Desolation.
Few dared to enter the main road, and would be chased away by police and army officers in jeeps.
When I got on the full bus it seemed like business as usual but we draw closer to the Jammu and Kashmir border things begin to look amiss. Miles after miles of lorries were packed by the roadside, and police checkpoints were everywhere. The bus began to take detours into mud roads and farmlands. My heart sensed something unpleasant. Suddenly we were all dropped at what looks like a nameless place with a small train halt. I was then told to go to Jammu by train.
At the train halt there was almost no English signboards so I was slightly confused on what to do. Few people spoke to me to explain what I should do although they all were saying there's a slim possibility of no trains at all. With no taxis or buses plying the route next to this halt, I was beginning to feel quite scared. No hotels or bus or taxis in the area. No way of turning back to Amritsar. The train arrived after four hours (of being completely clueless and friendless) and I was glad to recommence the journey.
I arrived in Jammu when it's already very dark. The station was overflowing with stranded Hindu pilgrims (Jammu is a centre of Hindu pilgrimage). I went out towards the autorickshaws and to my surprise not one hassled me or spoke to me. Incensed, I went to start haggling to no avail - everybody said no. No ine explained why. A Jammu local saw me and gave me a free ride on his bike to town.
The city as I approached it was a like in a siege. Police barricaded all entry points and were armed to their teeth. I was terrified to see the chaos at the checkpoint. Everyone was blocked from coming in. We managed to slip past the army and police.
Then the situation began to unravel. I was stuck in my hotel room for several
days. No one is allowed to go to the streets, under the pain of being shot by the patrolling police and army. In the hotel alleyway, crowds were trying to join in the protests in the other side of the city, chants of Hindu nationalism/extremism were heard. Bored, I went down to speak to the crowd (it's a Hindu area). Worrying violent statements about the "Muslims" made me conceal my religious beliefs. My name betrayed this but I prepared a clumsy explanation on being an atheist and coming from a secular family. This may be cowardice but I was certainly not going to die a martyr in India.
Banks were closed for few days and I had no food and no money left. I was stuck in my room hungry and scared. I called the Malaysian embassy to report my situation. They were distressed by this and acted to arrange a pick up or send me some money. However I realised I had some Ringgits left in my wallet so I decided to breach the curfew and face the barricades to find a place where they'd exchange my money with rupees.
As if walking through the empty streets weren't spooky enough, I had to walk slowly towards the heavily armed and aggressive officers to explain my situation and that I am a foreigner stuck in the middle of this mess. I was allowed to pass. Hotels after hotels refused to change the Ringgit (one hotel employee gave INR100 because he was so worried to see me in such helpless state) and when I finally got it changed, I was only offered half what I should get. A pretty inhumane act of business that I was in no place to refuse.
I checked out of my hotel (paid for the food I was getting from the employees) and with my backpacks I head to the streets determined to get out of the city. The city had calmed down a lot by then and I begged the officers to allow me to leave the city.
I finally reached the train station in one piece. Took a train back to happy and peaceful Amritsar.
With that, it really felt like it's time to leave India. Huda hafez Hindustan.
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