Jammu: After 25 years of exile, young Kashmiri Pandits weave a different dream of a homeland.
While elders discuss a painful exile from their homeland, young Kasmiri Pandits are aware of the suffering of the earlier generation but they seem detached from their roots, and not too keen to return to Kashmir valley.
"I don't know much about Kashmir. I have lived in Jammu all the time. Jammu is my new home. All my friends and college is here," said Prashant.
While Prashant has come to identify Jammu as his home, others like Navdeep don't look back nostalgically at conflict-ridden Kashmir. "Look there are not many opportunities in Kashmir. There are not many colleges there as there are in Pune, Maharashtra and Career is more important," said Navdeep.
Mohit agrees,"Kashmir is zero in jobs and the hospitality industry. I need to earn money and Kashmir is not the right place for that."
Even though the younger generation grapples with different issues that of employment and education, one wonders whether the Kashmiri Pandits can ever go back home.
Apprehensive about their safety and wary of the hostile atmosphere in Kashmir, Prashant voiced his fears, "We want to go there but security is a concern. We move freely in Jammu and security is good here," said Prashant.
"Several governments have formulated plans of return and rehabilitation but it is never executed. When there is a big storm, no one stays on the ground. Several issues such as that of kauser Nag and others make me feel that the return of the Kashmiri Pandits back to the valley is not possible," lamented Nitin.
The youngsters are wary even of the many proposed rehabilitation plans and have unfortunately adopted a cynical approach toward them.
"Not a viable solution to have a state within state. That is not the solution to the problem. The disparity and polarisation will not go. Ghettoisation is not an answer. The rehabilitation should be done in such a way that society is able to accept the people as they lived before," said Tauseef.
Others like Fakira opined, "Why are you forgetting that the Sikhs will also demand separate zones. This will invite more problems. We know Kashmir is not a peaceful state but we still need to think about this."
"What is happening in Kashmir is that extremist voices are hijacking the agenda and the sufferings of Kashmiri Muslims and Hindus are equal and there should not be any competition. Dialogue should be initiated and moderate voices should take center stage,"
The emergence of a new generation of Kashmiri Pandits was expected and politicians from across the spectrum would do well to take them seriously.
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