New Delhi - A new rock band is attempting to soothe India-administered Kashmir, which has been ravaged by years of secessionist violence and a ban on entertainment by Muslim militant groups, a newspaper report said Monday. The purpose of the five-member band, Immersion, formed by a young Kashmiri doctor, Amit Wanchoo, is to erase the scars and trauma of young Kashmiris who have borne the brunt of the protracted fight between the rebels and Indian security forces, the Hindustan Times reported.
"They have suffered a lot and they are hungry for entertainment," Wanchoo, also the band's lyricist, told the daily.
"We are trying to heal their wounds," the 28-year-old doctor added.
The band, which weaves melodies of love and peace around the sounds of the guitar, drums and keyboards, is quite a sensation already and is drawing huge crowds at its concerts.
Immersion's female lead Mahmmeet Syed said the band was also hoping to entertain and help the orphans, the poor and the ailing.
Kashmir, a disputed region between India and neighbouring Pakistan, has witnessed the deaths of more than 50,000 people - civilians, militants and security forces - since the secessionist militant movement broke out in the late 1980s.
New Delhi has accused Islamabad of aiding and abetting Kashmiri militants, a charge Pakistan has denied. Islamabad said it supports the Kashmiris' legitimate aspirations for freedom.
The report said Wanchoo brought an emotional intensity into song-writing as his family had suffered during the conflict. His father, a prominent social worker, was shot dead by militants in 1992.
Nearly a million Kashmiris were affected by psychological illnesses and mental pressure, Wanchoo said, adding, "But they do not need capsules and tablets. They need mental recreation."
