“Waliyu, waliyu (come, come).” Little Aadesh welcomes this writer at his house on the edges of the forlorn village Haal, about 30 km south of Srinagar.
It is a typical home with a wooden door in this village of 3,000 people and their burnt-out, collapsing brick-and-timber structures, once inhabited by 150 Kashmiri pandit families.
Adeesh’s family is the last.
The three-year-old is the grandson of Omkar Nath Bhat, 72, the only Kashmiri pandit to have decided to stay back in this once-vibrant village of friendly people and views of snow-clad mountains and forests.
The other pandits, Kashmiri Hindus, of Haal left in the winter of 1989, the year militancy exploded across the valley.
– A piece on ‘Remaining Pandits of Kashmir’ by Arun Joshi for Hindustan Times (September 14, 2009)
It’s not ‘Waliyu, waliyu’. It’s ‘Wal’yuur, Wal’yuur‘.
"Wal'yuur, Wal'yuur" — maybe… but not necessarily.
Maybe he just meant Waliv waliv…
True.
I have visited Hall on my visit to AharBal water fall on 02.10.2009. The cluster of Pandit houses on left side of the road present a pathetic story. Nowhere was i moved to see the abondment of of living habitats as in Hall. Some structures are collapsing and some have collapsed . Some are Majestic , Still erect but weeping . The houses tell that the inhabitants lived good life . Big rooms , Huge foundations , Enormous wood work and old heritage doors confront you in some of the houses . Firewood used during winters and stored on Breir Kaani is still there in some houses . Hall village especially near the Two Temples looks a Ghost Locality . Fear engulfs you . stray dogs sleep in most of the gropund floors . Even elderly local muslims sigh when they look at these houses.Abdul Qayoom a villager told that every day he visits this area , he gets some ache in his heart .The words sprang from his heart.
Seeing these structures does sometimes stir terrible sadness. Thanks for sharing your experience, Autarji!
Why don't you write a book on Kashmir?
Maybe, someday I will.