an evening in sonmarg

Memory of an evening..



Sonmarg,2010.



I had sat down



by a lonely shepherd



in the lush pastures



of sonmarg



under the shadow of



the Thajwas glacier.



He did not say much.



However , i still remember all he said..





It is beautiful..this valley,my home.But it is not easy to live here.



We fight with the elements,it is a tough ride all the way to summer.



And our children,they suffer for there is no school for them ,no college,



no education...our life is uncertain for there is no peace here.



Our home,this valley..we love it..
it has beauty but it has no peace.
What is beauty without peace?
We do not know if our children would live
to see the coming season
or will be stolen away by all the forces here.To face
each day...we do not know how we face one day
after the other..his voice broke shattering
the silence in to a million pieces..
Terrorism and counter terrorism..i understood.
Courage
That night the moon was full and i have probably never
seen anything more beautiful then moonlight in Sonmarg.
Was there peace...i do not recall if i slept that night...