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Tai - The Boatman of Kashmir Tai perhaps represents timelessness. He claims he has watched the mountains being born and has seen emperors die. He claims "it is your history I am keeping in my head." He is stubborn, he reacts strongly against foreign ideas and commences a "no washing campaign" to drive Aadam Aziz out of the valley and as a result comes down with a horrendous skin infection.
If it is a notion of timelessness that is represented
by Tai then this notion is unceremoniously quashed when, having
since recovered from the skin infection soon after Aadam
left Kashmir he became
"infuriated
by India and Pakistan's struggle over his valley, and
walked to Chhamb with the express purpose of standing between
opposing forces and giving them a piece of his mind.
Kashmiri for Kashmiris: that was his line. Naturally,
they shot him." [p.37]
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