The recently concluded DRAGASH programme, organised by members of the Kashmiri Pandit community at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar, offered an important opportunity to reflect on Kashmir’s evolving realities and the region’s ongoing journey towards peace and reconciliation.
One of the notable speakers at the event was Dr. Surinder Koul, a Kashmiri Pandit currently residing in the United States. Recalling his recent visit to Tikker village in Kupwara district, he observed a Kashmir that appeared markedly different from the one remembered by generations shaped by conflict. Speaking before Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Dr. Koul described arriving in Srinagar close to midnight and witnessing bustling roads, active markets, and people conducting their daily lives without visible fear. To him, these were signs of a society gradually reclaiming normalcy.
Dr. Koul also recalled a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019, during which the Prime Minister reportedly acknowledged the suffering endured by the Kashmiri Pandit community and emphasised the need to collectively transform the atmosphere of Kashmir. Reflecting on that conversation, Dr. Koul stated that he has personally witnessed significant positive changes in the Valley. At the same time, he noted that genuine reconciliation between communities remains a work in progress, requiring patience, trust-building, and continued dialogue.
His observations raise an important question for policymakers, scholars, and peace advocates worldwide: How should societies emerging from prolonged conflict understand and sustain peace?
Kashmir’s experience offers a powerful answer. Peace is rarely the achievement of a single government, institution, or community. Rather, it is the outcome of countless sacrifices made over generations by individuals from diverse backgrounds who, despite immense adversity, continued to believe in the possibility of a better future.
Any honest discussion of Kashmir’s transformation must begin with remembrance. Thousands of civilians from all communities—Muslims, Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs, and others—lost their lives during decades of violence and instability. Their suffering remains an inseparable part of Kashmir’s collective memory and conscience.
The story is equally incomplete without acknowledging the sacrifice of thousands of security personnel from the Indian Army, CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and other security agencies who gave their lives while protecting civilians and combating terrorism. Their service contributed significantly to the conditions that have enabled greater stability and development in recent years.
Beyond the statistics are the lives of individuals who stood for peace, coexistence, and the preservation of Kashmir’s pluralistic ethos. Among them were leaders, intellectuals, scholars, doctors, and public figures such as Tika Lal Taploo, Khwaja Abdul Gani Lone, Mirwaiz Molvi Mohammad Farooq, Dr. Abdul Ahad Guru, Dr. Sheikh Jalal-ud-Din of Pampore, Ali Mohammad Shahbaz, and many others. They represented different communities and often held differing political views, yet each paid a profound personal price while striving for the welfare of Kashmir and its people.
The progress visible today is also linked to the efforts of policymakers, administrators, and institutions responsible for maintaining security, encouraging development, and strengthening governance. Many observers credit the contributions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and India’s security and intelligence agencies for helping create an environment conducive to greater stability and economic activity.
Yet lasting peace cannot rest solely on security or economic development. Sustainable reconciliation requires something deeper: recognition of shared suffering, respect for diverse memories, and a willingness to engage with difficult histories without allowing them to dictate the future.
For intellectuals and peace-builders across the world, Kashmir offers an important lesson. Societies heal not when one narrative triumphs over another, but when all communities feel that their pain, sacrifices, and aspirations are acknowledged with dignity. Peace becomes durable when remembrance is accompanied by empathy, justice, and a collective commitment to coexistence.
The Kashmir of today stands upon the sacrifices of countless known and unknown individuals. Honouring their legacy requires more than commemorating the past; it demands continued efforts to build a future grounded in peace, human dignity, mutual respect, and the enduring spirit of Kashmiriyat.
As Kashmir moves forward, its greatest achievement may not simply be the reduction of violence, but the gradual emergence of a shared hope—that future generations will inherit a Valley defined not by conflict, but by reconciliation, opportunity, and peace.
