Monday 24 April 2017

Notes From Kashmir

Mumbai ka fashion aur Kashmir ka mausam, donon ka koi bharosa nahin hai (Mumbai's fashion and Kashmir weather are unpredictable and change abruptly) quipped Hilal our affable cab driver while referring to this year's unseasonal snowfall in Kashmir on April first week. Later I heard the same gag from others.

For someone fed on a daily diet of TV footage of masked stone throwers, a couple of disturbing viral videos and political uncertainty in Kashmir, I was wishing the above quip on uncertainty was strictly confined to the weather and not about any other aspect of life in Kashmir.

Srinagar airport provided a picture of surcharged security. Here the CISF men were wielding guns, instead of metal detectors and while leaving the airport we saw a line of vehicles waiting to get in. "While entering Srinagar airport people have to undergo two baggage checks, one at the entrance and one inside," explained Hilal pointing to a check post outside the airport and a posse of security personnel.

As Hilal cut his Toyota Innova through the dusty narrow streets of Srinagar on our way to Pahalgam, the day of our first night halt, the landscape of houses, shops and mosques with sloping corrugated tin roofs, mostly green in colour, caught our attention. "This is to prevent snow from accumulating on the roof," said Hilal. Later I discovered that many of these roofs had ornate wooden ceilings underneath.

When we reached Srinagar outskirts, names like Pampore, Pulwama rang a bell, as they were scenes of recent bloody gun battles between the terrorists and security personnel. All through our stay in Kashmir (April 15-19), we used to constantly run into armoured trucks, with mounted guns. The presence of security personnel was all pervasive with jawans from CRPF and BSF, wielding automatic guns, at prominent street corners and sensitive areas.

As we neared the town of Anantnag, the traffic became dense and there were jams in various stretches, so were the potholes. Sensing our displeasure, Hilal quipped that to "reach heaven you have to first cross through the hell!”

At Anantnag we came across the first spray painted anti-India graffiti calling for azadi on walls and shop shutters and some praising Burhan Wani. During our stay in Kashmir we did come across similar graffiti with alarming regularity while passing through other sensitive places, especially Lal Chowk and Downtown Srinagar. At some places, they were overwritten using red spray paint. All this provided a grim reminder of seething discontent amid the outward calm.

After Anantnag, the traffic became thinner and it was a much smoother ride with a lesser amount of potholes and landscape too became much more scenic. Then we entered Sangam village, and we were informed it apparently acquired the name as Raj Kapoor's Sangam was shot there.

At Sangam we came across neatly piled up well chiseled wooden pieces arranged in a square pattern at various places. "These are cricket bat manufacturing units," explained Hilal.

Quite surprisingly most bat making units had Virat Kohli as their poster boy on their signage and just one such unit had a picture of Shahid Afridi and that too sharing space with Kohli. Probably it was done keeping in mind the Indian buyers or because Pakistani cricket is currently going through a lean patch with no master class wielders of willow on the horizon after Afridi.

Once the road started running parallel to the gushing Lidder river the landscape underwent a picture perfect makeover. Tall trees, including the much-famed deodar and pines, made up the breathtaking landscape and it continued well up to Pahalgam.

While unloading suitcases at the hotel in Pahalgam, Hilal advised us not to go out of the hotel premises after dark. By nightfall the place became cold and the streets were deserted barring some lone men clad in pheren (a long woollen overcoat) or some random vehicle passing by.

Kashmiris have a peculiar way of wearing pheren. Very rarely did I come across someone who has slipped his arms through both the sleeves. The first person I came across had slipped a right arm through the sleeve, while the left sleeve was dangling freely. I assumed probably he was handicapped! Later I came across many who had both sleeves dangling and realised it was their way of beating the cold.

Due to unseasonal snowfall in April first week, the mountains had lavish toppings of it and a lot had flowed down the ravines. From a distance, they looked like white shards and as our vehicle traversed towards Aru valley they were visible from close quarters.

These were huge blocks of ice with 2-3 foot thickness. They were not so white and appeared mixed up with mud and even the remains of vehicle fumes. As our vehicle neared the Aru valley I came across houses that had a small tank like structures made of stones to store snow!

Treading on snow can be extremely treacherous and slips could take a toll on your ligaments and even bones. But I was astounded by the enthusiasm shown by some senior citizens. At Chandan Wadi I came across an elderly gent, easily a decade or two past his retirement, being pulled up the slope on a sled by a guide.

Another Sikh gent with a flowing grey beard had a slip while posing for a photo while sporting a 'V' sign. As a reflex action my eyes got shut, but a while later I was amazed to see him get up. Later at Gulmarg too I saw such boisterous senior citizens happily trying their hand at skiing and sledding down the slope. Age no bar – For Indians from plains snow makes them do crazy things!

While returning to Srinagar from Pahalgam we came across many shops that had downed shutters. We thought it was because of Sunday, but later realised it was due to a bandh call in protest against police firing on protesting students.

Fortunately, during our itinerary, we never ran into any untoward incidents, though we did tread many times through usual trouble spots such as Lal Chowk and Downtown Srinagar. Quite often on returning to the hotel after sightseeing trips, I used to find the front page of Greater Kashmir daily awash with news of unrest in Srinagar.

I have been hearing about Dal lake right from the geography classes in school, and later saw many film songs featuring Shammi Kapoor with the lake as background. Even then its vastness astounded me, especially when viewed from the Pari Mahal.

The shikara ride could have been pleasant but was marred by floating hawkers trying to sell their wares ranging from handicrafts, shawls and even offering photo sessions in traditional dresses.

One of the most visible signs of protracted militancy in the area was the total absence of liquor shops and cinema halls. A sundowner during cool nights would have been welcome, but most hotel managers told us alcohol is banned in State and we too did not come across any liquor shops while traversing through the city. And Hilal being a devout Muslim was of little help!

Cinema halls too were conspicuous by their absence. The only remnant of a hall we came across was Shiraz at Khanyaar, but it had elaborate barbed wire fencing and was now functioning as a CRPF camp. Hilal reeled out some 5-6 names of cinema halls that used to function in the city during his childhood days and recounted that the last movie he saw in theatre was in 1999.

However, Bollywood continues to be an obsession among the Kashmiris. While at Aru valley every horseman was offering to take me to the place where Bhajrangi Bhaijaan was shot. During one of the drives around the city Hilal pointed to a plush hotel and said, "This is where Salman Khan stayed during the shooting of Bhajrangi Bhaijaan."

Clearly, India's greatest soft power has outlived the militants' strong-arm tactics, with DVDs and pen drives providing that tenuous link for most Kashmiris.

During our stay in Srinagar, I was quite surprised by the presence of Sikhs. First I thought it was because of the widespread presence of army, but later I realised that many of them were traders and long term residents. Some were even part of Jammu and Kashmir police. The presence of gurudwaras in Srinagar and even in remote Pahalgam indicated that their presence was deep-rooted and long-standing. 

Srinagar's streets continue to be swarmed by now defunct Maruti 800 cars. Though in other cities they may have become as rare as house sparrows, here the iconic family car continues to have a good presence, while newer small cars like Alto and Hyundai Eon have so far met with modest success.

For tour operators last year was a tough one and they are hoping and praying for a better tourists inflow in 2017. According to them, there are three evils - politicians, some black sheep in their society (read militants) and media, a comparatively new entrant in this hall of shame. "One stone-throwing incident happens and TV channels keep playing the footage for days together," was their common refrain.

Also Read: Bangalore Beat