Kashmir is now swaying to a new beat — rock music. Amit Wanchoo, a young Kashmiri doctor, has formed a rock band to soothe Kashmir, which has been hit by years of violence and a ban on entertainment by militants.
Immersion, a five-member rock band that also includes a woman, says the purpose of its music is to try to erase the scars and trauma of young Kashmiris.
“They have suffered a lot and they are hungry for entertainment,” said Amit, also the band’s lyricist. “We are trying to heal their wounds.”
He says the band has been weaving its melodies of love and peace around the sound of the guitar, drums and keyboards and has drawn large crowds.
Immersion’s female lead Mahmmeet Syed says the band has also organised concerts to entertain and help orphans, the poor and the ailing.
Every word of pain and suffering is dipped in the blood of Amit’s own family — his father, a prominent social worker, was shot dead by militants in 1992. Amit says that a million Kashmiris were now affected by psychological illnesses and mental pressure, but “they don’t need capsules and tablets. They need mental recreation."