March 31st 2016: After India lost a cricket match to West Indies in the World T20 series, the Kashmiri students of NIT Srinagar rejoiced and started celebrating the defeat of their “own nation”. This, was unbearable to the nationalist non-Kashmiri students of NIT Srinagar who could not stand the celebration of their nation’s defeat by the so-called “misguided” Kashmiri youth who have been beneficiaries of the Indian Union while fighting it simultaneously, while their provincial-brothers are reeling in PoK under the yoke of the terrorist state- Pakistan. The nationalist students, who were comparatively less in number, showed exemplary courage and protested the vulgar show of trait and deception. They They were attacked, thrashed, bashed and humiliated by their fellow Kashmiri classmates. The local police beat them too, instead of providing security. They received death threats but they stood firm and didn’t flinch. The whole nation saw- how a handful of brave Indian boys showed what nationalism is. They became heroes. In every sense of the word.
Almost one and a half year later, the same boys have done the unthinkable again. They celebrated Dussehra in such a grand way at NIT Srinagar in Kashmir that even the authorities stood perplexed. This is the same Kashmir where the “misguided” Kashmiris pelt stones at the Indian soldiers, put on graffiti saying “Indian dogs go back”, attend funeral of terrorists like Burhan Wani or Afzal Guru, throw stones at the Amarnath pilgrims and have destroyed 208 Hindu temples in last two decades.
When the whole nation was celebrating Navaratri in their part of the country, the brave-hearts of NIT Srinagar brought the long forgotten tradition of celebrating Navratri, back into the very heart of Kashmir.
The boys of NIT Srinagar celebrated the pious nine days with religious fervor. The students held puja and arti throughout the Navratri, which was unthinkable during the previous years. They celebrated Navami in a grand way by staging a cultural programme in the university campus itself.
The NIT Srinagar students organized a grand Hawan in the campus on the day of Mahanavami and fed people, children, etc.
On the Day of Vijaya Dashmi, NIT Srinagar students participated in Ram Leela celebration and burned the effigy of the embodiment of evil- the demon king Ravana.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_HyzDHPakM&t=7s
The whole NIT Srinagar campus reverberated with the chants of “Jai Shree Ram” followed by “Har Har Mahadev”. The atmosphere was so electric that the following video is sure to give you goosebumps.
The campus of NIT Srinagar, which was the witness of the brutal lathi-charge on the nationalist students for chanting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” nearly one and a half year ago, echoed with “Jai Shree Ram” and the same boys who received a beating last year, were roaming wearing saffron mufflers holding their head high.
Kashmir, the “heaven on Earth” has faced the burn of terrorism like no other region in the World. The paradise was turned into a bloody battleground where horrific deaths and armed clashes became a routine affair. With the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley, the colors of Hinduism faded gradually. Once the state fell to the grim anarchy of territorial wars and clutches of Salafi Islamism, everything that was Hindu saw a decline in the valley. Numerous Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs were robbed and butchered, their daughters, sisters, wives, mothers, etc were raped and sold, and their families forced to flee.
The situation in Kashmir is changing slowly but steadily, thanks to the Modi-led NDA government, which is showing the will and the zeal to solve the Kashmir issue. This year, Navratri was celebrated in the valley under tight security. Thousands of devotees from across the country visited the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi to mark the beginning of the annual nine-day Navratri festival in the foothills of Trikuta mountains, in Reasi district. Public Health Engineering Minister Sham Lal Choudhary and ministers of state Priya Sethi and Ajay Nanda flagged off a grand ‘shobha yatra’ from Asia chowk to the main bus stand.
The state tourism department planned a series of religious, cultural, sports and folk events during the festival in collaboration with the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. It is indeed a laudable achievement that after more than two decades, the tradition of Ram Leela was revived at the Vaishno Devi shrine. After 28 long years, the Kashmiri Pandits celebrated Dussehra and burned the effigy of Ravana this year at Anantanag in South Kashmir, which was considered as the fortified citadel of the Kashmiri militants. It is the same Anantanag, where Hindu pilgrims were attacked recently. The eyes of the displaced Kashmiri Pandits speak of a faith that they have put in the current government. This festive season was probably the best gift they received till now.
The CM of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mofti attended the Ram Leela at Polo Ground in Kashmir to witness the burning of effigy of Ravana, Meghnad and Kumbhakarna. On the occasion, the chief minister was presented a shawl as a token of love by the organisers of the event. She was accompanied by Minister for Public Works, Naeem Akhtar, MLCs Surinder Ambardar and Khurshid Alam, etc.
In Jammu, the Parade Ground witnessed a grand Vijaya Dashami celebration where Ram Leela was held and the effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbkaran and son Meghnath were consigned to flames. The Sanatan Dharam Sabha (SDS) organized the event and the Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Nirmal Singh participated as the chief guest. Along with him, the Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma, Minister of State for Education and Tourism, Priya Sethi, Legislators, Sat Sharma and Rajesh Gupta, etc. were also present in the event.
Kashmir, which was reeling with pain and bloodlust, is gradually seeing a change. In recent times, the CM of Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti had visited Kheer Bhawani shrine and attended the puja. Slowly, a new Kashmir is in the making and the harbinger of that change is none other than Narendra Modi. Had he not been the PM of India and had not BJP formed a government in J&K, this change would probably have taken many more years to come. Many Many more Years.
