Burhan Wani

Isn't it amazing that a mere 22 year old boy, Burhan Muzaffar Wani is touted by the media, as the most dreaded terrorist for the large Indian state..

Isn't it alarming how his killing has affected the masses to come out onto the streets of Kashmir to throw stones at the Indian State? 30 innocent Indian citizens are dead. Over 150 have suffered bullet injuries. Over 50 will lose their eye sight forever. 7/8 police personnel too have lost their lives.

I have read in the media that he was the poster boy of new-age militancy, that he was intelligent and belonged to a well-off family of teachers, that he was proficient in using social media and managed to attract local youth into the separatist program in Kashmir. http://a.msn.com/01/en-in/BBu6YmO?ocid=st

What is responsible for making this young guy a terrorist? The story goes like this: One evening, Burhan had gone for a motorcycle ride with his brother Khalid and a friend when they were beaten up by personnel from the Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K police. That was supposedly the tipping point. Burhan was 15 and a student of class X, when he left home to become a militant (in the eyes of the state), a separatist (in the eyes of a common Kashmiri).

In April 2015, his brother Khalid who was doing his PG in Economics was killed by the Army in an alleged fake encounter that left no bullet marks on his body, but smashed teeth and a broken skull. His only crime was that of being born as the brother of a Separatist militant.

Would these killings stop the separatist tendencies in Kashmir, in Assam, in Nagaland, in Manipur? Can we please sit and understand why do we have such separatist tendencies?

Most importantly, can we not consider him a Muslim Jehadi? Is it not that, his being a Muslim is just incidental. Before him, many educated Hindu separatists and innocents have died in Assam, many educated Christian Separatists and innocents have died in Nagaland, many Buddhist and tribal Separatists and innocents have died in Manipur.

One police officer in South Kashmir said, "What Burhan started won’t end with his death, it may get a fresh life with his death’’.

The Indian State will have a tough time if we don't understand the basic spirit of liberty and identity that guides humanity.

Surprised in Jammu City about Srinagar

Today, I got pleasantly surprised as I was entering Jammu city for the first time in my life. Ending my Ladakh biking trip, I am to take a train back to Mumbai tomorrow.

I had an impression of a city comparable to Srinagar. While Srinagar is the summer Capital, Jammu is the winter Capital of Jammu and Kashmir. So common logic implied that both the cities would be similar in development and progress.

I was by far under-estimating Jammu.

Jammu city is a clean, modern well planned city that has wider roads with quite a few fly-overs. It has a six lane bridge, the likes of which is even unseen in Delhi and Mumbai. Interestingly, the bridge is so wide that one lane is used for casually parking vehicles for a lazy evening chat.

I wonder what is to blame for this stark difference between Jammu and Srinagar. Is it the local governance? Is it terrorism? Is it something else?

While in Sonamarg yesterday, I was having an interesting discussion with two local shop-keepers. They were openly antagonising the local governance. They were strongly opposing the dictat of Omar, Farookh, Mufti and the whole gang.

Ironically Omar thinks otherwise. Please read this article that was published in the Hindu.

Frustrated, the shop-keepers were saying, "They should go and stay in their villas in London and America...Kashmir does not need them... India is giving enough money to the state but everything is being used for personal benefits and to buy properties abroad. They added that Manmohan Singh is a good person but if our own people are corrupt, then what is our future..."

Then they said something quite remarkable. They said, ".. there is one person who is a good politician. Karan Singh from Jammu side is a good man and thinks about the state and our people..."

Frankly, I dont know if Dr. Karan Singh is from Jammu but now that I am in Jammu, it surely looks like he is from Jammu...

Srinagar is one of my favourite cities. I wish for as much development to happen over there as I have seen in the Jammu city. I pray that Srinagar also gets a Karan Singh as a leader working for the development of the region.

Omar perhaps need to get out of his ivory tower.

Dope on Kashmir - the real tourism destiny

God knows how the fake IPL player writes one blog every day... perhaps because he does not have a permanent job. My frequency, sadly has become lesser than one blog post in a month! 

Good that he is not being picked up to be in the field by KKR (or it could be any team??), we are getting to read an interesting blog !!

Sorry, I am here to write about Kashmir. I am not into writing travelogues but it is my belief that Kashmir is the best tourist destination in India, which is making me write something about my travel to Kashmir. The simple reason is that you just can't get bored of the variety of natural beauty in Kashmir even if you stay for a month... there are so many different and beautiful scenery and places to tour that it is never ending. 

Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit is the end of March. Snow melts and Kashmir becomes drive friendly and tourist friendly in terms of costs and convenience. To enumerate the reasons for discipline:

1. The roads are clear of snow and travel is not a problem
2. The temperature is moderate. Daytime is one sweater cold and nights are 3 blankets cold. So you actually get to experience the cold.
3. Gulmarg is filled with snow. There is a Gandola ride that cant be missed and it is no less than switzerland. See it to believe it guys.
4. Other snow destinations like Yusufmarg, Sonemarg etc are snowclad and can even overwhelm an icelander.
5. Pahalgam is green. Snow is gone and the meadows are beautifully viewable. Horse ride is possible and a must do there.
6. Most importantly, March is the last off-season month. You can enjoy the off-season prices and the best facilities, as everything is renovated and made ready for the coming season and the rush of kids and 'gujarati' families.

More on Prices...
The main occupation is tourism and so every family is doing something or the other for the tourist. There is abundance of houseboats, hotels, Shikaras (boats), rent taxis (qualis/sumo) and the other necessities. Basically supply is definitely more than demand in the beautiful month of March.
Okay, if you are loaded with black money and can throw cash without the slightest guilt or if you are unfit or lazy to do some 'mehnat' to bargain for the best bet at multiple places, then it is your call. For some, vacation is complete relaxation, extravagance and becoming fat (piggish). They can ignore this section of this blog on pricing and cost management.
Some tips of how to get the best bargain. Enumerated again for the disciplined reader:

1. Do not book any packages. Let me repeat, do not book any packages through your hometown travel agent (tourism consultant as they call themselves).
2. The smaller houseboats will give you a room for Rs. 700/- and the bigger ones will come for not more than 1200/-. This is including breakfast and dinner. Yes of course, non veg included!!
3. Water Skiing in Dal Lake is a must and that would come for 300/- per person. Its fun so you may give the nice guys a few hundred more for a longer session of wateraxia...
4. Skikara is the only mode of transport in the Dal. They would come free with the houseboats. Twice in a day they will take you to the city and back. They have a shikara ride session and that will cost Rs. 400-500 for the whole day of floating on the Dal.
5. In Kashmir, you should stay in the Dal. Take a houseboat in the middle of the lake and swallow the experience. Hotels are costly and it would be foolish to stay in them.
6. You need to hire a qualis to travel around the valley. A good qualis with AC comes at Rs. 1000 a day. You take it anywhere and drive it till you get tired.
7. Do not stay in Gulmarg. It is best to be a one day detour. It is the most beautiful snow capped place and the worst in terms of 'guide' menace. Gulmarg has pony ride all over the snow or human pulled sledge rides. Do not take any of their services. They are a difficult race and even your taxi driver wont utter a word for you in front of them. They will say that upfront before you reach Gulmarg. What you need to take is a pair of what you call gumboots or snow boots for Rs. 100.
8. In Pahalgam, you may stay a day or two. We stayed in Mountview and it was quite a nice stay in Rs. 1500 per night. Horse ride will take one full day and should cost you not more than 400 per horse.

So enough about prices... cant remember anything else. Its more than a month that I saw Kashmir. I will add anything that comes to my mind.... Keep visiting...
Some recommendations to end this blog...

1. We stayed in a houseboat called "Young Bombay" owned by Noor bhaisaab. An extreme gentleman and the service is excellent. It is a small houseboat but surely worth for Rs. 700/- bucks per night of hugging 'hot water bottles'. Quite interestingly, during this time of the year, most of the houseboats do not operate their heaters. They give you hot water bags that we normally use for back sprains. They put it inside your blankets when you are having dinner and that keeps the bed warm to get into. Staying in Mumbai, it sounds so unbelievable. Sleeping with hot water bags inside 3 thick blankets. That will be suicide by dehydration in Mumbai.
2. We rented a qualis owned by one dear gentleman by the name "Nazir". Great guide, Great Qualis and completely dependable. Worth your 1000 bucks per day. You can call him at 9906937297 and inform about your arrival. Again, do not book a package with him. Pay him by the day. Projectwise costing as we say in the corporate world
3. We had a great fun-filled horse ride in Pahalgam. Cant remember the names of the guys who were our guides but enclosing a photograph and you can ask for him. Sweet chap, endearing to see him all red when you joke with him...

Why did I delay my writing this blog... cant remember much. I was planning to write over 10 blogs on Kashmir but now I cant even finish one... procrastination is sin.
Anyways, I will add in whenever I remember anything more... till then adios...