Mohini Manek

When we become aware of the need for peace in any Region of our Country, the fore most that comes to our mind is Jammu & Kashmir. As a carefree kind of girl living in the business centre of India which is Mumbai, pursuing a career as an actress and Model, I have been most – selfishly occupied by my own thoughts till one fateful evening when I met a family relation of mine who happens to be none other than the former CM of Jammu & Kashmir Dr. Farook Abdullah. Hehappens to be a cousin of my mother (who belongs to Poonch and Srinagar from her maternal side and ironically Pakistan from her paternal family, the Jhelum-Peshwar areas).

We have known little about our political and business family backgrounds to the extent of only being inspired, but not influenced by any personality, but the moment I met Mamajaan, Farooq Saheb at a function, I was totally in awe of his personality. However, most disturbing to me were the men surrounding him with huge guns in black clothes, the Black Cats. I just had to ask Farooqsaab “Sir, is there a war going on?”.

That was in 1997-98, before the Kargil War. That day changed my thinking towards life. There I saw one of the most powerful man of Kashmir, sitting at a function and surrounded by gun-toting Black Cats Commandos. Well, it scared the very life out of me.Soon I was to become a different person, I forgot all of my ambitions, aims, goals and I left immediately after greeting Mamujaan Khuda Hafiz and Salaamdua. His gracious “God Bless” gives me strength everytime that I meet him or speak over the phone.

Let’s go forward from 1997-98 to 1999; one of our close friend whom I was introduced to in Mumbai who is in the business of Import & Export of Textiles, gave me an offer of becoming a partner in his firm citing good profits and returns. I had no idea of business and refused as it is not connected to the film – related work. Then he told me with an air of gloom on his face that we will be Importing Textiles in the form of readymade Jackets for snow and are fill with metal – plates in the layers. He took out a sample of one Jacket and told me to wear it. It was quite heavy due to the metal plates, and he asked me, ‘How do you feel?’. I was really confused and had no answer. Then I was told that we are to Import High-Quality of Bullet-Proof Jackets and Vests for Our Soldiers as he had got prior Knowledge of War to be fought in Kashmir but did not know the exact locations. The “RAW” Agency had prior information of a certain bulk-quantity of snow boots order being delivered from outside into our neighbour country Pakistan. So it was an obvious decision for me to make. I did not at all take any profits from this Import Deal of the Bullet Proof Jackets.

The war at Kargil, Tiger Hill, Batalik and Tololing Heights did take place in 1999 in beginning of May 6-15th when abnormalities were detected in these areas. Mamujaan Farook Abdullah was Chief Minister and probably had to take so many decisions while the Army was moving into one more of the many Wars fought between India and Pakistan. We all know the end result of any war is misery on every side.

I drifted further into 2001. The face of terror exposed itself in the 9/11 attacks in the USA. The same month there were attacks on the J & K Assembly in which 40 people died. Farooqji lost few of his good people in the suicide attack outside the Assembly Building which brought tears to his eyes. I watched it on T.V. at his rally when most people on stage were in tears because of this attack. We question our Gods, what kind of situation is this, what kind of nightmare is this & when will this bloodshed end ?

Now we are approaching another election year in 2008, By good graces of the Gods up there, the times are not as terrible as the 2002 elections when we all witnessed the terror of the Godra riots, and the Indo-Pak Nuclear Stand-off, which was seen by all in the world. No amount of Diplomacy worked from any corners of the globe during the nuclear threats of both the countries in 2002 ad can be rated the worst period of Indo-Pak relations. We had national leaders spitting fire at each other. To make matters worse it was announced by both nations that “The War Book has been Opened”, which is indications of War Strategies to be used against each other under a looming nuclear threat. I had followed and absorbed every bit of news about Jammu & Kashmir and about Mamaujaan, Farooqji as we were all concerned of his well-being and of our Kashmiriyat. All the News & Information that we were surrounded with in 2002 was full of Indo-Pak hostile relations. They were eye to eye and ready to fire at the first blink of the eye. During this time, I was experienced enough, to know the implications of this threatening hostilities, It could go out of control any minute or it would calm down, but none of this was showing any signs of calming but escalating instead.

This was the boiling point for someone like me. It became too hot to handle, when I went to Delhi in 2002 to attend a family function. Here at this function, I discovered that I have a cousin in Pakistan who is the latest skipper to retire from Cricket in 2003. Wasim Akram was at this function, as it was a family function and he was also to play some cricket that year. It was surprising and amazing to me that he had such courage to be there at a time when our countries were on the brink of nuking each other. It was very touching to see him there at the function. Mamujann, Farooqji also gave his gracious “God Bless” to Wasim Akaram and they were seen talking away the evening with an entire evening of songs and ghazlas. I spoke to Wasim for few minutes and asked him quite bluntly if he is scared being here at a time like this, and the answer was what I had expected. He said, ‘Yes, I am scared”. Who wouldn’t be?” I asked him why did he attend the function then? He said “Our Angels are always guarding us” and went on to joke that he would not have met his beautiful cousin if he had not come to the function. I smiled and said that I don’t find it funny at all. It was mutual; that he didn’t find it funny too. When our countries are hostile even then we are so good on a person-to-person level. Even Mamujaan was so kind and humble and just loves Wasim’s legendary cricketing years.

We just don’t know why talks at a diplomatic and official Government levels end up the moment they start. Lets hope the people become aware and encourage personal and family level friendships and more unofficial diplomatic channels open up in both countries. Both the nations have lots to offer to each other, being the closest in ties and sharing the same Histories, “God Bless”.