(The recent civilian killings in Kashmir have rattled the Union Territory and set off a flurry of speculations. The Quint has published diverse opinions on the subject to present a broad view of the situation to its readers. You can read other views here.)
In 1989, when the tragic Kashmiri Pandit exodus started after a string of targeted killings and pronounced ultimatums by terrorist organisations, I was all but four years old. I have very vague memories of my parents embracing our Pandit neighbours and bidding them a tearful goodbye as they left their homes.
Our next-door neighbours, an old couple, Raghunath Matoo Ji and his wife, were an integral part of our lives as children. Their own children and grandchildren were all settled in different cities across the country and would visit them once a year. For the rest of the year, we were one big family. I used to spend hours at their home, being pampered and treated to the most scrumptious snacks while “Bobu Ji” proudly demonstrated his gramophone and told me about the fascinating world of astrology as we sat in his den, which had a small window with a majestic weeping willow outside.