FREE MINDS

Here is a what a young free mind had to say in a poem (published recently in a newspaper) about the current scenario in Kashmir. I found the irony too sad not to share with everyone...read on to find out for yourself what the tender souls are being watered with in the current toxic political scene in the "paradise lost". It is so sad that all the madness, uncertainity and cruelity around, is having a hopelessly devastating effect on everyone in that unfortunate land. May be even God has forgotten it like the rest of the world...

"FREEDOM"
by Tabish Nazir

The idea of freedom has been agitating me for so long. NEVER WAS I so aware of what freedom meant to my people, nor did I ever give a thought to the thousands of deaths and scores of massacres that occurred long back when I was just a toddler. Never did the slogans of liberation stir my heart, nor did they ever grab my attention. A simple life, going to school, coming back, friends, and family etc. That was my life just as expected. But right when I was in the seventeenth year of my life, I witnessed something I had been knowing all my life but never considered pondering over it. I realized that those strong voices demanding freedom weren’t just expressions of excitement but those of enthusiasm. For the first time the unprecedented happened, at least it was unprecedented for me. Millions marched on roads, some with dark bands on their foreheads and some with green flags in their hands. Perhaps my very first views were obvious, nothing but wastage of time and energy. But as days passed I went deeper and deeper into the psychology of all those who had suffered at the hands of their fate. And then for the first time I saw misery in the eyes of those who were orphaned, those whose dear ones had been killed but what actually set me ablaze was the plight of those searching for their beloved, unaware whether they are alive or not. Though easy for me, life wasn’t as easy for my people. I sensed their obsession for freedom as they raised their voices against oppression.

A spell was cast on my people, my town
That its men will lose in the test of time
Yet they’ll fight amidst voices forced down
Tranquility and its journey to crime.

Blood-strewn streets were cleaned so soon
But on thy mother’s veil O son
The stain remains since that Friday noon
You were killed and yet you won

Though her screams have silenced long back
But she still waits for her beloved
Hoping you’ll come home for a snack
Tired in the fields, your feet naked.

Your child knows his father is gone for long
To the land where God resides
Yet yearns for your lullabies, that one song
With which his sleep abides.

Your footsteps aren’t being heard now
In the courtyard of dreams and hopes
But your thatched roof, just see how
Has bent as snow adorns the slopes.

Old and bent, your father is tired
Knows you won’t be back again
But curses his fate for the day you were fired
His son wriggled away and died in pain

Alas! Your room, your working place
Lies in wait for you as well
Your tools with which you worked with pace
Your widow stares at that doorbell.

She will be alone now in this wide world
You have left her in ever-widening pain
And as she lies afraid and curled
In the corner; all her prayers in vain.

All of them know you were innocent
So do they know who killed you?
Their cries and complains search for a vent
Your sweet memories can’t be bidden adieu.

Friends are waiting for a joke to be cracked
Though the soil has engulfed their friend
In their hearts, your words lie stacked
Lives have changed, never to mend.

Your blood-stained shroud and the peace
With which you lay, so calm
Closed eyes in the final good bye
Their last hold onto your arm.

You have died a causeless death
And millions like you had a plea
That uttered in their last breath
“I am innocent, do not kill me”!!!

I still cannot make out why that feeling occurred to me as I felt “my people are dying and yet I can’t help”. That revolution occurred may be not in the form of a real revolution for Kashmir but definitely it was a revolution for me that changed my aspect of thinking, my dimension of looking at the word freedom. And for all that I want to thank my people, the people of Kashmir to let me understand the meaning of freedom, liberation from fear and oppression and there are undoubtedly hundreds like me who realized the love for their motherland. Amidst all this I have a plea, we all struggled against oppression, the voices were crushed, the marches banned, the warriors killed but there were very few who thought of the immeasurable loss to the young students of Kashmir, the future of Kashmir...more on the original webpage (on http://www.greaterkashmir.com/)

Paradise Lost!

Some more pics of my beautiful Kashmir Valley, who ever shot these pics did an awesome job. Bravo! I tried captioning the pictures where ever I could:

TULIP GARDEN IN SRINAGAR:

THE OLD CITY: "WHERE EAGLES FLY AND THE MOUNTAINS ARE HIGH!"

THE BUND ON DAL LAKE:

DAL LAKE AND SHIKARA: FLOWERS ON DEMAND!

HAZRATBAL MOSQUE ON BANKS OF NIGEEN LAKE IN BACKDROP OF MOUNTAINS:

HOUSE BOATS:

THE MUGHAL GARDENS:

VILLAGE LANDSCAPE: LUSH GREEN TERRACED PADDY FIELDS:

GOING OUT TO THE GROCERY STORE? :-)

CLEANING DAL:

ANOTHER COLD SNOWY WINTER DAY, WEARING THE "LONG PHERAN":

A WALK ON THE EDGE OF REALITY AND DREAMS!

ON RIVER JEHLUM'S BANKS:

A SNOWY MORNING IN HISTORIC POLO-VIEW, SRINAGAR:

MISTIQUE OF THE VALLEY AND DAL:

DAL LAKE AND ZABARVAN HILLS:

HOUSE BOAT AND GEESE:

FISHERWOMEN:

WONDERFUL GULMARG:

COUNTRY SIDE AND MUSTARD FIELDS:

SHIKARAS LINE UP ON DAL SIDE:

HOUSE BOATS ON DAL:

SHIKARAS, HOUSE BOATS AND DAL IN LAP OF MOUNTAINS:

BREATH TAKING LANDSCAPE!:

BACKPACKING:

LOTS OF BLUE AND GREEN AND A DASH OF WHITE-THATS KASHMIR!:

MUSTARD FIELDS:

FLOWER GARDEN:

A RIVULET!

Nature at its Best-MANASBAL LAKE (Kashmir)!

Hey folks. I have a small decent collection of pictures of Kashmir's nature and life, which I would like to share. Though I didn't get much time out of my med school to explore lottsa places, but I managed to freeze some scenic frames, some ordinary and some amazing. I also didn't have a fancy digital SLR to equal my passion for photography, but my 2MP camera did a pretty decent job many a times.

I may write a brief description at times regarding some pics, if possible.

(DISCLAIMER: This collection is private and not copied from any source unless mentioned otherwise. You will find a link to original source whenever possible.)

Okay, lets not waste time and get rolling, hope every one enjoys these. Please feel free to leave comments.

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  MANASBAL LAKE:

Here are some pics from the lake called "Manasbal". You can find a brief description of the lake at the end of this post. On visting the lake, I can best describe it as a "sleeping beauty". The serenity surrounding the lake is spell-binding. The still waters surrounded by lotuses, mountains and teased by wind and shikaras (small boats seen in pictures below) make it seem like a dream land. Away from the hustle of noisy lives, its a mix of serenity, myth (read at end) and time standing still...

A brief description (source-below):
Manasbal Lake is located about 30 km north of Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir State. It has predominantly rural surroundings with three villages, Kondabal, Jarokbal and Gratbal overlooking the lake. Manasbal is considered as the 'supreme gem of all Kashmir lakes' with lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) nowhere more abundant or beautiful than on the margins of this lake during July and August. It is the deepest lake of Kashmir valley and perhaps the only one that develops stable summer stratification. Manasbal is classified as warm monomictic lake and circulates once in a year for a short time. The other lakes in the region either have weak stratification or are polymictic. Close to the northern shore are the ruins of a fort which was built in 17th century by a Moghul king to cater the needs of caravans that used to travel from Panjab to Srinagar. On the south, overlooking the lake is a hillock-Ahtung which is used for limestone extraction. The eastern part is mainly mountainous and towards the north is an elevated plateau known as 'Karewa' consisting of lacustrine, fluviatile and loessic deposits. The lake has no major inflow channels and the water supply is maintained through spring water inflow and precipitation. An outlet channel connects the lake with the Jhelum River. The outflow of water is regulated artificially. The local population uses the lake as a source of water, for fishing and for obtaining food and fodder plants. Many people are involved in harvesting and marketing of lotus rootstocks which are extensively eaten in the State. In recent years, tourism has caught up with the Manasbal Lake in a big way and as a consequence there are lots of pressure on the terrestrial ecosystem which is being exploited at many places. The origin of the lake is still unresolved but there is no denying the fact that Manasbal is very ancient. The local people believe in the legend that the lake is bottomless. Over the years as a result of human pressure the lake has become eutrophic. The water body is virtually choked with submerged weeds particularly during summer which is the high tourist season. The deep water layers become anoxic with considerable accumulation of hydrogen sulphide (Q)....click here to read more from source.

Map of MANASBAL LAKE (source-maps 0f india):

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ARBOR VITAE!

This is my first blog post so it'll be a nicey post. Its about life.

Everyday is a new one...entirely unique, it brings on new hope, new challenges and new dissappointments too...As I muster the courage to deal with the challenges of the life each morning-i am reminded of a song (by richie sambora, see video here)...

Life is a road

Forever winding

Where it leads us, I dont know

In it together

For better or worse

Searching for a pot of gold

Time, leaves a trail of broken hearts

So many arrows just keep missing their mark...

Baby that ain't us

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Sharin' the laughter

Sharin' the tears

And the promises we keep

Life can be crazy

Love can be cruel

But its always been a two-way street

You try, and give it all you have to give

So many people don't know how to forgive

Baby that ain't us

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Well in the intense and rather insane competitive world it is always helpful to remind yourself of the essense and beauty of life. Dont ever forget we live just once...so dont kill yourself....Many a times I'm reminded this by others as its easy to lose track of your self. What ever we do, there should be a point not to let go of our passions and things we love in life for the sake of the extraordinary demands and targets of a professional life...life's good-belive in it!

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"me doing some serious trekking"