Remembering 1990

Remembering 1990 When innocent got killed, others left, Beyond the hills to unknown lands, Escaping death that chased foot prints, With nothing, just the empty hands. Helpless Pandits, became homeless, Feet on ground and sky over head, Horror and fear gripped their minds, Their heart was alive but soul so dead. Loaded guns, kept looking for them, The torment they couldn't withstand, And even in sleep, they would weep, As they dreamt of their native land. Empty tents, to call their new home, At times blew away in wind and cold, Years went on, in absolute darkness, Many shattering stories never got told. Nothing has changed culprits are free, Tears have dried in twenty-six years, With no return, life in exile goes on, Still the bitter past, haunts and scares.

*Meenakshi Raina is an Author of the historical fiction ‘The Divine And The Destiny’ which was released in 2013 in Mumbai by the bollywood actor Mr. Anupam Kher. ‘The Divine And The Destiny’ is the story of Shereen, a young Kashmiri Pandit girl, and her family who were forced to leave their home in Kashmir during the mass exodus in 1990. It is a story of human tragedy, a struggle for survival and a courageous journey. Meenakshi, did her graduation in science from Camp College, Jammu and her post-graduation, Master of Management Studies (M.M.S) from University of Mumbai in the year 1997. She migrated to Canada in 2001, and lives with her husband in Toronto, Canada. Since her childhood, writing poems has been her passion both in Hindi and English languages.