KASHMIR TO GOA- TRAVELLOGUE
Confucius once said, "Wherever you go, go with all your heart." Fifteenth of February, 2014, a cloudy, chilly afternoon in the Valley of Kashmir, mid winter, after-snow tranquility and a queer excitement in my heart, marked the beginning of my journey from Kashmir to Goa. I had heard that Goa is breathtakingly beautiful; my research had made it crystal clear that the climate of Goa is moderate, rainy and sensational. At the same time, Kashmir was snowy, chilly and clad in the blanket of white snow. So, I had put on all possible warm clothes: thermal, sweater, warmer, everything. I reached the Srinagar Airport, located on a plateau with picturesque landscape all around, in the afternoon. My mother accompanied me. She wished me good luck for the new job in a typical Kashmiri mother's way- hugs, kisses on forehead and a million prayers. At the same time she didn't forget to advise me in her unique way, "Eat plenty of fruits, drink water, don't eat roadside eatables and make it sure that you call once you reach Goa." With these words, I bade them good bye and entered the Srinagar Airport.
After doing all the formalities, I sat on a chair on the first floor of the airport which overlooked the runway area and the priceless surrounding landscape of Kashmir about which is said, "If there's a paradise on Earth, it's here, it's here." Beside me was sitting a foreigner stuck to a novel and next to him was an old man with a supporting stick and next to him was a group of boys clad in a sports uniform. Some people, accompanied by their kiths, kins and kids, were enjoying the sitting in a state of bliss. There was a mixed environment and was a small dummy of the real world and its people; some are happy, some are struggling with ailments and the others are lost in the world of imagination. Finally, the airport speakers made the announcement, "All passengers travelling in Flight GA1007 for Mumbai are requested to get ready for boarding." We sat in the plane and it left in around 20 minutes.
Once the plane took off, we were in mid air surrounded by the fluffy clouds. The blue sky was not visible due to the clouds but the Sun rays found their way through the clouds as the airplane gained altitude. In a short while, all the passengers got astonished to see the shiny, snow clad mountain tops that appeared like filled with the most beautiful and the most intricate pearls. It was a sight to see, priceless and unmatched. However, due to the bad weather, the plane made some sudden rises and falls to negotiate the dense clouds. In the next 30 minutes, the plane began a smooth sail, the clouds were no more there. Looking through the glass panes, I saw glorious fields that appeared rectangular, and bright rooftops. It was clear that we had left the Valley of Kashmir. Now, it was an altogether different weather. Our journey from Kashmir to Goa was a journey of around 5 hours. I had to land in Mumbai and from there had to take a connecting flight that would take me to Goa.
Mumbai Airport, an epitome of world class infrastructure, modern marvels and mind blowing architecture, was full of hustle and bustle. The showrooms of well known brands were decorated like brides. I enjoyed an hour of window shopping. Walking along the corridors of the airport, I saw an outlet of KFC's and dined there. While dining, I met a young man from Kashmir who had been living in Goa for the last ten years. I talked to him at length about Goa, its people, their demography, etc, etc. It was a fruitful interaction. In the next 50 minutes, I boarded the flight to Goa.
The flight from Mumbai to Goa was a novel experience for me. It was dark but it was clear that our plane didn't take much altitude. A clear demarcation between land and water was obvious. The plane was moving along the coast. A number of lights were seen along the coastline. Some ships and boats sailing on the sea were visible. Down there on Earth were lit a million lamps and it appeared golden. This sight made me recollect the disparities between the people and the cities. While some people and cities starve, the others prosper; while some cities suffer in a queer melancholy and midnight darkness, the others sparkle in bliss. As the journey progressed, the night sky slowly took over. Nothing but other aeroplanes were visible and below us, the Mother Earth. It was a short duration flight from Mumbai, nearly an hour's flight. I had analysed the map of Goa back home and those curves and bends down on the land surface were clearly seen as I had seen on the map. We landed in Dabolin Airport, Goa in a short while.
Goa Airport is a small airport of the size of a long golf course and I heard from somebody that it belongs to the airforce actually. I took a cab and went straight away to a beach area namely Vagatore where my uncle lives. It was 12 in the midnight when I reached there.
The next morning, I straight away went to see the beach and the sea as I had never seen a beach or a sea before. When I approached near, a cool breeze struck my body coupled with that sweet sound of water tides striking the rocks. A few steps ahead, in front of my eyes was a vast, blue and an endless sea. I stretched my arms and housed those cool breezes inside me. I walked along the beach for some time. Cool breezes were continuously coming but it was hot and humid. I heard from the people that this was the hottest period of the year. Boats, water scooters, ships were all around. People swam in the sea, some were chasing the retreating tides and the others running away from them. At a distance were a few boys and girls writing the tales of love with tender strokes on the sand. It was a small world in itself.
The next morning, it was the day, I reported at the Circle Office Goa located in the main capital city of Panjim. It was a wonderful experience. The welcome extended to me was great. After completing the formalities and documentation, we eagerly waited for the place of our posting and in the evening it was conveyed to us. Sanquelim, also pronounced as Sankli and even Sankdi, is a remote rural area located in North Goa. I, alongwith another Officer, Rohin, was allotted this branch.The next morning, I started my journey towards Sanquelim. Moving along the beautiful roads of Goa, gradually the scene changed. Leaving behind the beach areas, this internal Goa was completely different. I had heard that in Goa, everybody speaks English, it's full of foreigners. But, I realised that it's only the beach areas that are more so and the rest of Goa is just like the rest of India. Here also, a common man suffers, struggles and lives his simple life.
Gradually I was exploring Goa. It's a place with a lot of greenery, it's full of vegetation. There are many ascents and descents on the Goan roads. You will find a hilltop after every two kilometers. This vegetation, this greenery and these hillocks made me feel at home. I realized that this place was same as mine; I've got a home away from home.
I joined the branch at Sanquelim. The manager introduced me to the other staff members. I was given a warm welcome. I began working and I came to know Goa more and more. I will not miss this opportunity to mention that Goan economy has two main pillars: Tourism and Mining. While Tourism industry of Goa has reached the pinnacle of success, mining industry on the other hand, has been banned by the Supreme Court. This has crippled the economy of Goa seriously. It has left people helpless. Those who had taken debt and were dependent on mining to make their both ends meet, have faced a double-whammy of loosing their only source of income on one hand, and the increasing debt on the other. While travelling through the roads of Goa, one can see those blemishes of the mining activities that wear a deserted look now. A queer silence of melancholy prevails over them.
While I explored Goa more and more, I realised that this place isn't much different from mine. Kashmir and Goa are far away from each other, but, they're alike in more than one way. The two beauty Queens are divided by demography and geography but united by gracefulness and suffering. While Kashmir suffers from the decades-old turmoil and unrest, Goa suffers from an economic downfall. But, it must be noted that the most important thing that I learnt out of this travel is that no matter where you are, you'll never miss those unmatched and unparalleled core values that make us unique in the whole world. This is probably what prompts me to admit that my heart has settled here and I know that home is where the heart is; and this way I practically implemented Confucius's idea: wherever you go, go with all your heart.
