Hope in Despair: Stories of Courage in Kashmir

How can one establish peace and reconstruction process in Kashmir? The quiet and resolute efforts of some individuals have demonstrated that all is not lost in the Valley. By promoting qualities of tolerance, understanding, cooperation and mutual respect, these ‘rebuilders’ are gradually transforming young minds by identifying and dealing with problems constructively. While some of them are changing the patterns of thought through education, others are tackling poor economic development, mental and physical health, saving environment and resources, developing sports and fostering a literary and a cultural climate in the Valley. Post 1990, the separatists obliterated the shared history and mutual trust between the Muslims and the Pandits giving rise to a generation who are unaware of the rich, multicultural climate that once existed in the Valley. Presenting a historical perspective of the immense contribution of the first educationists and social reformers who laid the foundation of modern Kashmir in the early twentieth century, the author indicates how the tireless efforts of those reformers towards building the state starkly contrasts with the conflict today: a conflict with a heavy price tag. The small humble efforts of the protagonists today have shown the way of rebuilding a peaceful, progressive and stable society, bringing in winds of hope in the Valley.

About the Author

Sunanda Nehru Ganju was born in Srinagar to Shanta and Pushkarnath Nehru. She completed her schooling in Srinagar and later graduated from Mumbai University and completed her masters in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. She started her career as a counsellor in the women’s cell under Jammu & Kashmir State Social Welfare Advisory Board, Srinagar, in 1985-86. She has coordinated a study by the Ministry of Health on the situation of drug addiction in J&K. Since June 1987, she has been in Vadodara and has been working in the development sector and has also written for Women’s Feature Service: an international news agency. At present she is on the board of some NGOs in Vadodara.