A Tribute to Kashmiriyat:
20 /25 years back, a knock at my door at Chandigarh around 10 pm, I find with some surprise, a sophisticated elderly gentleman , in old style long striped night suit, introducing himself: "I am Aga Ashraf, friend of Mr. Mathur and I am staying with him. He told me a Kashmiri Pandit family was living here and I felt tempted to meet you." I welcomed him in. My neighbour Mr VS Mathur was an intellectual educationist, retired Director Education Haryana, a close friend of Aga Sahib. Aga family had several names in Education/ Administration , during our student days and the name was not a surprise. At that time Aga Ashraf was Chairman of some J&K statutory body. Terrorism in Kashmir was on peak those days and he said in last 40 years this was the first time that he did not move to Srinagar in summer. Repeatedly regretting the mass exodus of KPs, we discussed various aspects of Kashmir- politics, violence, development, education and all that over several cup of kahwa, till we bade goodbye to each other at 1.00 am. RIP Aga Ashraf Sahib.
