- Dannie Absc, Pathology of Colours

As I leisurely browsed through a collection of poetry, my imagination wasinadvertently captured by this particular piece. It seemed to ring a bell,remind me of something - it was a glaring simile to Kashmir; Kashmir as we seeit today.

Growing up in a household dominated by Kashmir affairs, I always had a latentfascination for Kashmir; what it would be like - the picturesque serenity of theDal, the hustle at the Hazrat Bal, the towering peaks blanched by a glisteningwhite, the vast lush broken only by rivers and streams with sparkling watersgushing on its beds - these were but a few images that conjured up in my mind.My fascination being latent, in keeping with my background, to proceed beyond asubdued desire would only mean inviting trouble.

However, with the turn of events or a tryst with destiny, I landed inKashmir. Kashmir, the land designated to be "heaven on earth'' is truly inkeeping with the grandeur accorded to it. The scene witnessed at the Dalespecially in the wee hours, when it would be attired in its pristine glory,leaves one breathless; the horizon viewed from the top of Shankar Acharya withits chequered greenery is a marvel in itself; the boulevarded roads swirlingbetween meadows and fields in the countryside are an experience in their ownright.

One sight which bears complete enthrallment - and I'm sure no beholder canremain untouched by it - is a view on the way to Gulmarg just above Tangmarg.The scene sweeps you off your feet, the layers of lush and snowcapped mountainsdrowned in mist, hugging below a vast spread vale tinged in a plethora of greenswith white streaks of shimmering water running through its heart - it iscertainly one of the most captivating scenes in the world.?

Despite suchabundance of beauty and aesthetic lure, a gloom abounds. Vibrancy and vitality,intrinsic to such loveliness, are found lacking. Instead, a pall prevails as ifa widow in grief. What is it that has turned Kashmir - darling of every poet,desire of any aesthete - into such a lustreless, prosaic presence? It is notnature alone that stands ravished; the Kashmiri people, very essence of thisbeauty, have been ravaged. They have been purged of their personality andreduced to being worn-out, intimidated scapegoats.

These past 12 years have taken a heavy toll on the lives of Kashmiris and setthe clock ticking backwards; and as always it is the common man who has had tobear the brunt, his already underprivileged life devoid of the negligible, ifany, semblance it held to life. The initial conviction and commitment with whichthe movement was started and hailed, has long faded away; the preliminary visionhazed out only to be replaced by a drive of self-aggrandisement andmoney-amassing.

Sadly, everything here comes with a price-tag and the few voices of sanitythat emerge are conveniently scuttled. It is time the leaders transcended mereplatitudes and polemics and delivered. Their political work and handling ofsituations indicate a puerile approach; their moves and responses betray lack ofcomprehension.

Every stunt having a lifespan and a bluff limit, the Kashmiri leaders bluffhas been called. India commencing upon a new game-plan, by inviting Gen.Musharraf for talks, has hardly left any room for the Kashmiris. Also, withPakistan tacitly agreeing on the non-inclusion of the Hurriyat in the parleys,and India firm on not allowing a meeting between Gen. Musharraf and the Hurriyatleaders, Kashmiris, along with the APHC leadership, have been marginalised.

Though in the long term Kashmiris will have to be reckoned with for a lastingsolution, their ability to assert themselves as equals and lend weightage totheir say in the final rounds of decision-making has been considerably eroded.Their obstinate stances have left them politically irrelevant, at least for now.The repercussions of Gen. Musharraf's visit are yet to be felt. Maybe if theleadership shows some prudence and poise it may be able to reclaim some of itslost eminence.

Gen. Musharraf's proposed visit marks a new phase and is a stark departurefrom New Delhi's traditional stand on Kashmir. But there should be no naiveexpectations. The process that follows should bear in mind the intricate natureof the issue and the external and internal pressures on both sides. One factorwhich weighs heavily on this process is the unbridled onslaught of the jehadigroups.

These groups are not only creating a menace to India but are also detrimentalto Pakistan. They are fanning sectarianism in the country and abettingfundamentalism by chanelling finances from the huge amounts collected each yearas the Kashmir Chanda. They have grown into a powerful lobby with acapacity to sabotage any decision-making or policy not to their liking. Pakistanis slowly slipping into the grip of an extremist closed society reminiscent ofthe fearful communist days of the dreaded knock at the door.

Now is the opportunity more than ever to set aside acquired obduracies andexhibit a combination of statesmanship and stature. No doubt tough decisionswill have to be taken and painful compromises made, but that is the only way; itis only en route that peace as an outcome can result, and the region and itspeople get back their lost glory, the gaiety of their winds and the frolic oftheir waters.

(This article first appeared in The Hindu of June 13, 2001 and isreproduced here with explicit permission from them and the writer)