In April 2017, I got appointed as Lecturer in Department of School Education Kashmir and after a break of two months, I got my posting order and heaved a sign of grief when I saw my posting place named as Machil about 200kms away from my home town Pulwama. But, I finally convinced myself regarding the benefits and status of job and showed decisiveness and willingness to take the plunge and join my place of posting. It was August, 2017, a moderate sunny day of summer, when I was on my way to Kupwara. I had never been to Kupwara in my life. From Kupwara, I started my journey towards Machil and within a short span of time, a series of villages (Goose, Khumriyal, Kalaroose, Thayan, Sarkuli etc.,) started.
The lush green landscapes were providing feast to the eyes and in certain green patches, the scorching sun appeared like incandescent bulbs over the fields and hilly terrains.Finally, the winding road with macadam coating changes to rough cement tiles to prevent skidding of vehicles during winter days reaches Zamindar Gali, popularly known as the Z gali and is at an altitude of 3150 metres (10,334 feet). All the vehicles were stopped here for recording of entry details with the army authorities. After a continuous travel of 3 hours in a tata sumo from Kupwara, the first village of Machil came into sight and to my amazement, it was 60 kms away from Kupwara and I muttered, “ O’ my God! It is the farthest unexplored place I have ever been and it is away from everyone. I found myself just entering into “back to stone age”.
Within the twinkling of an eye, the cool breeze began to blow while playing the undulating notes on the leaves of the green trees. The serene and dilapidated shaded roads of the Machil and mesmerizing mountains all around reminded me of famous hill stations Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam and Yousmarg, rather they were much more fascinating and enchanting. Moreover, the log cabins (wooden houses) and people’s attire in traditional Kashmiri dresses attracted my attention. Finally, I reached the place (Dudi) where I have to join but the school was off due to my late arrival at 5:00 pm. There, I met a local inhabitant Haji Manzoor Ahmad Sheikh, a wonderful and beautiful human being who without asking me any question took me to his home and offered me not only night stay but also a permanent accommodation in his home. Their care, admiration, kindness, hospitality and trust which they endowed on me is memorable and gave enough confidence to my dwindling hopes.
Next day, when I entered the school, I found it a place so romantic and charismatic surrounded by mountains with lush green pine trees. The Principal of the school, an honest, dedicated, responsible and energetic person, gave me a warm welcome and his encouraging words gave me enough assurance and optimism. Moreover, the better accommodation offered to all the outside teachers by the magnanimous people of the area in their homes without any room or mess charges and most of all, peacefulness and beauty- all proved to be contributing factors in my joining.
Machil is no doubt a fascinating beauty and a rich cultured area with lots of hidden stories and places to explore. It consists of 12 villages namely Machil, Pushwari, Dudi, Dapal, Katwara, Misribehak, Lindoub, Chountiwari, Doban, Ring Payeen and Ring Bala. It has a population of 16683 with an almost equal distribution of males and females, with a population density of about 761 persons per square kilometre and 9 panchayat halqas. The male literacy stands at 89 % while female literacy rate is 53 %. The people mostly speak Kashmiri but some do speak Pahari and Pashtu. They are all Sunnis and every village has a mosque. The people mainly cultivate and grow potatoes, turnips and Rajma beans and every house which is built mainly of wood has a kitchen garden with Haakh (Collard green), beans and maize. They also rear backyard poultry along with sheep and cows.
Being very close to the LOC, this area is controlled by the army and not open to tourists unless a special permission is taken. A lot of facilities for the local population is provided by the army and also provide them labour work on the making and repairing of roads. The forests of Machil have an enormous diversity of aromatic and medicinal plants. The common names of some medicinal plants used by the local inhabitants are Patrees (used for stomach pain and diabetics), Rouspatri ( used for blood pressure and fatty liver), Ratanjosh ( used for joint and backpain), Dailaader( used for healing the bone fractures), Sheatkaar ( used for 80 diseases especially heart problems), Shilajit ( used for reproductive health and weakness), Kahzaban( used for fever, cold and chest infections) Chohud ( used for cough and influenza), and Guchchi mushroom( used for gastric problems and indigestion).
Moreover, this area is also rich in wild edible fruits like Rangresh, Kilmech, Wanwagun, Pup, Hargil etc., as their common names. Therefore, in view of the rising demand for global health care, this area may experience significant attention towards research and traditional medical knowledge. Making this area as organic agriculture spot and tourist destination will change the destiny of the people and the place.
I transferred here in September, 2023 after 6 years of joining. Wrapped in memories, I never knew when, how and where life takes turns but I will never forget my first place of posting. I will never forget my friends, colleagues, students and all the cheerful people of this area for their love and respect. Romanticism of the peaks and beauty of Machil Valley will always be there in my memory and in my dreams.
(Author is Lecturer in Chemistry, BHSS Arihal Pulwama. Feedback: [email protected])
