Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast,
Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast.

Hindi Translation:
Agar iss dharti pe kahin jannat hai,
Toh yahi hai, yahi hain, bas yahi hain!

English Translation:
If there is a paradise on earth,
It is this, it is this, it is this”

The aforementioned lines is a famous quote were written by Amir Khusrau decades ago. It was so beautifully written that when people saw Kashmir, they said the same for the beautiful valley.

Kashmir is known for its beauty, people, lake, Kashmiri Kahwa, Kashmiri Saag, and the list can never end but there is also a darker side which upheld the development of the place and the people. And when I read these lines by Amir Khusrau, I ask myself, “Is Kashmir really a paradise, a heaven? Kashmir – Kya Sach Main Jannat Hai?”

I have written my thoughts about the beautiful valley of Kashmir, you might relate to what I feel.

Kashmir, shayad duniya ki sabze ajeeb jagah!

Ajeeb kyu?

Duniya ki sabze sard jagah lekin fir bhi waha khoon ki garmi hai, barood ka dhua hain, aag ka dariya hai!

Duniya ki sabze khoobsurat jagah hai lekin fir bhi waha aatankwaad ki badsurati hai, jaalsaazi ki boo hai, rajneeti ka laalach hai!

Kashmir ke liye log kehte hain, Jannat yahi hai, yahi hai, yahi hai!

Magar ye Jannat asal Jannat se kuch alag nahi? Maana ki asal Jannat kisi ne dekhi nahi lekin jo suna hai uss se kahin alag hai. Humne suna tha ki Jannat shaant, sundar, aur khula hai, lekin Kashmir toh goliyo ke shor, cheekho ki goonj, curfew ki ghutan, aur dhokebaazi ke daag se dhaki hui hai!

Kya Kashmir sach main khush hai, khula hai, aazad hai? Ye aazaadi jo chahte hain woh kis baat ki aazaadi maang rahe hain? Hindustan se alag hone ki, ya Pakistan ke cease fire violation se, ya ek naya mulk banana ki? Aur agar ye aazadi chahte hain toh unhe dedo aazadi, shayad iss aazadi se Kashmir fir Jannat ho jaye jo 1947 ke pehle tha. Shayad aazadi se aag main jhulas rahe unn jawano aur aam logo ko reham mile.

Do mulko ki rajneeti aur aapsi ranjhish ka shikar ye dilfareb Kashmir ab dino din jung ladd raha hai. Ek mulk pe aatankwaad ka bhoot sawaar hai toh dusre pe uss aatankwaad ko mitaane ke liye aatankwaadi banane ka. Aakhir kyu ye jung hai? Kya ye mulk saksham nahi hain Kashmir ko ek jhatke main aazad karne main? Lekin koi karna nahi chahta, bas har din khoon, goliyo, aur faujio ka sahara lekar apne kursi ke paav sakht kar rahe hain!

Pakistan ko Kashmir chahiye kyuki woh unhe nahi mila aur Kashmiri waha jana nahi chahte, Hindustan ko Kashmir chahiye kyuki woh logo ki salaamati chahte hain! Kya kisi ne pucha Kashmir kya chahta hai? Kashmir ki safed barf ko khoon se laal aur barood se kaalepan ka daag lagane walo ne kabhi pucha uss Ali se ya uss Rahul se jo uss barf pe khelte the?

Nahi! ye puchne ke liye unhe pehle aman aur shanti chahiye aur uske liye goliyo, aur khoon ki chaadar.

Kashmir ab Jannat nahi raha, agar uss se Jannat banana hai toh jao aur Kashmiri se pucho ki unke liye aman aur shanti kya hai? Shayad woh aazadi Pakistan aur Hindustan se nahi balki khoon se laal barf se chahte. Aur agar ye kar paye tab Ali aur Rahul se puchna kya Kashmir Jannat hai? Jawaab main jab unki muskurahaat mile toh samajh lena ki unhe aazadi mil gayi!