I am from Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir. I have been living outside of my city for years now. But what I have experienced in the past few years has definitely been an eye-opener. People outside of J&K consider Jammu and Kashmir to be the same cities. I have been answering questions as simple as “Does it snow in Jammu?” and as intense as “How bad is the situation back in Jammu?”
It hurts me too much. So, I guessed, it’s only fitting if we put out the truth for everyone to know. We all deserve clarity.
Is this what we have become? Presuming the condition of a state half of us have never even been to? I agree it is a human tendency to assume things based on any knowledge they gather about a situation but isn’t being curious to gain full knowledge about a topic, also a human tendency?
We see an article about a celebrity’s pregnancy and we’re googling names that fit the baby. A cricketer tweeted about being on dinner – the media interviews the restaurant staff to know what he’s eating. Everything and anything that has nothing to do with the common man’s life is being shown and talked about. But what about the more important stuff? What about the houses burnt in Bengal or the situation in Jammu and Kashmir? Does anyone know the entire story? Does anyone even bother knowing what parts of the state are being even remotely affected? Is anyone curious enough to know in which district does the epicenter lie?
People only know what the media shows and that is how it has always been. Of course we rely on media, it’s our source of information to distant parts of the world. But believing that what we are being shown is the entire truth is idiocy.
A lot happens what we know nothing about. A lot happens that the media does not bother telecasting. Hence, we are told half the story and the rest half is left to our imaginations. To give a brief example, how many of you believe that Jammu is in the same condition as is in Kashmir? How many of you know that Jammu has been peaceful all this time? The tricolor has never been used as a washcloth in Jammu. Jammu does not see a curfew as we speak. The riots in Kashmir have not reached Jammu.
We don’t know the whole story, we rely blindly on what is being told to us. Assuming a state has completely given into something that is destroying its integrity is mindless. Curiosity is a must in today’s world. It’s high time we use it for the right reasons.