Srinagar, June 27 -- The recent conclave in Srinagar has reopened one of the most difficult questions in the Valley's modern history: the return of those who were displaced decades ago. For many, the event was not just a conference but a homecoming, a chance to walk again on familiar ground after years of separation. The gathering carried both symbolic and practical weight, as it sought to examine whether conditions now exist for a community to reconnect with its roots and reclaim its place in the social fabric.

On one side was the story of resilience; families who rebuilt their lives in exile, who found success across professions and continents, and who carried with them the memory of a homeland left behind. On the other side was the st...