Tricolor all across in Kashmir! Girls, boys and young children singing the National Anthem, the Facebook posts of some of my friends and acquaintances, the wishes received from the Professors at NIT Srinagar and Kashmir University, and the tweets by many who matter in the political circles, or do not matter made the 76th Year of Independence very special to me. Born in a Village called Ramanagri and brought up in Srinagar and studying in a good public school, the focus at the time, while I was in Kashmir, was to get a good education. Education in Kashmir, be it in Government schools or Private Institutions was never compromised. Everyone irrespective of their religion, background, social or economic condition invested in the education of their children. That is why, probably, we Kashmiri Hindus survived outside our homelands and people back home in the valley are doing great in various fields, are all across in India and exceling in various fields abroad despite terrorism in the state now a UT.

However, this education, many times in the last few decades, saw impingement from a section of people. When it came to India, India we know, and India we were taught in books and compared it with India discussed in Kashmir, the overall narrative created a paradox.
For 16 years I was in Kashmir. For a girl who started dreaming of many things and also started analysing things, the hate for the concept of India started surfacing. I wondered, suddenly, why things that never existed are surfacing. Things that I did not even think of started showing more apparently Maybe, I was too naive to understand it. Many things happened in between and often I think why can't kashmir be at peace with India. The recent visit in July 2022 seemed to be a visit full of hope. I observed development, I saw Dal Lake free of pollutants, I saw women well dressed as they used to be before, without fear, roaming around. I saw gardens with flocking groups. I saw those family picnics happening and people carrying all kinds of food and having spreads and happiness on their faces. I saw people dining out, chilling out and I saw young couples in Shikaras, not the tourists, the locals, the Kashmiris enjoying the evenings.
I saw a change! A welcome change and that gave me happiness and it came as a soothing momemt and reconciliation of the loss! I Lost many things, my friends, the weather, and nature and of course my home. The loss is irreparable, but still I told myself, Kashmir is the best and it is Paradise. Majority of the people talked about work happening on ground, classes being held regularly, students keen to learn innovative things, the aspirations to join Amazon and Google. The patents in the names of their innovations, the publications, the grants coming from the Government of India and opportunities and possibilities were the topics that people discussed with me. And then came Independence Day. I was pretty happy, I thought we were there. Development wins and terrorism looses.
I was happy for the people of my state, the kids and the education sector per se. But Kashmir throws surprises! Yesterday's killing of a Kashmiri Pandit in an apple orchard came like a bolt from the blue. Has nothing changed? Is this a paradoxical situation and is it going to confront us forever? Can we be more proactive and choose happiness over sorrow. Can progressive Muslims raise their voice and be more vocal about what they want and can we decide firmly on what we want to give to our children. Our children are blessed, they come from Kashyap Rishi's land and are really good and receptive. I am a teacher from the core and have travelled almost all across India. I have steered workshops with school children, and one thing I can vouch for is that children from the state have potential to excel. If we serve them with hate, they will absorb hate, serve them the love they will reciprocate. Let us decide which way we want to go, at least for them, for our own children, choose love, compassion and empathy.
For India, Kashmir has always been a priority, and that is reflected in its Education system. The new universities have come up, the Central University that the government of India wants to be set up as a state of art Educational Institute in North India, and many more are in the pipeline. Let us invest in creating and nurturing this ecosystem and leave everything else aside if we want to progress and march along with the entire country. I, on behalf of my community, want to ask you all a question? What is my fault? Why do you kill me to prove a point? We are very few people, a small population, contended and hardworking, we are workaholics, all we do is work hard, slog and earn our bread and butter? We have a lot left to live. Let us live. We never raised slogans, never showed happiness on things which we wanted to, thinking that you may not approve of it. We were called cowards because we wanted to live. Do not kill us for. Let us forget hate, remember love. Let us move forward, we have a lot to see. Let our kids see a better Kashmir and brighter Kashmir!
Let these fertile minds grow in peace and prosperity.

Email:-----------drmkoul@gmail.com
Writer is a Prof, Dept of Botany, Hansraj College University of Delhi