MALIK SAMEED
History is now repeating itself in Kashmir but with a difference. Tradition is reviving in the valley but the cause is not the culture but the prevailing situation.
When government banned all media tools in valley last week to keep people in dark, Valley was literary sent back to stone ages.
People too turned to age old tradition to move from one place to another- water transport. When all roads in the valley were sieged by barricades, people used boats in River Jehlum to move from one place to another.
In earlier times Water Transport was the only comfortable transport system as compared to uncomfortable horse riding on irregular roads.
Many people in south Kashmir travelled in boats to reach Srinagar in curfewed days. “I had to reach my office in Srinagar. I travelled in boat at various places to reach finally on by pass,” said Ali Muhammad, a policeman.
A boat man in Jhelum said he ferried dozens of students and officials to and fro from Srinagar to various areas in south Kashmir.
In north Kashmir also which witnessed violent clashes during the week also revived this age old tradition. People travelled in boats to reach Baramulla, Sopore and Bandipora. “I travelled in boat to from Sumbal to reach Banyari,” said Imran Mohammad a University student.
The boats also transported people from Bandipora to Sopore, Srinagar and Pattan areas. “Roads are ruled by forces or protesters so we travel safe through this transport,” said a student.
Recalling this age old tradition, noted activist and poet Zareef Ahmad Zareef said most of the transportation activity was confined to river Jhelum. From Khanbal to Khadniyar, goods were transported via Jhelum,” he said. “Jhelum was our lifeline, everyone in downtown used to get his essentials at his doorstep via tributaries of Jhelum”.
Water transport in Jhelum and connected tributaries connects all major towns and many other rivulets provide a unique water transport scheme in the valley.
Zareef said the continuous siege has made the people of valley adaptive and they revived this age old tradition as curfews are common now in the valley.
Zareef stressed on the people and the government to take a lesson from such situations to revive water transport again the valley.
Water transport was not the only tradition revived by the people
Earlier people used to store sundried vegetables for harsh winters but now same are stored for the declared or undeclared curfews.
Recently a women in downtown said “The sundried vegetables were useful for them in curfew as there was no shop open in the area,” she said.
Zareef says these situations will help modern generation to know the value of age old traditions to at least follow it now though for different reasons.