The last decade has witnessed an all-out violent, self-destructive and desperate attempt by the alien infiltrators aided and abetted by some local separatist young militants carried away by an unrealistic dream of independent Kashmir. These militants for eight to ten years indulged in destruction, devastation of properties, atrocities and mindless massacres with the hope that the Indian rulers would yield to their separatist demand, as the then Indian leaders in 1947 yielded to violence, massacres, atrocities and devastation let loose by Muslim League's "direct action" on August 16, 1946.

But they had to reckon with a new staunch nationalist government that has taken reins of the Central Government and steadily the political environment in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh has undergone a sea change. The nuclear explosion of May last also has disabused a major section of the militants of their expectations of the Indian leaders succumbing to their terrorism, and they have realised that India is a strong country that is equipped with nuclear arsenal and that it has turned the corner in its economic revival. Therefore one would naturally be curious to see the new popular mood, popular conditions and people's mental attitude, in short the general situation. I, therefore, toured Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh in the third week of August and the third week of September. Thus I was in the northernmost Indian State for a fornight.

Will sing Vande Mataram in Karachi on the bank of the Indus
—Dr Farooq Abdullah
In the last week of August, on 24th, 25th and 26th, Kashmir was again in the news. But this time round, not for the familiar massacres or violence or terrorists' attacks, but for a most enchanting event in which the country's VVIPs, had gathered on the bank of the Sindhu at Leh the capital of Ladakh for the enlivening occasion of Sindhu-darshan that would warm the cockles of every Indian heart. They included the Union Home Minister Shri L.K. Advani, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Dr Farooq Abdullah, Union Defence Minister, Shri George Farnandes, the Sahsarkaryavah of the RSS, Shri K.S. Sudarshan and All-India Karyavahika of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti Smt Pramilatai Medhe. The occasion so moved the son of the Sher-i-Kahsmir that he discarded his earlier stance of shouting from the house-tops for "Independent Kashmir" from 1963 to 1970 on any international forum from the United Nations to any overseas gathering of Muslims and changed this time to such an extent that he himself sang Vande Mataram and went forward and in his speech emotionally invited with all pride and self-esteem to sing the same national song some time in near future on the bank of the Sindhu in Karachi where the river joins the ocean and wherefrom Shri Advani had to migrate to India. That golden moment, he said, is not for.

Everyone had a pleasant surprise to witness the welcome change in Dr Abdullah. Verily a leopard cannot change his spots. But it was also true that Dr Abdullah in fact gave that incredible speech. His hard hostility displayed in his harangue in the United States for independent Kashmir was also true and his hundred-and-eight degree about turn shown on the bank of the Sindhu in Leh was also true. The reasons may be many but mainly the following. The coming to power at the Centre of the government led by an ideologically strong party, the nation's acquiring the status of a nuclear power, dispelling any doubt in anybody's mind of its capabilities, leading the fence-sitters among the Kashmiris to opt for a peaceful and progressive life in India and the consequent decline in the support, however fear-generated, to the imported terrorists. After the Valley being virtually cleansed of the Hindu Kashmiri Pandits by the Pakistan secret service ISI, the Kashmiri Muslims' ego having been satisfied, there is less sting in their estrangement with the Cenral Government. Added to this is a new breed of terrorist mercenaries whose inhuman treatment of their women- folk has further intensified their ire at the aliens. And the collapse of their main bread-earner, the tourism industry due to the scaring away of all tourists by the senseless killings of foreign tourists by the Pakistan-controlled terrorist organisations which in turn robbed the common Kashmiri people of their livelihood. Home Minister L.K. Advani's pro-active Kashmir policy effectively checked transborder influx of trouble- makers. All these have helped the Kashmir Valley to steadily, though not quite so fast, return to their earlier pleasant days of a "Happy Valley".

The pilgrimage to Vaishnodevi
Dr Farooq Abdullah's about turn is interesting to study in all its aspects, of which later. On my pilgrimage to the Viashnodevi shrine, I trekked the mount of Trikuta. It is near the town of Katra about 70 km from Jammu. Some 14 km ahead lies the temple. There are less arduous options of horse-back ride or doli (a man-carried litter for one passenger). Rising up the mount is a pucca road, dotted at regular intervals with resting places with covered spaces, if it rains. At eight km from Katra is a temple of the Adhkunvari Devi. This is in a cave. There is another route to Vaishnodevi from Katra with steps to cross the mount, which reduces the time by about two hours while the other route takes four hours to four hours and thirty minutes. The entire road is well-lit. There is adequate medical aid on way for the tourists. During his gubernatorial regime Jagmohan had created a trust for maintaining all these facilities for the pilgrims. The trust has the Governor as its ex-officio chairman.

The last 12 years has fetched about Rs 250 crore in the form of offerings and donations. This is being utilized in paving the pucca road up to Katra, installing resting places, supply of potable water, electric lighting, maintenance and sanitation of the temple complex, rest-houses for the pilgrims, catering arrangement, etc. The trust is wellknown for its management of the temple that is open for prayers from five in the morning to two past midnight. At any given moment about five thousand pilgrims are seen climbing or descending the steps leading to the temple. About 20 years ago, only a few thousand pilgrims completed this arduous pilgrimage in one year. The journey was back-breaking and extremely hazardous. But now that is history and the journey is considerably less difficult and there is day-and-night pilgrim traffic.