Away from Homeland

Contents: 1. Bird feeding, a hobby or a ritual. 2. Tearful tale of crossborder prisoners. 3. Always tough time for border people. 4. On aged and infirm time hangs heavy. 5. Despite accords discord remains. 6. Will dialogue settle issue. 7. Segregated and scattered. 8. Is homeland for Pandits feasible? 9. Forced exodus is human rights violation. 10. More losses than gains for Kashmiri Muslims. 11. Kashmir assembly polls with a difference. 12. Neither autonomy nor self-rule may satisfy separatists. 13. Many Militants seek rehabilitation. 14. Old order Changeth. 15. Can Kashmir issue be settled.

Away from homeland is a book that contains author’s personal experience with certain events and his observations on the plight of displaced people their aspirations and their dreams. The book does not concentrate on any particular issue or topic. The author’s mind roams from his bird feeding to homeland demand of displaced people, from the pains the displaced people feel because of scattering and segregation, from the pains of exodus to the possibility of settlement of the Kashmir issue.

While talking about scattering and segregation of families of displaced families the author cites the instance of some of his relations about whose whereabouts the author has ot knowledge.

The author is pessimistic about the implementation of the homeland demand because it may not be feasible in the eyes of the state and the central Governments. Living in a homeland will be like living in a ghetto which is not acceptable to many among the displaced people, apart from Kashmiri Muslims, many among them favour rebirth of the traditional ties between the Pandits and the valley based muslims. What disturbs the author is the adverse impact of segregation and scattering of displaced families. The displaced people have moved from joint family system to the nuclear families where brothers have separated from sisters and the vice versa. It takes weeks together to know about the demise of close relations the author has given the views of those supporting the homeland demand and of those opposing it. (jacket)