Bus to Muzaffarabad

The service is the biggest confidence-building measure that the two sides agreed to as part of the plan to bring back peace to Kashmir. It also shows Kashmiris' disenchantment with the terrorist activities which have had a crippling effect on the life in the Himalayan state. The peoples of Kashmir have responded very enthusiastically to the idea of linking the two capitals on either side of the LoC through a bus service. They have opted for peace.

The journey has not been without pitfalls. There was a report of a bomb attack on a place where intending passengers were waiting and finally when the bus started moving it came under gunfire. Fortunately, it was dismissed as accidental fire. But the courage and determination of the Kashmiri people eager to break the nearly 60-year old barrier won the day. The bus service is a solid step towards bringing the peoples of the two Kashmirs close to each other.

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India and Pakistan have held peace talks to resolve the Kashmir problem several times, but could hardly reach any understanding. However, the bus service which will establish people to people contact and enable many Kashmiri families to reunite will certainly help ease the situation.

The wind of change that is blowing across the Indo-Pak frontiers will get stronger with more interaction between the peoples of Kashmir.

Kashmiris have paid too heavy a price for the political violence. So it is only natural that they want peace in the region. A bus trip aiming to reunite the families driven asunder back in the late forties is indeed an auspicious occasion for them to celebrate. All the more so, because it may decisively influence the process of peace making in the region.