SRINAGAR
Famous as Sri Sri who teaches spirituality, Ravi Shankar in Kashmir will preach about peace, reconciliation and humanity. His lecturer scheduled on March 10 at SKICC, Paigam-e-Mohabbat (message of love) is on inclusivity, harmony and the “positive” aspects of reconciliation. The platform is to have the families hit by conflict together across the ideological divide. Earlier he even met Burhan Wani’s father to ‘condole’ the death. However back home, the peace preacher had warned “Syria-like situation” in India if there is any delay in resolving the Ram Temple issue and that too by respecting the sentiments of the majority.
HIRA NAGAR
The dramatic escape of LeT militant Naveed Jatt from SMHS hospital changed many things on ground. With two policemen dead, the entire security setup of valley was shaken. As the detailed inspection of prisons is over, the government started shifting of prisoners, the latest ones were Dr Muhammad Qasim Faktoo and Dr Shafi Shariati from Srinagar’s Central Jail to Jammu’s Udhampur and Hira Nagar jails, respectively. The move is apparently in violation of court order which stays shifting of these two longest serving prisoners from Central jail Srinagar.
ORISSA
K
ashmir was in news again, this time in Bhubaneswar Odisha. A doctor in making, Suhail Aijaz, was pursuing MBBS from AIIMS. A resident of Kupwara, his disappearance was shrouded in mystery, after Maoist posters claimed his abduction with warning to kill him if their leader Sabyasachi Panda, is not released within seven days. His parents are camping in Orissa, seeking his whereabouts and appealing their son to come back. But the police of two states have termed the posters as fake. However the desperate mother is on a fast till her son is back.
SHIVPORA
As Bollywood comes to Kashmir, they have a story to tell to the larger audience beyond Kashmir. In between, their journey gets them closer to land, people and the place. Same is true for Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the man who directed Mission Kashmir. Eighteen years later, Chopra’s film crew once again landed in Srinagar, this time to shoot for his film Love Letters from Kashmir. In the making of film, the crew ended up damaging a portion of Jhelum embankment at Shivpora. When asked by shocked locals, the crew produced a letter from CM’s secretariat asking director tourism to help Chopra in his endeavour. Bund will be rebuilt but it remains to be seen if his new film will be the jingoistic theme he choose last time.
Jammu
When winter turns harsh, water freezes to become a link between Zanskar and Leh. A carpet in its own way, the water of Zanskar River, the Chadar becomes a highway. The route has a risk and is fun as well. And last week, there was a mayhem when eight people travelling on the Chadar, got stranded when the ice plate they were walking on, broke down near Nerak, some 90 kms from Zanskar. Police rescued them. Danger apart, Chadar has emerged as a major tourist’s hot-spot. But the last time in February, two people lost lives on the same passage.
