I'll rise again—I'm Kashmir We have no other choice than to rise again

I'll rise again—I'm Kashmir
We have no other choice than to rise again

What remains with me?
If my hope too is allowed to die.
I will not accept the death,
before the death
I will rise again
I am Kashmir.

Merchants of despair and hopelessness are busy spreading canards that my beloved Kashmir is doomed forever and that it will never rise again. While Kashmir is desperately marooned in water, the mercenary voices—the fifth communists—are more desperate to maroon all the hopes. Our collective shortcomings may require a corrective mechanism, but is this really the time for that? Healthy criticism is welcome. Condemnation, however, of an entire nation, trying to recover from a natural calamity of hitherto unforeseen magnitudes, is only the trait of fifth columnists within our ranks.
Whosoever spreads the falsehood that we are inherently a bad people, fated ultimately to be ruined is simply the agent of evil forces; programmed only to suck all the hope from our hearts that we can overcome. Which nation hasn’t been wrecked by a disaster, natural or manmade, but the resilient nations certainly rise again. Obviously this is a clear call of the nature: either reform or perish. Certainly, we will seek a collective penance for our collective failures, and also ask for forgiveness for our individual shortcomings. Obviously, in order to rise again and not to be condemned forever. What choice we have other than to rise resolutely again. And there are plenty of heart-warming, hope giving and shining examples of legendry Kashmiri resilience, already. The mercenaries of despair have been decisively trampled by the emissaries of hope.
May be I am hopelessly hopeful. That’s however only a philosophical discourse. Honestly speaking and without any bias, during this time of extreme distress I couldn’t figure out a single incident of treachery and deceit. I am only witness to innumerable acts of compassion and camaraderie. I came across no instance where a boatman was reported to have fleeced a desperate family needing help. I witnessed no Kashmiri trying to exploit the desperation of the other Kashmiri, to live-on. I experienced only a collective will of Kashmir—to live on and rise again, of-course, as a nation. From Nowgam to Rambagh, the area I remained confined to, I experienced only the incredible resilience of Kashmir.

A journalist friend from Jelanabad shares his experience with moist eyes; how a common Kashmiri reacted to nature’s fury, in submission and in resilience. The friend along with his family including a critically sick mother was rescued by a millionaire Kashmiri, who that day had volunteered to be a boatman. In the evening with a satisfied mind, due to the rigorous effort of rescuing so many in a short span of time, he had endured the wounds of the oaring on his hands. Somebody in Majeedbagh had almost lost all hopes about his sister’s family caught in the floods at Natipora. His neighbour, while negotiating the makeshift boat of Truck-tyres, was nearly drowned. Who can risk his life just for the sake of his neighbour in fourteen feet deep gushing water? Do we still need to be convinced about the resilient nature of Kashmir, never-die attitude? A Hindu doctor and his family from Doda, is rescued, and the honourable man is profusely thankful to the locals only for their daring act. Minority community members find refuge in the houses of Muslims in Jawaharnagar. I was also narrated an incident of four Pundit brethrens finding refuge in the safety of a mosque in Rajbagh. And there is a never-ending stream of heroic deeds. And I must confess that the so-called burger-pizza generation of Kashmir proved us utterly wrong. All our criticism that our next generation is hopelessly detached from the collective interests of the society proved just a self-conceived notion.
The way our heroic boys confronted the challenge of killing waters with valour and courage, really makes us proud. There can’t be a greater test of our resilience and whosoever believes that Kashmir’s future is not safe should come and experience the courage and tremendous sense of duty of our boys.
Literally next door to our house, two young brothers and their friends along with their father, a senior government officer, right from the go were completely engrossed in the rescue effort. They used to leave in the morning only to return in the late evening. The effort of the enterprising youth began with the dingy [highly] risky truck-tyre, later graduating to a trendy boat. Out of curiosity, I asked the younger brother, who in their family and where, is trapped? The answer was quite exceptional: ‘we just go out to rescue the people.’ Boys from Chadoora, Tangmarg and other close-by places arriving, was fairly expected, and rescue teams from Doda, Kishtwar, Bhadwerwah or other places too rushing in, invokes a deep sense of solidarity.
Turmoil stricken valley for last quarter of a century have has to undergo many disasters, big and small. On each and every occasion people have responded to the call of duty with tremendous sense of alacrity. The present calamity has surpassed all the past disasters. In a matching response, locals have come forward to provide a helping hand to the needy, even beyond their normal capacity. Call me biased or whatever way you like; whosoever I saw rescued was rescued by the locals only. Maybe I am exposed in a limited manner to the multiple crises. As a matter of fact, however, I can only vouch for my own experience, howsoever limited it could be.

Others too came to help us out. And it’s not time to distinguish between a sincere effort and pretensions only to make us feel small. Irrespective of the intent, as a grateful nation we thank all those and whosoever offered a helping hand in this time of dire distress. Kindness needs no publicity; a sincere act of compassion will naturally invigorate a deep sense of gratitude, after all we are humans and not cattle. A genuine relief operation, however, will invariably differ from a Public Relations Exercise (PR). This goes without saying, people are wise enough to distinguish between a relief activity and a PR operation.