Ishaq Khan, 55, is a professor of history who teaches at Kashmir University, Srinagar. He has written several books including Kashmir's Transition to Islam. He is currently compiling an encyclopedia on Sufis in South Asia. Dr Khan is married to an English teacher. As far as I am concerned, I am rooted in Kashmir. My identity as a Kashmiri is very central to my thinking and my writing. In fact, in 1992 I was in Oxford University for eight months and I had the option of settling down in the UK. I felt that Kashmir was burning and I had to do something for my land. Since 1992 I have been reflecting on my identity Listen to audio Real 28k  But I did not. I returned home. I felt then that Kashmir was burning and I had to do something for my land. Since 1992 I have been reflecting on my identity and on the wonder that was Kashmir. The events of the past few years have been very very painful. Kashmir has been torn apart. Soon after my return I was so depressed and upset by the violence around me that I retreated into my self and tried to shut out everything around me. To calm myself and to find solace I turned to the Koran and would recite some verses everyday. Since then I have embarked on writing a history of Kashmir. I have written about 100 pages. For my research, I have been travelling across the state. Loss of the Kashmiri Hindus One development, however, has disturbed me more than others. Wherever I go now in my travels, I feel that something is missing. I remember neighbourhoods which were inhabited by my Kashmiri Hindu brothers. Kashmiris of all religions have lived together for centuries They used to invite us to major Hindu festivals, such as Shivratri. And we, in turn, used to invite them to celebrate Eid. But now they are gone. Soon after the outbreak of violence in 1989, many Kashmiri Hindus left Srinagar and the Kashmir Valley, driven out of their homes in fear. I feel that I have lost something. It is my strong belief that without the Kashmiri Hindus one cannot talk about Kashmiri identity, or Kashmir. This is because it is their land. We, the Kashmiri Muslims, are converts [to Islam]. And it is the Kashmiri Hindus who have understood us best just as we understand them. Kashmiri Hindus form about 5 to 6% of the total population of Kashmir and the Muslims form about 95%. But what sustains my belief that Kashmir is incomplete without its Hindus is the fact that we have lived together for six centuries amicably, without shedding blood. One of the great Kashmiri kings even got the classic Indian epic the Mahabharata and other ancient Sanskrit texts translated into Persian. I am currently compiling an encyclopedia of Sufis in South Asia. During my work I have come across manuscripts written by Kashmiri Hindus which talk of the oneness of God, the one Creator who belongs to all and does not distinguish between Hindus and Muslims. Religious tolerance Now one hears that there is some thought being given to the division of Kashmir along religious lines as a possible solution to our problem. In 1848 the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir came into being when it was placed under the rule of the Hindu Dogra kings. In 1946, when an uprising against the king got going, some Kashmiri freedom fighters had advocated the splitting up of the state along religious lines. If it had taken place then, maybe it would have worked. But for this demand to be raised now would lead to, in my opinion, a second Partition. One of the distinctive features of Kashmir has been its religious tolerance. It used to be an ideal state where you would find Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists all living together. And this ethos of co-existence has continued, despite the partition of the state in 1948 between India and Pakistan. For Kashmir to retain its sanity and for any hope for future generations, it is very important that this ethos is resurrected. It is the very basis of this land and without it we stand a very strong chance of losing our sense of who we are.