Jammu and Kashmir is back in the international spotlight, not as a "nuclear flashpoint" that it was made out to be a few years ago but through a "bus of hope" that seeks to emotionally heal and unite its splintered halves.
The caravan of peace -- as the Srinagar-Muzaffarabd bus has been renamed —has rolled on, kindling hopes for peace in a region that's been scarred by violence and nuclear nightmares.
The peace bus has also sparked curiosity about the human face of a region that was mostly known for its haunting natural beauty and pristine locales before terrorism gripped the state a decade and a half ago.
Over 40,000 people, mostly innocent civilians and Indian security personnel, have perished in the violence that has left ordinary people traumatised beyond repair.
Now, for the first time in recent history, the smiles are back on the faces of Kashmiris as they get ready to embrace their long-lost brothers and sisters through the new peace process between India and Pakistan.
Besides, a democratically elected government and a resurgent economy fuelled by tourism have lessened alienation and infused fresh hopes among the Kashmiris in the quest for a better life.
{{/usCountry}}Besides, a democratically elected government and a resurgent economy fuelled by tourism have lessened alienation and infused fresh hopes among the Kashmiris in the quest for a better life.
{{/usCountry}}Celebrated by itinerant poets as the "paradise on earth", this picturesque place has strangely instigated bellicose sentiments between the two neighbours, who have fought three wars (1947, 1965, 1971) and continue to claim this idyllic place vociferously as their own.
India regards Kashmir, part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir granted special status under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, as an "integral and inalienable" part of the Indian Union.
Pakistan, on the other extreme, claims the territory as its own and has been covertly waging a guerrilla war to achieve what it calls "Kashmir's liberation from the occupation of India".