When we imagine Dal Lake in Kashmir, our mind often conjures up images of colourful shikaras gliding across its shimmering waters, along picturesque snow-capped mountains and houseboats. Now, think of this idyllic view disturbed by inebriated men, read outsiders, sitting in shikaras, wobbling on the streets of Srinagar drinking openly.
As a Kashmiri, the thought fills me with anger. And I was obviously outraged to learn that this is exactly what happened a few days ago, when some men were allegedly caught drinking aboard a shikara.
Many Kashmiris have been angered by the incident, which has been deemed “un-Islamic” and “unethical” by bodies such as the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama.
But the matter, for me, transcends religion. I am more concerned about women’s safety.
Women find freedom, comfort at Dal
A generation of young Kashmiri women have found their safe space in Dal Lake. From cycling and swimming in the mornings and evenings to gathering with girlfriends for picnics – Dal Lake is where Kashmiri women express themselves freely. They capture pictures and film sunsets, mountains and shikaras, and go for leisurely walks on Boulevard Road. Such incidents can put an end to all of this.
Public spaces in Kashmir have been traditionally male-dominated, leaving women with few opportunities to socialise outside of their homes. And now, after they slowly managed to reclaim these public spaces, safety concerns will push them back to where they started.
Dal is where I would sit alone for hours, staring at the waters and sharing my sorrows with it. I never had to worry about anyone threatening my safety –night or day. I have never seen anyone drinking publicly in a Shikara or even on the banks of Dal. Public drinking isn’t part of Kashmiri culture at all.
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Don’t disrespect Kashmiris
Dal Lake isn’t just a tourist attraction. Kashmiris share a pious and intimate relationship with it. It has been our steadfast companion through years of turbulence. It knows our stories, secrets, and sorrows. Such vulgar and shameful incidents only disrespect our feelings. And residents and local leaders are rightly reacting to it.
“Consuming alcohol openly in a shikara, in the land of Sufism, Kashmir, is unacceptable,” the spokesperson of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party, Salman Nizami, posted on social media.
Another social media account by the name of Abrar said: “Stop normalizing alcohol consumption in Kashmir, everyone should raise their voices against it.”
Kashmiris are never hostile toward tourists. Our culture boasts of hospitality, openness and warmth. We can go to any extent to make them feel safe, irrespective of religion or caste. But such occurrences will tarnish that goodwill, while also endangering women who travel solo to the state.
Freedom to walk on the streets freely without worrying about safety is a religion worth preserving.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)
You mention, “freedom to walk on the streets freely without worrying about safety is a religion worth preserving”. This is slightly delusional, women will continue to be harassed and treated like an object in Kashmir, regardless of consuming alcohol or not. Also many Kashmiri men drink privately. As a European woman, I’ve been harassed by men in Srinagar all of the time, and they don’t need to be drunk to do it. It’s more a question of religious indoctrination, education, traditional norms and how this can deprive men and women of fulfillment. Complex issue that I don’t think is relevant to consuming alcohol but relates more to a question of freedom.
Thier is no personal view allowed in journalism for a journalist ,as journalist.
If anyone else has thinking about that in kashmir drunkards roam in vulgarity.and try to be Allowed to go scotfree with such nonsense activities in public ,he must go to place of his stay ,As per Constitution of India 🇮🇳 and Law of land such activities are not allowed 🚫 in anyway at Public places.
It’s ridiculous to relate a criminal or prohibited 🚫 activities with religion ,law of land Applied n obligatory upon everyone else irrespective of caste ,creed n color.
Print was not expected to print such ridiculous thing.Ethics of journalism violated.