Artist Veer Munshi explains Kashmir through his works

A discussion on state of affairs in Kashmir titled ‘Kashmir Today’ was organised at National Media Centre in the city on Saturday. Speaking on the occasion, noted artist Veer Munshi gave life to his experiences in Kashmir through his art, which included paintings and installations.

A discussion on state of affairs in Kashmir titled ‘Kashmir Today’ was organised at National Media Centre in the city on Saturday.

Artist Veer Munshi at a discussion on Kashmir organised by National Media Centre in Gurgaon (Abhinav Saha/HT Photo)

Speaking on the occasion, noted artist Veer Munshi gave life to his experiences in Kashmir through his art, which included paintings and installations.

From the outbreak of militancy in 1990s to the Pandit exodus, Munshi through his art depicted the life and changing times in Kashmir. He gave a presentation of his work during the event.

Through one of the videos that Munshi shot -- of an abandoned house of a Kashmiri Pandit and a person walking beside it -- he puts across the message of how successive governments have failed to resolve the issue of Kashmiri Pandits.

As a Pandit who is living in exile in Delhi, Munshi calls himself a victim and a victimiser -- for he is from Kashmir but now lives in Delhi.

“I think successive governments have failed to resolve the issue that has been there for 26 years,” he said.

Like several other Kashmiri Pandits, Munshi and his family left the valley in 1990. He, however, returned to his ancestral home in 2008. It was then that he realised that not much has changed in Kashmir.

“When it started in the 1990s, I thought militancy will be over in a few years. But it has continued for 26 years,” he said.

As the valley continues to simmer for a third week consecutive week over the killing of militant Burhan Muzzafar Wani, Munshi feels that not much has changed on the ground.

“Three things has affected Kashmir the most -- the Pandit exodus, the 2010 protests in which security forces killed 120 boys and the floods of 2014. Today, things are equally grim as 50 people have been killed again,” he said.