| Publication |
2014.
|
| Summary/Abstract |
Even before the Gurez valley could leave us completely awed by its breathtaking beauty, we were warned. "There might be friendly fire. Our troops can shoot you if they think your movement is unusual," we were told by the adjutant of the J&K Rifles posted in Dawar town. Friendly fire, a euphemism for shooting at sight, was the most used term there by the armed forces. The reality then hit us hard. We were in Kashmir and that too very close to the Pakistan border. So close that we could hear gunshots if fired. Freedom suddenly seemed like a rare privilege. We were asked not to camp anywhere, told not to walk in the dark, restrained to go near the river late in the evening. Our every move was carefully watched; everywhere we went, we were looked at with suspicion. 'Respect all, suspect all', read one Indian Army signpost near Dawar town.
|