I stayed with a Kashmiri family for a day. The love and hospitality I received was incomparable.
I visited Kashmir last week with a small group belonging to the Centre for Dialogue Reconciliation (CDR) , a non-governmental organization working for peace and dialogue in the valley. At the end of the visit I had an extra day, which I decided to spend with a friend, Tanveer Ahmed Khan. We had studied in the same coaching institute while preparing for the Civil Services and had became friends then. Tanveer belongs to a little village called Srichan near Pahalgam and is currently a PhD scholar at Kashmir University, Srinagar. In other parts of India, Kashmir is seen as a dangerous place. My parents had strictly advised me not to venture out alone in Kashmir and also not to move out of Srinagar City. However, Tanveer asked me to spend the day with his family at his place in Srichan, 80 kms from Srinagar. Although I was aware that the security threat in Kashmir was a little overhyped , I still found myself reluctant to venture out of the city. But then, a part of me cou
