This refers to the article “Truth and Reconciliation” by Riyaz Ahmad. The author mentions that “Pandits also left for ideological reasons. Here was a community caught un-enviably between the expectation of a majority community with contrary political aspirations and the allegiance to a country they called their own”. Were the ideological reasons absent from 1947 to 1990?  Have they cropped up in 1990 itself? The fact is these differences were there and will be there always. That effectively means that a person can be killed if he has political view that is not agreed to be a militant. The author says “the community has a legitimate all-pervading fear of ethnic extinction.” Well I am just informing the learned writer that we have on other hand diversified the Kashmiri culture beyond the Valley of Kashmir. You could not find Kashmiri cuisine, vegetables, spices, bread available and served outside Kashmir before 1990, which is now a reality. It may come as a surprise to you more and more Kashmiri Muslims from valley, Bhaderwah like to build/own a second home in Jammu or Delhi, some near the Kashmiri Pandit homes? I do not know how many people know this? For example in Delhi, Mumbai there are telephone directories of Kashmiris made and distributed to be in touch and who is who? We organize Kashmiri music sessions. On Shivratri we do hold community get-together where Kashmiri tradition of giving a packet of salt and token of Kharch of one rupee to married women folk is still maintained.  In other words we are trying to keep our traditions alive beyond Kashmir. Regarding Kashmiri-specific matrimonial sites Koshur Manzimyour era is over. Web Technology is in.

B.N.Tickoo
New Delhi
bn_tickoo@ibibo.com

Lastupdate on : Fri, 27 May 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
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