The Youth in this Forgotten Corner of Kashmir is Ambitious and Driven

Adil Mir, 17, is engrossed in his history books on the morning of Eid in July 2018 in the village of Dawar, the central township of Gurez Valley tucked away in the north-west corner of Kashmir. He has two younger siblings and a set of loving parents who are one of the most hospitable couples in this largely undocumented part of Kashmir. He aspires to become a historian and is determined to ace his upcoming exams.

The Gurez Valley comprises 11 villages, inhabited by 35,000 members of the Dardic-Aryan Tribe who have been split by borders; a number of their tribe folk live in Northern Pakistan and North-Eastern Afghanistan. With an ethno-cultural identity that is distinct only to the land, a large number of people from the tribe trace their ancestry back to Iran as well. The Bakarwal and Gujjar nomadic tribes are strewn across the valley too, moving from place to place with their herds and belongings. The lives of the people from Gurez Valley are centred along the course of the river Kishen Ganga which they often refer to as Neelam, as it is called in Pakistan. Though this land lies secluded and largely forgotten today, when trade flourished on the Silk Route, Gurez was considered the gateway to Central Asia.

Adil is one of the many young, ambitious boys from the valley who wishes to have a life devoid of the shades of conflict that are prevalent across Kashmir. “It is one of the most peaceful parts of Kashmir, despite Pakistan being a stone’s throw away from the villages of Chorwan and Tarbal, in Gurez,” says Ghulaam Rasool Lone, a village elder. “But we have problems of our own. The months from November to February become unbearable because of the heavy snowfall, at least 10-feet deep every year. The only road that connects Gurez to Bandipore, where supplies are available, is inaccessible. With only two ill-equipped hospitals, lack of medical facilities and staff, lots of village elders and pregnant women have lost their lives over the years. The situation of unemployment of the Gurezi youth also plagues us, year after year.” Lone and other village elders are afraid that their children may also start participating in violence if they are idle for such long periods of time.

“It’s one of the most beautiful parts of Kashmir that I’ve ever visited,” says Debalina Chaudhuri, who was on her first visit to Kashmir earlier this year. “The Habba Khatoon peak—named after the famous Kashmiri poetess who is said to have wandered around the peak looking for her lover and writing some of the most soulful pieces of poetry I have ever chanced upon—has my heart.”

Each of the villages of Gurez are distinct from each other in terms of their awe-inspiring landscapes and the pristine ruggedness of the mountains coupled with endless stretches of grasslands. The people of the Dard tribe who speak the largely undocumented Shina language are some of the warmest hosts in Kashmir, a place famous for its incomparable hospitality.

A walk through any of the villages is characterised by endless invitations for tea and meals, eager to treat the few travellers who come their way, the way they would at a reunion of long-lost family members. In conversation, they would be happy to thrill you with folklore from the land and songs in their language. Jawed Lone, 18, is pursuing Sociology in the local college and is proud of the fact that each village here has its own library and schools. This emphasis on education in the face of all odds reflects in the aspirations of the girls from the villages. Nazma, who hails from the village of Tulail, aspires to pursue her love for sports by studying Physical Education.

However, the construction of the Kishen Ganga hydro-electric powerplant inaugurated in May this year displaced hundreds of families in the valley, who were later rehabilitated. The construction of the powerplant has led to severe damages to the natural environment. The hydrology department of National Institute of Technology (NIT) released a report stating that the pollution caused to the water, as a result, has made it unfit for human consumption and washing purposes. Despite a power plant constructed in the vicinity, the villages depend on the Indian Army for the three hours of electricity that it receives everyday, making the winters harsher still. The MLA of the Gurez constituency, Nazir Ahmed Khan Gurezi—born and raised in the valley itself—has been consistently trying to better the situation of the lack of civic amenities. Recruitments of doctors, the construction of a new road that can withstand the snowfall, efforts to increase employment through the establishment of homestays, and stable connectivity are on the cards. “We must retain the beauty of the Gurez Valley which I have initiated through a ban on plastic, and increase more avenues for tourists every year,” he says. “Since 2012, we have rid travel enthusiasts of the need to carry a special permit to visit the land. We have always wanted the valley to be open to all.” The upliftment of tourism in the valley spells hope for the youth. There’s lots on offer: angling for the delectable black trout fish that is available only in the valley, perfect skies to please astrophotography enthusiasts, challenging and breathtaking roads for adventure junkies and bikers, and peaceful hideouts every few kilometres for campers and hikers. Backpacker and travel writer Kanika Gupta tells me, “If you’re looking for a pure, offbeat travel experience, go straight to Gurez.”

On imagining what tomorrow for the Dard tribe could hold, it can be summarised in the words of the 85-year-old Sufi saint who lingers in the Peer Baba Shrine in Gurez who reassures me with an enchanting smile, “Everything beautiful, is on its way.”