollywood teams. Almost four to five teams would descend on Gulmarg every winter. Most of the teams were not showing Gulmarg but were using the snowscape to depict some foreign location. Usually, the Indian hero would go abroad in the story and the producers used the Gulmarg scenery as that of a foreign ski resort. Gulmarg was undoubtedly scenic in winter. All the huts and hotels covered with huge amount of snow, long icicles hanging from the roof, and the pine trees covered in snow presented something not seen anywhere in India.

Nazir Bakshi of Shiraz Travels had absolute monopoly in conducting these film groups both in summer and winter. In summer they preferred Pahalgam which had some Indian touch. During winter their choicest destination was Gulmarg. Nazir Bakshi would be in touch with us for the facilitation of these groups. The visit of these film groups to Gulmarg had two interesting aspects. One was the creation of some local jobs for the people around Gulmarg and revenue to hotels etc. The other more interesting aspect was these actors and actresses being brought down to face the ground reality. All the glamour would disappear and they were forced to face the harsh realities of winter in Gulmarg. They were simply ordinary human beings there! It was very amusing to meet them after having seen them in the Bollywood movies. I had a number of personal encounters which were quite amusing as well as pathetic keeping in view the celluloid portraits of these people. Outside they presented a glamorous face while inside they were just like us with all the human weaknesses.

The first interesting encounter I had with Bollywood was rescuing the famous actress Rekha. She had come to Gulmarg for shooting some song sequences for a film. During that period there was heavy snowfall. The day she had to leave for Srinagar, the road from Gulmarg to Tangmarg was totally snowbound, and only four wheel drive vehicles with chains on the wheels could move on it. While going to the Tourist Office near the Golf Club, I saw some commotion and shouting going on. I saw Rekha talking to someone in a loud voice. She was shouting and crying at the same time. After I entered my office, the Central School Instructor Bajwa came in. He informed me that Rekha had a problem. She had to go to Tangmarg but the Director was not able to arrange a vehicle for her. The commotion was about this. He requested that I should take her to Tangmarg in the official four wheel drive vehicle. I told him to get her to my office so that I could find out what the problem actually was and would definitely help. After few minutes Bajwa returned with Rekha. She was very much worked up. I asked her to cool down and offered a cup of coffee. She told me that she is a madrasi girl and is not used to this cold. She also had her mother with her. I told her to relax and I would take her along with her family to Tangmarg. So, I carried them in our jeep to Tangmarg where other transport was waiting to take them to airport. She was very grateful for the rescue and thanked me before departing!

The other actors and actresses I met in Gulmarg are Shatrugan Sinha, Hema Malini, Zarina Wahab, Amul Palikhar, Ranjita, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Amjad Khan, Sahashi Kapoor, and Mithun Chakarvarty. Most of the time we met in Highland Park Hotel in the evening where these people used to stay. Sometimes we also met on the slopes during shooting. Shatrugan Sinha always remarked about my flat belly. He was very conscious of his protruding tummy! He wanted to know how I am able to maintain the flat belly. Well, I told him to cut down on booze and do some exercise which he could not do. Hema Malini took my pictures while skiing. It was exciting for the skiers to see a heroine take my pictures. In fact, it was the rides on my shoulder on the ski lift to young Farid (grand son of Benjie, the owner of Highland Park Hotel who tragically died in a car crash in Dehradun at the prime of his youth) that prompted her to take my pictures. Farid was too small for the ski-lift and I used to bring him up on my shoulders with his skis dangling on two sides. That made a good picture.

Another interesting incident was with Zarina Wahab and Amul Palikhar. One day I was going back to my hut 181 and saw from a distance a huge crowd surrounding it. I went straight to the door and rang the bell. My care taker Asad Ullah came out and I asked him what was it all about? He told me that some film shooting was taking place on slope behind our hut. The hero and heroine had felt very cold and wanted to warm themselves. Asad Ullah had not allowed them the use of our drawing room or my bed room but had put them next to a fire wood stove in his room. I felt little embarrassed and invited them to my drawing room. We had some tea together. It was funny to see these top stars warming themselves in Chowkidar’s room! One evening during my usual trip to the lounge of Highland Park Hotel I happened to meet Mithun Charvarty. He was playing cards with some instructors. He related to me his struggle to become a film star. He told me that he used to sleep on the foot paths of Kolkatta and had to struggle hard to reach the position he now occupies in Bollywwod. He told me that he is a black-belt in Karate. It was very interesting to meet these stars away from glamour as normal human beings! The most exciting and a long lasting encounter was with Shashi Kapoor which I will relate in the next episode.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Kashmir’s undependable “Lifeline”!

With the proposed rail link in a mess and the present road link sinking, the valley is destined to remain a physical prison apart from being a political one!

After having failed to link up Kashmir valley politically with the rest of India, the authorities in Delhi had made the Prime Minister announce the plans for a rail link to Kashmir. Probably, they had thought that a stronger physical link would increase economic integration and lead to political integration. Unfortunately, the plans have gone awry and according to news reports the proposed rail link is doomed to failure. CNN-IBN has brought to light the stinking mess of flawed decisions and cost over-runs of this ongoing project. The report on the channel claims that it has access to official audio-recordings of a key meeting between senior railway officials. It is reported that the very success of the project is in question. Already during construction of tunnels four portals have collapsed. The link is supposed to have the highest bridge in the world but due to the gradient the approaches have to go along the mountain sides which create their own problems. In fact, it has been alleged that the project was started without any proper planning. Main bungling has been at the planning stage itself. Instead of proper contour maps prepared on the ground, satellite imagery was used to fix the alignment. There was no proper investigation of the strata. In the meeting it is alleged that one of the members said that they will not have the courage to go back to the Prime Minister and say that the whole project has proved to be a flop show and it may have to be abandoned! Abandoning the project will be damaging internationally not only for the country but for the Indian Railways itself. There had been some talk about changing almost 75% of the alignment. It would have almost halved the cost. But the move was scuttled by senior railway officials for some unknown reasons. There seems to be an attempt to cover up the failures. It is given out that the project would be completed by 2015. Keeping in view the bungling, it is doubtful whether the project would ever be completed. It may carry on till 2050 like the Jammu-Udhampur link which took over 30 years to complete. The railway track within the valley too is a joke. A single track with couple of trains in a day. Presently, these too remain suspended. It is more like a toy train to cheer up poor Kashmiris and is not a real mass transportation link. However, there is allegation that the valley rail has been set up at the behest of the security establishment for quick transportation of troops in case of need?

There is no doubt that man has conquered nature in many fields with determination and will. Things which seemed impossible or were themes of some books on fiction like Jules Verne’s “First men on the Moon”, and “Twenty thousand leagues under the sea”, have been achieved almost exactly as imagined by the author. There are marvels like the Eurostar train crossing the channel tunnel or even the Mont Blanc tunnel. All these feats have been the result of tremendous hard work and dedication. However, the most important basis for the feats of linkage among these marvels of technology and hard work has been the urge of the concerned people to get linked up. In the case of Kashmir, in addition to being a fight against nature, the project does not have the basis of a willing linkage. Historically, the isolated valley surrounded by high mountains had only one natural linkage with the outside world. That was the route along the valley of the River Jhelum which subsequently became the Jhelum Valley Road. Till 1947, the year of the partition of the sub-continent and the first Kashmir War, this was the main road connecting Kashmir to Rawalpindi via Muzaffarabad. This road used to remain open throughout the year. There was an alternate road to Jammu known as Bannihal Cart Road. This was a seasonal road which used to be closed during winter. The division of Kashmir in two parts closed the Srinagar-Rawalpindi Road and there was no alternative for the Indian authorities except to upgrade the Bannihal Cart Road. Subsequently the construction of Jawahar Tunnel by Germans made it a year round access to outside world. However, in spite of the best efforts by the border roads organisation, the road has been a real headache. It must have gobbled up tonnes of money in keeping it going as the only lifeline of Kashmir! The worst portion is the stretch between Bannihal and Batote. The most dreadful stretches are between Bannihal-Ramsu and Ramban. It is all rotten rock and sliding mud. The tremendous traffic of thousands of heavy trucks continuously has shaken up the whole mountain. Right now these rock and mud slides are active again and the road is closed, stranding people and cutting off supplies to the valley.

There were many proposals to convert the link into a four lane expressway with couple of tunnels to bye pass the rotten area. However, these plans never materialised. Instead of upgrading the highway to an expressway or finding alternate alignments such as the one through Kishtwar-Simthan or concentrating honestly on the Bufliaz-Shopian Mughal Road, the top advisors and planners of the country decided to have a Rail Link. In fact, had there been no division of Kashmir, the Jhelum Valley Road would have been made into a six lane expressway by now! Ultimately, we may have to undertake up gradation of this natural passage way for an uninterrupted access to the valley. The basis of deciding the Rail Link instead of an international standard expressway is difficult to guess? Probably, the political planners felt that by linking Kashmir with the Indian Railway Network, reported to be the largest in the world, it will become more physically “integrated” into India? However, they seem to have missed the technical difficulties in forging the link!

In view of these damaging revelations, it is imperative that the Prime Minister takes a high level meeting about the whole project and directs the concerned to formulate a realistic project to link up the valley through international standard roads regardless of the areas through which these pass. There had been an allegation in the past that the road links through Kishtwar-Simthan and the Mughal road had been slowed down because the security establishment did not want the Kashmiri speaking Muslim areas of Jammu to get connected easily with the valley. Delhi has to rise above all these suspicions and trust Kashmiris if it truly wants to remove the bottle necks in linking the valley with the outside world and keep a lifeline open in all seasons and in all types of weather. At the moment the valley is like a physical prison with an undependable entry and exit. Attempts are being made to end the political siege of the valley through interlocutors and parliamentarians. However, there is urgency also to end the physical siege which has generated claustrophobia among the valley dwellers. Apart from improving the road link to rest of India, there is urgent need to restore Kashmir’s traditional links through Jhelum Valley as well as through Ladakh to Central Asia. Such demands are being already aired by even the mainstream parties now!

****************************

Comments at: ashrafmjk@gmail.com