‘Pandit exodus a blessing in disguise’

Though displaced Kashmiri Pandits often desire to go back to their homeland, a particular segment of new generation thinks the exodus is a blessing in disguise. A woman entrepreneur in New Delhi says: “The outcast gave the community an opportunity to venture out and see the world. Yes, we feel marginalised in our state, but our people worked hard in various states and are doing well.” She says there are a lot of job opportunities in the corporate sector outside which is not the case in J&K. Regarding their culture, heritage and identity, she said: “We were hounded out and the government at the state and Centre just watched the holocaust. We were weak and could not save ourselves, how was it possible to save the culture.” — Vikram Sharma
‘Anti-national’ tag for BJP leaders
After Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti tagged all those opposing Article 370 as “anti-nationals”, BJP leaders have started calling their seniors in the party and other leaders of the Sangh Parivar as “anti-nationals” just to taunt the party ministers who maintained silence when Mehbooba dubbed the Sangh Parivar “anti-national”. During a meeting of activists of the Sangh Parivar last week, a Sangh Parivar leader in his inaugural remark suffixed all participants with the title of “anti-nationals” only to chide BJP leaders. “The only noticeable achievement of the BJP ministers in the coalition government is that we and the founding fathers of the Praja Parishad and the Jan Sangh have been painted as anti-nationals by our own government,” he remarked. — Dinesh Manhotra
Homebound as weather improves
As the weather has started improving and sunshine is back, people of the Kashmir valley who were in Jammu to spent the harshest winter period “chillai kalan” have started going back to the Valley to resume work. The 40-day chillai kalan ended on January 30. A week after that, the weather started improving in the state. The opening of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway is facilitating the return of people to their homes. Every year, thousands of people from the Valley travel to Jammu to spend a couple of winter months there. Many of them have bought and even constructed their houses in and around Jammu city. — Amir Karim Tantray
Acting, dancing schools mushroom
As more private TV channels are broadcasting youth talent hunt programmes, a number of academies have come up in recent past in the winter capital which train children in dance and acting. Parents are also taking a keen interest in the extra-curricular activities and motivating their children to join the classes to hone their creative skills. Various organisations are conducting talent hunt programmes in the City of Temples where celebrities from across the country interact with participants and give them a chance to show their creative side — Vikas Sharma
Dusty stretches irk commuters
The prolonged wet spell in the Valley has ended and snow on roadsides has melted. Though people are enjoying the sunshine, roads that have dried up after snowfall and rain are turning dusty, irking the commuters. Last year, blacktopping works could not be taken up due to the summer unrest. Now, people are troubled by the dusty roads, especially in areas were roads were dug up to lay drains. The stretch from Ram Bagh to Jehangir Chowk, where the flyover work could not be carried out last summer, is one such dusty stretch and people are hoping that the constructions works are speeded up with the improvement in weather. — M Aamir Khan
Sunshine brings hope
The signs of arrival of spring in the Valley and bright sunshine for the past three days has brought new hope in Kashmir which witnessed a bloody summer last year and heavy snowfall this winter. The children are waiting for the schools to reopen and the people whose work was affected due to the harsh winter are also preparing to start afresh. The lengthy unrest last year and the suspension of work for five consecutive months has brought a fatigue among people who are now hopeful of a peaceful summer ahead and want to make up for the losses. — Rifat Mohidin