Miscellaneous Topics on Indian History

[Guest]

We demand conformity in many ways. Three years ago, as I stopped for tea in Sonamarg en route from Leh to Srinagar, I observed a group of young men, pilgrims, from North India on their way to the Amarnath Cave. They had just washed their clothes, draped these over the chairs of the small dhaba and were awaiting their order. Loud, demanding and abusive, their message to the owner was clear. ‘This land belongs to us, not you. Your insurgent rebellion is at an end and we are back, masters.’ I could not help thinking of what this did to the mind of the meek, poverty-stricken and business-starved owner of the dhaba. He served the men quietly; but resentment, alienation and anger are mild words to describe the writ on his face.

Is this not an over reaction if not downright silly? The writer is reading too much into (probably) normal travellers' behaviour the world over. On the other hand every <i>Yatra</i> is an adventure in the true sense of the word as we do not know when the convoy would be attacked by terrorists with modern weapons and how many <i>Yatris</i> would return home safely.