Musavir has an on-the-spot report from a place that the society would rather not talk about
(Mr. Musavirr Wani, 28, was born in Srinagar and attened the Burn Hall School. He graduated from the Meerut University and joined the Kashmir Times as a reporter. Loves driving his car and surfing internet to seek out workshops and fellowships so that he can travel and present the true picture of Kashmir.)
'We are normal, not insane'
Srinagar: Quite contrary to general perception, inmates at valley's lone psychiatric diseases hospital consider themselves "normal".
"What are you looking for? I am not a patient. They are there," says a female inmate while pointing towards others in one of the wards of Valley's lone psychiatric diseases hospital in Srinagar.
As this correspondent was jotting down details, Shazia Akhter (name changed), yet another inmate, came rushing down and said, "I too can write" while entering her name on writing pad.
There are 21 female inmates in hospital from different districts including Srinagar, Baramulla, Pulwama and Budgam. Zoona (name changed), another inmate, just roams around. She has been here for last two decades.
"They fight over trivial issues. At times they turn violent and injections are used to pacify them. Whenever they see their dear one or any other relative they lose their temper," said Khateeja, a maid in hospital.
She admits that families of inmates show a "cold-shoulder response" and do not visit them frequently. "There are 5-6 cases who can be send back, but their families are not willing to accept them," said Khateeja adding "they consider them a burden."
Shafeeqa from Qamarwari is orphan. Being well-aware of the fact, she said, "I have no one at home".
Situation in male wards is no different. Hilal Ahmad (name changed), an inmate while introducing himself said, "I have studied in Hanfia College, no in women's college, no in University. My identity card is with them (pointing towards hospital management)."
When asked how he landed in the psychiatric hospital Hilal averred, "I am here because I was a drug-addict. Now I have given-up and I take medicines regularly."
As he was speaking, Asif (name changed), another inmate came inside, "There is alcodine and nicotine in drugs and Kashmiri chai (tea). This is very harmful for health."
"Kal main azad hojaunga" (tomorrow I will be a free bird)" Asif said, "My parents brought me here."
Asked why, he replied, "Kya pata (I do not know) adding "I do what my parents ask me to do and would go home tomorrow and continue my studies. I miss my parents and friends".
Next to Asif stands another inmate who cried, "They do not allow me home, I want to go. My younger brother brought me here."
Ninety male inmates from various districts of valley are in four wards of hospital.
"Serious patients are put in separate ward and when they turn furious they are kept in different cells. More inmates are from rural areas," said an official of hospital adding, "They mostly fight over cigarettes. Sometimes patients turn out of control and injections are used to bring them relief."
Citing an example, he added "Few days back, we took a patient home (in hospital vehicle), next day, family brought him back" adding "basically, their families fail to provide them medicines (at home) that are given them free of cost, here."
Introduction to KashmirForum.org Blog
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Quality of Education Must be Improved
Riyaz says the education system is unable to produce results because key core targets are not being pursued
(Mr. Riyaz Ahmad Qureshi, 34, was born in Kandi village in the Karnah tehsil, generally known as Tangdhar (Kupwara District). He was educated in a private school in Srinagar until the 10th grade and completed his 12th grade from the Government Higher Secondary School in his native town. He completed his B.E. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Regional Engineering College in Srinagar (now called the National Institute of Technology) with an advanced diploma in computers. He is employed by the University of Kashmir as an Assistant Engineer. In his leisure time, Mr. Qureshi reads books on education and science, and enjoys driving on open roads.)
Missing the Target
The educational institutions of our state do not satisfactorily perform the function of promoting the desirable attitude in the students. Promoting the right kind of attitude should have been the primary objective of our educational system, but unfortunately this core value is missing. At the most what they do is to achieve large-scale literacy only. The results are visible in the form of the production of a huge crowd of students with no prospects of a better future, and bearing the brunt of the inadequacies in our education system.
As we all know that education is supposed to deal with the sharpening of and developing faculty of intellect and exploiting the same for purposeful and productive application. Education is meant for tangible human welfare and social development inclusive of the individuals participating in educational processes. It may be borne in mind that the objectives of education are reflective of social structure and social demands and these are always varying and dynamic.
As such these objectives can be; Universal, General, and Specific. The Universal objectives must aim at developing humanistic behaviour; the General objective must aim at developing nationalistic character, and Specific objective should take care of the immediate social requirements.
With reference to our State it is a bitter truth that the realization of the Universal objectives is rarely manifested in the students as instead of humanistic behaviour one can easily find the predominance self-centeredness in most of the cases. The realization of General objectives is seen to be badly diluted for the obvious reasons that our State's political future is uncertain and unsettled. The realization of the Specific objectives is also not much rewarding as the educational institutions are unable to furnish socially-relevant courses of required degree and quantum.
At the primary, secondary and higher secondary levels, the courses do not reflect any thing localized as the academic programmes of NCERT are under implementation and the J & K State Board of School Education has no role in this regard and it only conducts the various examinations round. This state of affairs seems to be sociologically and psychologically irrelevant and it has telling effects on the psyche of the students who feel badly uncomfortable in social scheme of things and thus suffers from utter dissatisfaction.
At the level of higher education the situation is, of course, not that bad but keeping in view the present day requirements and necessities of the complex social structure and global advancement the educational system and the courses offered are not much attractive and quality based; reason being that most of the higher education institutions are deficient in infrastructure, library and laboratory facilities and wanting in prescribed teacher-student ratio.
In almost all the higher level institutions there has been, for quite some time, a tradition of ad-hocism leading to stagnation in academic matters. These institutions are mostly sanctioned and opened for political reasons rather than on technical grounds. These are often lodged in temporary sheds in rural areas, which reflects the apathy of the government on one hand and negligence and irresponsible behaviour of the front line social and political workers. This situation has also led to huge enrolment pressure on established colleges mostly situated in the cities and towns which have already been subjected to the problem of over-crowding because of large scale spread of population. And if the situation is not tackled carefully these established institutions are bound to lose their glory and reputation.
The condition of the institutions running PG courses is also deplorable as their intake capacity is not keeping pace with the demand. Further the laboratory, library and other essential services are also far behind the prescribed norms.
The situation is worse in respect of the educational institutions in the private sector as in no way these suffice even the basic and minimum facilities in respect of infrastructure and qualified staff. These institutions manage their entitlement through false representations and recommendations through their management committees. Generally there is a big gap between their notified and real pay structure and the recruited staff cannot express its grievances for fear of being expelled by the respective management bodies of such institutions. This is more true about private sector institutions in the rural areas where periodical inspections cannot be effectively conducted.
The question is how this sad state of affairs can end. The answer is simple. This problem can be overcome only when the whole society including the people at the helm of affairs shuns materialistic approach and exhibit true human character in the form of cultured, dignified and selfless behaviour; thus allowing the values to prevail.
This is not impossible though difficult it may be. Collective and sincere efforts on part of the members of our society can bring the derailed system on track. It is only when everyone contributes in a constructive way that a peaceful, prosperous and progressive society can take shape.
(Mr. Riyaz Ahmad Qureshi, 34, was born in Kandi village in the Karnah tehsil, generally known as Tangdhar (Kupwara District). He was educated in a private school in Srinagar until the 10th grade and completed his 12th grade from the Government Higher Secondary School in his native town. He completed his B.E. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Regional Engineering College in Srinagar (now called the National Institute of Technology) with an advanced diploma in computers. He is employed by the University of Kashmir as an Assistant Engineer. In his leisure time, Mr. Qureshi reads books on education and science, and enjoys driving on open roads.)
Missing the Target
The educational institutions of our state do not satisfactorily perform the function of promoting the desirable attitude in the students. Promoting the right kind of attitude should have been the primary objective of our educational system, but unfortunately this core value is missing. At the most what they do is to achieve large-scale literacy only. The results are visible in the form of the production of a huge crowd of students with no prospects of a better future, and bearing the brunt of the inadequacies in our education system.
As we all know that education is supposed to deal with the sharpening of and developing faculty of intellect and exploiting the same for purposeful and productive application. Education is meant for tangible human welfare and social development inclusive of the individuals participating in educational processes. It may be borne in mind that the objectives of education are reflective of social structure and social demands and these are always varying and dynamic.
As such these objectives can be; Universal, General, and Specific. The Universal objectives must aim at developing humanistic behaviour; the General objective must aim at developing nationalistic character, and Specific objective should take care of the immediate social requirements.
With reference to our State it is a bitter truth that the realization of the Universal objectives is rarely manifested in the students as instead of humanistic behaviour one can easily find the predominance self-centeredness in most of the cases. The realization of General objectives is seen to be badly diluted for the obvious reasons that our State's political future is uncertain and unsettled. The realization of the Specific objectives is also not much rewarding as the educational institutions are unable to furnish socially-relevant courses of required degree and quantum.
At the primary, secondary and higher secondary levels, the courses do not reflect any thing localized as the academic programmes of NCERT are under implementation and the J & K State Board of School Education has no role in this regard and it only conducts the various examinations round. This state of affairs seems to be sociologically and psychologically irrelevant and it has telling effects on the psyche of the students who feel badly uncomfortable in social scheme of things and thus suffers from utter dissatisfaction.
At the level of higher education the situation is, of course, not that bad but keeping in view the present day requirements and necessities of the complex social structure and global advancement the educational system and the courses offered are not much attractive and quality based; reason being that most of the higher education institutions are deficient in infrastructure, library and laboratory facilities and wanting in prescribed teacher-student ratio.
In almost all the higher level institutions there has been, for quite some time, a tradition of ad-hocism leading to stagnation in academic matters. These institutions are mostly sanctioned and opened for political reasons rather than on technical grounds. These are often lodged in temporary sheds in rural areas, which reflects the apathy of the government on one hand and negligence and irresponsible behaviour of the front line social and political workers. This situation has also led to huge enrolment pressure on established colleges mostly situated in the cities and towns which have already been subjected to the problem of over-crowding because of large scale spread of population. And if the situation is not tackled carefully these established institutions are bound to lose their glory and reputation.
The condition of the institutions running PG courses is also deplorable as their intake capacity is not keeping pace with the demand. Further the laboratory, library and other essential services are also far behind the prescribed norms.
The situation is worse in respect of the educational institutions in the private sector as in no way these suffice even the basic and minimum facilities in respect of infrastructure and qualified staff. These institutions manage their entitlement through false representations and recommendations through their management committees. Generally there is a big gap between their notified and real pay structure and the recruited staff cannot express its grievances for fear of being expelled by the respective management bodies of such institutions. This is more true about private sector institutions in the rural areas where periodical inspections cannot be effectively conducted.
The question is how this sad state of affairs can end. The answer is simple. This problem can be overcome only when the whole society including the people at the helm of affairs shuns materialistic approach and exhibit true human character in the form of cultured, dignified and selfless behaviour; thus allowing the values to prevail.
This is not impossible though difficult it may be. Collective and sincere efforts on part of the members of our society can bring the derailed system on track. It is only when everyone contributes in a constructive way that a peaceful, prosperous and progressive society can take shape.
Kashmiri School Children Lead the Way
Kavita describes the Global Warming campaign promoted by school children in the valley
(Dr. Kavita Suri was born in Jammu and did her primary schooling there. She received two Bachelor's degrees from the University of Jammu, one in Science from the the Government Women's College, and the other in Education from the Government College of Education. She completed Master's degrees in Education, followed by English (both from the University of Jammu), and in Masss Communication from Guru Jambeshwar University in Hisar. She finished her doctorate degree from the Department of Education of the University of Jammu. In between she also pursued diploma courses in creative writing, business management, journalism and distance education from the Indira Gandhi National Open University. She started his journalism career with the Daily Excelsior, and over the years worked at various print media newspapers like the Kashmir Times, The Tribune, and more recently, at the Statesman. She is currently the assistant director of the Centre for Adult and Continuing Education and Extension at the University of Jammu. She has written a book, entitled, "Impact of Violence on Girls' Education in Kashmir", as well as contributed articles to changing political landscapes and gender inequalities in Jammu and Kashmir. She has received the British Chevening Print Journalists'fellowship, Charkha-Sanjoy Ghose media fellowship, and the U.S. State Department International Visitors Exchange fellowship. She has made numerous presentations, conducted multiple workshops, and is affiliated with numerous social organizations.)
Global Warming: ‘We Do Care,’ say Kashmir’s Children
Birjees John, 17, a student of class 12th at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Soura, Srinagar, last week spent a full day at the Sri Pratap College, Srinagar learning and discussing about the issues of global warming and climate change.
A young girl who is also her class representative at her school, was took excited to be part of the Eni Children’s Education workshop on “Petroleum Geology, Global Warming and Energy Efficiency Campaign” organized by the University of Jammu in collaboration with Maghreb Petroleum Research Group, University College London, Directorate of School Education, J&K and S.P. College Srinagar, Kashmir. Over 200 children drawn from various schools of almost all the districts of Kupwara, Baramulla, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam, Ganderbal etc of Kashmir valley participated in this workshop focused to provide essential basic education in Geosciences to the school children of Kashmir valley.
“What makes me sad is the fact that our natural resources are depleting in Kashmir valley. We are having water shortage which we never had in the past in the region which is full of water bodies, springs and rivers; our water bodies like Dal Lake and Nageen Lake are getting polluting and we are largely responsible for that,” said Birjees John who like other over 200 children participated in this workshop, first of its kind in Kashmir valley, organized to sensitize the children of Kashmir valley about the issues like energy conservation, global warming and climate change.The entire workshop was received enthusiastically by these students and accompanying teachers.
As there is a limited awareness among the school children on such themes, the most important component of the lecture series and exercises in this workshop for valley children was to make them aware about the critical global issues of the current energy crisis, depleting fossil fuel resources, alternative energy resources, energy efficiency and global warming.
Burhaan Hamid, another young student who is studying in class 11th in Burn Hall School attended the workshop along with his class mates Ahmed Mustaq and Rameez Riyaz. Having already participated in campaigns like “Save Dal” initiated by some social organizations and their respective schools, these young students feel very strongly about the issues which touch their everyday lives.
“What makes us ponder is the fact winters are getting shorter and shorter in Kashmir valley, the Kashmiris who used to wear Pheran (a long robe made of woolen cloth to protect from cold) round the year discard it for half of the year and so is the case with Kangris (fire pots) which we used to keep with us,” rues Rameez Riyaz adding global warming is a cause of concern for hundreds of them living in Kashmir valley.
Most of the children who participated in the workshop felt that all of them needed to do something to save their planet earth, their Kashmir so that they do not face the problems like melting of the glaciers, lesser rains, increased temperature in future.
Never before any such an initiative has been taken in Kashmir Valley. It was first programme of its kind to address these issues with the new generation in Kashmir valley. The workshop, going by the active participation of over 200 Kashmiri children made a visible impact on the lives and perception of the children involved.
The University of Jammu, in collaboration with Eni, one of the sixth largest oil companies in the world, has already organized five Eni Children’s Education Program aimed at educating students at Jammu, Kargil, Leh,Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. This education programmes organized at Jammu, Kargil and Leh in Jammu and Kashmir and Jodhpur in Rajasthan and now again at Srinagar have been a resounding success.
“There is a need to make the students and youth of the country aware about the issues of global warming, climate change and energy conservation. These burning issues are no longer any hypothesis but real issues of public debate,” said Professor Varun Sahni, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu who himself is an internationally acclaimed defense analyst.
Kashmir, he added, is already witnessing impact of global warming; the glaciers in the region are melting and the temperature is also rising. There is a very little snowfall in the valley since past few years due to global warming and the attempt was to sensitize the future generation on issues of public importance.
Prof Sahni believes that it is not only important for the students and youth of Kashmir to understand the challenges and issues in our planetary ecosystems but it was equally important for them to spread out this message among their friends, students, brothers, sisters and the whole society.
Dr. Jonathan Craig, Vice-President, Regional Studies and Exploration Opportunities Selection, E&P Division, Eni S.p.A. Milan spoke to the children regarding petroleum geology which was followed by simple exercises for the students. Another practical session included a lecture by Dr Jonathan Craig on global warming followed by the more exercises for the students.
“Be under no illusion, global warming is probably the greatest threat to humanity in our five million year history on this planet and it will be the poorest people in the world who will suffer,” he informed the students adding planet Earth is warming faster than at any other time in the past 1000 years and there is little doubt that human activity is largely to blame. There has been a 0.6 degree C rise in global temperature and a 20 cm rise in sea level during the 20th century. The thickness of the sea ice over the Artic Ocean has reduced by 40 %. Mountain glaciers are melting at the faster rate ever recorded. There has been a 40% increase in storm activity in the North Atlantic region over the last 50 years and global floods and droughts have become more frequent, particularly in areas such as India.
“In 2007, the Intergovernmental panel on climate change IPCC predicted that global temperatures will rise by up to a further 5.8 degree C by 2100. Even if greenhouse gas and aerosol concentrations in the atmosphere were fixed at today’s levels, temperatures would continue to rise by between 0.25 and 0.75 degree Celsius by the end of the Century,” said Dr. Craig.
“We at the University of Jammu are doing a tremendous job in making the children, our future generation, aware about the issues and challenges in the field of energy conservation and global warming which are extremely important. It is equally important to understand in terms of basic and earth science as we are located in High Himalayas which is a very fragile area and undertaking earth science is the most important thing for the students,” said Professor G. M. Bhat, University of Jammu, Principal Convenor, EEC.
The participating Kashmiri school children also made poster presentations on the theme of Global Warming, Energy Efficiency and Climate Change. Later prizes were distributed among the students. First prize of ENi Milan went to Shahida Ashraf, student of class 11 at GGHS Verinag, second prize of University College London was awarded to Hina Ashraf, GHSS Kothibagh, third prize went to Salma and Ishrat of GGHS Kulgam. Consolation prizes were given to Jehangir, GBHS Telbal, Sabia Abdullah, GGHSS Nishat, Shiekh Zaffar, GBHS Laar, Ganderbal, Shauket Ali Khan of Kulgam High School, Umer Hussian Khan of Aram, Bandipore, Nilofer Tabassum of Budgam and Ms Nusrat of Pahalgam School. The experts of the event were Mr. R.L.Kashkari and Dr. B.K.Raina, both former directors of Geological Survey of India, Dr. B.L.Dhar, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun.
Dr. Bindra Thusu of Maghreb Petroleum Research Group at University College London was also present at the workshop. Technical support and practical training was provided by a Jammu University team of scholars including Dr. Yudhbir Singh, Mr. Naveen Hakhoo, Ms Sumita Koul and Mr. Vinay Sharma.
(Dr. Kavita Suri was born in Jammu and did her primary schooling there. She received two Bachelor's degrees from the University of Jammu, one in Science from the the Government Women's College, and the other in Education from the Government College of Education. She completed Master's degrees in Education, followed by English (both from the University of Jammu), and in Masss Communication from Guru Jambeshwar University in Hisar. She finished her doctorate degree from the Department of Education of the University of Jammu. In between she also pursued diploma courses in creative writing, business management, journalism and distance education from the Indira Gandhi National Open University. She started his journalism career with the Daily Excelsior, and over the years worked at various print media newspapers like the Kashmir Times, The Tribune, and more recently, at the Statesman. She is currently the assistant director of the Centre for Adult and Continuing Education and Extension at the University of Jammu. She has written a book, entitled, "Impact of Violence on Girls' Education in Kashmir", as well as contributed articles to changing political landscapes and gender inequalities in Jammu and Kashmir. She has received the British Chevening Print Journalists'fellowship, Charkha-Sanjoy Ghose media fellowship, and the U.S. State Department International Visitors Exchange fellowship. She has made numerous presentations, conducted multiple workshops, and is affiliated with numerous social organizations.)
Global Warming: ‘We Do Care,’ say Kashmir’s Children
Birjees John, 17, a student of class 12th at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Soura, Srinagar, last week spent a full day at the Sri Pratap College, Srinagar learning and discussing about the issues of global warming and climate change.
A young girl who is also her class representative at her school, was took excited to be part of the Eni Children’s Education workshop on “Petroleum Geology, Global Warming and Energy Efficiency Campaign” organized by the University of Jammu in collaboration with Maghreb Petroleum Research Group, University College London, Directorate of School Education, J&K and S.P. College Srinagar, Kashmir. Over 200 children drawn from various schools of almost all the districts of Kupwara, Baramulla, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam, Ganderbal etc of Kashmir valley participated in this workshop focused to provide essential basic education in Geosciences to the school children of Kashmir valley.
“What makes me sad is the fact that our natural resources are depleting in Kashmir valley. We are having water shortage which we never had in the past in the region which is full of water bodies, springs and rivers; our water bodies like Dal Lake and Nageen Lake are getting polluting and we are largely responsible for that,” said Birjees John who like other over 200 children participated in this workshop, first of its kind in Kashmir valley, organized to sensitize the children of Kashmir valley about the issues like energy conservation, global warming and climate change.The entire workshop was received enthusiastically by these students and accompanying teachers.
As there is a limited awareness among the school children on such themes, the most important component of the lecture series and exercises in this workshop for valley children was to make them aware about the critical global issues of the current energy crisis, depleting fossil fuel resources, alternative energy resources, energy efficiency and global warming.
Burhaan Hamid, another young student who is studying in class 11th in Burn Hall School attended the workshop along with his class mates Ahmed Mustaq and Rameez Riyaz. Having already participated in campaigns like “Save Dal” initiated by some social organizations and their respective schools, these young students feel very strongly about the issues which touch their everyday lives.
“What makes us ponder is the fact winters are getting shorter and shorter in Kashmir valley, the Kashmiris who used to wear Pheran (a long robe made of woolen cloth to protect from cold) round the year discard it for half of the year and so is the case with Kangris (fire pots) which we used to keep with us,” rues Rameez Riyaz adding global warming is a cause of concern for hundreds of them living in Kashmir valley.
Most of the children who participated in the workshop felt that all of them needed to do something to save their planet earth, their Kashmir so that they do not face the problems like melting of the glaciers, lesser rains, increased temperature in future.
Never before any such an initiative has been taken in Kashmir Valley. It was first programme of its kind to address these issues with the new generation in Kashmir valley. The workshop, going by the active participation of over 200 Kashmiri children made a visible impact on the lives and perception of the children involved.
The University of Jammu, in collaboration with Eni, one of the sixth largest oil companies in the world, has already organized five Eni Children’s Education Program aimed at educating students at Jammu, Kargil, Leh,Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. This education programmes organized at Jammu, Kargil and Leh in Jammu and Kashmir and Jodhpur in Rajasthan and now again at Srinagar have been a resounding success.
“There is a need to make the students and youth of the country aware about the issues of global warming, climate change and energy conservation. These burning issues are no longer any hypothesis but real issues of public debate,” said Professor Varun Sahni, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu who himself is an internationally acclaimed defense analyst.
Kashmir, he added, is already witnessing impact of global warming; the glaciers in the region are melting and the temperature is also rising. There is a very little snowfall in the valley since past few years due to global warming and the attempt was to sensitize the future generation on issues of public importance.
Prof Sahni believes that it is not only important for the students and youth of Kashmir to understand the challenges and issues in our planetary ecosystems but it was equally important for them to spread out this message among their friends, students, brothers, sisters and the whole society.
Dr. Jonathan Craig, Vice-President, Regional Studies and Exploration Opportunities Selection, E&P Division, Eni S.p.A. Milan spoke to the children regarding petroleum geology which was followed by simple exercises for the students. Another practical session included a lecture by Dr Jonathan Craig on global warming followed by the more exercises for the students.
“Be under no illusion, global warming is probably the greatest threat to humanity in our five million year history on this planet and it will be the poorest people in the world who will suffer,” he informed the students adding planet Earth is warming faster than at any other time in the past 1000 years and there is little doubt that human activity is largely to blame. There has been a 0.6 degree C rise in global temperature and a 20 cm rise in sea level during the 20th century. The thickness of the sea ice over the Artic Ocean has reduced by 40 %. Mountain glaciers are melting at the faster rate ever recorded. There has been a 40% increase in storm activity in the North Atlantic region over the last 50 years and global floods and droughts have become more frequent, particularly in areas such as India.
“In 2007, the Intergovernmental panel on climate change IPCC predicted that global temperatures will rise by up to a further 5.8 degree C by 2100. Even if greenhouse gas and aerosol concentrations in the atmosphere were fixed at today’s levels, temperatures would continue to rise by between 0.25 and 0.75 degree Celsius by the end of the Century,” said Dr. Craig.
“We at the University of Jammu are doing a tremendous job in making the children, our future generation, aware about the issues and challenges in the field of energy conservation and global warming which are extremely important. It is equally important to understand in terms of basic and earth science as we are located in High Himalayas which is a very fragile area and undertaking earth science is the most important thing for the students,” said Professor G. M. Bhat, University of Jammu, Principal Convenor, EEC.
The participating Kashmiri school children also made poster presentations on the theme of Global Warming, Energy Efficiency and Climate Change. Later prizes were distributed among the students. First prize of ENi Milan went to Shahida Ashraf, student of class 11 at GGHS Verinag, second prize of University College London was awarded to Hina Ashraf, GHSS Kothibagh, third prize went to Salma and Ishrat of GGHS Kulgam. Consolation prizes were given to Jehangir, GBHS Telbal, Sabia Abdullah, GGHSS Nishat, Shiekh Zaffar, GBHS Laar, Ganderbal, Shauket Ali Khan of Kulgam High School, Umer Hussian Khan of Aram, Bandipore, Nilofer Tabassum of Budgam and Ms Nusrat of Pahalgam School. The experts of the event were Mr. R.L.Kashkari and Dr. B.K.Raina, both former directors of Geological Survey of India, Dr. B.L.Dhar, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun.
Dr. Bindra Thusu of Maghreb Petroleum Research Group at University College London was also present at the workshop. Technical support and practical training was provided by a Jammu University team of scholars including Dr. Yudhbir Singh, Mr. Naveen Hakhoo, Ms Sumita Koul and Mr. Vinay Sharma.
International Collaboration on Energy Research Awareness in J&K
The University of Kashmir joins with institutes in U.K., U.S.A., and Italy to create a new consortium
Energy Research & Training Consortium Being set up
Gulmarg: Universities of Kashmir and Jammu have agreed to collaborate and work together to set up "Energy Research & Training Consortium for Jammu and Kashmir" for conducting scientific research in the field of energy sector.
The main objective of this collaboration is to establish collaborative links among the two universities with support from the University College London, University of Durham, UK, University of Utah, USA, Italian International Energy Development Corporation (ENI), Italy, Getenergy, UK and various other national institutes.
A consensus to this effect was reached on the 3rd Day of the Workshop on "Energy Challenges: A case for Energy Research Institute", in a meeting of the Core Group comprising of members from the two Universities and the Collaborating organizations held at Gulmarg. It was decided at the Core Group Meeting to take forward the mission under the name "Energy Research & Training Consortium for Jammu and Kashmir". The Core Group meeting was attended by Professor Riyaz Punjabi, Vice Chancellor, Kashmir University, Professor Varun Sahni, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu, Dr. Haseeb Drabu, Chairman J&K Bank, Dr. Jonathan Craig, ENI, Italy, Dr. Richard Davies, University of Durham, Dr. Peter Mckenzie Smith from Get energy, Dr. Joe Moore from the Utah University, USA, Prof. Juergen Thurow and Prof Bindra Thusu from University College London, Dr Shakil A Romshoo , KU, Prof. G. M. Bhat, JU, other top officials of both the Universities including Registrars and Dean Academic Affairs of KU and JU and other senior professors.
This strategic and important decision to set up of the "Energy Research & Training Consortium (ERTC) for Jammu and Kashmir", besides other things, would ultimately pave way for the establishment of the Energy Research Institute in the state in the years to come, thus promoting and enabling teaching/training, consultancy and research in the field of Energy resource assessment, Energy Planning and conservation, alternate energy resources, environmental concerns etc. This Energy Institute, first of its kind in India, would be developed on the pattern of Energy Research Institute developed at University of Utah, USA, Durham University, UK and UCL, UK. Under this initiative, which is being seen as a major achievement for the state of Jammu and Kashmir, both the prestigious and leading universities of the state are going for a major collaborative work, the partners will work towards sector wise resource assessment, building the capacity of the state power development agencies, generate the accurate and credible data for formulating energy policy in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
This Consortium will have two coordinators, one from each University, who would coordinate with international collaborators. While Dr Shakil A Romshoo would be the coordinator from Kashmir University Professor G. M. Bhat will be the coordinator from Jammu University,. Besides, it was decided that there would be ten core group members that would include geologists, life scientists, organic chemists, physicists, anthropologists, economists, hydrologists etc.
The establishment of the "Energy Research & Training Consortium for J&K" is a first step towards setting up of the full-fledged Energy Institute in J&K and would among other things, go for an independent assessment of the resources on which one can rely on; it would help to generate data that is extremely useful for the researchers, government, policy makers and would provide a realistic and holistic view of the Energy Scenario in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. There would also be exchanges of academic staff and students from the two University to the Collaborating Universities abroad for the purpose of promoting research and capacity building under appropriate bilateral agreements. joint conferences, seminars and symposia on topics of mutual interest would be organized by the KU, JU with support from the Collaborating institutes.
Vice Chancellor Kashmir University Prof Riyaz Punjabi termed the development as unique and significant and said that he is trying to set some benchmarks in the University to ensure that the Scientific outputs are used for the environmental friendly socio-economic development of the state . Saying that innovation is his objective , Prof Punjabi felt that despite tremendous energy potential in the state, the scenario is very grim as no concerted efforts have been made by the state to harness and optimally utilize the energy potential for laying strong economic foundation for the industrial growth of the state. Prof Punjbai hoped that the "Energy Research & Training Consortium for J&K" shall give boast to research related to the environment friendly exploitation of all form of energy resources in the state.
Professor Varun Sahni, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu, while underscoring the need to collect data for further research and impart teaching, suggested the introduction of a short-term course on energy through distance education mode in both the universities. "As the distance education modes of both the universities are very strong, I think the introduction of a short 3-5 month course on energy would help in a big way in capacity building of the people interested in the theme," said Prof Sahni adding such Consortium will have a huge multiplier effect.
Dr Jonathan Craig, Italy, while lauding the idea mooted by Prof Sahni to start a short term course on energy, said that developing a strategy for research, assessment and training was an important part of their deliberations during the 3-Day International Workshop. He said as they have to train the researchers for future, it was a good idea to start such a course. The Consortium in the days to come, could play the role of an independent authority for information to the Investors., felt Dr Craig.
Earlier, Dr Haseeb A Drabu Chairman J&K Bank on behalf of his organization offered to fund one chair for the upcoming institute. While spelling out the framework of action for the consortium, he said that Consortium could provide valuable information to the policy makers, investors, energy administrators and the general public on various aspects of the Energy and could serve as the First Guide, if the Consortium comes up with guidebooks on various aspects of the Energy. He said publishing an energy hand book, a practitioner’s guide and investors resource book should be the first priority of the Consortium .
"To generate and disseminate research and independent and holistic information and opinion on energy issues for enabling policy and investment decision for sustainable development of energy sector in J&K state " reads the mission statement of the Energy Research & Training Consortium for J&K and was unanimously agreed upon by the core group after hectic deliberations.
The Universities from UK and USA offered Collaborations to the Universities of Kashmir and Jammu. MOU was also signed between the University of Durham and the University of Kashmir at the Core Group meeting. Both the Vice-Chancellors were invited to send a delegation to visit the Energy Research Institutes being run at the University of Utah, USA, University of Durham, UK and The University College London, UK.
(Kashmir Observer)
Energy Research & Training Consortium Being set up
Gulmarg: Universities of Kashmir and Jammu have agreed to collaborate and work together to set up "Energy Research & Training Consortium for Jammu and Kashmir" for conducting scientific research in the field of energy sector.
The main objective of this collaboration is to establish collaborative links among the two universities with support from the University College London, University of Durham, UK, University of Utah, USA, Italian International Energy Development Corporation (ENI), Italy, Getenergy, UK and various other national institutes.
A consensus to this effect was reached on the 3rd Day of the Workshop on "Energy Challenges: A case for Energy Research Institute", in a meeting of the Core Group comprising of members from the two Universities and the Collaborating organizations held at Gulmarg. It was decided at the Core Group Meeting to take forward the mission under the name "Energy Research & Training Consortium for Jammu and Kashmir". The Core Group meeting was attended by Professor Riyaz Punjabi, Vice Chancellor, Kashmir University, Professor Varun Sahni, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu, Dr. Haseeb Drabu, Chairman J&K Bank, Dr. Jonathan Craig, ENI, Italy, Dr. Richard Davies, University of Durham, Dr. Peter Mckenzie Smith from Get energy, Dr. Joe Moore from the Utah University, USA, Prof. Juergen Thurow and Prof Bindra Thusu from University College London, Dr Shakil A Romshoo , KU, Prof. G. M. Bhat, JU, other top officials of both the Universities including Registrars and Dean Academic Affairs of KU and JU and other senior professors.
This strategic and important decision to set up of the "Energy Research & Training Consortium (ERTC) for Jammu and Kashmir", besides other things, would ultimately pave way for the establishment of the Energy Research Institute in the state in the years to come, thus promoting and enabling teaching/training, consultancy and research in the field of Energy resource assessment, Energy Planning and conservation, alternate energy resources, environmental concerns etc. This Energy Institute, first of its kind in India, would be developed on the pattern of Energy Research Institute developed at University of Utah, USA, Durham University, UK and UCL, UK. Under this initiative, which is being seen as a major achievement for the state of Jammu and Kashmir, both the prestigious and leading universities of the state are going for a major collaborative work, the partners will work towards sector wise resource assessment, building the capacity of the state power development agencies, generate the accurate and credible data for formulating energy policy in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
This Consortium will have two coordinators, one from each University, who would coordinate with international collaborators. While Dr Shakil A Romshoo would be the coordinator from Kashmir University Professor G. M. Bhat will be the coordinator from Jammu University,. Besides, it was decided that there would be ten core group members that would include geologists, life scientists, organic chemists, physicists, anthropologists, economists, hydrologists etc.
The establishment of the "Energy Research & Training Consortium for J&K" is a first step towards setting up of the full-fledged Energy Institute in J&K and would among other things, go for an independent assessment of the resources on which one can rely on; it would help to generate data that is extremely useful for the researchers, government, policy makers and would provide a realistic and holistic view of the Energy Scenario in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. There would also be exchanges of academic staff and students from the two University to the Collaborating Universities abroad for the purpose of promoting research and capacity building under appropriate bilateral agreements. joint conferences, seminars and symposia on topics of mutual interest would be organized by the KU, JU with support from the Collaborating institutes.
Vice Chancellor Kashmir University Prof Riyaz Punjabi termed the development as unique and significant and said that he is trying to set some benchmarks in the University to ensure that the Scientific outputs are used for the environmental friendly socio-economic development of the state . Saying that innovation is his objective , Prof Punjabi felt that despite tremendous energy potential in the state, the scenario is very grim as no concerted efforts have been made by the state to harness and optimally utilize the energy potential for laying strong economic foundation for the industrial growth of the state. Prof Punjbai hoped that the "Energy Research & Training Consortium for J&K" shall give boast to research related to the environment friendly exploitation of all form of energy resources in the state.
Professor Varun Sahni, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu, while underscoring the need to collect data for further research and impart teaching, suggested the introduction of a short-term course on energy through distance education mode in both the universities. "As the distance education modes of both the universities are very strong, I think the introduction of a short 3-5 month course on energy would help in a big way in capacity building of the people interested in the theme," said Prof Sahni adding such Consortium will have a huge multiplier effect.
Dr Jonathan Craig, Italy, while lauding the idea mooted by Prof Sahni to start a short term course on energy, said that developing a strategy for research, assessment and training was an important part of their deliberations during the 3-Day International Workshop. He said as they have to train the researchers for future, it was a good idea to start such a course. The Consortium in the days to come, could play the role of an independent authority for information to the Investors., felt Dr Craig.
Earlier, Dr Haseeb A Drabu Chairman J&K Bank on behalf of his organization offered to fund one chair for the upcoming institute. While spelling out the framework of action for the consortium, he said that Consortium could provide valuable information to the policy makers, investors, energy administrators and the general public on various aspects of the Energy and could serve as the First Guide, if the Consortium comes up with guidebooks on various aspects of the Energy. He said publishing an energy hand book, a practitioner’s guide and investors resource book should be the first priority of the Consortium .
"To generate and disseminate research and independent and holistic information and opinion on energy issues for enabling policy and investment decision for sustainable development of energy sector in J&K state " reads the mission statement of the Energy Research & Training Consortium for J&K and was unanimously agreed upon by the core group after hectic deliberations.
The Universities from UK and USA offered Collaborations to the Universities of Kashmir and Jammu. MOU was also signed between the University of Durham and the University of Kashmir at the Core Group meeting. Both the Vice-Chancellors were invited to send a delegation to visit the Energy Research Institutes being run at the University of Utah, USA, University of Durham, UK and The University College London, UK.
(Kashmir Observer)
Improving Kashmir's Horticulture and Agriculture
For a state that mostly survives on agrarian economy, the miniscule attention given to farming is sad. Two reports draw new attention to the problem
Innovative techniques will give boost to Horticulture in Valley
Srinagar: Minister for Health, Horticulture and Floriculture, Sham Lal Sharma has called for introducing innovative techniques to develop improved varieties of fruits to give boost to the horticulture sector in the Valley. He stressed for covering new areas under horticulture cultivation and make optimum use of horticulture potential in the state.
This was stated by the Minister during a review meeting of horticulture and floriculture departments held here today under his chairmanship.
Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production, Horticulture and Floriculture, Ms. Sonali Kumar, Director Horticulture, Kashmir, M. S. Qasba, Director Horticulture (P&M), A. R. Kuchay, Director Floriculture, Kashmir, Dr. G. S. Naqash, Director Command Area Development, Kashmir, Dr. G. H. Shah, Chief Horticulture Officers and District Horticulture Officers were present in the meeting.
In order to remove various bottlenecks coming in the way of improving this vital sector, the Minister stressed upon the officers to adopt a viable approach and put dedicated efforts coupled with effective planning to increase the productivity. He asked for ensuring quality control to compete in the global market for which strict Para-meters are required to be observed.
Sharma said that horticulture is the mainstay of the State’s economy and government is committed to upgrade the existing infrastructure, which include setting up of modern fruit mandis with necessary backup of cold storages, transport and other facilities. He said that for the facilities of fruit growers a number of measures have already been initiated.
The Minister also directed for upgrading the nurseries at the district level to produce quality plants for the farmers. He asked the Director Horticulture, Kashmir and CHOs to pay frequent field visits and personally see the problems at the operational level for quick disposal. He asked all the district officers to submit their future requirements and action plans to the Administrative Department for necessary action.
Underlying the need for giving boost to floriculture, the Minister said that this sector has great potential in the Valley and stressed for developing latest varieties of flowers which have great demand in the domestic and international markets. He said that large quantity of flowers is being imported in the State from various parts of the world to meet the local requirements.
He asked the Director Floriculture to utilize idle space in the major gardens/parks in Srinagar city with fruits, ornamental and medicinal plants to give aesthetic look to these parks. He further asked him to utilize his experience gained during his China visit in the floriculture field at the operational level.
Earlier, the Director Horticulture, Kashmir gave a power point presentation of the achievements registered by the department. He informed the meeting that during the year 2008-09, the Valley produced 15.25 lakh MTs of fruit which includes 13.87 MT fresh fruit and 1.38 MTs of dry fruit. He further said that 3140 MTs of apricots were produced in Leh and 5002 MTs in Kargil during the same period. He said that more than 5 lakh families are directly or indirectly involved with the horticulture sector and more than 30 lakh farmers are engaged in the trade.
He said that some new areas have been brought under horticulture cultivation during the same period with more than 10 lakh plants of different fruit varieties were distributed from departmental/private nurseries to the farmers on subsidized rates besides, 1000 persons trained in fruit and vegetable preservation. He said Rs. 3.50 crores have been spent under Technology Mission Programme and Rs. 6.83 crore spent under Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan during the last fiscal in Kashmir division.
Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production and Floriculture and Director Floriculture, Kashmir shared their experience gained during their visit to China in the field of horticulture and floriculture. They informed that the experience gained would be utilized in the State as per the conditions in the State.
(Etalaat News Service)
Food Grain Production: Why projects executed by Irrigation department failed to increase the food grain production
The production of food grains has shown a decline from last two years. Interestingly, the production has remained static from last 25 years which is a cause of worry for an ordinary man as well as for an expert. The report needs a careful attention given the fact that rice forms the staple food of Kashmir.
However, the situation becomes even more surprising when compared to Jammu region, where wheat production has shown a healthy growth of 8 percent during the previous years. According to official data the State produces 15 lakh metric tones of food grains annually with 10.86 MT produced in Jammu and 4.81 MT produced in the Valley.
The State is already deficient in food grains and imports food grains worth around Rs 1400 crore annually. As already mentioned the food grain production in the State has remained almost static for past 25 years and continuously swings between 13- 15 lakh metric tones. What is more disturbing is the fact that despite heavy investment having been made in irrigation which reached Rs 570 crore during the 10th plan period there has been no corresponding increase in food grain production within the Valley. The net irrigated area in the State reached 3.04 lakh hectares in 1981 from 2.61 lakh hectares in 1951. But huge lacunae can be deciphered by an ordinary person when one looks at the increase in net irrigated area during the last 29 years which is paltry by any standard at 3.09 lakh hectares. Now this needs deep digging and reasons have to be explored for the abysmal performance in irrigation infrastructure utilization. Has the irrigation infrastructure been created which does not have practical utility? Have the irrigation projects been executed without proper planning with no heed being paid to its effective utilization? Where has the money gone? These are some serious question which demand answers from everybody concerned.
Government needs to take tough stance as it makes out a perfect case of system failure. Even the major medium irrigation projects taken under the accelerated irrigation benefit program have not yielded the desired benefits. The Ministry of Irrigation and Flood Control, time and again, boasts of implementing various irrigation schemes which cover minor irrigation projects including gravity canals, lift stations, small storage tanks, replacement of worn out pumps, procurement and renovation of new drought pumps, construction and deepening of wells and tanks, besides restoration and modernizing of sick tanks. Even desilting and renovation of Khuls has been done on a mass scale, but again no tangible improvement in food grain production. Despite having the most precious resource – water- available in abundance, the State cannot meet its food grain needs. At least for policy planners and politicians, this means something is fundamentally wrong.
(Editorial in Rising Kashmir)
Innovative techniques will give boost to Horticulture in Valley
Srinagar: Minister for Health, Horticulture and Floriculture, Sham Lal Sharma has called for introducing innovative techniques to develop improved varieties of fruits to give boost to the horticulture sector in the Valley. He stressed for covering new areas under horticulture cultivation and make optimum use of horticulture potential in the state.
This was stated by the Minister during a review meeting of horticulture and floriculture departments held here today under his chairmanship.
Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production, Horticulture and Floriculture, Ms. Sonali Kumar, Director Horticulture, Kashmir, M. S. Qasba, Director Horticulture (P&M), A. R. Kuchay, Director Floriculture, Kashmir, Dr. G. S. Naqash, Director Command Area Development, Kashmir, Dr. G. H. Shah, Chief Horticulture Officers and District Horticulture Officers were present in the meeting.
In order to remove various bottlenecks coming in the way of improving this vital sector, the Minister stressed upon the officers to adopt a viable approach and put dedicated efforts coupled with effective planning to increase the productivity. He asked for ensuring quality control to compete in the global market for which strict Para-meters are required to be observed.
Sharma said that horticulture is the mainstay of the State’s economy and government is committed to upgrade the existing infrastructure, which include setting up of modern fruit mandis with necessary backup of cold storages, transport and other facilities. He said that for the facilities of fruit growers a number of measures have already been initiated.
The Minister also directed for upgrading the nurseries at the district level to produce quality plants for the farmers. He asked the Director Horticulture, Kashmir and CHOs to pay frequent field visits and personally see the problems at the operational level for quick disposal. He asked all the district officers to submit their future requirements and action plans to the Administrative Department for necessary action.
Underlying the need for giving boost to floriculture, the Minister said that this sector has great potential in the Valley and stressed for developing latest varieties of flowers which have great demand in the domestic and international markets. He said that large quantity of flowers is being imported in the State from various parts of the world to meet the local requirements.
He asked the Director Floriculture to utilize idle space in the major gardens/parks in Srinagar city with fruits, ornamental and medicinal plants to give aesthetic look to these parks. He further asked him to utilize his experience gained during his China visit in the floriculture field at the operational level.
Earlier, the Director Horticulture, Kashmir gave a power point presentation of the achievements registered by the department. He informed the meeting that during the year 2008-09, the Valley produced 15.25 lakh MTs of fruit which includes 13.87 MT fresh fruit and 1.38 MTs of dry fruit. He further said that 3140 MTs of apricots were produced in Leh and 5002 MTs in Kargil during the same period. He said that more than 5 lakh families are directly or indirectly involved with the horticulture sector and more than 30 lakh farmers are engaged in the trade.
He said that some new areas have been brought under horticulture cultivation during the same period with more than 10 lakh plants of different fruit varieties were distributed from departmental/private nurseries to the farmers on subsidized rates besides, 1000 persons trained in fruit and vegetable preservation. He said Rs. 3.50 crores have been spent under Technology Mission Programme and Rs. 6.83 crore spent under Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan during the last fiscal in Kashmir division.
Principal Secretary, Agriculture Production and Floriculture and Director Floriculture, Kashmir shared their experience gained during their visit to China in the field of horticulture and floriculture. They informed that the experience gained would be utilized in the State as per the conditions in the State.
(Etalaat News Service)
Food Grain Production: Why projects executed by Irrigation department failed to increase the food grain production
The production of food grains has shown a decline from last two years. Interestingly, the production has remained static from last 25 years which is a cause of worry for an ordinary man as well as for an expert. The report needs a careful attention given the fact that rice forms the staple food of Kashmir.
However, the situation becomes even more surprising when compared to Jammu region, where wheat production has shown a healthy growth of 8 percent during the previous years. According to official data the State produces 15 lakh metric tones of food grains annually with 10.86 MT produced in Jammu and 4.81 MT produced in the Valley.
The State is already deficient in food grains and imports food grains worth around Rs 1400 crore annually. As already mentioned the food grain production in the State has remained almost static for past 25 years and continuously swings between 13- 15 lakh metric tones. What is more disturbing is the fact that despite heavy investment having been made in irrigation which reached Rs 570 crore during the 10th plan period there has been no corresponding increase in food grain production within the Valley. The net irrigated area in the State reached 3.04 lakh hectares in 1981 from 2.61 lakh hectares in 1951. But huge lacunae can be deciphered by an ordinary person when one looks at the increase in net irrigated area during the last 29 years which is paltry by any standard at 3.09 lakh hectares. Now this needs deep digging and reasons have to be explored for the abysmal performance in irrigation infrastructure utilization. Has the irrigation infrastructure been created which does not have practical utility? Have the irrigation projects been executed without proper planning with no heed being paid to its effective utilization? Where has the money gone? These are some serious question which demand answers from everybody concerned.
Government needs to take tough stance as it makes out a perfect case of system failure. Even the major medium irrigation projects taken under the accelerated irrigation benefit program have not yielded the desired benefits. The Ministry of Irrigation and Flood Control, time and again, boasts of implementing various irrigation schemes which cover minor irrigation projects including gravity canals, lift stations, small storage tanks, replacement of worn out pumps, procurement and renovation of new drought pumps, construction and deepening of wells and tanks, besides restoration and modernizing of sick tanks. Even desilting and renovation of Khuls has been done on a mass scale, but again no tangible improvement in food grain production. Despite having the most precious resource – water- available in abundance, the State cannot meet its food grain needs. At least for policy planners and politicians, this means something is fundamentally wrong.
(Editorial in Rising Kashmir)
Friday, May 22, 2009
The Genius of Ghulam Ali Bhat
Basharat comments on an unsung hero named Majboor
(Mr. Syed Basharat, 29, was born in Kreeri, Baramulla, and did his schooling in Kreeri, and later in Uri and Sopore. He graduated from the Degree College in Baramulla and completed his Master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from the Kashmir University in 2005. He has been a reporter for Kashmir Images, a Srinagar based daily, London based website Gaashonline.Com, and a Srinagar based journal, Globe. Currently, he is working as a special correspondent with Jammu based daily newspaper, The Kashmir Times.)
A tribute to Majboor
The inevitable was fast approaching. With every passing day, even the distant hope, that some of his relatives, friends and fans have had, of Ghulam Ali Majboor's recovery from the dreaded disease cancer, faded into eternity. Too obvious was it, that within days, if not hours, he would not be among us. All regular visitors to his house at Hanji Gund Wathoora in district Budgam prayed for the renowned humorist in their hearts, but were hesitant to even discuss his condition with others- as if they had already submitted to the divine will.
Born on December 17, 1952, Ghulam Ali Bhat pen name Majboor had a multifaceted personality. Besides being a teacher in department of education, he had carved a niche in prose, poetry, play writing, theatre, acting, and above all his hallmark satire, pun and comedy. Majboor was son of a legendary theatre actor during Maharaja's and Ghulam Moahmmad Bhakshi's ear. Majboor founded National Bhand Pather. One rarely saw him disturbed or agitated; in fact, he would manage to make others smile even during the most testing of times.
However, this was only one side of the picture. Majboor's close associate and colleague Talha Jehangir remembers him as an excellent team player, a legendary dramatist, theatre director and a script writer. "He remained positive even in the most adverse of situations. When we started our career in radio Kashmir in early 1980's, with the Programme Zafraan Zaar Late Lassa Koul was the station director. We continued with this programme without any break upto 2004. It was broadcasted thrice in a month and then it became a weekly programme on satire," Jehangir said.
It was only after Jehangir was transferred mysteriously, Majboor left the programme in protest. Later the programme came to a standstill for a long time. What pinches Jehangir a renowned stage director and broadcaster, is that Majboor's potential was not recognized during his lifetime. "He was not recognised during his life. To me he passed away as an unsung hero," Jehangir observed.
Most of the stage artists who know Majboor complain that his work for radio Kashmir went unnoticed and was not recognised as per its worth. Coupled with his gracious nature, pleasant behaviour, team spirit and creativity made Majboor a popular figure among dramatist and stage actors of Kashmir.
Valley being a conflict torn land, the main casualty of this decades old trouble is the culture of Kashmir. Majboor was a renowned artist of Bhand Pather, the celebrated and one of the oldest folk theatre forms in the subcontinent. He headed the National Bhand Theatre which he got affiliated with the Sangeet Natak Academy since 1989. Folk theatre survived these testing times and the credit goes to Majboor, believes a cross section of artists in Kashmir. He was the icon of folk theatre. After the renowned folk artist Mohammad Subhan Bhagat, it was Majboor who worked for the survival and sustenance of Kashmir's traditional heritage. He wrote for 40 years for Radio, television, and stage thus serving both Urdu and Kashmiri language, said Jehangir.
He also served the cultural wing of the education department after which he was deputed to the state's academy of art culture and languages as an artist. His essays have been published by the cultural academy in its monthly number Sheeraza. He was columnist for Sangarmal a Kashmiri weekly and Urdu weekly Khabr-o-Nazar.
Remembering his creativity, Jehangir says that Majboor had introduced many effects in stage drama for which he would be remembered for time to come. A senior journalist and Majboor's friend, Pervez Majeed Lone says that the sad demise of the renowned dramatist created a cultural vacuum in Kashmir. "He will be remembered for his sense of humour, witticism and creativity in the annals of Kashmir's cultural history," Majeed added.
In the artistic and intellectual class, Majboor would be remembered for his anti establishment scripts which were aired by a government run platform. "He would criticise the government policies in a different way. Majboor would make people smile, while he was fighting for his own life," said Majeed.
(Mr. Syed Basharat, 29, was born in Kreeri, Baramulla, and did his schooling in Kreeri, and later in Uri and Sopore. He graduated from the Degree College in Baramulla and completed his Master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from the Kashmir University in 2005. He has been a reporter for Kashmir Images, a Srinagar based daily, London based website Gaashonline.Com, and a Srinagar based journal, Globe. Currently, he is working as a special correspondent with Jammu based daily newspaper, The Kashmir Times.)
A tribute to Majboor
The inevitable was fast approaching. With every passing day, even the distant hope, that some of his relatives, friends and fans have had, of Ghulam Ali Majboor's recovery from the dreaded disease cancer, faded into eternity. Too obvious was it, that within days, if not hours, he would not be among us. All regular visitors to his house at Hanji Gund Wathoora in district Budgam prayed for the renowned humorist in their hearts, but were hesitant to even discuss his condition with others- as if they had already submitted to the divine will.
Born on December 17, 1952, Ghulam Ali Bhat pen name Majboor had a multifaceted personality. Besides being a teacher in department of education, he had carved a niche in prose, poetry, play writing, theatre, acting, and above all his hallmark satire, pun and comedy. Majboor was son of a legendary theatre actor during Maharaja's and Ghulam Moahmmad Bhakshi's ear. Majboor founded National Bhand Pather. One rarely saw him disturbed or agitated; in fact, he would manage to make others smile even during the most testing of times.
However, this was only one side of the picture. Majboor's close associate and colleague Talha Jehangir remembers him as an excellent team player, a legendary dramatist, theatre director and a script writer. "He remained positive even in the most adverse of situations. When we started our career in radio Kashmir in early 1980's, with the Programme Zafraan Zaar Late Lassa Koul was the station director. We continued with this programme without any break upto 2004. It was broadcasted thrice in a month and then it became a weekly programme on satire," Jehangir said.
It was only after Jehangir was transferred mysteriously, Majboor left the programme in protest. Later the programme came to a standstill for a long time. What pinches Jehangir a renowned stage director and broadcaster, is that Majboor's potential was not recognized during his lifetime. "He was not recognised during his life. To me he passed away as an unsung hero," Jehangir observed.
Most of the stage artists who know Majboor complain that his work for radio Kashmir went unnoticed and was not recognised as per its worth. Coupled with his gracious nature, pleasant behaviour, team spirit and creativity made Majboor a popular figure among dramatist and stage actors of Kashmir.
Valley being a conflict torn land, the main casualty of this decades old trouble is the culture of Kashmir. Majboor was a renowned artist of Bhand Pather, the celebrated and one of the oldest folk theatre forms in the subcontinent. He headed the National Bhand Theatre which he got affiliated with the Sangeet Natak Academy since 1989. Folk theatre survived these testing times and the credit goes to Majboor, believes a cross section of artists in Kashmir. He was the icon of folk theatre. After the renowned folk artist Mohammad Subhan Bhagat, it was Majboor who worked for the survival and sustenance of Kashmir's traditional heritage. He wrote for 40 years for Radio, television, and stage thus serving both Urdu and Kashmiri language, said Jehangir.
He also served the cultural wing of the education department after which he was deputed to the state's academy of art culture and languages as an artist. His essays have been published by the cultural academy in its monthly number Sheeraza. He was columnist for Sangarmal a Kashmiri weekly and Urdu weekly Khabr-o-Nazar.
Remembering his creativity, Jehangir says that Majboor had introduced many effects in stage drama for which he would be remembered for time to come. A senior journalist and Majboor's friend, Pervez Majeed Lone says that the sad demise of the renowned dramatist created a cultural vacuum in Kashmir. "He will be remembered for his sense of humour, witticism and creativity in the annals of Kashmir's cultural history," Majeed added.
In the artistic and intellectual class, Majboor would be remembered for his anti establishment scripts which were aired by a government run platform. "He would criticise the government policies in a different way. Majboor would make people smile, while he was fighting for his own life," said Majeed.
Ending Kashmir's Malaise
Shakeel-ur-Rehman hopes that the Right to Information (RTI) Act would bring good governance to the State
(Syed Shakeel-ul-Rehman, 32, was born in Qazipora, Tangmarg. He did his schooling at the Government Middle School in Katipora and at the Government Higher Secondary School in Chandilora, both in the Tangmarg Tehsil. He graduated in Social Work from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), being the first Kashmiri student to graduate with that major. He subsequently did his post graduate diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication from the same University. He has taken specialized courses in computer hardware and software technology. He worked as a columnist and correspondent for the Greater Kashmir daily newspaper until 2005 and is currently the Opinion Editor of the Kashmir Images daily newspaper. He also anchors Doordharshan Kendra Srinagar's live phone-in show called, "Hello DD" since April 2005. Mr. Shakeel-ur-Rehman holds the distinction of having interviewed prominent personalities in all major fields and walks of life, probably more than any other Kashmiri journalist.)
Kashmir’s Malaise
Like the rest of the world, in Kashmir also there is an emphasis on good governance these days. One of the important characteristics of good governance is open governance. An open government is one which does not hide anything from the governed.
Open government in fact strengthens the link between the state and the citizens. For an open system of government people’s participation is a must. Without it no government can be described as ‘open’. People’s participation can be effective and meaningful only when they are allowed access to information about the government’s day to day activities affecting the important aspects of public life.
Participation in government by the people is regarded as an important aspect of democracy and people cannot participate unless they have information as to what the government is doing and how it is doing. A democratic state, being answerable to the people, the people are entitled to know what policies and programmes are being followed by the government. Another important factor justifying the openness in government activities is that almost all democratic countries adopt the concept of welfare state where the state undertakes a large number of activities that affect the social and economic interests and personal life of the individual.
It is extremely important, therefore, that these powers are exercised for public good and not for the good of those who are in power. It is a common saying that power tends to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely. Hence there is an inherent danger that the extensive powers vested in the executive may be used by office holders not for the public good but for their own selfish goal. And this is what is happening in Kashmir. The system has failed to such an extent that people hardly trust those in power. This is what has made it important that the people in this sensitive state should have the right to access to as much information about governmental operations as possible.
In the last few decades, freedom of information has been recognized as an internationally protected human right and societies across the world are moving away from opaque and secretive administrative systems to open and transparent one’s. Recognising the importance of freedom of information at individual, organizational, national and international levels, even the United Nations Organization has declared ‘freedom of information’ as a fundamental human right. Although the rest of the world including India has embraced the concept, the Jammu and Kashmir state, which enjoys the dubious distinction of being the second most corrupt state in the whole of India after the notorious Bihar, seems to be out of sync with this progressive concept.
The fact that it has failed to set up an independent Information Commission despite passing its own Right to Information Act earlier this year, highlights this starkly. It is because of this that in Kashmir despite the RTI Act and its provisions the problems regarding seeking information still remain the same. In order to make governance meaningful and effective the state administration will have to change its mindset. That is the only way to end Kashmir’s malaise.
(Syed Shakeel-ul-Rehman, 32, was born in Qazipora, Tangmarg. He did his schooling at the Government Middle School in Katipora and at the Government Higher Secondary School in Chandilora, both in the Tangmarg Tehsil. He graduated in Social Work from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), being the first Kashmiri student to graduate with that major. He subsequently did his post graduate diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication from the same University. He has taken specialized courses in computer hardware and software technology. He worked as a columnist and correspondent for the Greater Kashmir daily newspaper until 2005 and is currently the Opinion Editor of the Kashmir Images daily newspaper. He also anchors Doordharshan Kendra Srinagar's live phone-in show called, "Hello DD" since April 2005. Mr. Shakeel-ur-Rehman holds the distinction of having interviewed prominent personalities in all major fields and walks of life, probably more than any other Kashmiri journalist.)
Kashmir’s Malaise
Like the rest of the world, in Kashmir also there is an emphasis on good governance these days. One of the important characteristics of good governance is open governance. An open government is one which does not hide anything from the governed.
Open government in fact strengthens the link between the state and the citizens. For an open system of government people’s participation is a must. Without it no government can be described as ‘open’. People’s participation can be effective and meaningful only when they are allowed access to information about the government’s day to day activities affecting the important aspects of public life.
Participation in government by the people is regarded as an important aspect of democracy and people cannot participate unless they have information as to what the government is doing and how it is doing. A democratic state, being answerable to the people, the people are entitled to know what policies and programmes are being followed by the government. Another important factor justifying the openness in government activities is that almost all democratic countries adopt the concept of welfare state where the state undertakes a large number of activities that affect the social and economic interests and personal life of the individual.
It is extremely important, therefore, that these powers are exercised for public good and not for the good of those who are in power. It is a common saying that power tends to corrupt and absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely. Hence there is an inherent danger that the extensive powers vested in the executive may be used by office holders not for the public good but for their own selfish goal. And this is what is happening in Kashmir. The system has failed to such an extent that people hardly trust those in power. This is what has made it important that the people in this sensitive state should have the right to access to as much information about governmental operations as possible.
In the last few decades, freedom of information has been recognized as an internationally protected human right and societies across the world are moving away from opaque and secretive administrative systems to open and transparent one’s. Recognising the importance of freedom of information at individual, organizational, national and international levels, even the United Nations Organization has declared ‘freedom of information’ as a fundamental human right. Although the rest of the world including India has embraced the concept, the Jammu and Kashmir state, which enjoys the dubious distinction of being the second most corrupt state in the whole of India after the notorious Bihar, seems to be out of sync with this progressive concept.
The fact that it has failed to set up an independent Information Commission despite passing its own Right to Information Act earlier this year, highlights this starkly. It is because of this that in Kashmir despite the RTI Act and its provisions the problems regarding seeking information still remain the same. In order to make governance meaningful and effective the state administration will have to change its mindset. That is the only way to end Kashmir’s malaise.
Blame Salt for Cutting Lives Short
In Kashmir salt from one region evokes special sentiments, but even that salt is every bit a problem as the rest
30 per cent people in Kashmir suffer from hypertension, experts blame high salt intake
Srinagar: According to an expert survey, thirty per cent of the people are suffering from hypertension and turmoil is not the only factor. Infact, they blame high salt intake more for high blood pressure et el.
“At present 25 to 30 per cent people in the valley are suffering from hypertension as the salt consumption has risen to 12 grams a day. The salt intake has to be brought down to almost half, so that the number of people suffering from hypertension may be brought down to a lower level,” said Dr Nisar Ahmad during a day-long function organized at Tral in Pulwama district.
The function was organized to educate the people about the ill effects of hypertension on the World Hypertension Day organized by Ikhlas Welfare Society Kashmir at Khangund Tral.
The participating experts urged the people to reduce salt intake by half which would save approximately 2.5 million people a year who otherwise die of strokes, heart attacks and chronic kidney diseases worldwide.
The experts informed that the World Health Organization (WHO) and several countries around the world currently recommend reducing salt intake to six grams a day which is equivalent to one teaspoon.
30 per cent people in Kashmir suffer from hypertension, experts blame high salt intake
Srinagar: According to an expert survey, thirty per cent of the people are suffering from hypertension and turmoil is not the only factor. Infact, they blame high salt intake more for high blood pressure et el.
“At present 25 to 30 per cent people in the valley are suffering from hypertension as the salt consumption has risen to 12 grams a day. The salt intake has to be brought down to almost half, so that the number of people suffering from hypertension may be brought down to a lower level,” said Dr Nisar Ahmad during a day-long function organized at Tral in Pulwama district.
The function was organized to educate the people about the ill effects of hypertension on the World Hypertension Day organized by Ikhlas Welfare Society Kashmir at Khangund Tral.
The participating experts urged the people to reduce salt intake by half which would save approximately 2.5 million people a year who otherwise die of strokes, heart attacks and chronic kidney diseases worldwide.
The experts informed that the World Health Organization (WHO) and several countries around the world currently recommend reducing salt intake to six grams a day which is equivalent to one teaspoon.
Success by Hook or Crook
Those were not just "good old days" but compare today's photographs with the past and see how ugly it has become
The idea of Kashmir
Nadia Shah
It is so unfortunate that young people are a part of my generation, and the ones who came and will come after us don’t have even time to indulge in a sweet feeling of nostalgia about what Kashmir used to be as reported to us by our elders. We have not seen it with our own eyes; we did not get a chance to see it. Kashmir is not only a physical or a geographical space; it is also a very beautiful idea cherished by people throughout the world, meaning that even a person who has never visited Kashmir can, in his imagination, derive pleasure from the idea of Kashmir.
Not only this, the same person would wish to visit this place provided he is given a chance for the same. The pictures, feelings and emotions that come to ones mind with the pronouncement of the word ‘Kashmir’, however, do not correspond to the present day picture of Kashmir. It is true that those do correspond to Kashmir of our elders but not to ours. The irony is that we—the new generation of Kashmir—do not have a primary or first hand source with which we could compare our condition and get overwhelmed with a sense of loss, repentance and waste. Again it is true that change is the law of nature and change takes place everywhere but Kashmir has not changed for good.
Kashmir might have achieved progress and increase in the level of development in certain sectors of the society, like education sector, private sector and few more but I believe that none is flawless; every sector of Kashmir is plagued with this or that loophole. What we call progressive decadence characterizes the present condition of Kashmir. If we now zoom on Kashmiris, they have also changed.
No doubt, the economic condition of an average Kashmiri might have improved but as far as morals and emotional health is concerned, that has worsened. The question as to what has happened to us haunts us as we are all aware of it but none amongst us is brave enough to face it. Here Eliot’s line from The Waste Land comes to mind which says- “After such knowledge, what forgiveness”. One way or the other we are evading it; trying to look as cheerful as anything but what we call a normal healthy condition has skipped from our lives. We might proclaim ourselves as the denizens of “modern” Kashmir but the cost at which this “modernity” has been achieved is very huge. We have involved ourselves in reckless competition and mad rat race for money and power; forgetting morals and basic humanity we have got converted into Mammon-worshippers.
Today the key word for each one of us is success”. Nobody wants to live an average life. Success is a blessing but the means we employ to achieve it have demeaned the very idea of success. Blindly we are following the Machiavellian dictum of “ends justifying the means”. Further we have become emotionally bankrupt and spiritually barren resulting in alienation and estrangement. Voluntarily we have turned ourselves into introverts; we prevent ourselves from showing concern and love for others fearing that the other person would take it as an attack on his privacy.
Concern nowadays is being interpreted as a threat to ones freedom. Individualism has become the norm. Our relationships have lost meaning and value. Disjointedness has set in the families and in such a kind of situation one would not even dare to expect an organic bond between the relatives. Get-togethers and marriage ceremonies have become formal, boring days and for some a wastage of a day or two. It seems anxiety is ruling rampant at personal level which is an outcome of the homage that we thoughtlessly pay to materialism. Further, when it comes to assessing our leaders and representatives, one is forced into silence and bewilderment because we don’t know who our leaders are. Those who claim to be our leaders don’t even know the meaning of leadership; they are just busy pinpointing each others errors and shortcomings and in the process degrading themselves in the eyes of ordinary people.
There is no dearth of intellectuals who deserve to be leaders but they are not being provided with opportunities and congenial atmosphere. In the absence of proper leadership and direction, anarchy has set in. In addition to the people, Kashmir consists of the element of nature and various natural resources. Have we spared these? Is it the same as it was before we were born? It has also changed and in this case also change has occurred in a negative aspect. Our tourist resorts have got converted into most polluted and corrupted areas. They have lost their charm to a very large extent. Even the air at these places has lost its purity and in fact people could be seen wearing masks at places like Pahalgam and the Mughal gardens at Srinagar. Is it not an irony?
Gone are the days when a trip to these gardens would refresh our minds and revitalize our whole body. What about our water bodies? Are they safe and sound? NO!! We selfish people have not spared those as well. We have transformed Dal into dull lake and the shrinkage in Jehlum is a very well known fact. Our Manasbal and Wullar lakes are being absurdly “decorated” with colorful polythene bags, plastic bottles and other things. We are not able to tolerate the natural beauty and clarity of these water bodies. Our forest resources are fast vanishing, such is the degree of desire for possessing or rather owning more and more land.
Hence, neither the human resources nor the natural resources are intact and healthy in Kashmir, and these two elements constitute the idea of Kashmir. Both are diseased and the idea therefore too is a diseased and a fake one. It is a fake because the real picture of Kashmir as known to us is the opposite to the idea of Kashmir as cherished by the people other than Kashmiris. Word Kashmir is loosing its positive connotations but I can still see a ray of hope, that is, if the whole of Kashmir is taken as a house and Kashmiris as its inhabitants, then my advice to the rest of my family members would be, “world knows us for our beauty, warmth and simplicity but now we have degraded ourselves hence are in trouble because we are inflicted with serious ailments. Although a trouble but it just we who know about it yet, others just suspect it. Beware, world should not get confirmed in their suspicions. It is high time we reform ourselves; we trace right paths and directions. Today just our family members know about the rottenness that has engulfed our hearts but when rest of the members of the world-society will come to know about it, problem would become big. Let us all then shoulder this responsibility of rebuilding ourselves and rebuilding Kashmir. Fate has chosen us for this task; let us not turn our faces”.
Shakespeare has an apt comment on the scenario that we are the denizens of
The time is out of joint; O’ cursed spite,
That I was ever born to set it right -Hamlet
(Greater Kashmir)
The idea of Kashmir
Nadia Shah
It is so unfortunate that young people are a part of my generation, and the ones who came and will come after us don’t have even time to indulge in a sweet feeling of nostalgia about what Kashmir used to be as reported to us by our elders. We have not seen it with our own eyes; we did not get a chance to see it. Kashmir is not only a physical or a geographical space; it is also a very beautiful idea cherished by people throughout the world, meaning that even a person who has never visited Kashmir can, in his imagination, derive pleasure from the idea of Kashmir.
Not only this, the same person would wish to visit this place provided he is given a chance for the same. The pictures, feelings and emotions that come to ones mind with the pronouncement of the word ‘Kashmir’, however, do not correspond to the present day picture of Kashmir. It is true that those do correspond to Kashmir of our elders but not to ours. The irony is that we—the new generation of Kashmir—do not have a primary or first hand source with which we could compare our condition and get overwhelmed with a sense of loss, repentance and waste. Again it is true that change is the law of nature and change takes place everywhere but Kashmir has not changed for good.
Kashmir might have achieved progress and increase in the level of development in certain sectors of the society, like education sector, private sector and few more but I believe that none is flawless; every sector of Kashmir is plagued with this or that loophole. What we call progressive decadence characterizes the present condition of Kashmir. If we now zoom on Kashmiris, they have also changed.
No doubt, the economic condition of an average Kashmiri might have improved but as far as morals and emotional health is concerned, that has worsened. The question as to what has happened to us haunts us as we are all aware of it but none amongst us is brave enough to face it. Here Eliot’s line from The Waste Land comes to mind which says- “After such knowledge, what forgiveness”. One way or the other we are evading it; trying to look as cheerful as anything but what we call a normal healthy condition has skipped from our lives. We might proclaim ourselves as the denizens of “modern” Kashmir but the cost at which this “modernity” has been achieved is very huge. We have involved ourselves in reckless competition and mad rat race for money and power; forgetting morals and basic humanity we have got converted into Mammon-worshippers.
Today the key word for each one of us is success”. Nobody wants to live an average life. Success is a blessing but the means we employ to achieve it have demeaned the very idea of success. Blindly we are following the Machiavellian dictum of “ends justifying the means”. Further we have become emotionally bankrupt and spiritually barren resulting in alienation and estrangement. Voluntarily we have turned ourselves into introverts; we prevent ourselves from showing concern and love for others fearing that the other person would take it as an attack on his privacy.
Concern nowadays is being interpreted as a threat to ones freedom. Individualism has become the norm. Our relationships have lost meaning and value. Disjointedness has set in the families and in such a kind of situation one would not even dare to expect an organic bond between the relatives. Get-togethers and marriage ceremonies have become formal, boring days and for some a wastage of a day or two. It seems anxiety is ruling rampant at personal level which is an outcome of the homage that we thoughtlessly pay to materialism. Further, when it comes to assessing our leaders and representatives, one is forced into silence and bewilderment because we don’t know who our leaders are. Those who claim to be our leaders don’t even know the meaning of leadership; they are just busy pinpointing each others errors and shortcomings and in the process degrading themselves in the eyes of ordinary people.
There is no dearth of intellectuals who deserve to be leaders but they are not being provided with opportunities and congenial atmosphere. In the absence of proper leadership and direction, anarchy has set in. In addition to the people, Kashmir consists of the element of nature and various natural resources. Have we spared these? Is it the same as it was before we were born? It has also changed and in this case also change has occurred in a negative aspect. Our tourist resorts have got converted into most polluted and corrupted areas. They have lost their charm to a very large extent. Even the air at these places has lost its purity and in fact people could be seen wearing masks at places like Pahalgam and the Mughal gardens at Srinagar. Is it not an irony?
Gone are the days when a trip to these gardens would refresh our minds and revitalize our whole body. What about our water bodies? Are they safe and sound? NO!! We selfish people have not spared those as well. We have transformed Dal into dull lake and the shrinkage in Jehlum is a very well known fact. Our Manasbal and Wullar lakes are being absurdly “decorated” with colorful polythene bags, plastic bottles and other things. We are not able to tolerate the natural beauty and clarity of these water bodies. Our forest resources are fast vanishing, such is the degree of desire for possessing or rather owning more and more land.
Hence, neither the human resources nor the natural resources are intact and healthy in Kashmir, and these two elements constitute the idea of Kashmir. Both are diseased and the idea therefore too is a diseased and a fake one. It is a fake because the real picture of Kashmir as known to us is the opposite to the idea of Kashmir as cherished by the people other than Kashmiris. Word Kashmir is loosing its positive connotations but I can still see a ray of hope, that is, if the whole of Kashmir is taken as a house and Kashmiris as its inhabitants, then my advice to the rest of my family members would be, “world knows us for our beauty, warmth and simplicity but now we have degraded ourselves hence are in trouble because we are inflicted with serious ailments. Although a trouble but it just we who know about it yet, others just suspect it. Beware, world should not get confirmed in their suspicions. It is high time we reform ourselves; we trace right paths and directions. Today just our family members know about the rottenness that has engulfed our hearts but when rest of the members of the world-society will come to know about it, problem would become big. Let us all then shoulder this responsibility of rebuilding ourselves and rebuilding Kashmir. Fate has chosen us for this task; let us not turn our faces”.
Shakespeare has an apt comment on the scenario that we are the denizens of
The time is out of joint; O’ cursed spite,
That I was ever born to set it right -Hamlet
(Greater Kashmir)
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A Tragedy Waiting to Happen
Musavirr highlights an issue that is routinely ignored for now but is certainly going to be a major issue of concern some day
(Mr. Musavirr Wani, 28, was born in Srinagar and attened the Burn Hall School. He graduated from the Meerut University and joined the Kashmir Times as a reporter. Loves driving his car and surfing internet to seek out workshops and fellowships so that he can travel and present the true picture of Kashmir.)
Mis-management of bio-medical wastes in hospitals
Mismanagement of biomedical wastes in and around the hospitals in Kashmir valley continues to add to the pollution levels thereby creating problems for both the patients in the hospitals and people at large.
Officials at the helm of administration in these hospitals say that lack of enough funds and non-availability of related infrastructure is a major cause of the mess vis-…-vis the waste management in the hospitals here.
The lack of coordination between various government departments and the concerned wings within the health-care institutions is said to be a cause for non- implementation of rules regarding bio-medical waste management.
"The management of bio-medical waste management is a least priority in Srinagar hospitals. Personnel from areas such as housekeeping, laundry, kitchen and others with the institution should be involved in the waste management," said a hospital employee who pleaded anonymity.
Sources in most of the hospitals said that facilities such as incinirators and STPs available with the government hospitals, more than often fail to serve their purpose due to lack of fuel and proper management.
Attendants of patients also share the blame in the sense that more than the required number of attendants often accompany every patient which far-exceeds the capacity limits consequently the production of waste gets enhanced.
"Doctors can play a vital role by educating para-medical staff and others about the importance of handling bio-medical and other wastes in a scientific manner," say the experts.
The Pollution Control Board (PCB) has already announced a list of recommendations for the improvement of waste management system like the one recommending segregation of bio-medical waste from other wastes. As per the PCB recommendations, the segregation should be done in the containers at the point of generation prior to its storage, treatment and disposal. The containers shall be labeled.
PCB further recommends that destruction of needles and syringes at source should not be kept stored beyond a period of 48 hours. The municipal body of the area shall pick up and transport segregated non-infectious waste generated in hospital and from the nursing homes, the PCB further says. It also recommends that separate vehicles with conspicuous-labeling need to be engaged for waste transportation. And before final disposal, infectious waste must be subjected to treatment with either heat or chemicals.
(Mr. Musavirr Wani, 28, was born in Srinagar and attened the Burn Hall School. He graduated from the Meerut University and joined the Kashmir Times as a reporter. Loves driving his car and surfing internet to seek out workshops and fellowships so that he can travel and present the true picture of Kashmir.)
Mis-management of bio-medical wastes in hospitals
Mismanagement of biomedical wastes in and around the hospitals in Kashmir valley continues to add to the pollution levels thereby creating problems for both the patients in the hospitals and people at large.
Officials at the helm of administration in these hospitals say that lack of enough funds and non-availability of related infrastructure is a major cause of the mess vis-…-vis the waste management in the hospitals here.
The lack of coordination between various government departments and the concerned wings within the health-care institutions is said to be a cause for non- implementation of rules regarding bio-medical waste management.
"The management of bio-medical waste management is a least priority in Srinagar hospitals. Personnel from areas such as housekeeping, laundry, kitchen and others with the institution should be involved in the waste management," said a hospital employee who pleaded anonymity.
Sources in most of the hospitals said that facilities such as incinirators and STPs available with the government hospitals, more than often fail to serve their purpose due to lack of fuel and proper management.
Attendants of patients also share the blame in the sense that more than the required number of attendants often accompany every patient which far-exceeds the capacity limits consequently the production of waste gets enhanced.
"Doctors can play a vital role by educating para-medical staff and others about the importance of handling bio-medical and other wastes in a scientific manner," say the experts.
The Pollution Control Board (PCB) has already announced a list of recommendations for the improvement of waste management system like the one recommending segregation of bio-medical waste from other wastes. As per the PCB recommendations, the segregation should be done in the containers at the point of generation prior to its storage, treatment and disposal. The containers shall be labeled.
PCB further recommends that destruction of needles and syringes at source should not be kept stored beyond a period of 48 hours. The municipal body of the area shall pick up and transport segregated non-infectious waste generated in hospital and from the nursing homes, the PCB further says. It also recommends that separate vehicles with conspicuous-labeling need to be engaged for waste transportation. And before final disposal, infectious waste must be subjected to treatment with either heat or chemicals.
Asinine Politics of Opportunism
An Editorial in the Daily Kashmir Images laments on destructive behavior of separatists
Hartal politics
With the Parliamentary elections over and north Kashmir recording very good poll percentage in comparison to south and central parts of the Valley, the question that needs to be answered is whether the poll boycott call given by two factions of Hurriyat and other separatist leaders has helped poor Kashmiris in any form. Answer is a simple no. Election is a democratic process wherein people are given a chance to elect representatives who they want to run the affairs of the state. They choose people for administrative purposes. Things can’t happen in a vacuum and therefore governments are needed to make things move. If those who run the government have peoples’ mandate, they are more accountable and have to deliver. In the lack of elected governments, the people have no access to the rulers and thus their voices go unheard.
Those who advocate boycott of polls are linking the broader Kashmir issue with the poll process. Respecting their perceptions, one needs to ask them – in 1989 only two per cent voters voted in Valley. So was Kashmir issue resolved? And in 2008 elections, the poll percentage was above 50 per cent – did that change the status of Kashmir issue? The answer is simple no.
Linking broader Kashmir issue with polls is not going to help anyone. These elections this time were held for forming government at New Delhi. Whether a few million Kashmiris would have voted or stayed away, the government would still be formed. Those who reject elections and want people to stay away from the process need to be asked that have ever their boycott call forced the Election Commission to stop conducting elections? No, it will not and therefore the only thing that happens in the wake of low turn out is that unwanted people get elected and the general masses suffer.
We can’t stop our kids from going to school till Kashmir issue is resolved. We need health care, pure drinking water, good roads, power projects, employment avenues and all these can’t wait till resolution of the issue. Elections are for electing a group of people who people believe can deliver better than others.
Anyway, the elections are over so the boycott debate too must end now. Valley has seen too much of hartals during the election period. People have suffered too much. The economy of this place is already in a shambles and the unending hartals and protest calls are finishing whatever little of it is left. The frequent strikes have ruined the academic calendar. Agreed that separatists have every right to pursue their political agenda but politics is a game of strategies and you can’t keep trying a method of agitation endlessly knowing that the method helps neither your cause nor the common people.
Now that elections are over, the separatist leadership should stop calling hartals and agitations. The post Friday prayer agitations always turn violent and scores get injured besides economic loses to the people living in those areas. Therefore the separatist leadership needs to stop calling for these protests and allow normality to return to Kashmir. Kashmiris are looking ahead to a good tourist season, let separatist not shatter their dreams by calling strikes and protests.
Hartal politics
With the Parliamentary elections over and north Kashmir recording very good poll percentage in comparison to south and central parts of the Valley, the question that needs to be answered is whether the poll boycott call given by two factions of Hurriyat and other separatist leaders has helped poor Kashmiris in any form. Answer is a simple no. Election is a democratic process wherein people are given a chance to elect representatives who they want to run the affairs of the state. They choose people for administrative purposes. Things can’t happen in a vacuum and therefore governments are needed to make things move. If those who run the government have peoples’ mandate, they are more accountable and have to deliver. In the lack of elected governments, the people have no access to the rulers and thus their voices go unheard.
Those who advocate boycott of polls are linking the broader Kashmir issue with the poll process. Respecting their perceptions, one needs to ask them – in 1989 only two per cent voters voted in Valley. So was Kashmir issue resolved? And in 2008 elections, the poll percentage was above 50 per cent – did that change the status of Kashmir issue? The answer is simple no.
Linking broader Kashmir issue with polls is not going to help anyone. These elections this time were held for forming government at New Delhi. Whether a few million Kashmiris would have voted or stayed away, the government would still be formed. Those who reject elections and want people to stay away from the process need to be asked that have ever their boycott call forced the Election Commission to stop conducting elections? No, it will not and therefore the only thing that happens in the wake of low turn out is that unwanted people get elected and the general masses suffer.
We can’t stop our kids from going to school till Kashmir issue is resolved. We need health care, pure drinking water, good roads, power projects, employment avenues and all these can’t wait till resolution of the issue. Elections are for electing a group of people who people believe can deliver better than others.
Anyway, the elections are over so the boycott debate too must end now. Valley has seen too much of hartals during the election period. People have suffered too much. The economy of this place is already in a shambles and the unending hartals and protest calls are finishing whatever little of it is left. The frequent strikes have ruined the academic calendar. Agreed that separatists have every right to pursue their political agenda but politics is a game of strategies and you can’t keep trying a method of agitation endlessly knowing that the method helps neither your cause nor the common people.
Now that elections are over, the separatist leadership should stop calling hartals and agitations. The post Friday prayer agitations always turn violent and scores get injured besides economic loses to the people living in those areas. Therefore the separatist leadership needs to stop calling for these protests and allow normality to return to Kashmir. Kashmiris are looking ahead to a good tourist season, let separatist not shatter their dreams by calling strikes and protests.
Now that the election hoopla is over, can we get back to Governance issues?
State Accountability Commission (SAC) needs a new life
Headless SAC fails to perform: 250 cases pending but no sitting
Jammu/Srinagar: State Accountability Commission's much purported "Ehtisab" drive has stagnated since state government has failed to nominate its Chairperson from among the available legal luminaries of the state. The figure of pending cases has touched 250 i.e. 179 in Jammu and 71 in Kashmir. Working of commission is presently being looked after by Justice (retd) Muzaffar Jan, a member of the commission. The sole member of the commission, Justice Muzaffar Jan is also retiring in the month of April. Inapt failure of the state government in finding fitting replacements for its first chairperson Late Justice R.P.Sethi and thereafter, of its adhoc chairperson Justice Girdhari Lal Raina has affected credibility of the commission.
It is intriguing to note that the post of chairperson continues to be vacant for more than two years now after late Justice R P Sethi, a Supreme Court judge retired from the post in May 2006. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Act 2002, the vacancy occurring in the institution of the commission should be filled in as soon as possible.
Raina retired in June 2008. The state Accountability Commission Act 2002 requires presence of the Chairpersons for holding court proceedings in cases which are brought before it. After Justice Raina's retirement in June 2008, court proceedings have almost come to a complete halt leading to increase in the pendency of the cases.
SAC records bear testimony to the fact that around 1931 complaints have been lodged with the commission since August 2005 to February 2009, out of which commission recommended 20 cases to the government for prosecution. 11 of these cases in which involvement of high profile dignitaries surfaced have been stayed by the state high court.
Out of 1931 complaints, commission dismissed around 1160 on account of errors in the complainant's application. The legal justification used for these dismissed complaints is "dismissed in default." 265 other complaints were dismissed on merit and 191 were disposed off as settled by the commission. 250 cases which have been instituted and where inquires are yet to be ordered, are pending for disposal.
It is noteworthy to mention here that the commission has miserably failed to fulfill its commitment of penalising the "most influential persons" i.e. ministers and powerful bureaucrats. Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, while describing influential but corrupt Babus and Mantris of the state administration in the legislative council during the recently concluded budget session said, "Yeh log court se stay manage kar lete hain."
Going by the figures of pending cases, absence of Chairperson belittles the importance of the commission. After the resignation of Justice Sethi, Justice Raina who until then was a member of the commission was immediately appointed the 'acting chairperson' of the commission amid much resentment from various quarters by the then Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha on May 15, 2006.
Record of the commission bears testimony to the fact that Justice Raina was given the charge despite being ineligible for this coveted post. It has been reliably learnt that a panel was earlier formed during the Governor's rule last year in which some names were recommended for the appointment of the chairperson which were later submitted to the governor but it didn't yield any results.
With no hearing having taken place for such a long period, common people, litigants and lawyers blamed government for not doing anything to make it functional. "The government should have filled the long-pending post of the chairperson to guarantee the effective functioning of the commission. But unfortunately the government doesn't seem to be serious about it despite the growing disappointment among the people regarding the institution," said a litigant on the condition of anonymity.
Sources maintain that the people have also stopped turning to the Commission for filing their complaints deeming it as a "defunct body" and the number of complaints received by it has also come down in the past few months from 40 to 45 complaints per month to less than 20 a month. Amusingly the role of its sole member has also been reduced to giving fresh dates for the cases.
"People have naturally started considering it futile to file any complaint looking at the zero output by the Commission because of it being headless for such a long time. Why should a patient turn to a doctor when he knows there would be no remedy? Similarly merely registering the reports of the people without contesting their cases also amounts to breach of their trust," a legal expert opined.
(Kashmir Times)
Headless SAC fails to perform: 250 cases pending but no sitting
Jammu/Srinagar: State Accountability Commission's much purported "Ehtisab" drive has stagnated since state government has failed to nominate its Chairperson from among the available legal luminaries of the state. The figure of pending cases has touched 250 i.e. 179 in Jammu and 71 in Kashmir. Working of commission is presently being looked after by Justice (retd) Muzaffar Jan, a member of the commission. The sole member of the commission, Justice Muzaffar Jan is also retiring in the month of April. Inapt failure of the state government in finding fitting replacements for its first chairperson Late Justice R.P.Sethi and thereafter, of its adhoc chairperson Justice Girdhari Lal Raina has affected credibility of the commission.
It is intriguing to note that the post of chairperson continues to be vacant for more than two years now after late Justice R P Sethi, a Supreme Court judge retired from the post in May 2006. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Commission Act 2002, the vacancy occurring in the institution of the commission should be filled in as soon as possible.
Raina retired in June 2008. The state Accountability Commission Act 2002 requires presence of the Chairpersons for holding court proceedings in cases which are brought before it. After Justice Raina's retirement in June 2008, court proceedings have almost come to a complete halt leading to increase in the pendency of the cases.
SAC records bear testimony to the fact that around 1931 complaints have been lodged with the commission since August 2005 to February 2009, out of which commission recommended 20 cases to the government for prosecution. 11 of these cases in which involvement of high profile dignitaries surfaced have been stayed by the state high court.
Out of 1931 complaints, commission dismissed around 1160 on account of errors in the complainant's application. The legal justification used for these dismissed complaints is "dismissed in default." 265 other complaints were dismissed on merit and 191 were disposed off as settled by the commission. 250 cases which have been instituted and where inquires are yet to be ordered, are pending for disposal.
It is noteworthy to mention here that the commission has miserably failed to fulfill its commitment of penalising the "most influential persons" i.e. ministers and powerful bureaucrats. Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, while describing influential but corrupt Babus and Mantris of the state administration in the legislative council during the recently concluded budget session said, "Yeh log court se stay manage kar lete hain."
Going by the figures of pending cases, absence of Chairperson belittles the importance of the commission. After the resignation of Justice Sethi, Justice Raina who until then was a member of the commission was immediately appointed the 'acting chairperson' of the commission amid much resentment from various quarters by the then Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha on May 15, 2006.
Record of the commission bears testimony to the fact that Justice Raina was given the charge despite being ineligible for this coveted post. It has been reliably learnt that a panel was earlier formed during the Governor's rule last year in which some names were recommended for the appointment of the chairperson which were later submitted to the governor but it didn't yield any results.
With no hearing having taken place for such a long period, common people, litigants and lawyers blamed government for not doing anything to make it functional. "The government should have filled the long-pending post of the chairperson to guarantee the effective functioning of the commission. But unfortunately the government doesn't seem to be serious about it despite the growing disappointment among the people regarding the institution," said a litigant on the condition of anonymity.
Sources maintain that the people have also stopped turning to the Commission for filing their complaints deeming it as a "defunct body" and the number of complaints received by it has also come down in the past few months from 40 to 45 complaints per month to less than 20 a month. Amusingly the role of its sole member has also been reduced to giving fresh dates for the cases.
"People have naturally started considering it futile to file any complaint looking at the zero output by the Commission because of it being headless for such a long time. Why should a patient turn to a doctor when he knows there would be no remedy? Similarly merely registering the reports of the people without contesting their cases also amounts to breach of their trust," a legal expert opined.
(Kashmir Times)
Paradox of Unequality
Mubashir touches on everything except an affirmation program for religious minorities in Kashmir
Reservation: Paradox of Equality
Mubashir Ahmad, Lawyer
It is true that poorer and underprivileged sections of the society need to be safeguarded through law. The sections of the population that have been scheduled under various names, depicting their social and economic condition, must be provided with chances to participate in the governance of the country and the access to resources. All the principles of justice and fare play demand that if someone is disadvantageously placed he needs to be helped so that his disadvantage does not become a hurdle in his economic and social mobility.
The structure of democracy rests on the concept of equality before law. Treating unequal equally is the negation of the principle of equality, which finds place as a Fundamental right available to a citizen in almost every democracy.
Although social equity and justice demand equal treatment to all individuals, but In order to bridge gap between different sections of the community and furnish equal opportunities of employment with an aim to achieve social justice, the policy of reservation is viewed at as positive or a protective discrimination. But how far the reservation, the constitutional privilege given to the under privileged classes, serves the purpose.
Indeed the state of Jammu and Kashmir is governed by its own Constitution but the part 3rd of Indian Constitution, enshrining the Fundamental Rights, is verbatim applicable to this State. Article 15(4) and 29(2) of the Constitution allows the State to make special provisions for the advancement of any Socially and Educationally backward classes of the citizens or for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Backward status to any class has been defined by the Supreme Court of India in a number of cases, which led to emergence of several propositions:
a) Backwardness envisaged by Article 15 (4) of Indian constitution is both social and educational.
b) Poverty alone cannot test backwardness. It should be comparable though not exactly similar to scheduled castes and tribes.
c) Caste cannot be the sole or dominant factor; poverty, occupation, place of habitation all contribute to backwardness and such factors cannot be ignored.
While according the backward status to any class the above cited propositions are to be seen together and not in isolation. But the ground practice is altogether different. Reservation in our society proves as a convenient way to undermine merit. As the equality is applied outside its domain, without following strictly the rules and regulations, the reservations give birth to political corruption.
Earlier in 1992 in “Indra Sawney v/s Union of India” Mandal I case. The nine Judge bench of the Supreme Court of India upheld 27% of reservation for OBCs and had clearly held exclusion of socially advanced (creamy layer) of the OBCs as mandatory. While reiterating the same view, the Supreme Court in “ Ashoka Kumar Thakur v/s Union of India 2008 Mandal II case directed the government to issue a notification excluding creamy layer from OBC beneficiaries.
Despite internal Constitutional checks, fraud is Committed on the constitution through many ways:
• Voluntary mobility into the categories; usually by acquisition of the land in the rural/ backward areas for securing the backward status.
• Manipulating income certificates, in order to escape the creamy layer test. This kind of fraud is often committed by the grade I government employees.
• Wrong inclusion of certain areas in OBC category, motivated by political considerations.
Recent inclusion of many areas in the ambit of reservation castes makes a doubtful reading. At the same time it makes relevant the observation made by Justice Arijit Pasayat in Mandal II case Paragraph 43, “is it that backwardness has increased instead of decreasing? If the answer is Yes, as contended by the respondents (union of India) then one is sure to raise eyebrows as to the effectiveness of providing reservation or quota.”
Reservation was a temporary measure to uplift the backward classes and bring them at par with other sections. But political class had vested interests in continuing with the OBC reservation. More so, the Article 15(4) of the Constitution is not a provision which is exclusive in character, so that in looking after the advancement of those classes, the state would be justified in ignoring altogether the advancement of the rest of the society.
In order to say no to this seemingly protective discrimination which proves only discriminatory in the spirit, the state government has many measures available to check this onslaught on meritocracy.
• Firstly the benefit of the reservation must be made contingent on the veracity and genuineness of the certificates produced in support of being the member of any under privileged class entitled to reservation.
• Before according the reserved category certificate to a candidate a one week notice must be given to the people through newspapers having wide circulation, seeking the objections if any.
• There must be a separate committee staffed with the honest officials, in every district to deal with this responsible job.
• There must be the strict rules for the subordinate revenue officials giving them no room and latitude to commit the fraud by manipulating the revenue records.
• The whole record must be thrown open to public scrutiny, which is the first step towards the transparency and objective behind the right to Information Act.
Although this practice will be time consuming yet it is need for the purpose of justice. Having said all this, it is obligatory on the state to protect the rights of the citizens. The administration must not wait for public motions/ complaints but should act suo motu as it does while according the benefit on the expense of the meritocracy.
(Rising Kashmir)
Reservation: Paradox of Equality
Mubashir Ahmad, Lawyer
It is true that poorer and underprivileged sections of the society need to be safeguarded through law. The sections of the population that have been scheduled under various names, depicting their social and economic condition, must be provided with chances to participate in the governance of the country and the access to resources. All the principles of justice and fare play demand that if someone is disadvantageously placed he needs to be helped so that his disadvantage does not become a hurdle in his economic and social mobility.
The structure of democracy rests on the concept of equality before law. Treating unequal equally is the negation of the principle of equality, which finds place as a Fundamental right available to a citizen in almost every democracy.
Although social equity and justice demand equal treatment to all individuals, but In order to bridge gap between different sections of the community and furnish equal opportunities of employment with an aim to achieve social justice, the policy of reservation is viewed at as positive or a protective discrimination. But how far the reservation, the constitutional privilege given to the under privileged classes, serves the purpose.
Indeed the state of Jammu and Kashmir is governed by its own Constitution but the part 3rd of Indian Constitution, enshrining the Fundamental Rights, is verbatim applicable to this State. Article 15(4) and 29(2) of the Constitution allows the State to make special provisions for the advancement of any Socially and Educationally backward classes of the citizens or for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Backward status to any class has been defined by the Supreme Court of India in a number of cases, which led to emergence of several propositions:
a) Backwardness envisaged by Article 15 (4) of Indian constitution is both social and educational.
b) Poverty alone cannot test backwardness. It should be comparable though not exactly similar to scheduled castes and tribes.
c) Caste cannot be the sole or dominant factor; poverty, occupation, place of habitation all contribute to backwardness and such factors cannot be ignored.
While according the backward status to any class the above cited propositions are to be seen together and not in isolation. But the ground practice is altogether different. Reservation in our society proves as a convenient way to undermine merit. As the equality is applied outside its domain, without following strictly the rules and regulations, the reservations give birth to political corruption.
Earlier in 1992 in “Indra Sawney v/s Union of India” Mandal I case. The nine Judge bench of the Supreme Court of India upheld 27% of reservation for OBCs and had clearly held exclusion of socially advanced (creamy layer) of the OBCs as mandatory. While reiterating the same view, the Supreme Court in “ Ashoka Kumar Thakur v/s Union of India 2008 Mandal II case directed the government to issue a notification excluding creamy layer from OBC beneficiaries.
Despite internal Constitutional checks, fraud is Committed on the constitution through many ways:
• Voluntary mobility into the categories; usually by acquisition of the land in the rural/ backward areas for securing the backward status.
• Manipulating income certificates, in order to escape the creamy layer test. This kind of fraud is often committed by the grade I government employees.
• Wrong inclusion of certain areas in OBC category, motivated by political considerations.
Recent inclusion of many areas in the ambit of reservation castes makes a doubtful reading. At the same time it makes relevant the observation made by Justice Arijit Pasayat in Mandal II case Paragraph 43, “is it that backwardness has increased instead of decreasing? If the answer is Yes, as contended by the respondents (union of India) then one is sure to raise eyebrows as to the effectiveness of providing reservation or quota.”
Reservation was a temporary measure to uplift the backward classes and bring them at par with other sections. But political class had vested interests in continuing with the OBC reservation. More so, the Article 15(4) of the Constitution is not a provision which is exclusive in character, so that in looking after the advancement of those classes, the state would be justified in ignoring altogether the advancement of the rest of the society.
In order to say no to this seemingly protective discrimination which proves only discriminatory in the spirit, the state government has many measures available to check this onslaught on meritocracy.
• Firstly the benefit of the reservation must be made contingent on the veracity and genuineness of the certificates produced in support of being the member of any under privileged class entitled to reservation.
• Before according the reserved category certificate to a candidate a one week notice must be given to the people through newspapers having wide circulation, seeking the objections if any.
• There must be a separate committee staffed with the honest officials, in every district to deal with this responsible job.
• There must be the strict rules for the subordinate revenue officials giving them no room and latitude to commit the fraud by manipulating the revenue records.
• The whole record must be thrown open to public scrutiny, which is the first step towards the transparency and objective behind the right to Information Act.
Although this practice will be time consuming yet it is need for the purpose of justice. Having said all this, it is obligatory on the state to protect the rights of the citizens. The administration must not wait for public motions/ complaints but should act suo motu as it does while according the benefit on the expense of the meritocracy.
(Rising Kashmir)
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Moving Towards Oblivion
Shakeel-ur-Rehman is not the first, and will certainly not be the last, to raise a red flag regarding deteriorating ecology of Kashmir. But do people care?
(Syed Shakeel-ul-Rehman, 32, was born in Qazipora, Tangmarg. He did his schooling at the Government Middle School in Katipora and at the Government Higher Secondary School in Chandilora, both in the Tangmarg Tehsil. He graduated in Social Work from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), being the first Kashmiri student to graduate with that major. He subsequently did his post graduate diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication from the same University. He has taken specialized courses in computer hardware and software technology. He worked as a columnist and correspondent for the Greater Kashmir daily newspaper until 2005 and is currently the Opinion Editor of the Kashmir Images daily newspaper. He also anchors Doordharshan Kendra Srinagar's live phone-in show called, "Hello DD" since April 2005. Mr. Shakeel-ur-Rehman holds the distinction of having interviewed prominent personalities in all major fields and walks of life, probably more than any other Kashmiri journalist.)
Alarming Situation
Kashmir’s delicate environment is under threat. And if the trend continues at the present pace the valley will face a difficult situation in the times ahead.
The frequent findings of the Pollution Control Board and other such organizations should come as a wake-up call not just to government but to all civil society groups and ordinary people in the region. Most of these reports have warned the administration of the enormous challenges they face on four fronts—fresh water scarcity, increasing desertification, deteriorating air quality and rising noise pollution.
These findings have even emphasized that these threats will only intensify in years to come because of global warming or climate change. It is a fact that we are not doing enough to deal with the disastrous effects of rapid economic development and reckless exploitation of natural resources witnessed in the region after the onset of violence in Kashmir. Take Dal Lake for instance. The water body, which is famous the world over for its clean water, is no more as clean as it used to be. Many maladies plague the lake right now.
Due to reckless inflow of unwanted matter, Dal is slowly approaching a stage from where it would be difficult to retrieve it. This is truly alarming and must be treated with the seriousness it deserves. Admittedly, ecological degradation is taking its toll in this state. Hillsides and forest are being turned into jungles of concrete. Air, water and noise pollution has become the order of the day. If ecological balance is to be maintained, we will have to take some measures. To begin with, awareness of afforestation must be inculcated among the masses.
It should be inculcated in the school curriculum and widely publicized so that people keep away from distorting the existing ecological balance. Additionally, smoke emitting from fast moving vehicles, industrial effluents flowing freely into drains and rivers, loud honking of horns or any other form of noise pollution must be curbed forthwith through specific laws. Strict laws must be framed for despoiling natural surroundings especially in the hills by unscrupulous land grabbers and property developers out to make a quick buck at the cost of environment and ecology.
These are some measures that must be taken for checking the rising levels of environmental degradation in the state. Although immediate measures will help us in the short run, for long term benefits the Kashmir state as a whole will have to put environment at the top of its priorities. In a region where natural resources like water, animal and plant life are already scarce and environment awareness is shockingly limited, we cannot afford to be reckless with what precious little we have got.
It is time for the state administration to come up with clear and effective strategies to tackle the immediate challenges they face, such as growing desertification, depleting clean water and our reckless abuse of resources. Environment agencies and bodies must be given necessary mandate and powers to fight their battle more effectively. And this is a battle they cannot fight on their own. We are in this together.
(Syed Shakeel-ul-Rehman, 32, was born in Qazipora, Tangmarg. He did his schooling at the Government Middle School in Katipora and at the Government Higher Secondary School in Chandilora, both in the Tangmarg Tehsil. He graduated in Social Work from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), being the first Kashmiri student to graduate with that major. He subsequently did his post graduate diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication from the same University. He has taken specialized courses in computer hardware and software technology. He worked as a columnist and correspondent for the Greater Kashmir daily newspaper until 2005 and is currently the Opinion Editor of the Kashmir Images daily newspaper. He also anchors Doordharshan Kendra Srinagar's live phone-in show called, "Hello DD" since April 2005. Mr. Shakeel-ur-Rehman holds the distinction of having interviewed prominent personalities in all major fields and walks of life, probably more than any other Kashmiri journalist.)
Alarming Situation
Kashmir’s delicate environment is under threat. And if the trend continues at the present pace the valley will face a difficult situation in the times ahead.
The frequent findings of the Pollution Control Board and other such organizations should come as a wake-up call not just to government but to all civil society groups and ordinary people in the region. Most of these reports have warned the administration of the enormous challenges they face on four fronts—fresh water scarcity, increasing desertification, deteriorating air quality and rising noise pollution.
These findings have even emphasized that these threats will only intensify in years to come because of global warming or climate change. It is a fact that we are not doing enough to deal with the disastrous effects of rapid economic development and reckless exploitation of natural resources witnessed in the region after the onset of violence in Kashmir. Take Dal Lake for instance. The water body, which is famous the world over for its clean water, is no more as clean as it used to be. Many maladies plague the lake right now.
Due to reckless inflow of unwanted matter, Dal is slowly approaching a stage from where it would be difficult to retrieve it. This is truly alarming and must be treated with the seriousness it deserves. Admittedly, ecological degradation is taking its toll in this state. Hillsides and forest are being turned into jungles of concrete. Air, water and noise pollution has become the order of the day. If ecological balance is to be maintained, we will have to take some measures. To begin with, awareness of afforestation must be inculcated among the masses.
It should be inculcated in the school curriculum and widely publicized so that people keep away from distorting the existing ecological balance. Additionally, smoke emitting from fast moving vehicles, industrial effluents flowing freely into drains and rivers, loud honking of horns or any other form of noise pollution must be curbed forthwith through specific laws. Strict laws must be framed for despoiling natural surroundings especially in the hills by unscrupulous land grabbers and property developers out to make a quick buck at the cost of environment and ecology.
These are some measures that must be taken for checking the rising levels of environmental degradation in the state. Although immediate measures will help us in the short run, for long term benefits the Kashmir state as a whole will have to put environment at the top of its priorities. In a region where natural resources like water, animal and plant life are already scarce and environment awareness is shockingly limited, we cannot afford to be reckless with what precious little we have got.
It is time for the state administration to come up with clear and effective strategies to tackle the immediate challenges they face, such as growing desertification, depleting clean water and our reckless abuse of resources. Environment agencies and bodies must be given necessary mandate and powers to fight their battle more effectively. And this is a battle they cannot fight on their own. We are in this together.
A Forgotten Badshahi Type Monument
Iqbal describes a small but a glorious architectural piece of late Mughal period that is in utter neglect at the left bank of river Jhelum at Shah Mohalla, Safa Kadal
(Mr. Iqbal Ahmad, 48, was born in Parigam Chek, Kulgam. He is a graduate with Diploma in Numastics, Archaeology and Heritage. He is an archaeologist, writer, and a cultural historian. Mr. Iqbal Ahmad has published 12 reference books on Kashmir archaeology and heritage.)
Kashmir's Forgotten Assets
We have already lost several archaeological sites and monuments while there are many such sites which are at the verge of extinction and if concrete steps are not taken up at the earliest there is every fear that we may lose many more historic and heritage sites of Kashmir in the immediate future.
For years together the local media has been highlighting the plight of Kashmir monuments and archaeological sites but perhaps there is no one who could listen and take cognizance of these reports otherwise the condition of our built heritage would not have been what it is today.
In fact, the extinction of the heritage still goes on without any check. People have also been crying for restoration of their decaying monuments but no one pays any heed. The masterpieces, which have been pushed into the oblivion, bear an architectural and historical significance and stand live evidences of the Kashmir's glorious cultural and architectural history.
There is an urgent need to identify such places and bring them under the aegis of the concerned monuments preservation authority so that a master plan could be formulated for their restoration. Out of countless forgotten monuments Badshahi type baked-brick work is a masterpiece. It is the shrine of Sheikh Ibrahim (RA) popularly known as Thagh Baba (RA) Sahib. A small but a glorious architectural piece of late Mughal period is seen in utter neglect at the left bank of river Jhelum at Shah Mohalla, Safa Kadal.
The single chambered shrine, basically a mausoleum, which as per local belief houses the mortal remains of the saint and his other disciples. Internally the mausoleum has eight graves in two rows of four. These are covered over by a magnificent set of black tombstones, which represent a high degree of craftsmanship. The pattern on which the tomb stones are laid here is very exciting. The joints, which existed between the actual grave and the tomb, stone arc quite visible to the extent that a thread passes easily through these joints.
Legend has it that two men holding the two extreme ends of a piece of thread, while inserting it from one end of the gap that existed between the actual grave and its tomb stone, would take it to the other end without any obstruction. Many devotees of the shrine have experienced it. "I have practiced this wonder several times with my friend Mushtaq Ahmad," says Bashir Ahmad, a local devotee. Several other locals claim the same and say that each time the inserted thread passes through the gap from one end to other end easily. One wonders on what rests, the weight of these large tombs stones.
It is quite strange and curious to believe but it is a reality. The tombstones on these graves are imposed by a wonderful mechanism, which seems to be unbelievable. "This well advanced and well-ornamented set of tombstones is not seen anywhere else," believe experts. This type is a bit relevant to the tombstones of Mughal mausoleums of Delhi, Agra and Lahore. The other five graves seen in the row belong to the saint's disciples. These graves also bear wonderful gravestones, of terra-cotta type rarely seen anywhere else. "We have heard of terra-cotta tiles, figures and pottery but to hear about a terra-cotta tomb stones is quite amazing," says an archaeologist.
The saints grave is marked by its high and nicely ornamented grave stone. The graves inside the chamber are imposed on a terrace, the border of which also bears ornamentation’s in floral designs. The square chambered shrine itself is imposed on a nicely formed terrace. The chamber of the mausoleum is formed of highly polished baked Badshahi bricks. The external walls have been given such a glazing finish that even joints are not visible.
The chamber has also some arched ventilators, two on each corner. The entrance to the chamber as usual, is from the southern side. Presently the structure is roofed unskillfully and it looks as if no set pattern has been followed while restoring its roof. Originally, the shrine had a doomed type roof which, of late, has crumbled externally but internally its traces are quite visible and seem to be waiting for the fall of the chamber.
As per the local legend the shrine has been constructed by Aurangzeb Alamgir who is also believed to have raised a stone tomb on the grave of Akhun Mullah Tayub (RA), situated only few yards away from this shrine. The genius Mughal emperor is said to have constructed about 500 Khanqahs, Mosques and Hamams in Kashmir. The king had a great regard for sufis and saints.
The Akhund Mulla Tayub (RA) and Sheikh Ibrahim (RA) were the celebrated saints of their time. Mulla Tayub (RA), who served the spiritual guide for Sheikh Ibrahim, himself was a disciple of Abul Fukra Baba Naseeb-ud-din Gani (RA) of Bijbehara.
Historian Hassan traces his origin of being a Sayyied as:
Ai Ki Purse Zi Vasil-e-Syed Ma Sheikh-ul-Din Hadi Inam Bigo
Hassan in his Asarul Khayr has recorded a curious incident of the Pir and his mureed. He states that once Mulla Tayub (RA) was telling one of his disciples that he would be attending on him in another mosque after the Asar prayers. Sheikh, who was also present in a corner, heard it and went to that mosque before his Pir- In the mosque he secretly covered himself under a mat. The Mulla entered the mosque and started his spiritual practice to his attending mureeds. However the pir felt some internal disruption (Batani Khalil).
He searched the mosque and found the Sheikh under the cover of the mat. He told him, oh Thagh you have robbed me of my spirituality. He then titled him as Thagh. The legend accounts that since then the Sheikh assumed this title and is still recognized by it. Later he is said to have followed Islami shariah strictly and used to offer five-time-prayers. When he left for heavenly abode he was laid to rest at this place and the mausoleum was built over his grave.
Although the shrine is a small one, it represents the grace of brick-and-stone work. Unfortunately, at present, the shrine has turned into a neglected monument. The government as well as the people of the locality too have turned indifferent to it. The carelessness has encouraged boundless encroachments from all its sides, which has been causing an alarm to the structure. Its walls are broken redlime plaster vanished and ornamentation's collapsed. The raising dome has externally fallen to ground.
The structure bearing rare monument features requires proper restoration and conservation. The agencies looking after the cultural wealth of the state should come forward and prepare a master plan to restore the shrine and bring it under their own preservation aegis. Otherwise we may lose one more glorious monument of Mughal period.
(Mr. Iqbal Ahmad, 48, was born in Parigam Chek, Kulgam. He is a graduate with Diploma in Numastics, Archaeology and Heritage. He is an archaeologist, writer, and a cultural historian. Mr. Iqbal Ahmad has published 12 reference books on Kashmir archaeology and heritage.)
Kashmir's Forgotten Assets
We have already lost several archaeological sites and monuments while there are many such sites which are at the verge of extinction and if concrete steps are not taken up at the earliest there is every fear that we may lose many more historic and heritage sites of Kashmir in the immediate future.
For years together the local media has been highlighting the plight of Kashmir monuments and archaeological sites but perhaps there is no one who could listen and take cognizance of these reports otherwise the condition of our built heritage would not have been what it is today.
In fact, the extinction of the heritage still goes on without any check. People have also been crying for restoration of their decaying monuments but no one pays any heed. The masterpieces, which have been pushed into the oblivion, bear an architectural and historical significance and stand live evidences of the Kashmir's glorious cultural and architectural history.
There is an urgent need to identify such places and bring them under the aegis of the concerned monuments preservation authority so that a master plan could be formulated for their restoration. Out of countless forgotten monuments Badshahi type baked-brick work is a masterpiece. It is the shrine of Sheikh Ibrahim (RA) popularly known as Thagh Baba (RA) Sahib. A small but a glorious architectural piece of late Mughal period is seen in utter neglect at the left bank of river Jhelum at Shah Mohalla, Safa Kadal.
The single chambered shrine, basically a mausoleum, which as per local belief houses the mortal remains of the saint and his other disciples. Internally the mausoleum has eight graves in two rows of four. These are covered over by a magnificent set of black tombstones, which represent a high degree of craftsmanship. The pattern on which the tomb stones are laid here is very exciting. The joints, which existed between the actual grave and the tomb, stone arc quite visible to the extent that a thread passes easily through these joints.
Legend has it that two men holding the two extreme ends of a piece of thread, while inserting it from one end of the gap that existed between the actual grave and its tomb stone, would take it to the other end without any obstruction. Many devotees of the shrine have experienced it. "I have practiced this wonder several times with my friend Mushtaq Ahmad," says Bashir Ahmad, a local devotee. Several other locals claim the same and say that each time the inserted thread passes through the gap from one end to other end easily. One wonders on what rests, the weight of these large tombs stones.
It is quite strange and curious to believe but it is a reality. The tombstones on these graves are imposed by a wonderful mechanism, which seems to be unbelievable. "This well advanced and well-ornamented set of tombstones is not seen anywhere else," believe experts. This type is a bit relevant to the tombstones of Mughal mausoleums of Delhi, Agra and Lahore. The other five graves seen in the row belong to the saint's disciples. These graves also bear wonderful gravestones, of terra-cotta type rarely seen anywhere else. "We have heard of terra-cotta tiles, figures and pottery but to hear about a terra-cotta tomb stones is quite amazing," says an archaeologist.
The saints grave is marked by its high and nicely ornamented grave stone. The graves inside the chamber are imposed on a terrace, the border of which also bears ornamentation’s in floral designs. The square chambered shrine itself is imposed on a nicely formed terrace. The chamber of the mausoleum is formed of highly polished baked Badshahi bricks. The external walls have been given such a glazing finish that even joints are not visible.
The chamber has also some arched ventilators, two on each corner. The entrance to the chamber as usual, is from the southern side. Presently the structure is roofed unskillfully and it looks as if no set pattern has been followed while restoring its roof. Originally, the shrine had a doomed type roof which, of late, has crumbled externally but internally its traces are quite visible and seem to be waiting for the fall of the chamber.
As per the local legend the shrine has been constructed by Aurangzeb Alamgir who is also believed to have raised a stone tomb on the grave of Akhun Mullah Tayub (RA), situated only few yards away from this shrine. The genius Mughal emperor is said to have constructed about 500 Khanqahs, Mosques and Hamams in Kashmir. The king had a great regard for sufis and saints.
The Akhund Mulla Tayub (RA) and Sheikh Ibrahim (RA) were the celebrated saints of their time. Mulla Tayub (RA), who served the spiritual guide for Sheikh Ibrahim, himself was a disciple of Abul Fukra Baba Naseeb-ud-din Gani (RA) of Bijbehara.
Historian Hassan traces his origin of being a Sayyied as:
Ai Ki Purse Zi Vasil-e-Syed Ma Sheikh-ul-Din Hadi Inam Bigo
Hassan in his Asarul Khayr has recorded a curious incident of the Pir and his mureed. He states that once Mulla Tayub (RA) was telling one of his disciples that he would be attending on him in another mosque after the Asar prayers. Sheikh, who was also present in a corner, heard it and went to that mosque before his Pir- In the mosque he secretly covered himself under a mat. The Mulla entered the mosque and started his spiritual practice to his attending mureeds. However the pir felt some internal disruption (Batani Khalil).
He searched the mosque and found the Sheikh under the cover of the mat. He told him, oh Thagh you have robbed me of my spirituality. He then titled him as Thagh. The legend accounts that since then the Sheikh assumed this title and is still recognized by it. Later he is said to have followed Islami shariah strictly and used to offer five-time-prayers. When he left for heavenly abode he was laid to rest at this place and the mausoleum was built over his grave.
Although the shrine is a small one, it represents the grace of brick-and-stone work. Unfortunately, at present, the shrine has turned into a neglected monument. The government as well as the people of the locality too have turned indifferent to it. The carelessness has encouraged boundless encroachments from all its sides, which has been causing an alarm to the structure. Its walls are broken redlime plaster vanished and ornamentation's collapsed. The raising dome has externally fallen to ground.
The structure bearing rare monument features requires proper restoration and conservation. The agencies looking after the cultural wealth of the state should come forward and prepare a master plan to restore the shrine and bring it under their own preservation aegis. Otherwise we may lose one more glorious monument of Mughal period.
Interesting Study of Social Trends
Unfortunately, the news is not good
Kashmir on brink of social precipice
Zulfikar Majid/ Gowhar Bhat (Greater Kashmir)
Srinagar: Acute poverty, unemployment, dowry, modern education and the about two decades of conflict are some of the major reasons for late marriages in Kashmir with a nasty fallout on its socio-economic fabric. The trend has had devastating consequences like psychiatric problems, suicides, drug addiction, pre and extra marital affairs, sex scandals and a spurt in divorces, reveals a recent research.
“The decrease in population at family level, mental depression, increase in suicide rate, encouragement to immoral activities and pre-marital sex are some of the consequences of late marriages which we found during the survey,” the principal investigator of the empirical survey, noted sociologist associated with University of Kashmir, Prof. Bashir Ahmad Dabla, told Greater Kashmir.
“The socio-economic and politico-educational developments in Kashmir had radical changing impact on the practices, rituals, values and norms of marriage especially related directly to late marriage. Also, political developments in last 20-years of militancy had further changing impact on the traditional pattern of late marriages,” the research titled “Emergence of Late Marriages in Kashmir” revealed.
The other factors responsible for late marriages, according to the research, are illiteracy, modernization impact, health abnormality, customs, traditions, caste considerations, search for proper match, irreligious attitudes, preference for an employed women with permanent job, love affairs, illegal sex relations and huge marriage expenditure.
The late marriages have had devastating consequences on the society. “Decrease in population, psychiatric problems, increase in suicidal rate, immoral activities and pre-marital sex relations are the major long term and short term consequences of the trend,” the study reveals. Some of the minor consequences of the trend include abnormal child birth, lack of child care, increase in crime, frustration among youth, and disturbed social and family life, it reveals.
The survey was conducted by a team of 30 students led by Prof Dabla of the University’s Sociology department from June to October 2007 in all the districts of the Valley. A total of 1500 respondents belonging to varied social categories were interviewed. Of them, 52 per cent were males and 48 per cent females. It shows that the average age of marriage for males in Kashmir is 31.53 years while as for women it s 27.83 years.
An overwhelming 88 per cent of the respondents were of the opinion that the conflict situation contributed to the emergence of late marriage trend. However, 12 per cent of the respondents opined that the conflict was not directly responsible for it.
On dowry as one of the chief reasons for delayed marriages, 92 per cent respondents said that it had created numerous problems for individuals and families. The other major reason for the trend is unemployment. Over 90 per cent of the respondents were of the opinion that rampant unemployment had created the situation which seems to be getting out of control by the day.
The other alarming aspect, the survey reveals, is the emergence of pre-marital sex in an otherwise conservative Kashmiri society. “There is an inverse relationship between late marriages and the practices of pre-marital and extra marital relations among the youth. More than 64 per cent respondents revealed that late marriages caused and effected the pre-marital relations among the youngsters,” it says.
Out of 1,500 respondents, 768 said that since sex was a biological need, they wanted to satisfy themselves through any means. At least 182 respondents said that sex control wasn’t possible as it was at its peak at younger age. Another 219 respondents revealed that late marriages had led to extra-marital relationships, especially among the elder and married members of the society.
On how to overcome the problem, 29.93 per cent respondents said that there must be complete ban on dowry, 18.40 per cent said parents must arrange marriage of their children at an early age, 17.66 per cent said adherence to the tenets of religion was the remedy while 13 per cent said that government should create employment opportunities for the youth.
“This is leading the society to a disaster, as people are exercising abnormal ways of sex. Pre marital sex and immoral practices have shown an upward trend and it is increasing,” warns Prof Dabla, adding, social practices, would make marriages possible at an early age. “The initiative has to come from the society.”
Prof Dabla said the demographic composition of the Valley was getting affected due to late marriages. “Sociologically, it affects the most active group in terms of roles, as they become less contributing,” he added.
Kashmir on brink of social precipice
Zulfikar Majid/ Gowhar Bhat (Greater Kashmir)
Srinagar: Acute poverty, unemployment, dowry, modern education and the about two decades of conflict are some of the major reasons for late marriages in Kashmir with a nasty fallout on its socio-economic fabric. The trend has had devastating consequences like psychiatric problems, suicides, drug addiction, pre and extra marital affairs, sex scandals and a spurt in divorces, reveals a recent research.
“The decrease in population at family level, mental depression, increase in suicide rate, encouragement to immoral activities and pre-marital sex are some of the consequences of late marriages which we found during the survey,” the principal investigator of the empirical survey, noted sociologist associated with University of Kashmir, Prof. Bashir Ahmad Dabla, told Greater Kashmir.
“The socio-economic and politico-educational developments in Kashmir had radical changing impact on the practices, rituals, values and norms of marriage especially related directly to late marriage. Also, political developments in last 20-years of militancy had further changing impact on the traditional pattern of late marriages,” the research titled “Emergence of Late Marriages in Kashmir” revealed.
The other factors responsible for late marriages, according to the research, are illiteracy, modernization impact, health abnormality, customs, traditions, caste considerations, search for proper match, irreligious attitudes, preference for an employed women with permanent job, love affairs, illegal sex relations and huge marriage expenditure.
The late marriages have had devastating consequences on the society. “Decrease in population, psychiatric problems, increase in suicidal rate, immoral activities and pre-marital sex relations are the major long term and short term consequences of the trend,” the study reveals. Some of the minor consequences of the trend include abnormal child birth, lack of child care, increase in crime, frustration among youth, and disturbed social and family life, it reveals.
The survey was conducted by a team of 30 students led by Prof Dabla of the University’s Sociology department from June to October 2007 in all the districts of the Valley. A total of 1500 respondents belonging to varied social categories were interviewed. Of them, 52 per cent were males and 48 per cent females. It shows that the average age of marriage for males in Kashmir is 31.53 years while as for women it s 27.83 years.
An overwhelming 88 per cent of the respondents were of the opinion that the conflict situation contributed to the emergence of late marriage trend. However, 12 per cent of the respondents opined that the conflict was not directly responsible for it.
On dowry as one of the chief reasons for delayed marriages, 92 per cent respondents said that it had created numerous problems for individuals and families. The other major reason for the trend is unemployment. Over 90 per cent of the respondents were of the opinion that rampant unemployment had created the situation which seems to be getting out of control by the day.
The other alarming aspect, the survey reveals, is the emergence of pre-marital sex in an otherwise conservative Kashmiri society. “There is an inverse relationship between late marriages and the practices of pre-marital and extra marital relations among the youth. More than 64 per cent respondents revealed that late marriages caused and effected the pre-marital relations among the youngsters,” it says.
Out of 1,500 respondents, 768 said that since sex was a biological need, they wanted to satisfy themselves through any means. At least 182 respondents said that sex control wasn’t possible as it was at its peak at younger age. Another 219 respondents revealed that late marriages had led to extra-marital relationships, especially among the elder and married members of the society.
On how to overcome the problem, 29.93 per cent respondents said that there must be complete ban on dowry, 18.40 per cent said parents must arrange marriage of their children at an early age, 17.66 per cent said adherence to the tenets of religion was the remedy while 13 per cent said that government should create employment opportunities for the youth.
“This is leading the society to a disaster, as people are exercising abnormal ways of sex. Pre marital sex and immoral practices have shown an upward trend and it is increasing,” warns Prof Dabla, adding, social practices, would make marriages possible at an early age. “The initiative has to come from the society.”
Prof Dabla said the demographic composition of the Valley was getting affected due to late marriages. “Sociologically, it affects the most active group in terms of roles, as they become less contributing,” he added.
The Original Kashmiri Bravado
Zahid takes you on a journey of enchantment that only old-timers can recall with relish
(Mr. Zahid G. Mohammad, 60, was born and raised in Srinagar. He earned his Master's degree in English literature from the Kashmir University and has completed a course in Mass Communication from Indian Institute of Mass Communication. He is a writer and a journalist who has written for many newspapers, including the Statesman, the Sunday, and the Kashmir Times. He currently works for the Greater Kashmir.)
"Full Tonga"
The roads then were better than they are today. Down the memory lane- more than forty five years back- the roads in my part of city were not muddy; yes they were not potholed and bumpy. They did not puncture the rhythm of the melodious songs and hymns of the toiling carters pulling their tumbrel and carts filled to capacity with stones, bricks and other loads on these roads.
Those days no trucks or auto load carriers plied on our roads- it was the carts that carried all kinds of loads inside the city. The building material stones, bricks, lime and timber would arrive in big barges to the nearest Ghat on the Jhelum or the Mar Canal wherefrom it would be loaded in men driven carts to different parts of the city. The roads then were silent but tidy- watered and swept in the wee hours. The silence on the roads was broken only by the plaintive folk songs and hymns of the cart pullers- some like traditional Kashmiri marriage songs (wanwun) were born on the spur of the moment and some had been passed from generation to generation without being written by any one. Then I did not understand these songs that cascaded with our woeful tales of the plight and cruelty suffered by the people at the hands of desperadoes.
I remember in our childhood only very few cars passed through our road. I and my peers remembered number plates of most of the cars that passed through roads in our part of city. The number plates read J&K…then there were hardly any cars with four digit numbers. The number of cars in entire state those days might not have crossed few a thousands.
In our locality only two neo-rich families, who were closer to the then power centre owned cars and many other old rich families owned a single horse driven chariot called Tonga .
Oh! it has been a distinctive phenomenon of our society in all uncertain political situations it has thrown up a neo-rich class of people. The departure of feudal aristocracy saw a new class of people fattening on the uncertain situation and shortage of essentials like salt and tea after the closer of the Jhelum valley Road. Many have-nots who could hardly afford two time meals emerged as a class replacing the old aristocracy. The mid-fifties saw yet another class of people thriving upon political concessions and emerging as a neo-rich class of people that in our childhood had earned the nickname- Guga- mid seventies were not different than fifties and sixties. There are many stories of rags to riches not to be counted as success stories but as that of exploitation in nineties - the phase that will be remembered in our history as period of blood, tears and sacrifices. The nineties have also thrown up a neo-rich class not only urban areas where they have built massive castles on the foundation of bones but in the rural areas also where this class has added to its estates.
True, very few of the neo-rich in our childhood owned cars but they could be spotted from a distance for the demeanor and the dress-more particularly the style of keeping astrakhan (Karakuli) caps on their heads- a bit sliding towards the right eye sometimes touching the eyebrows described in local parlance as- aaji-mange. They would also be recognized by the Tonga owned or hired by them. They often hired new Tongas driven by tall and stout horses. Scenes of some these neo-riches sitting on the back seat of the Tonga carrying airs as if whole world was under their feet flash before my eyes as if it happened just yesterday. One of the popular terms for hiring a Tonga was “full-tonga”- meaning allowing no other passenger sit on the Tonga but paying for all.
I remember on occasions I carried as good airs as those of the neo-rich in my part of city. This feeling would come to me whenever my father hired a full-tonga for me for sending me to home from his office. My father’s office was in Basant Bagh- from his office to Naid Kadal two annas (one eight of a rupee) was the fare per passenger which was later raised to four annas. I remember it cost two rupees for full tonga from my father’s office to our home. My father for my safe journey would often take a note of the number of the Tonga- then Tonga’s also had their numbers painted on the two sides. There were two main Tonga stands (Adda) near my father’s office- one was near the Budshah Chowk and another on the Red Cross Road. I loved watching the horses with their blinkers removed grazing grass or eating rice husk and drinking water out of a pond made of chiseled lime stones in these addas before boarding the Tonga.
I remember the happiest moment for us during summers used to be the Sunday evenings- when all children in our family dressed tastefully to their best would be waiting for Jamal Gurou - the Tongawala for taking us to Chasmashahi in the evening.
The preparations for evening trip started at noon with my mother and aunt engaging themselves for cooking evening meals to be enjoyed in the salubrious and a captivating moonlit evening by the sides of sonorous brook in the Chasmashahi garden. The food containers the rice dagachas and meat dechawaris, would be packed in willow baskets by four- those days there were no hot cases for carrying hot food to picnic spots. No sooner Jamal Gurou arrived outside our home- the food packs would be carried by children and kept in the front side of the Tonga. The elder children would sit in the front along with my uncle and the younger ones in the back seat with my mother and aunt. The journey towards Chasmashahi started by five but it was often punctuated at the Nehru Park was popularly was known as “the point”- sometimes we ferried in the boats to the Island and sometimes we just strolled in the nearby park. I remember going uphill the Chasmashahi road on the Tonga was great pleasure- many times as we reached near the garden the speed of the horse would slowdown and children were often asked to get down from the Tonga and walk up to the stairs leading to the garden. No sooner the food items were removed from the Tonga Jamal would unbridle the horse and put some grass before him.
The Chasmashahi garden would be dotted with families having food under moon light- those were great day of fun.
(Mr. Zahid G. Mohammad, 60, was born and raised in Srinagar. He earned his Master's degree in English literature from the Kashmir University and has completed a course in Mass Communication from Indian Institute of Mass Communication. He is a writer and a journalist who has written for many newspapers, including the Statesman, the Sunday, and the Kashmir Times. He currently works for the Greater Kashmir.)
"Full Tonga"
The roads then were better than they are today. Down the memory lane- more than forty five years back- the roads in my part of city were not muddy; yes they were not potholed and bumpy. They did not puncture the rhythm of the melodious songs and hymns of the toiling carters pulling their tumbrel and carts filled to capacity with stones, bricks and other loads on these roads.
Those days no trucks or auto load carriers plied on our roads- it was the carts that carried all kinds of loads inside the city. The building material stones, bricks, lime and timber would arrive in big barges to the nearest Ghat on the Jhelum or the Mar Canal wherefrom it would be loaded in men driven carts to different parts of the city. The roads then were silent but tidy- watered and swept in the wee hours. The silence on the roads was broken only by the plaintive folk songs and hymns of the cart pullers- some like traditional Kashmiri marriage songs (wanwun) were born on the spur of the moment and some had been passed from generation to generation without being written by any one. Then I did not understand these songs that cascaded with our woeful tales of the plight and cruelty suffered by the people at the hands of desperadoes.
I remember in our childhood only very few cars passed through our road. I and my peers remembered number plates of most of the cars that passed through roads in our part of city. The number plates read J&K…then there were hardly any cars with four digit numbers. The number of cars in entire state those days might not have crossed few a thousands.
In our locality only two neo-rich families, who were closer to the then power centre owned cars and many other old rich families owned a single horse driven chariot called Tonga .
Oh! it has been a distinctive phenomenon of our society in all uncertain political situations it has thrown up a neo-rich class of people. The departure of feudal aristocracy saw a new class of people fattening on the uncertain situation and shortage of essentials like salt and tea after the closer of the Jhelum valley Road. Many have-nots who could hardly afford two time meals emerged as a class replacing the old aristocracy. The mid-fifties saw yet another class of people thriving upon political concessions and emerging as a neo-rich class of people that in our childhood had earned the nickname- Guga- mid seventies were not different than fifties and sixties. There are many stories of rags to riches not to be counted as success stories but as that of exploitation in nineties - the phase that will be remembered in our history as period of blood, tears and sacrifices. The nineties have also thrown up a neo-rich class not only urban areas where they have built massive castles on the foundation of bones but in the rural areas also where this class has added to its estates.
True, very few of the neo-rich in our childhood owned cars but they could be spotted from a distance for the demeanor and the dress-more particularly the style of keeping astrakhan (Karakuli) caps on their heads- a bit sliding towards the right eye sometimes touching the eyebrows described in local parlance as- aaji-mange. They would also be recognized by the Tonga owned or hired by them. They often hired new Tongas driven by tall and stout horses. Scenes of some these neo-riches sitting on the back seat of the Tonga carrying airs as if whole world was under their feet flash before my eyes as if it happened just yesterday. One of the popular terms for hiring a Tonga was “full-tonga”- meaning allowing no other passenger sit on the Tonga but paying for all.
I remember on occasions I carried as good airs as those of the neo-rich in my part of city. This feeling would come to me whenever my father hired a full-tonga for me for sending me to home from his office. My father’s office was in Basant Bagh- from his office to Naid Kadal two annas (one eight of a rupee) was the fare per passenger which was later raised to four annas. I remember it cost two rupees for full tonga from my father’s office to our home. My father for my safe journey would often take a note of the number of the Tonga- then Tonga’s also had their numbers painted on the two sides. There were two main Tonga stands (Adda) near my father’s office- one was near the Budshah Chowk and another on the Red Cross Road. I loved watching the horses with their blinkers removed grazing grass or eating rice husk and drinking water out of a pond made of chiseled lime stones in these addas before boarding the Tonga.
I remember the happiest moment for us during summers used to be the Sunday evenings- when all children in our family dressed tastefully to their best would be waiting for Jamal Gurou - the Tongawala for taking us to Chasmashahi in the evening.
The preparations for evening trip started at noon with my mother and aunt engaging themselves for cooking evening meals to be enjoyed in the salubrious and a captivating moonlit evening by the sides of sonorous brook in the Chasmashahi garden. The food containers the rice dagachas and meat dechawaris, would be packed in willow baskets by four- those days there were no hot cases for carrying hot food to picnic spots. No sooner Jamal Gurou arrived outside our home- the food packs would be carried by children and kept in the front side of the Tonga. The elder children would sit in the front along with my uncle and the younger ones in the back seat with my mother and aunt. The journey towards Chasmashahi started by five but it was often punctuated at the Nehru Park was popularly was known as “the point”- sometimes we ferried in the boats to the Island and sometimes we just strolled in the nearby park. I remember going uphill the Chasmashahi road on the Tonga was great pleasure- many times as we reached near the garden the speed of the horse would slowdown and children were often asked to get down from the Tonga and walk up to the stairs leading to the garden. No sooner the food items were removed from the Tonga Jamal would unbridle the horse and put some grass before him.
The Chasmashahi garden would be dotted with families having food under moon light- those were great day of fun.
A Special Bond Unlike Any Other
Rafiya speaks from her heart
Miss you Mom: Mothers day passed, but your memories remain
Rafiya Munshi
Some days back while managing books my shivering hands got hold of some notes written years back for me by my mother. I felt myself quite close to life, as these were the verses of care she left for me to ease my body and soul when she was not at home. Every time I read them my jerky movements and uncontrolled body collapses to the ground and makes me crawl like a child to find a darker place. No extreme art in the world is yet so defined and obvious in displaying the unutterable emotions felt on your loss and lifelong absence from the world around my Mom.
While experimenting with some words today, I can feel an unbearable pain and a blow to the fluidity of my ideas in such a manner that this piece can not justify even the slightest impulse of the emotional tide racing in my veins. Today, I have no valuable information to give nor a logical or reasoned philosophy to impart but only the few emotions of my own heart and may be of all those like me to share. Trust me; this attempt in itself is a daring one as there are no universal scales which could measure the need of a mother for a girl. Since her absence even the smallest of the trouble use to turn bulkier. She had the magic of turning the miseries in to comforts and hatred in to intimacies. She was a network connecting me to all and a binding force for all strained relations.
In every trail of narrating the extreme dearth of her presence at several occasions of my life, it became impossible for me to correct my style and selection of words. It is also true that many kind souls tried to laugh, cry and sympathize with me by turns but just with the twinkling of an eye I got attached to the harsh reality. And many times it also became difficult to manage my internal conflict and be in my best behaviors. Now I could hardly see those faces around me which cried loud enough the day u left my Mom.
I agree that all the brilliances of my wit and the depths of my sensibility if present is only because of you my Mom. And all the slips of my immaturity and doubtful tastes got developed only after you left me. Your absence has always afflicted my heart and my manner in such a way that sometimes suspicions arouse, instead of humor farce develops and instead of showing sentiments I turn sentimental, thus making the tenderness of my heart doubtful.
As to be compassionate is quite natural for a mother so it does not seem worth mentioning here that how kindly and uniformly you used to help me during my disturbed times. Rather my thoughts stand still while sensing that how perfectly and sensibly I was blanketed in your protection against the all natural sharpnesses of the world around. Every time, when I had to make the difficult choices your absence becomes quite inimical to my very existence and even in the excellent frames of my mind I start making the bargains among the choices. I often end up quite discontent and not at harmony with my heart and its feelings.
Since you left me I could not find a single face to gaze on for the understanding of the all that is unspoken, such an auricle which could feel the suffering out of my enjoyments, such a deep vision which could see the unshown and such a reliable thought which could never betray. Now as I am left with your thoughts only, they have a right over my whole heart-to divide them will be to lessen them, to expose them will be to risk them and where there is risk there may be loss which is unaffordable for me. It is only your thought that fills my heart with trust and confidence. Whenever my way becomes too rough for my feet and too steep for my strength, I could feel you around making my path velvety soft and my soul strengthened and refreshed. But sometimes I could also see your injured spirit waving her head and turning off silent at the times of my utmost miseries and dishonors. In all the painted scenes of my life I will always miss your presence and will ask myself that why I was chosen by nature to mourn for you while I was just gaining maturity. At the end I deeply apologise for sensitizing the most delicate emotions of all the tender hearts of my kind - I will miss you always my Mom.
Miss you Mom: Mothers day passed, but your memories remain
Rafiya Munshi
Some days back while managing books my shivering hands got hold of some notes written years back for me by my mother. I felt myself quite close to life, as these were the verses of care she left for me to ease my body and soul when she was not at home. Every time I read them my jerky movements and uncontrolled body collapses to the ground and makes me crawl like a child to find a darker place. No extreme art in the world is yet so defined and obvious in displaying the unutterable emotions felt on your loss and lifelong absence from the world around my Mom.
While experimenting with some words today, I can feel an unbearable pain and a blow to the fluidity of my ideas in such a manner that this piece can not justify even the slightest impulse of the emotional tide racing in my veins. Today, I have no valuable information to give nor a logical or reasoned philosophy to impart but only the few emotions of my own heart and may be of all those like me to share. Trust me; this attempt in itself is a daring one as there are no universal scales which could measure the need of a mother for a girl. Since her absence even the smallest of the trouble use to turn bulkier. She had the magic of turning the miseries in to comforts and hatred in to intimacies. She was a network connecting me to all and a binding force for all strained relations.
In every trail of narrating the extreme dearth of her presence at several occasions of my life, it became impossible for me to correct my style and selection of words. It is also true that many kind souls tried to laugh, cry and sympathize with me by turns but just with the twinkling of an eye I got attached to the harsh reality. And many times it also became difficult to manage my internal conflict and be in my best behaviors. Now I could hardly see those faces around me which cried loud enough the day u left my Mom.
I agree that all the brilliances of my wit and the depths of my sensibility if present is only because of you my Mom. And all the slips of my immaturity and doubtful tastes got developed only after you left me. Your absence has always afflicted my heart and my manner in such a way that sometimes suspicions arouse, instead of humor farce develops and instead of showing sentiments I turn sentimental, thus making the tenderness of my heart doubtful.
As to be compassionate is quite natural for a mother so it does not seem worth mentioning here that how kindly and uniformly you used to help me during my disturbed times. Rather my thoughts stand still while sensing that how perfectly and sensibly I was blanketed in your protection against the all natural sharpnesses of the world around. Every time, when I had to make the difficult choices your absence becomes quite inimical to my very existence and even in the excellent frames of my mind I start making the bargains among the choices. I often end up quite discontent and not at harmony with my heart and its feelings.
Since you left me I could not find a single face to gaze on for the understanding of the all that is unspoken, such an auricle which could feel the suffering out of my enjoyments, such a deep vision which could see the unshown and such a reliable thought which could never betray. Now as I am left with your thoughts only, they have a right over my whole heart-to divide them will be to lessen them, to expose them will be to risk them and where there is risk there may be loss which is unaffordable for me. It is only your thought that fills my heart with trust and confidence. Whenever my way becomes too rough for my feet and too steep for my strength, I could feel you around making my path velvety soft and my soul strengthened and refreshed. But sometimes I could also see your injured spirit waving her head and turning off silent at the times of my utmost miseries and dishonors. In all the painted scenes of my life I will always miss your presence and will ask myself that why I was chosen by nature to mourn for you while I was just gaining maturity. At the end I deeply apologise for sensitizing the most delicate emotions of all the tender hearts of my kind - I will miss you always my Mom.
Grounding the Tourist Mania
Ashraf discusses the on going debate in the valley between preserving natural beauty and creating artificial beauty to look natural
(Mr. Mohammad Ashraf, 66, was born and raised in Srinagar. He attended the S.P. High School and the S.P College before joining the Regional Engineering College at Naseem Bagh in Civil Engineering. However, he changed his career to adventure sports like mountaineering and skiing, completing his training at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling and Gulmarg. He also completed a diploma in French language from the Alliance Française in New Delhi. He joined the J&K Tourism Department in 1973, rose to become its Director-General in 1996, and retired in 2003 after 30 years of service. He has been associated with the Adventure Sports at the national level and was recently re-elected as the Vice-President of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, the apex body of adventure sports in India, for two years. To commend his efforts in introducing rescue measures in Kashmir Mountains, he was awarded “Merite-Alpin” by Swiss in a special function in Les Diablerets in 1993. He continues to be a member of the Governing Council of IMF and is also the President of Jammu & Kashmir Mountaineering & Hiking Club.)
The Great Tulip Failure!
If one keenly ponders, Kashmir is a bundle of tragedies and quite a few of these are the result of sycophancy which seems somehow to be ingrained in our genes. It may be something in the air also which forces people to run way from the stark reality and lose their selves in utopian dreams. We neither have the courage to call a spade a spade nor have the heart to take it, if someone does so. We always choose the path of least resistance and like the typical yes men say the “boss is always right!” A couple of years back the then Chief Minister took fancy to the Tulips growing in the Floriculture seed farm at Siraj-i- Bagh. He ordered conversion of the farm into a Tulip Garden. Unfortunately, probably no one seems to have had the moral courage to explain to him that it would be a better proposition to utilize the funds to give a tremendous boost to cut flower project which had been stagnating for last of couple of decades than developing a show piece garden for recreation lasting just couple of weeks. Present day Kashmir is in need of a visionary ruler who could redeem it as the famous King Zain-ul-Abidin (Budshah) did it few centuries back. For past few years due to our ill luck, we are being ruled by the likes of the Mughal King Jahangir, a lover of romance and entertainment or the famous King Mohammad Shah Tughlaq, the initiator of the most senseless projects such as the striking of leather coins and the shifting of the capital of India from Delhi to Daulatabad.
The problem with Kashmiris is their susceptibility in developing manias of all varieties and types. For past some time we are having the “Tourism Mania”. In the field of environment, every project is being seen in terms of a tourist attraction under the mistaken belief of Tourism being the back bone of Kashmir’s economy. It has been repeatedly pointed out by the top economists that Tourism is not the back bone of Kashmir’s economy. It comes only after Agriculture, Horticulture, and Handicrafts. In real terms it does not constitute more than 10% of the State’s GDP. This is more so in the present uncertain situation. There can be no two opinions that tourism is a peace time activity. People do not seek recreation and leisure in conflict zones.
Even though we have to keep the tourism flag flying in spite of unprecedented challenges to keep Kashmir in circulation as a wonderful tourist destination of the future, yet this cannot be done at the cost of other more reliable and productive economic activities. If Floriculture is to be developed it will not be for tourists only. It is to be developed as a very viable commercial proposition which has immense scope including massive export potential. Cut flower market in the world exceeds $ 5 Billion. If Dal needs to be saved, it is not for tourists but because it is the very throbbing heart of Kashmir. If lush green forests are to be saved from ruthless cutting by timber smugglers, it is not for the pleasure of tourists only but for the very survival of this place as a human habitation. We need to understand that basic tourist attractions of Kashmir are not the gardens, parks, and other man made recreational facilities but the wild and unspoilt beauty of nature. We need to preserve this natural beauty rather than destroy it by artificial make up. The typical example of this destruction of nature is the amusement park on the banks of Lidder in Pahalgam. More than four crores have been spent in last two years in creating what can be termed as the largest Tulip farm in Asia. By all definitions it is not a Garden but an oversized farm. There is absolutely no shade in the entire park. Unfortunately, the shade giving fruit trees of Central Asian origin which existed in the garden have been cut to provide more space for Tulips. This particular flower has a life of hardly a couple of weeks and spending such a huge amount and using the entire available land meant for growing flower seeds of different types just for a fancy Tulip Show is not really worth it.
This year the supposed to be Asia’s largest Tulip garden was a flop show. The Tulips did not bloom properly and also did not last long. In spite of much hype and holding of a Festival, the Garden did not have the impact it was intended to have in attracting tourists in large numbers. Interestingly more tourists went to Pampore to see naturally growing Tulips in the wild. Kashmir, which is known as the “Land of Tulips” (Sarzameen-e-Lala Gul), has three types of Tulips growing on their own in the wild! In case we are interested in beautifying nature, it would be worthwhile to plant Lupines on hill slopes around Srinagar and other tourist resorts. Gulmarg has plenty of these growing in the wild. The other suggestion can be planting of Japanese ornamental (fruitless) cherry trees in various open spaces. Washington’s main attraction in spring is the “Cherry Blossoms”. Japanese in large numbers come to see these as they believe they are the only ones to have the “Cherry Blossoms”!
We had planned to beat Holland in Tulips. However, it is not the Tulip farms which can make us surpass Holland but our entrepreneurship in producing and marketing these and other cut flowers. Kashmir can easily grow and market cut flowers like Gladiolus, Lillium, Gerbera, Alestromeria, Carnations, and Roses of all varieties. We have the added advantage of having the most appropriate season for growing flowers when the rest of the places in our neighbourhood are experiencing scorching heat. The recent opening of an International air route to a potential market area is an added advantage. Holland had once really suffered a Tulip-o-Mania and it was a real craze among all local people to go in for Tulip cultivation. One could see Tulips everywhere. However, it was not for a fancy show or short lived recreational event but for the development of Floriculture as a viable economic alternative. They have made their country a leader in cut flower production and export. Why can’t we do the same thing in Kashmir? The Floriculture employees have done a commendable job. They have put in lot of efforts in creating such a huge Tulip Garden claimed to be Asia’s largest. If motivated and rightly patronised, they can do equally good job in promoting Commercial Floriculture. The fantastic views of lines upon lines of multi-coloured Tulips did excite people all over. This would have been an excellent occasion to make people in general aware about the extensive possibilities of Commercial Floriculture. The project has been in the pipeline for a long time and if given the right directions, and incentives, it could bloom like the horticulture sector. First requirement is the right people in right jobs with total sincerity and dedication. There are two main parts of the project. One concerns the production of cut flowers and the other is marketing of the same. Production can be in the open or in green houses. Kashmir has the advantage of producing cut flowers round the year, both in the open and in green houses. Production on a mass scale requires a comprehensive extension programme. Potential growers need to be identified, trained, and provided germ plasm (flower seeds). Then follows the post-harvest technology for collection, transportation, and marketing of the crops in the pre-identified potential markets. This facility is totally missing in Kashmir at present. Even now there are over 300 growers but they are totally handicapped on account of post-harvest facilities. In fact, recently some outside agencies have contacted these growers and offered seeds and other facilities on buy back arrangements. It is possible to entrust the entire project of collection, transportation, and marketing to a single resourceful private agency on a turnkey basis. If such a thing materialises and takes away the worry of marketing, there will be tremendous rise in production which can generate sizeable employment for the local youth.
The recent opening of a direct air link to Middle East has thrown open a vast market for Kashmir’s Floriculture and other similar products. At the moment these people import such things all the way from Europe. Kashmir can supply the same items of a better quality at cheaper rates and in a shorter period of time. To tap this potential the authorities at the highest level need to directly intervene and ensure implementation of requisite measures. It is hoped that the present rulers who appear to be more rational, realistic, and practical will seize the opportunity to remind us once again of Budshah and not of Jahangir and Tughlaq!
(Mr. Mohammad Ashraf, 66, was born and raised in Srinagar. He attended the S.P. High School and the S.P College before joining the Regional Engineering College at Naseem Bagh in Civil Engineering. However, he changed his career to adventure sports like mountaineering and skiing, completing his training at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling and Gulmarg. He also completed a diploma in French language from the Alliance Française in New Delhi. He joined the J&K Tourism Department in 1973, rose to become its Director-General in 1996, and retired in 2003 after 30 years of service. He has been associated with the Adventure Sports at the national level and was recently re-elected as the Vice-President of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, the apex body of adventure sports in India, for two years. To commend his efforts in introducing rescue measures in Kashmir Mountains, he was awarded “Merite-Alpin” by Swiss in a special function in Les Diablerets in 1993. He continues to be a member of the Governing Council of IMF and is also the President of Jammu & Kashmir Mountaineering & Hiking Club.)
The Great Tulip Failure!
If one keenly ponders, Kashmir is a bundle of tragedies and quite a few of these are the result of sycophancy which seems somehow to be ingrained in our genes. It may be something in the air also which forces people to run way from the stark reality and lose their selves in utopian dreams. We neither have the courage to call a spade a spade nor have the heart to take it, if someone does so. We always choose the path of least resistance and like the typical yes men say the “boss is always right!” A couple of years back the then Chief Minister took fancy to the Tulips growing in the Floriculture seed farm at Siraj-i- Bagh. He ordered conversion of the farm into a Tulip Garden. Unfortunately, probably no one seems to have had the moral courage to explain to him that it would be a better proposition to utilize the funds to give a tremendous boost to cut flower project which had been stagnating for last of couple of decades than developing a show piece garden for recreation lasting just couple of weeks. Present day Kashmir is in need of a visionary ruler who could redeem it as the famous King Zain-ul-Abidin (Budshah) did it few centuries back. For past few years due to our ill luck, we are being ruled by the likes of the Mughal King Jahangir, a lover of romance and entertainment or the famous King Mohammad Shah Tughlaq, the initiator of the most senseless projects such as the striking of leather coins and the shifting of the capital of India from Delhi to Daulatabad.
The problem with Kashmiris is their susceptibility in developing manias of all varieties and types. For past some time we are having the “Tourism Mania”. In the field of environment, every project is being seen in terms of a tourist attraction under the mistaken belief of Tourism being the back bone of Kashmir’s economy. It has been repeatedly pointed out by the top economists that Tourism is not the back bone of Kashmir’s economy. It comes only after Agriculture, Horticulture, and Handicrafts. In real terms it does not constitute more than 10% of the State’s GDP. This is more so in the present uncertain situation. There can be no two opinions that tourism is a peace time activity. People do not seek recreation and leisure in conflict zones.
Even though we have to keep the tourism flag flying in spite of unprecedented challenges to keep Kashmir in circulation as a wonderful tourist destination of the future, yet this cannot be done at the cost of other more reliable and productive economic activities. If Floriculture is to be developed it will not be for tourists only. It is to be developed as a very viable commercial proposition which has immense scope including massive export potential. Cut flower market in the world exceeds $ 5 Billion. If Dal needs to be saved, it is not for tourists but because it is the very throbbing heart of Kashmir. If lush green forests are to be saved from ruthless cutting by timber smugglers, it is not for the pleasure of tourists only but for the very survival of this place as a human habitation. We need to understand that basic tourist attractions of Kashmir are not the gardens, parks, and other man made recreational facilities but the wild and unspoilt beauty of nature. We need to preserve this natural beauty rather than destroy it by artificial make up. The typical example of this destruction of nature is the amusement park on the banks of Lidder in Pahalgam. More than four crores have been spent in last two years in creating what can be termed as the largest Tulip farm in Asia. By all definitions it is not a Garden but an oversized farm. There is absolutely no shade in the entire park. Unfortunately, the shade giving fruit trees of Central Asian origin which existed in the garden have been cut to provide more space for Tulips. This particular flower has a life of hardly a couple of weeks and spending such a huge amount and using the entire available land meant for growing flower seeds of different types just for a fancy Tulip Show is not really worth it.
This year the supposed to be Asia’s largest Tulip garden was a flop show. The Tulips did not bloom properly and also did not last long. In spite of much hype and holding of a Festival, the Garden did not have the impact it was intended to have in attracting tourists in large numbers. Interestingly more tourists went to Pampore to see naturally growing Tulips in the wild. Kashmir, which is known as the “Land of Tulips” (Sarzameen-e-Lala Gul), has three types of Tulips growing on their own in the wild! In case we are interested in beautifying nature, it would be worthwhile to plant Lupines on hill slopes around Srinagar and other tourist resorts. Gulmarg has plenty of these growing in the wild. The other suggestion can be planting of Japanese ornamental (fruitless) cherry trees in various open spaces. Washington’s main attraction in spring is the “Cherry Blossoms”. Japanese in large numbers come to see these as they believe they are the only ones to have the “Cherry Blossoms”!
We had planned to beat Holland in Tulips. However, it is not the Tulip farms which can make us surpass Holland but our entrepreneurship in producing and marketing these and other cut flowers. Kashmir can easily grow and market cut flowers like Gladiolus, Lillium, Gerbera, Alestromeria, Carnations, and Roses of all varieties. We have the added advantage of having the most appropriate season for growing flowers when the rest of the places in our neighbourhood are experiencing scorching heat. The recent opening of an International air route to a potential market area is an added advantage. Holland had once really suffered a Tulip-o-Mania and it was a real craze among all local people to go in for Tulip cultivation. One could see Tulips everywhere. However, it was not for a fancy show or short lived recreational event but for the development of Floriculture as a viable economic alternative. They have made their country a leader in cut flower production and export. Why can’t we do the same thing in Kashmir? The Floriculture employees have done a commendable job. They have put in lot of efforts in creating such a huge Tulip Garden claimed to be Asia’s largest. If motivated and rightly patronised, they can do equally good job in promoting Commercial Floriculture. The fantastic views of lines upon lines of multi-coloured Tulips did excite people all over. This would have been an excellent occasion to make people in general aware about the extensive possibilities of Commercial Floriculture. The project has been in the pipeline for a long time and if given the right directions, and incentives, it could bloom like the horticulture sector. First requirement is the right people in right jobs with total sincerity and dedication. There are two main parts of the project. One concerns the production of cut flowers and the other is marketing of the same. Production can be in the open or in green houses. Kashmir has the advantage of producing cut flowers round the year, both in the open and in green houses. Production on a mass scale requires a comprehensive extension programme. Potential growers need to be identified, trained, and provided germ plasm (flower seeds). Then follows the post-harvest technology for collection, transportation, and marketing of the crops in the pre-identified potential markets. This facility is totally missing in Kashmir at present. Even now there are over 300 growers but they are totally handicapped on account of post-harvest facilities. In fact, recently some outside agencies have contacted these growers and offered seeds and other facilities on buy back arrangements. It is possible to entrust the entire project of collection, transportation, and marketing to a single resourceful private agency on a turnkey basis. If such a thing materialises and takes away the worry of marketing, there will be tremendous rise in production which can generate sizeable employment for the local youth.
The recent opening of a direct air link to Middle East has thrown open a vast market for Kashmir’s Floriculture and other similar products. At the moment these people import such things all the way from Europe. Kashmir can supply the same items of a better quality at cheaper rates and in a shorter period of time. To tap this potential the authorities at the highest level need to directly intervene and ensure implementation of requisite measures. It is hoped that the present rulers who appear to be more rational, realistic, and practical will seize the opportunity to remind us once again of Budshah and not of Jahangir and Tughlaq!
Where Materialism Trumps New World Curiosity
Citizens of the state with the highest VAT would rather buy a TV then go on a vacation!
Kashmir outbound tourism also catches the stagnation bug
Srinagar: With inbound tourist flow to Valley almost stagnant, the outbound tourism is also facing the same fate as Kashmiri’s who usually travel for religious purposes has touched its low ebb during the current month.
The Travel Agents Society of Kashmir disclosed that the number of outbound tourists from Kashmir visiting rest of the world is zero.
“Kashmiris travel abroad for Umrah or Hajj and a minuscule number travel to visit Ajmer in groups during winters but outbound tourists during this month has fallen to zero,” said Abdul Khaliq Wangnoo, president of the Travel Agents Society of Kashmir.
Wangnoo said that Kashmiris are very poor when it comes to spending on travel contrary to rest of the world where people spend good part of their income on travel and leisure.
Here, people are more concerned about spending their wealth on building houses and marriages, he adds.
He said that the main aim of traveling or visiting a place for pleasure is ensuing relaxation and creating a healthy mind and body. However this is not offered in religious tourism people usually opt for in Kashmir.
“Today active tourism combines several different aspects including adventure, eco-tourism and other cultural aspects,” said Wangnoo adding that we are not exposed to this kind of tourism.
According to Wangnoo in 1988-89 the then Managing Director of the JKTDC, Mohammad Yousuf Khan, backed by some travel agents wrapped up plans for outbound tourists to South Asian Countries and Europe but his efforts failed.
He said that people in developed world prepare their budgets and select destination ahead of time. “They know the real meaning of travel and we should also lean from them,”said Wangnoo adding that we cannot explore different destinations even though there are some which can fit people’s budget.
The tour operators say that tourism industry is fragile and nay sort of bad news immediately affects the whole industry.
About the present scenario the tour operators say that it is still dismal, however they are trying their best to woo tourists to visit the Valley.
Even though information about hotel, houseboat availability and rates is easily available over internet, still the response is low said a travel agent, Jiya Baba.
The threat of Swine flu and air fare hike is also telling on the flow of tourists, he adds.
Contrary to Valley tourism, the Indian tourism industry seems to be on recovery path. According to government data the sector saw a 7.6 percent positive growth in April this year compared to the same period previous year. The growth has been positive after three consecutive months of negative growth, the data reveals.
This month saw a significant improvement in foreign tourist coming to India, though it registered a negative growth in foreign tourist arrivals during May 2008. India registered only 3 percent decline in foreign visitors in April 2009 compared to a sharp decline of 18 percent in January 2009.
(Rising Kashmir)
Kashmir outbound tourism also catches the stagnation bug
Srinagar: With inbound tourist flow to Valley almost stagnant, the outbound tourism is also facing the same fate as Kashmiri’s who usually travel for religious purposes has touched its low ebb during the current month.
The Travel Agents Society of Kashmir disclosed that the number of outbound tourists from Kashmir visiting rest of the world is zero.
“Kashmiris travel abroad for Umrah or Hajj and a minuscule number travel to visit Ajmer in groups during winters but outbound tourists during this month has fallen to zero,” said Abdul Khaliq Wangnoo, president of the Travel Agents Society of Kashmir.
Wangnoo said that Kashmiris are very poor when it comes to spending on travel contrary to rest of the world where people spend good part of their income on travel and leisure.
Here, people are more concerned about spending their wealth on building houses and marriages, he adds.
He said that the main aim of traveling or visiting a place for pleasure is ensuing relaxation and creating a healthy mind and body. However this is not offered in religious tourism people usually opt for in Kashmir.
“Today active tourism combines several different aspects including adventure, eco-tourism and other cultural aspects,” said Wangnoo adding that we are not exposed to this kind of tourism.
According to Wangnoo in 1988-89 the then Managing Director of the JKTDC, Mohammad Yousuf Khan, backed by some travel agents wrapped up plans for outbound tourists to South Asian Countries and Europe but his efforts failed.
He said that people in developed world prepare their budgets and select destination ahead of time. “They know the real meaning of travel and we should also lean from them,”said Wangnoo adding that we cannot explore different destinations even though there are some which can fit people’s budget.
The tour operators say that tourism industry is fragile and nay sort of bad news immediately affects the whole industry.
About the present scenario the tour operators say that it is still dismal, however they are trying their best to woo tourists to visit the Valley.
Even though information about hotel, houseboat availability and rates is easily available over internet, still the response is low said a travel agent, Jiya Baba.
The threat of Swine flu and air fare hike is also telling on the flow of tourists, he adds.
Contrary to Valley tourism, the Indian tourism industry seems to be on recovery path. According to government data the sector saw a 7.6 percent positive growth in April this year compared to the same period previous year. The growth has been positive after three consecutive months of negative growth, the data reveals.
This month saw a significant improvement in foreign tourist coming to India, though it registered a negative growth in foreign tourist arrivals during May 2008. India registered only 3 percent decline in foreign visitors in April 2009 compared to a sharp decline of 18 percent in January 2009.
(Rising Kashmir)
A Unique Civilizational Experiment
Balraj Puri wonders if diversity is a virtue, how come Ladakh and Jammu lose out in history books?
(Mr. Balraj Puri, 80, was born in Jammu city and attended the Ranbir High School and the Prince of Wales College in Jammu. He is a journalist, human rights activist and a writer who has been an eye witness to the turbulent history of the State. He has written 5 books, including the historical "5000 years of Kashmir" in 1997. He is the Convenor of the J&K State branch of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and the Director of the Institute of Jammu and Kashmir Affairs, based in Jammu.)
5000 Years of Kashmir
Kashmir is a unique civilizationed experiment which can claim, as observed by Sir Aurel Stein, the distinction of being the only region of India (undivided) which possesses an uninterrupted series of written records of its history. The archaeological excavations in Bourzahama, 15 kilometers from Sringar, establish its antiquity to before 3000 BC ( ie over 5000 years). It was contemporaneous to the Mohenjudaro civilization. Moreover, the excavations further provide evidence to the fact that some of the practices and rituals prevalent 5000 years are still prevalent in Kashmir society today. In other words, this is a unique experiment of continuity of a tradition for such a long period.
According to James Ferguson, the Nagas, the earliest inpatients of Kashmir, were an aboriginal race of Turanian stock before the Aryans conquered the North India. Again, Sir George Grierson, the pioneering authority on Indian languages, maintains that Kashmiri to is not of Saskrit origin but of Dardic origin that means Kashmiri does not belong to Indo- Aryan family of languages, spoken from Dhaka (Bangladesh) to Pershawar (Pakistan).
The original Naga tribes resisted absorption in the Vedic civilization by the Aryans. According to legends, some Nagas attended the religious seminars of Nagarjuna at Nalanda and impressed by the way he contradicted the Vedic doctrines, invited him to Kashmir. According to GMD Sufi, on account of his connections with the Nagas, he received the name of Nagarjuna. (Some scholars claim that he was a Kashmiri as Naga in his name suggests ). He was elevated to the status of Bodhistava. It was under his leadership that the fourth council of Buddhism was held at Harvan near Srinagar in Kashmir in 100 AD where Mahayana school of Buddhism was founded. Influenced by Naga-Tantric thought of Kashmir, Buddhism got transformed into its Kashmiri version. Buddhism was, in a way, Kashmirised before it was adopted by Kashmiris.
Shivas supremacy over Vedic gods
With the decline of Buddhism in India and its eventual absorption in the mainstream religious thought, the process started in Kashmir also. But in Kashmir this, was done with reservation. Kashmir adopted shaivism. Shiva is not a Vedic god but of pre-Aryan tribes. Abhinav Gupta, the eminent Kashmiri philosopher, claims the primacy of agamas religious texts of ancient Kashmir dating between first and fifth century AD over the Vedas both in point of time and performance of rituals. The interaction between Vedic and Kashmiri traditions did develop in course of time. But in Kashmirs religious literature the supremacy of Shiva over the Vedic supreme god Indira has often been asserted. Margendre Tantra, for instance, refers to a legend in which Shiva is regarded as the supreme deity from whom Indira brings the sacred knowledge of Tantra to the world, thereby reducing him to a mere communicator of Shivas knowledge. According to VN Darbu, the pre-Vedic people of Kashmir were admitted to Vedic society with distinctive characteristics of their own life at different periods. Eventually indigenous religious beliefs, and Buddhism were synthesized by great Kashmiri philosophers Vasugupta (ninth century AD) and Abinava Gupta (tenth century AD) into Kashmiri version of Shaivism called Trika philosophy. Influence of Buddhism is discernible in many rituals and customs of Kashmiri Hindus even today.
Islam as Consolidator of Traditions
According to GMD Sufi, Monastic theism of Kashmir Shaivism is very near to Islam. He particularly compares it with the tenet of celebrated Muslim mystic Mansur al Hallaj (858 to 922 AD) who proclaimed Anl Haq (I am creative truth). Kashmir thus accepted Islam not as a negation but as a culmination of a proud spiritual heritage. It did not surrender to Islam as a spiritually exhausted personality but greeted it in a friendly embrace. Islam did not come to Kashmir as a faith of conquerors and thereore did not humiliate or hurt its pride. Muslim rule was not an outside import but followed the conversion of a local ruler. Mass conversion of the people of Kashmir to Islam owes to a unique character that emerged from the soil in the person of Alamdar-e-Kashmir, Shaikh Nooruddin Noorani, popularly called Nund Rishi (14th Century), who became the patron-saint of Kashmir. He translated Islam into Kashmirs spiritual and cultural idiom and converted it into a massive emotional upsurage. Farooq Nazki calls him a Muslim Shaivite. According to Dr. B.N. Pandit, his poetry is a mixture of Shaivism and Sufism.
Proclaiming himself to be the spiritual son of Lall Ded, who represented the acme of pre-Islamic spiritual heritage of Kashmir, Nund Rishi carried it ahead as a part of its Rishi order (as Sufism in Kashmir was called). Islamic beliefs and practices enjoyed as much autonomy within wider Islamic tradition as pre-Islamic Kashmir did during Vedic and post-Vedic tradition of India. It neither affected the independence of Kashmir nor, at first, materially change its cultural and political conditions. (Sufi). Many scholars have noted pre-Islamic influences in Kashmiri Islam. Abdullah Yausuf Ali traces practice of relic worship as in Hazratbal shrine where the Prophets (PBUH) hair is preservedto Buddhist influence. Dr. Arthur Nave observes, Kashmiri Muslim has transferred reverence from Hindu stones to Muslim Relics. Similarly Muslim saints are worshipped like Hindu gods and godlings. Islam in sufi form thus came to Kashmir not as a destroyer of the tradition, as is the case in many other lands, but as its preserver, consolidator and perpetuator. The fact that Islam is rooted in Kashmiri tradition and the tradition is permeated with the Islamic spirit has enabled Kashmiris to reconcile cosmopotan affiliations with territorial nationalism. Kashmiri Muslim has remained a Kashmiri as well as a Muslim and rarely suffers from schizophrenic pangs which Islamic links and local patriotism often generate among Muslims elsewhere in India.
Kashmir has been a melting-pot of ideas and races. It received every new creed with discrimination and enriched it with its own contribution, without throwing away its earlier acquisitions. As Sufi observes, the cult of Buddha, the teachings of Vedanta, the mysticism of Islam have one after another found a congenial home in Kashmir. He adds, it has imbibed the best of Buddhism, the best of Hinduism and the best of Islam. Similarly, on account of its cultural homogeneity and geographical compactness, all admixtures of races who emigrated to Kashmir from ancient times merged their identities into one whole. According to the renowned Kashmiri scholar and historian Mohammed Din Fauq, even the people who came from Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan and Turkistan as late as six and seven hundred years ago were so mixed with Kashmiri Muslims in culture, civilization and matrimonial relations that all non-Kashmiri traces are completely absent from their life.
Monumental Achievements
Kashmir was, at one period, the clearing house of several civilizations and the influences of those are found in this natural retreat. It had also made monumental contribution to Indian culture. Its position within India was similar to that of ancient Creece in European civilization. It has been one of the biggest seats of Indian culture and learning which, in the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, dominated the intellectual scene of the country for almost 2000 years. There is no branch of human knowledge to which ancient Kashmir did not make a pioneering and a substantial contribution.
Among political achievements of Kashmir, mention may be made of the conquest of Lalitaditya- Muktapdia (725-753 AD), whom the great Kashmiri historian Kalhana describes as the universal monarch moving round the Earth like the Sun. According to Sufi, he is the most conspicuous figure in Kashmir history. He raised this country to pitch of glory it had never reached before. He, writes Mohibbul Husan, defeated the Arab forces led by Mohammed Bin Qasims successor in Sindh Junaid and overran his territory. He collected a galaxy of scholars from all over India in his Durbar. Kashmiris similarly hail another golden period of their history during the reign of the Muslim king Zain-ul-Abdin popularly called Bud Shah (the great king) from 1420 to 1470. It constituted a climax never attained by any other independent king in Kashmir. He invited artisans, craftsmen, scholars and men of letters from far-off foreign countries as a result of which Kashmir flourished materially and culturally. He laid lasting basis of a truly secular polity. In Rodgers words, he was three hundred years ahead of England. According to Jonaraja beauty dwelt in his person and the goddess of hearing on his lips, fortune rested in his breast, and patience in his mind. Sufi quotes sir Wolsley who says Zain-ul-Abdin possessed a stock of learning and accomplishments from which Akbar was excluded, his views were more enlightened than the emperors and he practiced a tolerance which Akbar only preached. According to the greatest Kashmiri poet of modern age, Mehjur, Akbar learnt from him (Bud Shah) the art of running the affairs of the state. It was emperor Akbar who brought an end to indigenous Kashmiri Muslim rule that had lasted 250 years.
The watershed in Kashmir history is not the beginning of the Muslim rule as is regarded in the rest of the subcontinent but the changeover from Kashmiri rule to a non-Kashmiri rule.
Crisis of Kashmiri Civilization
Kashmirs 5000 years old civilization is facing unprecedented crisis today. Why it has ceased to grow and is stagnating? What are the lessons of the past and how relevant are they in current situation?
It is a universal principle that a tradition survives, if it continues to change. Kashmiri traditions have continued to evolve in order to survive. Continuity and change have a symbiotic relation. The foremost change that Kashmir needs today is to provide for dissent which has been absent so far. The wholesale conversion to Buddhism of the Naga tradition was followed by similar adoption of Shaivism. Conversion of Kashmiris to Islam, too, was almost universal ie about 95% of the population. Though Kashmiri retained the essence of its tradition, it did modify.
Faced with divergent, optionsperhaps for the first timeKashmirs survival depends on allowing respect for dissent. Otherwise, too, right of dissent is essence of democracy. Freedom is possible only in a democratic system. Freedom of ex-pression and respect for opposite view point must be introduced in Kashmiri society.
Another new development is that Kashmir is no longer a homogeneous society with the same race, language and predominant religion cut off from geographical barriers from the outside would.
In fact there is colossal ignorance among leaders and intellectuals of Kashmir about the heroes of Jammu, freedom fighters, movements against feudalism and system of tyranny, Sufis and saints and eminent masters of art culture and music. The Kashmiri leaders, who ruled the state, after the end of monarchy, from Sheikh Abdullah to Omar Abdullah (with the exception of a brief period of GN Azad) have made absolutely no contribution to get a history of Jammu written. The same is true about Ladkah.
Diversity has in modern times been university recognized as a great virtue. In isolated and homogeneous society becomes stagnant and is likely to decay. Jammu and Kashmir state is endowed with maximum diversities. If the aspirations and interest of each diversity is appreciated and reconciled with one another, this state would became a model state for the subcontinent. The current drift breeds tensions and misunderstanding which does not do good to any one of them.
(Mr. Balraj Puri, 80, was born in Jammu city and attended the Ranbir High School and the Prince of Wales College in Jammu. He is a journalist, human rights activist and a writer who has been an eye witness to the turbulent history of the State. He has written 5 books, including the historical "5000 years of Kashmir" in 1997. He is the Convenor of the J&K State branch of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and the Director of the Institute of Jammu and Kashmir Affairs, based in Jammu.)
5000 Years of Kashmir
Kashmir is a unique civilizationed experiment which can claim, as observed by Sir Aurel Stein, the distinction of being the only region of India (undivided) which possesses an uninterrupted series of written records of its history. The archaeological excavations in Bourzahama, 15 kilometers from Sringar, establish its antiquity to before 3000 BC ( ie over 5000 years). It was contemporaneous to the Mohenjudaro civilization. Moreover, the excavations further provide evidence to the fact that some of the practices and rituals prevalent 5000 years are still prevalent in Kashmir society today. In other words, this is a unique experiment of continuity of a tradition for such a long period.
According to James Ferguson, the Nagas, the earliest inpatients of Kashmir, were an aboriginal race of Turanian stock before the Aryans conquered the North India. Again, Sir George Grierson, the pioneering authority on Indian languages, maintains that Kashmiri to is not of Saskrit origin but of Dardic origin that means Kashmiri does not belong to Indo- Aryan family of languages, spoken from Dhaka (Bangladesh) to Pershawar (Pakistan).
The original Naga tribes resisted absorption in the Vedic civilization by the Aryans. According to legends, some Nagas attended the religious seminars of Nagarjuna at Nalanda and impressed by the way he contradicted the Vedic doctrines, invited him to Kashmir. According to GMD Sufi, on account of his connections with the Nagas, he received the name of Nagarjuna. (Some scholars claim that he was a Kashmiri as Naga in his name suggests ). He was elevated to the status of Bodhistava. It was under his leadership that the fourth council of Buddhism was held at Harvan near Srinagar in Kashmir in 100 AD where Mahayana school of Buddhism was founded. Influenced by Naga-Tantric thought of Kashmir, Buddhism got transformed into its Kashmiri version. Buddhism was, in a way, Kashmirised before it was adopted by Kashmiris.
Shivas supremacy over Vedic gods
With the decline of Buddhism in India and its eventual absorption in the mainstream religious thought, the process started in Kashmir also. But in Kashmir this, was done with reservation. Kashmir adopted shaivism. Shiva is not a Vedic god but of pre-Aryan tribes. Abhinav Gupta, the eminent Kashmiri philosopher, claims the primacy of agamas religious texts of ancient Kashmir dating between first and fifth century AD over the Vedas both in point of time and performance of rituals. The interaction between Vedic and Kashmiri traditions did develop in course of time. But in Kashmirs religious literature the supremacy of Shiva over the Vedic supreme god Indira has often been asserted. Margendre Tantra, for instance, refers to a legend in which Shiva is regarded as the supreme deity from whom Indira brings the sacred knowledge of Tantra to the world, thereby reducing him to a mere communicator of Shivas knowledge. According to VN Darbu, the pre-Vedic people of Kashmir were admitted to Vedic society with distinctive characteristics of their own life at different periods. Eventually indigenous religious beliefs, and Buddhism were synthesized by great Kashmiri philosophers Vasugupta (ninth century AD) and Abinava Gupta (tenth century AD) into Kashmiri version of Shaivism called Trika philosophy. Influence of Buddhism is discernible in many rituals and customs of Kashmiri Hindus even today.
Islam as Consolidator of Traditions
According to GMD Sufi, Monastic theism of Kashmir Shaivism is very near to Islam. He particularly compares it with the tenet of celebrated Muslim mystic Mansur al Hallaj (858 to 922 AD) who proclaimed Anl Haq (I am creative truth). Kashmir thus accepted Islam not as a negation but as a culmination of a proud spiritual heritage. It did not surrender to Islam as a spiritually exhausted personality but greeted it in a friendly embrace. Islam did not come to Kashmir as a faith of conquerors and thereore did not humiliate or hurt its pride. Muslim rule was not an outside import but followed the conversion of a local ruler. Mass conversion of the people of Kashmir to Islam owes to a unique character that emerged from the soil in the person of Alamdar-e-Kashmir, Shaikh Nooruddin Noorani, popularly called Nund Rishi (14th Century), who became the patron-saint of Kashmir. He translated Islam into Kashmirs spiritual and cultural idiom and converted it into a massive emotional upsurage. Farooq Nazki calls him a Muslim Shaivite. According to Dr. B.N. Pandit, his poetry is a mixture of Shaivism and Sufism.
Proclaiming himself to be the spiritual son of Lall Ded, who represented the acme of pre-Islamic spiritual heritage of Kashmir, Nund Rishi carried it ahead as a part of its Rishi order (as Sufism in Kashmir was called). Islamic beliefs and practices enjoyed as much autonomy within wider Islamic tradition as pre-Islamic Kashmir did during Vedic and post-Vedic tradition of India. It neither affected the independence of Kashmir nor, at first, materially change its cultural and political conditions. (Sufi). Many scholars have noted pre-Islamic influences in Kashmiri Islam. Abdullah Yausuf Ali traces practice of relic worship as in Hazratbal shrine where the Prophets (PBUH) hair is preservedto Buddhist influence. Dr. Arthur Nave observes, Kashmiri Muslim has transferred reverence from Hindu stones to Muslim Relics. Similarly Muslim saints are worshipped like Hindu gods and godlings. Islam in sufi form thus came to Kashmir not as a destroyer of the tradition, as is the case in many other lands, but as its preserver, consolidator and perpetuator. The fact that Islam is rooted in Kashmiri tradition and the tradition is permeated with the Islamic spirit has enabled Kashmiris to reconcile cosmopotan affiliations with territorial nationalism. Kashmiri Muslim has remained a Kashmiri as well as a Muslim and rarely suffers from schizophrenic pangs which Islamic links and local patriotism often generate among Muslims elsewhere in India.
Kashmir has been a melting-pot of ideas and races. It received every new creed with discrimination and enriched it with its own contribution, without throwing away its earlier acquisitions. As Sufi observes, the cult of Buddha, the teachings of Vedanta, the mysticism of Islam have one after another found a congenial home in Kashmir. He adds, it has imbibed the best of Buddhism, the best of Hinduism and the best of Islam. Similarly, on account of its cultural homogeneity and geographical compactness, all admixtures of races who emigrated to Kashmir from ancient times merged their identities into one whole. According to the renowned Kashmiri scholar and historian Mohammed Din Fauq, even the people who came from Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan and Turkistan as late as six and seven hundred years ago were so mixed with Kashmiri Muslims in culture, civilization and matrimonial relations that all non-Kashmiri traces are completely absent from their life.
Monumental Achievements
Kashmir was, at one period, the clearing house of several civilizations and the influences of those are found in this natural retreat. It had also made monumental contribution to Indian culture. Its position within India was similar to that of ancient Creece in European civilization. It has been one of the biggest seats of Indian culture and learning which, in the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, dominated the intellectual scene of the country for almost 2000 years. There is no branch of human knowledge to which ancient Kashmir did not make a pioneering and a substantial contribution.
Among political achievements of Kashmir, mention may be made of the conquest of Lalitaditya- Muktapdia (725-753 AD), whom the great Kashmiri historian Kalhana describes as the universal monarch moving round the Earth like the Sun. According to Sufi, he is the most conspicuous figure in Kashmir history. He raised this country to pitch of glory it had never reached before. He, writes Mohibbul Husan, defeated the Arab forces led by Mohammed Bin Qasims successor in Sindh Junaid and overran his territory. He collected a galaxy of scholars from all over India in his Durbar. Kashmiris similarly hail another golden period of their history during the reign of the Muslim king Zain-ul-Abdin popularly called Bud Shah (the great king) from 1420 to 1470. It constituted a climax never attained by any other independent king in Kashmir. He invited artisans, craftsmen, scholars and men of letters from far-off foreign countries as a result of which Kashmir flourished materially and culturally. He laid lasting basis of a truly secular polity. In Rodgers words, he was three hundred years ahead of England. According to Jonaraja beauty dwelt in his person and the goddess of hearing on his lips, fortune rested in his breast, and patience in his mind. Sufi quotes sir Wolsley who says Zain-ul-Abdin possessed a stock of learning and accomplishments from which Akbar was excluded, his views were more enlightened than the emperors and he practiced a tolerance which Akbar only preached. According to the greatest Kashmiri poet of modern age, Mehjur, Akbar learnt from him (Bud Shah) the art of running the affairs of the state. It was emperor Akbar who brought an end to indigenous Kashmiri Muslim rule that had lasted 250 years.
The watershed in Kashmir history is not the beginning of the Muslim rule as is regarded in the rest of the subcontinent but the changeover from Kashmiri rule to a non-Kashmiri rule.
Crisis of Kashmiri Civilization
Kashmirs 5000 years old civilization is facing unprecedented crisis today. Why it has ceased to grow and is stagnating? What are the lessons of the past and how relevant are they in current situation?
It is a universal principle that a tradition survives, if it continues to change. Kashmiri traditions have continued to evolve in order to survive. Continuity and change have a symbiotic relation. The foremost change that Kashmir needs today is to provide for dissent which has been absent so far. The wholesale conversion to Buddhism of the Naga tradition was followed by similar adoption of Shaivism. Conversion of Kashmiris to Islam, too, was almost universal ie about 95% of the population. Though Kashmiri retained the essence of its tradition, it did modify.
Faced with divergent, optionsperhaps for the first timeKashmirs survival depends on allowing respect for dissent. Otherwise, too, right of dissent is essence of democracy. Freedom is possible only in a democratic system. Freedom of ex-pression and respect for opposite view point must be introduced in Kashmiri society.
Another new development is that Kashmir is no longer a homogeneous society with the same race, language and predominant religion cut off from geographical barriers from the outside would.
In fact there is colossal ignorance among leaders and intellectuals of Kashmir about the heroes of Jammu, freedom fighters, movements against feudalism and system of tyranny, Sufis and saints and eminent masters of art culture and music. The Kashmiri leaders, who ruled the state, after the end of monarchy, from Sheikh Abdullah to Omar Abdullah (with the exception of a brief period of GN Azad) have made absolutely no contribution to get a history of Jammu written. The same is true about Ladkah.
Diversity has in modern times been university recognized as a great virtue. In isolated and homogeneous society becomes stagnant and is likely to decay. Jammu and Kashmir state is endowed with maximum diversities. If the aspirations and interest of each diversity is appreciated and reconciled with one another, this state would became a model state for the subcontinent. The current drift breeds tensions and misunderstanding which does not do good to any one of them.
The River of Tragedy
Jhelum is the lifeline of Kashmir, save it from choking
Save water bodies
Mohammad Yusuf, University of Kashmir
“Save Water Bodies”, an awareness rally launched jointly by the Tourism Department, Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Kashmir Rafting Operators Association on river Jhelum, from Zero Bridge to Safakadal, is a laudable idea conceived by these organizations. The campaign will certainly aware and educate the masses, particularly the people living on both banks of river Jhelum in the Shahri-Khas of Srinagar city, about protecting water bodies from pollution, degradation and encroachment.
It will also suggest people to desist from throwing polythene, rubbish, dead animals and other human waste in the water bodies which cause health hazards in the entire valley. The Rally would also study the state of water pollution that is threatening the existence of river Jhelum and its world-famous tributaries- the Manasbal and the Wular lakes etc. It is obvious that the studies will reveal that the paradise is indeed in peril. It is not hidden to anyone that water level in Wular and Jhelum has gone so low that one could walk through the waters; the gateways to the lakes are choked with sand, silt, polythene and sewerage. It is an alarming situation now and we all will have to wake up and gear up to protect our heritage, the Veth (Vitasta) for our posterity. Earlier a similar awareness campaign was launched by N.L.C.O at Nagin Lake but that move remained confined to Nagin Lake only. It is unfortunate that the LAWDA has not incorporated Jhelum in its “Development of Waterways” programme, though Jhelum has remained most important waterway of Kashmir for ages. On the other hand measure share of the garbage of Srinagar city goes to Jhelum via different outlets of Dal, Nagin, Manasbal and Sindh nallah; and S.M.C acts as a mute spectator.
The Awareness Rally, in a caravan of multicolored inflatable rafting boats, kayaks and motor boats, will have a good impact on people and attract their attention towards this noble cause. The campaign starting from Zero Bridge and after passing through historical Amirakadal, Habbakadal, Fatehkadal, Zainakadal, Alikadal and Nawakadal bridges will finally terminate at Safakadal. Besides Directorate of Physical Education and Sports, Kashmir University, J&K Police Water Sports Team, a large number of students from different schools and colleges are expected to take part in this awareness campaign. Many other senior citizens are also expected to partake in it. Srinagar Municipal Corporation, members of Srinagar District Winter Games Association and Sports Fraternity Dalgate etcetera are also to participate.
Protecting our water bodies is a social obligation for all of us. Every citizen must come forward and propagate that saving nature is to save our future. At Village, community and school level environmental awareness education is the need of time.
There is no other way but to preserve our water bodies for future generations and handle water resources carefully. Sanitation close to water bodies is yet another dangerous way of polluting water and we will have to avoid it now. The waters of our water bodies have become poisonous and are no more the elixir of life. The decaying animal carcasses in contaminated water will give birth to Cholera like diseases. Srinagar is known as city of Lakes. Because of its lakes and rivers it attracts tourists here. If we kill them no tourist can be expected to come here in future.
Due to receding glaciers and water pollution there is a water crisis everywhere today. But the crisis is not about having too little water to satisfy our needs. It is because of managing water bodies so badly that billions of people and the environment – suffer badly. Globally, about 38% of the population lives in countries where there is severe water stress. Water sources are often far away, dirty, and unsafe for drinking due to microbiological contamination. It is surprising that at various places in Kashmir, where water is in abundance, people are facing increasing problems of water scarcity. Adequate portable water is not available to many.
Increasingly water pollution is creating a problem for people and the environment, not only in urban areas but also in areas where there is intensive agriculture. Dal Lake is probably one of the worst examples in terms of deteriorating water quality. Sewerage from millions of people in Srinagar city and other rural areas are responsible for the sludge flowing down river Jhelum. If this continues in future many may face shortages of water to produce their daily food and to cover their domestic needs. Increasingly water pollution is becoming a concern for all of us.
There is need to make both upstream and downstream populations aware of what result could be if pollution of Jhelum continues, which acts as a principal artery of Kashmir and many places in Pakistan. The major water pollutants are chemical, biological, or physical materials that degrade water quality. In Kashmir the common pollutants are pesticides and herbicides, hazardous wastes, sediments, infectious organism and excess organic matter.
Our water bodies also play an important role in attracting tourists to Kashmir. Srinagar is known as “city of Lakes. Mountain Rivers invite adventurers. We have natural felicities available here for different aquatic sports like wild water rafting, canoe polo, water skiing, kayaking and canoeing, rowing, and distance swimming etcetera and we can hold international level events on our water bodies. So these are equally important for our economic development. Not only sports but Mountain Rivers are also important for power generation and are thus important for our economic development as well. We will also have to take care of our mountains, as these are often referred to as natural “water towers” of the world. These are of paramount importance for food production and drinking water as well as for energy and industrial manufacturing. An adequate water resource for future generation is not only a regional issue but also a global concern. Demand for water has increased six fold globally in the past 100 years and about half of all available freshwater is being used directly for human purpose. So now is the time protect our water arteries, otherwise we will have to repent.
(Rising Kashmir)
Save water bodies
Mohammad Yusuf, University of Kashmir
“Save Water Bodies”, an awareness rally launched jointly by the Tourism Department, Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Kashmir Rafting Operators Association on river Jhelum, from Zero Bridge to Safakadal, is a laudable idea conceived by these organizations. The campaign will certainly aware and educate the masses, particularly the people living on both banks of river Jhelum in the Shahri-Khas of Srinagar city, about protecting water bodies from pollution, degradation and encroachment.
It will also suggest people to desist from throwing polythene, rubbish, dead animals and other human waste in the water bodies which cause health hazards in the entire valley. The Rally would also study the state of water pollution that is threatening the existence of river Jhelum and its world-famous tributaries- the Manasbal and the Wular lakes etc. It is obvious that the studies will reveal that the paradise is indeed in peril. It is not hidden to anyone that water level in Wular and Jhelum has gone so low that one could walk through the waters; the gateways to the lakes are choked with sand, silt, polythene and sewerage. It is an alarming situation now and we all will have to wake up and gear up to protect our heritage, the Veth (Vitasta) for our posterity. Earlier a similar awareness campaign was launched by N.L.C.O at Nagin Lake but that move remained confined to Nagin Lake only. It is unfortunate that the LAWDA has not incorporated Jhelum in its “Development of Waterways” programme, though Jhelum has remained most important waterway of Kashmir for ages. On the other hand measure share of the garbage of Srinagar city goes to Jhelum via different outlets of Dal, Nagin, Manasbal and Sindh nallah; and S.M.C acts as a mute spectator.
The Awareness Rally, in a caravan of multicolored inflatable rafting boats, kayaks and motor boats, will have a good impact on people and attract their attention towards this noble cause. The campaign starting from Zero Bridge and after passing through historical Amirakadal, Habbakadal, Fatehkadal, Zainakadal, Alikadal and Nawakadal bridges will finally terminate at Safakadal. Besides Directorate of Physical Education and Sports, Kashmir University, J&K Police Water Sports Team, a large number of students from different schools and colleges are expected to take part in this awareness campaign. Many other senior citizens are also expected to partake in it. Srinagar Municipal Corporation, members of Srinagar District Winter Games Association and Sports Fraternity Dalgate etcetera are also to participate.
Protecting our water bodies is a social obligation for all of us. Every citizen must come forward and propagate that saving nature is to save our future. At Village, community and school level environmental awareness education is the need of time.
There is no other way but to preserve our water bodies for future generations and handle water resources carefully. Sanitation close to water bodies is yet another dangerous way of polluting water and we will have to avoid it now. The waters of our water bodies have become poisonous and are no more the elixir of life. The decaying animal carcasses in contaminated water will give birth to Cholera like diseases. Srinagar is known as city of Lakes. Because of its lakes and rivers it attracts tourists here. If we kill them no tourist can be expected to come here in future.
Due to receding glaciers and water pollution there is a water crisis everywhere today. But the crisis is not about having too little water to satisfy our needs. It is because of managing water bodies so badly that billions of people and the environment – suffer badly. Globally, about 38% of the population lives in countries where there is severe water stress. Water sources are often far away, dirty, and unsafe for drinking due to microbiological contamination. It is surprising that at various places in Kashmir, where water is in abundance, people are facing increasing problems of water scarcity. Adequate portable water is not available to many.
Increasingly water pollution is creating a problem for people and the environment, not only in urban areas but also in areas where there is intensive agriculture. Dal Lake is probably one of the worst examples in terms of deteriorating water quality. Sewerage from millions of people in Srinagar city and other rural areas are responsible for the sludge flowing down river Jhelum. If this continues in future many may face shortages of water to produce their daily food and to cover their domestic needs. Increasingly water pollution is becoming a concern for all of us.
There is need to make both upstream and downstream populations aware of what result could be if pollution of Jhelum continues, which acts as a principal artery of Kashmir and many places in Pakistan. The major water pollutants are chemical, biological, or physical materials that degrade water quality. In Kashmir the common pollutants are pesticides and herbicides, hazardous wastes, sediments, infectious organism and excess organic matter.
Our water bodies also play an important role in attracting tourists to Kashmir. Srinagar is known as “city of Lakes. Mountain Rivers invite adventurers. We have natural felicities available here for different aquatic sports like wild water rafting, canoe polo, water skiing, kayaking and canoeing, rowing, and distance swimming etcetera and we can hold international level events on our water bodies. So these are equally important for our economic development. Not only sports but Mountain Rivers are also important for power generation and are thus important for our economic development as well. We will also have to take care of our mountains, as these are often referred to as natural “water towers” of the world. These are of paramount importance for food production and drinking water as well as for energy and industrial manufacturing. An adequate water resource for future generation is not only a regional issue but also a global concern. Demand for water has increased six fold globally in the past 100 years and about half of all available freshwater is being used directly for human purpose. So now is the time protect our water arteries, otherwise we will have to repent.
(Rising Kashmir)
Promoting Quality Education in J&K
Iftikar says that teachers should be held responsible for the poor performance of government schools
Take them to task
Iftikar Rashid Wani
While going through various recently published newspaper articles about the performance of government schools, it seems that a rosy picture is being drawn. All those who do so forget the recent 10th and 12th class results where many government schools performed miserably low. Do our teachers recognise this failure?
It is beyond any doubt that a teacher is the soul of any education system. He is the role model for his students. He leads them from darkness to the light. He is the architect of nation’s destiny; but on ground we don’t find it so. Teachers have lowered their status by their actions, deeds and poor work culture. They have least concern for their students, indeed the recent trend has been that of exploiting the students on one pretext or other. Today’s teachers lack dedication, motivation and commitment towards their job. What happened to Midday Meals is known to all. The fact is that where and when they get chance to lay hands at a benefit they do so. In such circumstances how can one expect that they can affect the morality of their students? In Islam, or for that matter in any human civilisation, one is judged by his actions, when our actions speak otherwise how can we shape the lives of our students. It seems that the education department is just to adjust unemployed youth, whether they deserve it or not. Appointments in this department are impacted by various influences. The recent selection list of teachers at district level speaks also raised many questions in the minds of common people. The favouritism and nepotism marred the merit of the other applicants. Can we simply ignore all this mess and move ahead; off course not.
Teachers are the role models for any society and therefore remain under sharp scanner of the society. There is no comparison between teachers and those working in other departments. We all know it is the education which decides the fate of nation. Education system is the heart of any well meaning association of humans at a larger scale. Any fault in it can impede the functioning of entire system. If a flaw is found in it, it must be rectified immediately. If the performance of any particular school is not good its teaching staff should be held responsible for it. Presently teachers are getting a handsome salary; shouldn’t these teachers realize the importance of hard work. Remember in other countries it is only teaching job which one hardly gets because there are so many tests and other procedure to check the mental abilities of the applicants. They treat the job as their baby and nourish it with their blood and sweat. But here education department is served by those who find no other department to work in. What can one expect from such teachers?
There is Rehbari Taleem scheme where a person with PhD is found competing with a matriculate. Isn’t it ironical? Who is responsible for this mess? I do accept that we have a many teachers who work very hard to achieve the goals; the goal to educate the youth. But it is shameful that majority of teachers are not attending their jobs the way they should. Take the example of teacher training. Here only those teachers are deputed who fail to grease the palm of clerks because others remain busy in imparting private coaching during the training period. This way the very purpose of training is defeated because those who are really capable of benefitting from that do not attend the training. On the other hand there are teachers who have passed NET, SLET but are teaching at primary school level. How can they benefit the society when they are wrongly placed?
The lack of interest from parents aggravates the problem. The performance of the students is also a factor contributing to the motivation of teachers. In the absence of parental supervision students perform poorly and consequently it affects the motivation of teachers; thus spoiling the whole scheme of things. Nowadays the concept of tri-polar process, in which teachers, students and parents are the stake holders, is quite popular. Even if a teacher works very hard on his students the low level of participation from parents leads to poor results.
Another facet of the problem is the atmosphere of our schools. Generally we wait for government to improve it by pumping in more money. But teachers at their level can manage things to a good extent. Why should they wait for external funds for managing a small library and a laboratory? There are certain provisions under which they can purchase many things to inculcate scientific temperament among those poor and helpless students. It is high time teachers make sincere efforts to evolve a new model fully realising their responsibilities, and work for the good of this nation.
(Rising Kashmir)
Take them to task
Iftikar Rashid Wani
While going through various recently published newspaper articles about the performance of government schools, it seems that a rosy picture is being drawn. All those who do so forget the recent 10th and 12th class results where many government schools performed miserably low. Do our teachers recognise this failure?
It is beyond any doubt that a teacher is the soul of any education system. He is the role model for his students. He leads them from darkness to the light. He is the architect of nation’s destiny; but on ground we don’t find it so. Teachers have lowered their status by their actions, deeds and poor work culture. They have least concern for their students, indeed the recent trend has been that of exploiting the students on one pretext or other. Today’s teachers lack dedication, motivation and commitment towards their job. What happened to Midday Meals is known to all. The fact is that where and when they get chance to lay hands at a benefit they do so. In such circumstances how can one expect that they can affect the morality of their students? In Islam, or for that matter in any human civilisation, one is judged by his actions, when our actions speak otherwise how can we shape the lives of our students. It seems that the education department is just to adjust unemployed youth, whether they deserve it or not. Appointments in this department are impacted by various influences. The recent selection list of teachers at district level speaks also raised many questions in the minds of common people. The favouritism and nepotism marred the merit of the other applicants. Can we simply ignore all this mess and move ahead; off course not.
Teachers are the role models for any society and therefore remain under sharp scanner of the society. There is no comparison between teachers and those working in other departments. We all know it is the education which decides the fate of nation. Education system is the heart of any well meaning association of humans at a larger scale. Any fault in it can impede the functioning of entire system. If a flaw is found in it, it must be rectified immediately. If the performance of any particular school is not good its teaching staff should be held responsible for it. Presently teachers are getting a handsome salary; shouldn’t these teachers realize the importance of hard work. Remember in other countries it is only teaching job which one hardly gets because there are so many tests and other procedure to check the mental abilities of the applicants. They treat the job as their baby and nourish it with their blood and sweat. But here education department is served by those who find no other department to work in. What can one expect from such teachers?
There is Rehbari Taleem scheme where a person with PhD is found competing with a matriculate. Isn’t it ironical? Who is responsible for this mess? I do accept that we have a many teachers who work very hard to achieve the goals; the goal to educate the youth. But it is shameful that majority of teachers are not attending their jobs the way they should. Take the example of teacher training. Here only those teachers are deputed who fail to grease the palm of clerks because others remain busy in imparting private coaching during the training period. This way the very purpose of training is defeated because those who are really capable of benefitting from that do not attend the training. On the other hand there are teachers who have passed NET, SLET but are teaching at primary school level. How can they benefit the society when they are wrongly placed?
The lack of interest from parents aggravates the problem. The performance of the students is also a factor contributing to the motivation of teachers. In the absence of parental supervision students perform poorly and consequently it affects the motivation of teachers; thus spoiling the whole scheme of things. Nowadays the concept of tri-polar process, in which teachers, students and parents are the stake holders, is quite popular. Even if a teacher works very hard on his students the low level of participation from parents leads to poor results.
Another facet of the problem is the atmosphere of our schools. Generally we wait for government to improve it by pumping in more money. But teachers at their level can manage things to a good extent. Why should they wait for external funds for managing a small library and a laboratory? There are certain provisions under which they can purchase many things to inculcate scientific temperament among those poor and helpless students. It is high time teachers make sincere efforts to evolve a new model fully realising their responsibilities, and work for the good of this nation.
(Rising Kashmir)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Silence of the Lambs
Afshana laments on eerie silence in a culture that traditionally feasts on loud demonstrations
(Ms. Syeda Afshana, 35, was born in Srinagar. She attended the Vishwa Bharti High School in Rainawari, Srinagar, and the Government Women's College in Srinagar where she received a B.Sc. degree. She completed her Master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from the Kashmir University in 1999 and was the Gold Medallist (first position holder) in her graduating class. She is currently a Lecturer in the Media Education Research Centre (MERC) of the Kashmir University and pursuing her doctorate on the role of internet after 9/11.)
Shame on us!
Today another woman died….
The target was a life
that had lived its
own dear wildness,
had been loved and not loved,
had danced and not danced….
A life like yours or mine,
that had stumbled up
from a beginning and
had learned to walk,
sing and sigh….
She was the same girl
her mother used to kiss;
the same child you dreamed
besides in school.
The same baby whom
her parents cajoled
in the night and
listened for her cries
even while they slept.
But today, someone has played
his arrogance
with this woman’s only life….
Romana, a teenage girl, was put to death by a delinquent youth who went completely gaga with a hidden beast in him and crushed down Romana lethally. This time the accused are behind the bars, but the reports insinuate that the scuffle for getting bail is already in.
The violence against women in Kashmir is now reaching to a disgusting point, something which was quite unthinkable some years a ago. The debilitating experience of physical, psychological, and/or sexual abuse is getting rampant. The crime record is displaying an alarming rise.
Every female in Kashmir has no immunity against this dastard violence. The victims have been illiterate village girls to educated urban daughters who are strangulated to death. From the mysterious murder in posh Hyderpora last year to the recent downtown killing of Farzana, there is a chilling shame for all of us.
There is nothing private about our shamelessness. Though many of us, as a part of dead civil society are witness to lot of such happenings around, we are too cowardly to react and register our annoyance. For bogus cultural reasons, we tend to accept the idea that it’s socially odd for to raise our voice against crime towards women. For many of men here, woman is still no more than a piece of property. Absurd!
In the upper and middle classes, where privacy of both emotions and acts is maintained, family members quite conveniently feign ignorance of the violence their womenfolk face within and without. The usual reaction is that it’s a “personal” problem. Consequently, when it becomes a daily problem, it’s ignored.
Equally astonishing is the attitude of the families of the victims who express meek helplessness. Though their reticence does not justify the violence, they nonetheless silently endure it for other reasons. Fear of social stigma being the one. It seals their expression.
The efforts of Police in busting such incidents are commendable, but there is much more to do beyond just cracking the murders in a Hitchcock style. The follow-up of cases in a just manner, without succumbing to any influence, is an immediate requirement. Money, high contacts and hush up mentality should not lure them. Moral policing, of course, cannot be their domain, especially when the State is in a conflict mode.
The government in Kashmir is not noticeable anywhere. Its anarchy all around! Our rulers and ministers are invisible maharajas, least concerned about their praja. Stunningly, when even morally tainted ones are also our masters, it would be naïve to anticipate any meaningful intervention from them.
The role of Imams in creating deep sensitization about moral values and respect for dignity of women is dismal. By the same token, the proper guidance and counseling of women is also missing. There is no alarm around to venture on moral crusade even as more killings result from moral waywardness and social aberrations. The warranted moral panic is absent. The strange nonchalance is turning criminal. The pulpits are mute about the whole scenario.
The religious institutions and leaders of our society are meshed up in the network of amassing power and money to expand and propagate their organizational/individual versions of religion. The mushroom growth of palatial mosques, darsgahs and darul-alooms has been their priority. It hasn’t stopped there, they are ‘dedicated’ to construct global universities and mega institutions, least bothered about the moral rot set in the society. The dabbling in politics is far imperative to them than dabbling in moral affairs of this misguided society. Shocking!
In fact, politics has overshadowed everything in Kashmir. Obsession with politics is becoming our manna. We are putting everything at altar, even our morality for recompense in politics. We don’t seem to be concerned with the rape of our womenfolk; we are concerned with rape being used as a war weapon. We don’t shy away to reap political mileage out of crime against our women: human rights violations are a pliable way out. Our men—whether leaders, politicians, officials, teachers, husbands, fathers or brothers—have failed miserably to salvage women from any kind of menace. Even as Azaadi is so critical to this diseased society, the women of this nation are increasingly getting fettered by aggression from all quarters and sources.
We are yet to recognize that woman is a God’s gift: A fragile soul with strong resilience to wade through thin and thick, and make mankind forget the wretchedness of survival by lending a hand to saunter through the dark alleyways of life smilingly.
Doesn’t such a hand need to be cared, protected and not annihilated with impudence?! Let woman of this nation be not another woman who died yesterday at the hands of any man; let she be the hope that survives for all our tomorrows, even amidst worst moral catastrophe.
(Ms. Syeda Afshana, 35, was born in Srinagar. She attended the Vishwa Bharti High School in Rainawari, Srinagar, and the Government Women's College in Srinagar where she received a B.Sc. degree. She completed her Master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from the Kashmir University in 1999 and was the Gold Medallist (first position holder) in her graduating class. She is currently a Lecturer in the Media Education Research Centre (MERC) of the Kashmir University and pursuing her doctorate on the role of internet after 9/11.)
Shame on us!
Today another woman died….
The target was a life
that had lived its
own dear wildness,
had been loved and not loved,
had danced and not danced….
A life like yours or mine,
that had stumbled up
from a beginning and
had learned to walk,
sing and sigh….
She was the same girl
her mother used to kiss;
the same child you dreamed
besides in school.
The same baby whom
her parents cajoled
in the night and
listened for her cries
even while they slept.
But today, someone has played
his arrogance
with this woman’s only life….
Romana, a teenage girl, was put to death by a delinquent youth who went completely gaga with a hidden beast in him and crushed down Romana lethally. This time the accused are behind the bars, but the reports insinuate that the scuffle for getting bail is already in.
The violence against women in Kashmir is now reaching to a disgusting point, something which was quite unthinkable some years a ago. The debilitating experience of physical, psychological, and/or sexual abuse is getting rampant. The crime record is displaying an alarming rise.
Every female in Kashmir has no immunity against this dastard violence. The victims have been illiterate village girls to educated urban daughters who are strangulated to death. From the mysterious murder in posh Hyderpora last year to the recent downtown killing of Farzana, there is a chilling shame for all of us.
There is nothing private about our shamelessness. Though many of us, as a part of dead civil society are witness to lot of such happenings around, we are too cowardly to react and register our annoyance. For bogus cultural reasons, we tend to accept the idea that it’s socially odd for to raise our voice against crime towards women. For many of men here, woman is still no more than a piece of property. Absurd!
In the upper and middle classes, where privacy of both emotions and acts is maintained, family members quite conveniently feign ignorance of the violence their womenfolk face within and without. The usual reaction is that it’s a “personal” problem. Consequently, when it becomes a daily problem, it’s ignored.
Equally astonishing is the attitude of the families of the victims who express meek helplessness. Though their reticence does not justify the violence, they nonetheless silently endure it for other reasons. Fear of social stigma being the one. It seals their expression.
The efforts of Police in busting such incidents are commendable, but there is much more to do beyond just cracking the murders in a Hitchcock style. The follow-up of cases in a just manner, without succumbing to any influence, is an immediate requirement. Money, high contacts and hush up mentality should not lure them. Moral policing, of course, cannot be their domain, especially when the State is in a conflict mode.
The government in Kashmir is not noticeable anywhere. Its anarchy all around! Our rulers and ministers are invisible maharajas, least concerned about their praja. Stunningly, when even morally tainted ones are also our masters, it would be naïve to anticipate any meaningful intervention from them.
The role of Imams in creating deep sensitization about moral values and respect for dignity of women is dismal. By the same token, the proper guidance and counseling of women is also missing. There is no alarm around to venture on moral crusade even as more killings result from moral waywardness and social aberrations. The warranted moral panic is absent. The strange nonchalance is turning criminal. The pulpits are mute about the whole scenario.
The religious institutions and leaders of our society are meshed up in the network of amassing power and money to expand and propagate their organizational/individual versions of religion. The mushroom growth of palatial mosques, darsgahs and darul-alooms has been their priority. It hasn’t stopped there, they are ‘dedicated’ to construct global universities and mega institutions, least bothered about the moral rot set in the society. The dabbling in politics is far imperative to them than dabbling in moral affairs of this misguided society. Shocking!
In fact, politics has overshadowed everything in Kashmir. Obsession with politics is becoming our manna. We are putting everything at altar, even our morality for recompense in politics. We don’t seem to be concerned with the rape of our womenfolk; we are concerned with rape being used as a war weapon. We don’t shy away to reap political mileage out of crime against our women: human rights violations are a pliable way out. Our men—whether leaders, politicians, officials, teachers, husbands, fathers or brothers—have failed miserably to salvage women from any kind of menace. Even as Azaadi is so critical to this diseased society, the women of this nation are increasingly getting fettered by aggression from all quarters and sources.
We are yet to recognize that woman is a God’s gift: A fragile soul with strong resilience to wade through thin and thick, and make mankind forget the wretchedness of survival by lending a hand to saunter through the dark alleyways of life smilingly.
Doesn’t such a hand need to be cared, protected and not annihilated with impudence?! Let woman of this nation be not another woman who died yesterday at the hands of any man; let she be the hope that survives for all our tomorrows, even amidst worst moral catastrophe.
Kashmiri Women Take to Streets
Human Effort for Love and Peace (HELP) Foundation and the Women Against Violence (WAV) take the initiative - Four Reports
Crime against women on rise
Srinagar: Expressing concern over the rise in the crime rate, many women on Monday staged a protest demonstration at Srinagar’s Pratap Park and demanded introduction of moral education in colleges and schools across the Valley.
Scores of people mainly women on Monday staged a peaceful demonstration organized by HELP Foundation to protest the rise in crime against women.
Carrying placards and banners that read “Murder of morality is unacceptable”, “Let’s relive Islam, and its teachings”, and “Let’s strive to make Kashmir safe for women”, the protesters were seeking action against those involved in the murder of two city women - Romana and Farzana.
President, HELP Foundation, Nighat Shafi said that the society in general and the parents in particular have a greater role to play in order to create a crime-free society. She said the introduction of moral education can also play an important role in ensuring crime-free environment in the Valley.
“Parents should keep watch on the activities of their wards. They should inculcate moral values among the children so that we have disciplined and civilized society,” Nighat Shafi said.
“The murder of Romana and Farzana should serve as eye-opener for the society. The need of the hour is to impart moral education to the people so that such incidents don’t take place in future,” she added. (Kashmir Images)
Women Demand Punishment to Romana’s Killers
Srinagar: Demanding immediate trial and punishment to the culprits involved in the murder case of Romana Javaid, students and women from different walks of life staged a sit-in here on Monday against the growing crimes against women.
“If justice is not done fast then such incidents would continue to happen in future. The solution is with the government and we are seeking it,” Nighat Shafi Pandit, chairperson of HELP foundation said.
Pledging to continue the protests for justice to the victim’s family, Pandit said: “She is a martyr and a role model for other girls. She preferred to sacrifice her life rather than succumbing before the culprits. As a woman I am proud of Romana and we all have pledged to continue this campaign until justice is delivered.”
The sit-in was attended by teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers and students.
“Our society has turned insensitive towards these issues. It is an irony that women who hold a say in our society are more interested in attending some formal gathering today rather than raising their voice against the crimes against women,” said Syeda Afshana who teaches at Kashmir University’s Mass Communication and Journalism Department.
“There is male hegemony in Kashmir and such incidents are its repercussions. We are striving to invoke the consciousness of the society to safeguard the rights of women,” said Hameeda Nayeem, who teaches at Kashmir University’s English Department.
Expressing her resentment over the society’s role for not appreciating the position of working women, she said, “Men feel jealous when they see women working and they try to maintain their hegemony by shrugging off most of their responsibilities.
After working for a whole day it is obligatory for woman to serve food, clean house, receive children from school and buy things from the market.”
Asking people to step forward and help Romana’s family seek justice, noted singer Gurmeet Kaur said: “We have become selfish. Seeing all this happening around if we still prefer to remain silent, I must say we are animals then. I have decided not to step back until both the culprits are punished.”
Seventeen-year-old Romana was crushed to death by two car borne eve-teasers on May 03 in Barzulla locality where she had gone for tuitions. Later police arrested Shoaib Daryeel, son of Muhammad Ashraf Daryeel of Nowhatta and Ubaid Ahmed Khan, son of Zahoor Ali Khan of Bulbul Bagh Barzulla and also seized the Alto-car used in the crime. (Rising Kashmir)
Activists rake up issue of increasing crime against women in Valley
Srinagar: Concerned over the increasing crime against women in Valley, people from different walks of life today sent a strong message to civil society and the government to act firmly and put to an end this growing negative trend in the society. Hailing from different corners of the city, they converged at Pratap Park here to lodge their protest by staging a dharna and holding demonstration.
The protestors demanded setting up of a special cell, headed by a judge, to deal with such cases speedily.
The demonstrators included academicians, social activists and students from various educational institutions. Holding placards and banners in their hands, they raised slogans against the crime against women.
The protest, attended by large number of women, was organised by Women Against Violence (WAV), a group headed by Nighat Pandit, a social activist. "We held the protest to register our concern and condemnation against rising crime against women," Nighat said.
The demonstrators not only appealed for an end to crime against women but also demanded speedy investigations into the cases, related to crime against women, to punish those involved into such inhuman acts.
A number of cases including that of Romana, Farzana and Tabinda Gani were highlighted during the protest. Romana of Gulposh Colony-Bag-e-Mehtab here was teased by two boys, who later hit her with a car killing her on the spot on May 3. Police arrested the accused and seized their vehicle. The protestors demanded speedy police and judicial procedures into the case to punish the guilty. The body of Farzana, a house wife of Zainakadal, was recovered from river Jehlum at Sumbal on April 14. Her family members allege that she was murdered by her husband and other members at her in laws' house and then her body was thrown into river. But police claims that she had committed suicide and that they have arrested her husband for creating circumstances through harassment and torture which led to her suicide. The demonstrators demanded fair investigation into the case.
Tabinda Gani, an 8th standard student was gang raped and then killed at Langate-Kupwara on July 20, 2007. Police claimed to have arrested the accused and presented a charge sheet against them in the court, which is yet to give its verdict in the case.
The protestors at Pratap Park demanded that cases related to crime against women should be investigated speedily and their proceeding carried in the courts fast to punish the guilty. The affected families should not wait for justice endlessly, they viewed.
"The civil society must come forward and help in stopping the crime against women. Civil society can not act as a silent spectator to the sufferings of women. It has to act firmly and so has to the concerned government wings, dealing with such issues," said Naila, a college student.
Qurat-ul-Ain, academician and social activist, said the government agencies dealing with such cases show lack of interest during investigations. "Subsequently, the guilty get bail from the courts and remain unpunished. There is a general demand that the persons involved in Romana's murder should not get bail. The police must effectively investigate the case," she said.
Nighat Pandit said creation of a special cell, headed by a judge, to deal with such cases is the need of the hour. "Creation of cell is important for speedy justice. Women should not be made to suffer for the want of justice. The affected women and their families do not get help from any quarter," she said.ÿ
According to her, if the crime against women is not checked at this stage, a day will come when one can not find women on streets out of fear. "I appeal the religious leaders and other concerned people to stress upon religious and moral education. Even the parents have an important role to play in this regard," added Nighat ÿ
Farhina, a protestor, alleged that the government shows a cold shoulder towards the suffering of women and crime against them. Referring to Tabinda, Farzana and Romana cases, she alleged that the cases were not properly followed. "Nothing substantial has been done so far in any case. The cases get lost in the pages of history. No one is bothered,"ÿFarhina said.
Some demonstrators alleged that the ongoing conflict is being used by the government agencies as an excuse to shield their lack of interest towards the cases related to crime against women. "In the name of conflict, government neglects crime. Living in a conflict zone is not an excuse for letting other crimes happen. We have suffered enough and cannot afford all this too," Isma said. She added that the government authorities have to be reminded of their duties every time by people by holding protests.
"We have to knock at their doors to make them aware of their duties regarding human rights and other important issues," Isma added. (Kashmir Times)
GHSS Kothi Bagh holds condolence meet
A condolence meet was held at Government Girls Higher Secondary School Kothi Bagh on Monday for Romana Javaid, who was reading in class 12 student of the school.
The condolence meet was attended by Chief Education Officer Srinagar, principal of GHSS Kothi Bagh, staff and students of the school.
The speakers urged the government to take stern and immediate action against the murderers of Romana. They threatened that no leniency with the culprits will be tolerated. The students while praising the character of Romana raised slogans in her favour.
A resolution was also passed on the occasion and it was decided that a special memory stone will be installed in the school. The participants in the meet also demanded compensation for the parents of the deceased. (Rising Kashmir)
Crime against women on rise
Srinagar: Expressing concern over the rise in the crime rate, many women on Monday staged a protest demonstration at Srinagar’s Pratap Park and demanded introduction of moral education in colleges and schools across the Valley.
Scores of people mainly women on Monday staged a peaceful demonstration organized by HELP Foundation to protest the rise in crime against women.
Carrying placards and banners that read “Murder of morality is unacceptable”, “Let’s relive Islam, and its teachings”, and “Let’s strive to make Kashmir safe for women”, the protesters were seeking action against those involved in the murder of two city women - Romana and Farzana.
President, HELP Foundation, Nighat Shafi said that the society in general and the parents in particular have a greater role to play in order to create a crime-free society. She said the introduction of moral education can also play an important role in ensuring crime-free environment in the Valley.
“Parents should keep watch on the activities of their wards. They should inculcate moral values among the children so that we have disciplined and civilized society,” Nighat Shafi said.
“The murder of Romana and Farzana should serve as eye-opener for the society. The need of the hour is to impart moral education to the people so that such incidents don’t take place in future,” she added. (Kashmir Images)
Women Demand Punishment to Romana’s Killers
Srinagar: Demanding immediate trial and punishment to the culprits involved in the murder case of Romana Javaid, students and women from different walks of life staged a sit-in here on Monday against the growing crimes against women.
“If justice is not done fast then such incidents would continue to happen in future. The solution is with the government and we are seeking it,” Nighat Shafi Pandit, chairperson of HELP foundation said.
Pledging to continue the protests for justice to the victim’s family, Pandit said: “She is a martyr and a role model for other girls. She preferred to sacrifice her life rather than succumbing before the culprits. As a woman I am proud of Romana and we all have pledged to continue this campaign until justice is delivered.”
The sit-in was attended by teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers and students.
“Our society has turned insensitive towards these issues. It is an irony that women who hold a say in our society are more interested in attending some formal gathering today rather than raising their voice against the crimes against women,” said Syeda Afshana who teaches at Kashmir University’s Mass Communication and Journalism Department.
“There is male hegemony in Kashmir and such incidents are its repercussions. We are striving to invoke the consciousness of the society to safeguard the rights of women,” said Hameeda Nayeem, who teaches at Kashmir University’s English Department.
Expressing her resentment over the society’s role for not appreciating the position of working women, she said, “Men feel jealous when they see women working and they try to maintain their hegemony by shrugging off most of their responsibilities.
After working for a whole day it is obligatory for woman to serve food, clean house, receive children from school and buy things from the market.”
Asking people to step forward and help Romana’s family seek justice, noted singer Gurmeet Kaur said: “We have become selfish. Seeing all this happening around if we still prefer to remain silent, I must say we are animals then. I have decided not to step back until both the culprits are punished.”
Seventeen-year-old Romana was crushed to death by two car borne eve-teasers on May 03 in Barzulla locality where she had gone for tuitions. Later police arrested Shoaib Daryeel, son of Muhammad Ashraf Daryeel of Nowhatta and Ubaid Ahmed Khan, son of Zahoor Ali Khan of Bulbul Bagh Barzulla and also seized the Alto-car used in the crime. (Rising Kashmir)
Activists rake up issue of increasing crime against women in Valley
Srinagar: Concerned over the increasing crime against women in Valley, people from different walks of life today sent a strong message to civil society and the government to act firmly and put to an end this growing negative trend in the society. Hailing from different corners of the city, they converged at Pratap Park here to lodge their protest by staging a dharna and holding demonstration.
The protestors demanded setting up of a special cell, headed by a judge, to deal with such cases speedily.
The demonstrators included academicians, social activists and students from various educational institutions. Holding placards and banners in their hands, they raised slogans against the crime against women.
The protest, attended by large number of women, was organised by Women Against Violence (WAV), a group headed by Nighat Pandit, a social activist. "We held the protest to register our concern and condemnation against rising crime against women," Nighat said.
The demonstrators not only appealed for an end to crime against women but also demanded speedy investigations into the cases, related to crime against women, to punish those involved into such inhuman acts.
A number of cases including that of Romana, Farzana and Tabinda Gani were highlighted during the protest. Romana of Gulposh Colony-Bag-e-Mehtab here was teased by two boys, who later hit her with a car killing her on the spot on May 3. Police arrested the accused and seized their vehicle. The protestors demanded speedy police and judicial procedures into the case to punish the guilty. The body of Farzana, a house wife of Zainakadal, was recovered from river Jehlum at Sumbal on April 14. Her family members allege that she was murdered by her husband and other members at her in laws' house and then her body was thrown into river. But police claims that she had committed suicide and that they have arrested her husband for creating circumstances through harassment and torture which led to her suicide. The demonstrators demanded fair investigation into the case.
Tabinda Gani, an 8th standard student was gang raped and then killed at Langate-Kupwara on July 20, 2007. Police claimed to have arrested the accused and presented a charge sheet against them in the court, which is yet to give its verdict in the case.
The protestors at Pratap Park demanded that cases related to crime against women should be investigated speedily and their proceeding carried in the courts fast to punish the guilty. The affected families should not wait for justice endlessly, they viewed.
"The civil society must come forward and help in stopping the crime against women. Civil society can not act as a silent spectator to the sufferings of women. It has to act firmly and so has to the concerned government wings, dealing with such issues," said Naila, a college student.
Qurat-ul-Ain, academician and social activist, said the government agencies dealing with such cases show lack of interest during investigations. "Subsequently, the guilty get bail from the courts and remain unpunished. There is a general demand that the persons involved in Romana's murder should not get bail. The police must effectively investigate the case," she said.
Nighat Pandit said creation of a special cell, headed by a judge, to deal with such cases is the need of the hour. "Creation of cell is important for speedy justice. Women should not be made to suffer for the want of justice. The affected women and their families do not get help from any quarter," she said.ÿ
According to her, if the crime against women is not checked at this stage, a day will come when one can not find women on streets out of fear. "I appeal the religious leaders and other concerned people to stress upon religious and moral education. Even the parents have an important role to play in this regard," added Nighat ÿ
Farhina, a protestor, alleged that the government shows a cold shoulder towards the suffering of women and crime against them. Referring to Tabinda, Farzana and Romana cases, she alleged that the cases were not properly followed. "Nothing substantial has been done so far in any case. The cases get lost in the pages of history. No one is bothered,"ÿFarhina said.
Some demonstrators alleged that the ongoing conflict is being used by the government agencies as an excuse to shield their lack of interest towards the cases related to crime against women. "In the name of conflict, government neglects crime. Living in a conflict zone is not an excuse for letting other crimes happen. We have suffered enough and cannot afford all this too," Isma said. She added that the government authorities have to be reminded of their duties every time by people by holding protests.
"We have to knock at their doors to make them aware of their duties regarding human rights and other important issues," Isma added. (Kashmir Times)
GHSS Kothi Bagh holds condolence meet
A condolence meet was held at Government Girls Higher Secondary School Kothi Bagh on Monday for Romana Javaid, who was reading in class 12 student of the school.
The condolence meet was attended by Chief Education Officer Srinagar, principal of GHSS Kothi Bagh, staff and students of the school.
The speakers urged the government to take stern and immediate action against the murderers of Romana. They threatened that no leniency with the culprits will be tolerated. The students while praising the character of Romana raised slogans in her favour.
A resolution was also passed on the occasion and it was decided that a special memory stone will be installed in the school. The participants in the meet also demanded compensation for the parents of the deceased. (Rising Kashmir)
Protecting Children in Today's Society
Ghulam Nabi Khan speaks for all
Save Children, Save Future
For the last 19 years state of J&K is passing through political turmoil. Such internal conflicts have a shocking impact upon civilian population, most particularly women and children. We have presently more than eighty thousand orphans in the valley who are living a miserable life, full of mental agony, depression, distress, negligence, and despair; around 15,308 orphan children have been identified in J&K.
Children constitute 38% of the population of J&K State and out of this population 2 to 3% are the orphans who need special attention. Presently only 1600 orphan children are staying in orphanages and Bal Ashrams as well as in Nari Niketans of the state government.
It is true that prior to the conflict situation of Kashmir the rate of juvenile delinquency was very less. But now the number has increased due to negligent attitude of parents, degradation of moral values and mental depression of children. Socio-economic conditions prevailing in certain families living below poverty line has led many children to crime; the impact of violence can be seen in the rising trend of crime and moral degradation among children.
Like other criminals we have to deal with the delinquents for their crimes but the constitution provides special procedure and enactment for these children. In the state of J&K we have Juvenile Justice Act, 1997, law passed on the same pattern as we have in centre but in the state this Act is not implemented because the rules have not been framed and approved so far, with the result the juveniles are tried in normal courts and are being kept in existing jails because no juvenile rehabilitation homes are existing in the state; no juvenile board has been established in J&K. Many children below the age of 16 are being kept in police stations and in normal jails and are being produced before routine magistrates so how can we expect the rehabilitation of these delinquents. Since the juvenile justice system is not functioning in the state people, more particularly NGOs have to act as a pressure group on the state government for evolving the system under Juvenile Justice Act.
Regarding the interest of the government of J&K towards unfortunate children of this state, there are no remand homes, observation homes or similar other institution for the juvenile offenders as provided under Section 9 to 12 of State Juvenile Justice Act, 1997.
The prerequisite condition of Jammu and Kashmir Juvenile Justice Act, 1997 states that the child below the age of 16 years should be treated as juvenile. To achieve this goal there should be juvenile courts for conducting the trials of juvenile offenders, it is also provided by this Act that “Juvenile home, observation homes place of safety” should be provided for delinquent children so that they don’t fall in the company of hard core criminals in normal jails.
If the children are a national asset, it is the duty of the state to look after them with a view to ensure full development of their personalities. But today we see the children are not protected and groomed properly. Many hapless children today languish in jails with hard core criminals. It is provided in all the statutes dealing with children that a child shall not be kept in a routine jail. Even apart from this statutory prescription, it is recognized by all that jail is hardly a place where a child should be kept. There can be no doubt that incarceration of children in jails does have the effect of impeding the development of child, exposing him to baneful influences which coarsen his conscience and alienates him from the society. It is a matter of unease that despite statutory provisions and frequent exhortations by social scientists, there is still a large number of children languishing in different jails of the State.
If the government of J&K is unable to provide remand homes, observation homes or other institutions for these offenders then these offenders should be released on Bail as provided by the Supreme Court in the case of Sheela Barse Vs. Union of India (AIR 1986 S.C 1773).
We also know that “teenagers are hot-blooded” so they are prone to criminal activities. They need proper observation and care. Thus observation and care shall come only if they are separated from hardcore criminals. This will certainly help us in moulding their psyche.
If a child is kept with hardcore criminals it adversely affects his personality, his mind, his heart, his soul and in turn he also gets initiated into criminal activities. This was fully enforced by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Sheela Barse and others Vs. Union of India. Under Constitution of India, Children Act of 1986 was passed though it was not enforced by some States. Yet Supreme Court in this case directed that such beneficial statute should be brought into force and administered without delay.
Supreme Court also held that;
It is no answer on the part of the State to say that it has not got enough number of remand homes, observation homes or other place where children can be kept and that is why they are lodged in Jails.
It is also no answer on the part of the State to urge that the wards in the Jails where the children are kept are separated from the wards in which the other prisoners are detained. It is the atmosphere of the jail which has the highly injurious effect on the mind of the child, estranging him from the society and breading in him aversion bordering on hatred against a system which keeps him in jail. So the State governments must setup necessary remand houses and observation homes where children accused of an offence can be lodged, pending investigation and trial. If State governments don’t have sufficient accommodation in its remand homes and observation homes, children should be released on bail instead of being subjected to incarceration in Jails.
Supreme Court in the same case also directed that children below the age of 16 years should be released on bail instead of lodging them in Jails.
Thus, it should be noted here that children below the age of 16 years should be released on bail if there are no such remand homes, observation homes or institutions connected with delinquent or destitute children.
Supreme Court also directed the High Courts and District Courts under Article 32 to submit to it information of children in jails, existence of Juvenile Courts etc. However, there has been noncompliance to this by some courts, so further directions have been issued to High Courts to ensure compliance.
The government should implement the J&K Juvenile Justice Act, 1997 in letter which could regulate the functioning of these children in need of care and protection otherwise these children cannot be nourished in a proper way.
The Youth Parliament of J&K, a registered educational charitable, non-profit trust in collaboration with Action Aid’s Fellowship 2008-2009 is of the opinion that we put pressure on the Sate government to implement the Juvenile Justice Act, 1997 in letter and spirit and make efforts to rescue their future and rehabilitate them so that they can grow in an atmosphere where they feel safe, secured and protected.
The Youth Parliament of J&K is eager to welcome other organizations who are working for the protection and welfare of child rights in and outside the State of J&K. It is the crying need of the hour to address the issues and save the future of our nation. We must not forget that children have every right to enjoy their childhood with liberty and freedom, dignity and honour.
I may sum-up that children of Jammu & Kashmir should be protected in every possible way. They should be given proper treatment when they commit any offence. They should not be ill treated. We should take every care of their mind and soul so that they don’t develop perverted and abnormal behavious.
(Rising Kashmir)
Save Children, Save Future
For the last 19 years state of J&K is passing through political turmoil. Such internal conflicts have a shocking impact upon civilian population, most particularly women and children. We have presently more than eighty thousand orphans in the valley who are living a miserable life, full of mental agony, depression, distress, negligence, and despair; around 15,308 orphan children have been identified in J&K.
Children constitute 38% of the population of J&K State and out of this population 2 to 3% are the orphans who need special attention. Presently only 1600 orphan children are staying in orphanages and Bal Ashrams as well as in Nari Niketans of the state government.
It is true that prior to the conflict situation of Kashmir the rate of juvenile delinquency was very less. But now the number has increased due to negligent attitude of parents, degradation of moral values and mental depression of children. Socio-economic conditions prevailing in certain families living below poverty line has led many children to crime; the impact of violence can be seen in the rising trend of crime and moral degradation among children.
Like other criminals we have to deal with the delinquents for their crimes but the constitution provides special procedure and enactment for these children. In the state of J&K we have Juvenile Justice Act, 1997, law passed on the same pattern as we have in centre but in the state this Act is not implemented because the rules have not been framed and approved so far, with the result the juveniles are tried in normal courts and are being kept in existing jails because no juvenile rehabilitation homes are existing in the state; no juvenile board has been established in J&K. Many children below the age of 16 are being kept in police stations and in normal jails and are being produced before routine magistrates so how can we expect the rehabilitation of these delinquents. Since the juvenile justice system is not functioning in the state people, more particularly NGOs have to act as a pressure group on the state government for evolving the system under Juvenile Justice Act.
Regarding the interest of the government of J&K towards unfortunate children of this state, there are no remand homes, observation homes or similar other institution for the juvenile offenders as provided under Section 9 to 12 of State Juvenile Justice Act, 1997.
The prerequisite condition of Jammu and Kashmir Juvenile Justice Act, 1997 states that the child below the age of 16 years should be treated as juvenile. To achieve this goal there should be juvenile courts for conducting the trials of juvenile offenders, it is also provided by this Act that “Juvenile home, observation homes place of safety” should be provided for delinquent children so that they don’t fall in the company of hard core criminals in normal jails.
If the children are a national asset, it is the duty of the state to look after them with a view to ensure full development of their personalities. But today we see the children are not protected and groomed properly. Many hapless children today languish in jails with hard core criminals. It is provided in all the statutes dealing with children that a child shall not be kept in a routine jail. Even apart from this statutory prescription, it is recognized by all that jail is hardly a place where a child should be kept. There can be no doubt that incarceration of children in jails does have the effect of impeding the development of child, exposing him to baneful influences which coarsen his conscience and alienates him from the society. It is a matter of unease that despite statutory provisions and frequent exhortations by social scientists, there is still a large number of children languishing in different jails of the State.
If the government of J&K is unable to provide remand homes, observation homes or other institutions for these offenders then these offenders should be released on Bail as provided by the Supreme Court in the case of Sheela Barse Vs. Union of India (AIR 1986 S.C 1773).
We also know that “teenagers are hot-blooded” so they are prone to criminal activities. They need proper observation and care. Thus observation and care shall come only if they are separated from hardcore criminals. This will certainly help us in moulding their psyche.
If a child is kept with hardcore criminals it adversely affects his personality, his mind, his heart, his soul and in turn he also gets initiated into criminal activities. This was fully enforced by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Sheela Barse and others Vs. Union of India. Under Constitution of India, Children Act of 1986 was passed though it was not enforced by some States. Yet Supreme Court in this case directed that such beneficial statute should be brought into force and administered without delay.
Supreme Court also held that;
It is no answer on the part of the State to say that it has not got enough number of remand homes, observation homes or other place where children can be kept and that is why they are lodged in Jails.
It is also no answer on the part of the State to urge that the wards in the Jails where the children are kept are separated from the wards in which the other prisoners are detained. It is the atmosphere of the jail which has the highly injurious effect on the mind of the child, estranging him from the society and breading in him aversion bordering on hatred against a system which keeps him in jail. So the State governments must setup necessary remand houses and observation homes where children accused of an offence can be lodged, pending investigation and trial. If State governments don’t have sufficient accommodation in its remand homes and observation homes, children should be released on bail instead of being subjected to incarceration in Jails.
Supreme Court in the same case also directed that children below the age of 16 years should be released on bail instead of lodging them in Jails.
Thus, it should be noted here that children below the age of 16 years should be released on bail if there are no such remand homes, observation homes or institutions connected with delinquent or destitute children.
Supreme Court also directed the High Courts and District Courts under Article 32 to submit to it information of children in jails, existence of Juvenile Courts etc. However, there has been noncompliance to this by some courts, so further directions have been issued to High Courts to ensure compliance.
The government should implement the J&K Juvenile Justice Act, 1997 in letter which could regulate the functioning of these children in need of care and protection otherwise these children cannot be nourished in a proper way.
The Youth Parliament of J&K, a registered educational charitable, non-profit trust in collaboration with Action Aid’s Fellowship 2008-2009 is of the opinion that we put pressure on the Sate government to implement the Juvenile Justice Act, 1997 in letter and spirit and make efforts to rescue their future and rehabilitate them so that they can grow in an atmosphere where they feel safe, secured and protected.
The Youth Parliament of J&K is eager to welcome other organizations who are working for the protection and welfare of child rights in and outside the State of J&K. It is the crying need of the hour to address the issues and save the future of our nation. We must not forget that children have every right to enjoy their childhood with liberty and freedom, dignity and honour.
I may sum-up that children of Jammu & Kashmir should be protected in every possible way. They should be given proper treatment when they commit any offence. They should not be ill treated. We should take every care of their mind and soul so that they don’t develop perverted and abnormal behavious.
(Rising Kashmir)
Death of Innocence
Shuhab sees in young and innocent Romana's death a falling apart of the Kashmiri social fabric aggrevated by stunning silence among so-called moralists
(Shuhab Hashmi, 39, was born in Baramulla, and graduated from the Degree College in Sopore, and completed his M.A. from the University of Kashmir. He is a Columnist, and in his spare time enjoys reading, discussions and traveling.)
Murder of Kashmiri Society
The tragic death of an 18- year old girl student, Romana, at the hands of two delinquent brats in the outskirts of Srinagar early this week has been overshadowed by the mist of politics as has been the case with Kashmir all the time. Prima facie she was knocked to death by the duo following her, apparently to hand over a “love letter”.
Although killings have become a permanent feature of Kashmir’s life during last 20 years’ turmoil but the way Romana life was snatched away raises some vital questions about the way this society is going. Barring a few routine statements from separatist organizations there was no serious response over this horrifying and nerve wrecking incident. Top leadership in both mainstream and separatist camps maintained criminal silence and as usual remained busy in scoring points over each other in their cherished contest of the electoral and boycott politics respectively. So was the case with the so called champions of human rights, so lovingly called as the Civil Society. This tragedy has passed off as just another incident, and will be investigated by the police as a matter of routine; and who knows when the challan will be produced. And no wonder if the accused finally get bailed out of this.
In Romana’s death one can easily discern the murder of our cultural and moral values; these are the same values that we so tirelessly boast about. In any civilized society such an incident represents a deep seated rot and if these things go unchecked it will soon lead us to disaster. Getting emotionally gravitated towards a particular person is all too human but the way our younger lot has started behaving doesn’t auger well for our collective being. Our cultural values and traditions teach us to behave in a particular way and it is for the good of our society that we follow the same. To go the extent of rolling the speeding car over an innocent girl that she gets killed is unheard of in Kashmir. Hardly any right thinking and civilized society can allow such things to happen. While we immediately tend to dismiss the worry by explaining these new ways of life with the in the backdrop of technological advancement and affluence which has come to us, thanks to easy money, one thing that we miss is that the upbringing of our children has changed to a drastic extent. To think about knocking down a girl in a cowboy fashion amply makes it clear that which way the society is going.
This is not an isolated case. Last year a young girl, teaching at a private school was killed almost in a similar way in Peerbagh area. She was stabbed to death by same kind of perverted youth who had perhaps failed to ‘convince’ her for agreeing to their proposal. That also was registered as a murder in police records and the investigations were started. But did the Civil Society react to that, the way it showed its response to Sex scandal, forcing the authorities to take appropriate course of action. Such things don’t bother us anymore; we only feel disturbed temporarily when it comes to the extent of a speedy Alto car taking a young girl’s life.
We did show our response to Tabinda Gani’s rape and subsequent murder at Handwara in 2007. A collective effort from Handwara to Srinagar did bring some initial results but still the justice is far away. In that agitation also we changed the recourse and shifted focus on non state labourers commonly known as Biharis. No doubt some of them were involved but the ground work was done by their Kashmiri counterparts. We gave an impression that whatever vice was existing in Kashmir was because of the non state labourers and a whole campaign was then initiated to throw them out. Without asking ourselves that why we have become so dependent on Bihari labourers the issue attained political overtones and was immediately turned into a battle for “Azadi” and struggle against India.
By being selective on the issues of criminality we are not helping our society to build, based on rich cultural and moral values. Instead, this is encouraging the waywardness in the society which ultimately leads to the incidents like that of Bagh-e-Mehtab. The media trial is not a solution to the problem as it invites criticism for influencing the investigations in such cases as was seen in the case of Arushi Talwar murder case in Gurgaon. The fact of the matter is that unless the society wakes up to these challenges the criminals will go scot-free and the real concern will remain hidden under the smokescreen of this false cry. Investigations through proper mechanism of police and courts is the only course of action one can think of but the trial has to be speedy so that the police investigation is not punctured by influence and finally falls in the court of law. Srinagar Police under the stewardship of SSP Syed Ahfadul Mujtaba is expected to be fair and truthful in its investigation but pressure from conscious members of civil society will not only help in ensuring a fair trial but will help to reach out to the society at large which in turn will put a brake on such horrendous and shameful acts.
Justice in the cases of Priyadarshani Mattoo was possible only after intense campaign by the civil society which overturned the tables on prosecution and finally led to justice to the victim. Same was the result of the campaign in the Tandoor case in which high profile politicians were involved.
In Kashmir we have seen lot of campaigning against the waywardness and Dukhtaran-e-Millat has been attacking parlours and restaurants to impose a moral code of conduct. It focuses its activity on Valentine Day and other such occasions. But in case of Romana’s death no such organization has come forward to pursue the case and take society into confidence as to how this menace can be dealt with. At this stage the Civil Society should wake up to mobilize public opinion against such a vice.
Unless that is done we will continue to see such tragic deaths which leave the families suffocated given the social stigma attached to these incidents. Who will come to their rescue, the society has to decide? For these criminals there will be high paid lawyers to defend but for victims who will bring justice; this is the main question.
(Shuhab Hashmi, 39, was born in Baramulla, and graduated from the Degree College in Sopore, and completed his M.A. from the University of Kashmir. He is a Columnist, and in his spare time enjoys reading, discussions and traveling.)
Murder of Kashmiri Society
The tragic death of an 18- year old girl student, Romana, at the hands of two delinquent brats in the outskirts of Srinagar early this week has been overshadowed by the mist of politics as has been the case with Kashmir all the time. Prima facie she was knocked to death by the duo following her, apparently to hand over a “love letter”.
Although killings have become a permanent feature of Kashmir’s life during last 20 years’ turmoil but the way Romana life was snatched away raises some vital questions about the way this society is going. Barring a few routine statements from separatist organizations there was no serious response over this horrifying and nerve wrecking incident. Top leadership in both mainstream and separatist camps maintained criminal silence and as usual remained busy in scoring points over each other in their cherished contest of the electoral and boycott politics respectively. So was the case with the so called champions of human rights, so lovingly called as the Civil Society. This tragedy has passed off as just another incident, and will be investigated by the police as a matter of routine; and who knows when the challan will be produced. And no wonder if the accused finally get bailed out of this.
In Romana’s death one can easily discern the murder of our cultural and moral values; these are the same values that we so tirelessly boast about. In any civilized society such an incident represents a deep seated rot and if these things go unchecked it will soon lead us to disaster. Getting emotionally gravitated towards a particular person is all too human but the way our younger lot has started behaving doesn’t auger well for our collective being. Our cultural values and traditions teach us to behave in a particular way and it is for the good of our society that we follow the same. To go the extent of rolling the speeding car over an innocent girl that she gets killed is unheard of in Kashmir. Hardly any right thinking and civilized society can allow such things to happen. While we immediately tend to dismiss the worry by explaining these new ways of life with the in the backdrop of technological advancement and affluence which has come to us, thanks to easy money, one thing that we miss is that the upbringing of our children has changed to a drastic extent. To think about knocking down a girl in a cowboy fashion amply makes it clear that which way the society is going.
This is not an isolated case. Last year a young girl, teaching at a private school was killed almost in a similar way in Peerbagh area. She was stabbed to death by same kind of perverted youth who had perhaps failed to ‘convince’ her for agreeing to their proposal. That also was registered as a murder in police records and the investigations were started. But did the Civil Society react to that, the way it showed its response to Sex scandal, forcing the authorities to take appropriate course of action. Such things don’t bother us anymore; we only feel disturbed temporarily when it comes to the extent of a speedy Alto car taking a young girl’s life.
We did show our response to Tabinda Gani’s rape and subsequent murder at Handwara in 2007. A collective effort from Handwara to Srinagar did bring some initial results but still the justice is far away. In that agitation also we changed the recourse and shifted focus on non state labourers commonly known as Biharis. No doubt some of them were involved but the ground work was done by their Kashmiri counterparts. We gave an impression that whatever vice was existing in Kashmir was because of the non state labourers and a whole campaign was then initiated to throw them out. Without asking ourselves that why we have become so dependent on Bihari labourers the issue attained political overtones and was immediately turned into a battle for “Azadi” and struggle against India.
By being selective on the issues of criminality we are not helping our society to build, based on rich cultural and moral values. Instead, this is encouraging the waywardness in the society which ultimately leads to the incidents like that of Bagh-e-Mehtab. The media trial is not a solution to the problem as it invites criticism for influencing the investigations in such cases as was seen in the case of Arushi Talwar murder case in Gurgaon. The fact of the matter is that unless the society wakes up to these challenges the criminals will go scot-free and the real concern will remain hidden under the smokescreen of this false cry. Investigations through proper mechanism of police and courts is the only course of action one can think of but the trial has to be speedy so that the police investigation is not punctured by influence and finally falls in the court of law. Srinagar Police under the stewardship of SSP Syed Ahfadul Mujtaba is expected to be fair and truthful in its investigation but pressure from conscious members of civil society will not only help in ensuring a fair trial but will help to reach out to the society at large which in turn will put a brake on such horrendous and shameful acts.
Justice in the cases of Priyadarshani Mattoo was possible only after intense campaign by the civil society which overturned the tables on prosecution and finally led to justice to the victim. Same was the result of the campaign in the Tandoor case in which high profile politicians were involved.
In Kashmir we have seen lot of campaigning against the waywardness and Dukhtaran-e-Millat has been attacking parlours and restaurants to impose a moral code of conduct. It focuses its activity on Valentine Day and other such occasions. But in case of Romana’s death no such organization has come forward to pursue the case and take society into confidence as to how this menace can be dealt with. At this stage the Civil Society should wake up to mobilize public opinion against such a vice.
Unless that is done we will continue to see such tragic deaths which leave the families suffocated given the social stigma attached to these incidents. Who will come to their rescue, the society has to decide? For these criminals there will be high paid lawyers to defend but for victims who will bring justice; this is the main question.
Stagination in Kashmir's Sericulture Sector Means Opportunities Elsewhere
Jammu produces 3 times more cocoons
Kashmir’s monopoly in silk is history
Srinagar: Kashmir’s monopoly in silk production is history as Jammu has surpassed sericulture growth over the last twenty years. Silk production in Kashmir has reached lowest levels while at the same time its production has increased substantially in Jammu.
According to the latest official data available, on an average, Jammu region produces 6 lakh kgs of cocoons per year while as production in Kashmir has plummeted to 2 lakh kilograms. Till late eighties Kashmir dominated all the administrative divisions of the State not only in seed, mulberry and cocoon production but refined silk as well.
According to figures on hand, Kashmir was the major contributor to the State’s silk industry generating nearly two third of the total production; however the political instability accentuated by militancy reversed the trend. Out of a total cocoon production of 10.36 lakh kilograms in 1988, Kashmir produced 6.65 kilograms while as Jammu’ share was only 3.71 kilograms.
Anantnag, Pulwama and Kupwara , the traditional silk bastions of Kashmir lost mulberry trees, farmers and the cocoons as well while as Udhampur, Sundarbani, Kathua and some hilly areas of Jammu ended up as major silk centers of the State.
Some 17000 farmers are currently rearing silk in Jammu division while as only 4000 to 5000 people are associated with silk farming in Kashmir. Nearly 1500 villages are busy in cocoon production in Jammu while as only 700 persons are now associated with it in Kashmir.
The over all production in the State has downed almost by half. In 1960 the State produced 15 lakh kilograms of cocoons which has now receded to 8.32 lakh kilograms.
In 1995 the cocoons produced in the State were at an all time low of 6.50 lakh kilograms with Kashmir producing only 1.19 lakh kilograms. Due to a string of pro farmer measures and administrative gear up the production went up to 8.82 lakh kilograms in 2001.
However, the figure failed to grow further and vacillated around 8.50 lakh kilograms over the period.
Dr A R Trag, a former director sericulture currently heading the research wing of the SK University of Agriculture (Kashmir) said technology needs to be transferred to farmer for improving the production besides providing him financial assistance.
Mohammed Ashraf Khan, director sericulture confirmed stagnation in the sericulture sector over the last many years. We are vigorously following a program of cocoon production in the State and day is not far when the sector will outshine others, he said.
(Rising Kashmir)
Kashmir’s monopoly in silk is history
Srinagar: Kashmir’s monopoly in silk production is history as Jammu has surpassed sericulture growth over the last twenty years. Silk production in Kashmir has reached lowest levels while at the same time its production has increased substantially in Jammu.
According to the latest official data available, on an average, Jammu region produces 6 lakh kgs of cocoons per year while as production in Kashmir has plummeted to 2 lakh kilograms. Till late eighties Kashmir dominated all the administrative divisions of the State not only in seed, mulberry and cocoon production but refined silk as well.
According to figures on hand, Kashmir was the major contributor to the State’s silk industry generating nearly two third of the total production; however the political instability accentuated by militancy reversed the trend. Out of a total cocoon production of 10.36 lakh kilograms in 1988, Kashmir produced 6.65 kilograms while as Jammu’ share was only 3.71 kilograms.
Anantnag, Pulwama and Kupwara , the traditional silk bastions of Kashmir lost mulberry trees, farmers and the cocoons as well while as Udhampur, Sundarbani, Kathua and some hilly areas of Jammu ended up as major silk centers of the State.
Some 17000 farmers are currently rearing silk in Jammu division while as only 4000 to 5000 people are associated with silk farming in Kashmir. Nearly 1500 villages are busy in cocoon production in Jammu while as only 700 persons are now associated with it in Kashmir.
The over all production in the State has downed almost by half. In 1960 the State produced 15 lakh kilograms of cocoons which has now receded to 8.32 lakh kilograms.
In 1995 the cocoons produced in the State were at an all time low of 6.50 lakh kilograms with Kashmir producing only 1.19 lakh kilograms. Due to a string of pro farmer measures and administrative gear up the production went up to 8.82 lakh kilograms in 2001.
However, the figure failed to grow further and vacillated around 8.50 lakh kilograms over the period.
Dr A R Trag, a former director sericulture currently heading the research wing of the SK University of Agriculture (Kashmir) said technology needs to be transferred to farmer for improving the production besides providing him financial assistance.
Mohammed Ashraf Khan, director sericulture confirmed stagnation in the sericulture sector over the last many years. We are vigorously following a program of cocoon production in the State and day is not far when the sector will outshine others, he said.
(Rising Kashmir)
Strikes Cause Havoc to Kashmir's Economy
Why are people taking it lying down?
Valley transporters lose Rs 30 lakh every strike, curfew day
Srinagar: With strikes and undeclared curfews becoming more prevalent, Kashmir’s transport sector is feeling the pinch. Around 1500 commercial mini buses that ply within the Valley suffer losses of more than Rs 30 lakh on every strike, curfew day owing to halt in their services.
Showkat Ahmad, member of Western Mini Bus Association told Rising Kashmir that this sector has been the worst hit because of strikes and undeclared curfews as losses in this sector cannot be compensated when strikes are called off.
“Our earnings are dependent on daily commuters who avail our services, and once a strike is there everything is put to halt,” said Showkat adding that estimated earnings from a mini bus plying in Srinagar is around Rs 2000 out of which a good percentage goes into fuel, taxes and maintenance.
The worst hit are the old city operations carried mostly by Eastern Mini Bus service which caters to the city as well as suburban areas like Buchpora, Ahmad Nagar and Hazratbal.
Mini buses enroute to old city areas have to suffer more as the situations remains tense in some of the areas forcing the operators to call off their services.
“There is always uncertainly on how the day will progress and this year too due to elections the situation in old city has been volatile forcing us to limit our operations,” said Nazir Ahmad, driver of a mini bus adding that at times they have to take longer routes to reach their destination which again adds to the fuel expenses.
Nazir said that they are the major victim of strikes, curfews and restrictions imposed during the past 20 years.
“In past 20 years we must have grounded our services for more than three years, and this surely is a huge loss to this sector,” said Nazir adding that no one is even bothered to compensate this loss and this has now directly affected our family lives and our standard of living has gone down considerably.
The total number of Mini buses registered with the office of the Regional Transport Officer Kashmir is 3500, however out of these 1500 are commercial that carry passengers and the rest belong to different government departments, schools and other Nongovernmental organizations.
In towns like Baramulla, Anantnag and Sopore the mini bus operators also report of losses due to strikes and curfews.
(Rising Kashmir)
Valley transporters lose Rs 30 lakh every strike, curfew day
Srinagar: With strikes and undeclared curfews becoming more prevalent, Kashmir’s transport sector is feeling the pinch. Around 1500 commercial mini buses that ply within the Valley suffer losses of more than Rs 30 lakh on every strike, curfew day owing to halt in their services.
Showkat Ahmad, member of Western Mini Bus Association told Rising Kashmir that this sector has been the worst hit because of strikes and undeclared curfews as losses in this sector cannot be compensated when strikes are called off.
“Our earnings are dependent on daily commuters who avail our services, and once a strike is there everything is put to halt,” said Showkat adding that estimated earnings from a mini bus plying in Srinagar is around Rs 2000 out of which a good percentage goes into fuel, taxes and maintenance.
The worst hit are the old city operations carried mostly by Eastern Mini Bus service which caters to the city as well as suburban areas like Buchpora, Ahmad Nagar and Hazratbal.
Mini buses enroute to old city areas have to suffer more as the situations remains tense in some of the areas forcing the operators to call off their services.
“There is always uncertainly on how the day will progress and this year too due to elections the situation in old city has been volatile forcing us to limit our operations,” said Nazir Ahmad, driver of a mini bus adding that at times they have to take longer routes to reach their destination which again adds to the fuel expenses.
Nazir said that they are the major victim of strikes, curfews and restrictions imposed during the past 20 years.
“In past 20 years we must have grounded our services for more than three years, and this surely is a huge loss to this sector,” said Nazir adding that no one is even bothered to compensate this loss and this has now directly affected our family lives and our standard of living has gone down considerably.
The total number of Mini buses registered with the office of the Regional Transport Officer Kashmir is 3500, however out of these 1500 are commercial that carry passengers and the rest belong to different government departments, schools and other Nongovernmental organizations.
In towns like Baramulla, Anantnag and Sopore the mini bus operators also report of losses due to strikes and curfews.
(Rising Kashmir)
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Private Industry Leads the Way
Government does not have answers to all problems. Afsana cites an experience where private sector is safeguarding the food chain while delivering new jobs
(Ms. Afsana Rasheed, 29, was born and raised in Srinagar and attended the Minto Circle High School. She graduated from the Government College for Women with a Bachelor's degree in science, and completed her post-graduation degree from the University of Kashmir, obtaining her Master's Degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. She has received numerous world-wide recognition and awards for covering economic depravation and gender sensitive issues in Kashmiri journals, which include Sanjoy Ghose Humanitarian Award, Bhorukha Trust Media Award 2007, and the 2006-07 UNFPA-Ladli Media Award. Her work on "Impact of conflict on subsistence livelihood of marginalised communities in Kashmir and Alternatives", was recognized by Action Aid India in 2005-06. She has travelled abroad attending a workshop on "conflict Reporting" by Thomson Foundation, Cardiff, UK, and a seminar for women in conflict areas by IKV Pax Christi, Netherlands. In February 2008, she compiled a book, "Waiting for Justice: Widows and Half-widows." She was formerly the chief correspondent for the Khidmat, having worked before that at the Daily Etalaat, The Kashmir Times and the Kashmir Images. She now writes for the Tribune.)
Kashmir's Private Industry Offers Solutions Where Government Falls Short
With soaring unemployment and a private sector still in troubled infancy, for the last few decades, government has provided the bulk of Kashmir’s jobs. Yet today this may be changing; on the heels of much-needed infrastructure development and technological innovation, a good number of entrepreneurs are taking the plunge into the generational traditions of horticulture and floriculture.
• Generations of Kashmiris have cultivated the region's fertile lands but lack the technology needed to export their crops. Photograph by flickr user ReefRaff used under Creative Commons licenses. •These core sectors of Kashmir’s economy already engage a sizable section of both the majority Muslim and minority Pandit (non-Muslim) populations in direct and indirect employment, but have historically failed to meet their full potential. Ongoing political instability discourages private investment in the region’s economy and the government has not stepped in to build the basic facilities and transport systems necessary to support industry development.
With several hundred thousand families growing apples, pears, cherries and plums, in addition to walnuts, almonds and flowers, Controlled Atmosphere Storage (CA), which increases fresh fruit shelf life up to seven months, is in particular demand in the Kashmir valley.
“Pears, apples and plums are delicate fruits. We have to store fruits due to reasons such as bad weather, lack of transportation and [access to] market facilities. Cold storage helps us a lot - otherwise we’d face losses,” says Jamal Khan, a fruit grower from Tral.
Bashir Ahmad Malik, an entrepreneur in floriculture products and essential oils, believes that the absence of cold storage and bureaucratic issues such as transportation charges are the biggest challenges confronting entrepreneurs like him. With practically no storage facilities available in the Kashmir valley, “We have to send our produce by air - which is costly.”
Technological Advancement Brings Hope
Fungicides India Limited (FIL) Industries is creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs like Khan and Malik. With state-of-the-art Austrian equipment, FIL is a hallmark of technological excellence, establishing India’s first cold storage facility in Srinagar.
“CA storage is open for everyone!” declares General Manager Basharat Ahmad. With a warehousing capacity of 20,000 (integrated) metric tons, the facility could revolutionize valley grower participation in the market.
•Already one of the largest juice producers in Asia, FIL recognized a good business opportunity in the valley’s need for CA, commissioning the facility in 1999 with an investment of Rs. 200 crore ($39.8 million USD). FIL is the largest exporter of apple juice concentrate from India – having crushed 80,000 tons of apples between July and December 2008 alone. It also processes pear, cherry, apricot and plum concentrates, exporting its products as far as the United States and Europe, as well as the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Within India, it operates with banner names such as Nestle, Parle, and Godrej.
Local orchardists praise the FIL move while airing frustrations at the government.
"Thousands of kanals (land holdings) are being used for growing fruits,” says Mohammad Sultan, an orchardist in the frontier district of Kupwara. “The government [should] set up CA, but it hasn’t. I credit FIL for taking initiative."
Abdul Rahim, a fruit grower from Shopian in South Kashmir agrees. “The government should set up cold storage in the valley [or] collaborate with those who have already set up their CA," suggests Rahim. He thinks the government should negotiate with FIL so growers can store their fruit in its cold storage at a subsidized cost or for free. “This would ensure that the benefits trickle down to the grassroots level in the horticulture sector and inspire youth to take this up as a profession,” he says.
The company has proven it is possible to profit even in a climate of continual political instability. It succeeds largely by forging partnerships and a sense of goodwill with the local community. During last summer’s economic blockade, FIL's general manager Basharat Ahmad says that its cold storage was left open for fruit growers to use, free of cost.
“Grapes, pears and apples were stored by people from Ganderbal, Shopian and Pulwama, without paying anything. We [recognized] that it was a tough time for them,” says Ahmad.
He adds that it has never been difficult for management to run the unit during political upheavals. “The general public understands that the unit should go on with its activities. They know the importance and delicacy of the products and understand that [quality control] has to be prioritized.”
•Khan appreciates that FIL provided the service free of charge when the community needed it, but argues that it is not a complete solution. He feels that the government must get involved, because “I can't do it (like this) every time.”
Government investment and oversight will be necessary if the FIL success story is to become anything more than an extraordinary exception.
Privately held by a wealthy family, FIL was in a unique position to capitalize on the valley’s need. But other major companies still consider it a waste of time, money and resources to invest here, especially as the valley continues to lack a basic, reliable power supply. As a result, enterprises are increasingly shifting their bases from Srinagar to Jammu and other places in India.
A Bureaucratic Nightmare
Technological investment in the valley is only half the battle. Growers continue to call for increased subsidies from the government.
Malik owns cut flower and medicinal plant farms in Chandipora-Harwan and Wangat-Kangan. After a decade in the profession, he argues that cumbersome export procedures limit his profits. “We can’t export our produce since we have to apply for a license first and there are many formalities required for it. We can’t [easily] apply.”
He’d also like to see a rationalization of bureaucratic regulations, which in their current state add layers of complication to his business. “Within India, we can send our produce to Delhi or Mumbai, but we don’t get a subsidy if we send our produce to Mumbai.”
He adds that existing subsidies and protections are insufficient. “We suffered huge losses due to agitation over the transfer of 800 kanals (100 acres) to SASB last year, but the government provided us no relief.”
•Government Floriculture Development and Extension Officer Fida Ali Alamgeer agrees that improved subsidies are necessary, but counters that the industry is not without risks and that many factors affect a grower’s success.
“An entrepreneur shouldn’t simply go for the activity because (s)he has learned that it fetches good [money]. Many times expectations are shattered at harvest - either the flower is undersized or diseased.”
He feels that government subsidies should focus on infrastructure and training to improve the sector’s economy. “Heating and lighting systems should be on a subsidy basis,” he says, “and training should be imparted to the growers by the concerned department.”
He points out that Himachal Pradesh state in India is doing well in agriculture and credits their keeping pace with technology. “Buyers always prefer quality [but compared to theirs,] ours is obsolete and unappealing,” argues Fida.
With political issues unresolved and calls for more government subsidies unheeded, the role of FIL is imperative. It provides not only CA for entrepreneurial orchardists but steady wage work in a valley where paychecks are rare. With such immense operations, employees here work in three shifts a day.
For Sakina Bano, the job has been a big help. “After the death of my husband, I had no source of income. FIL provided the opportunity to earn decent money for my younger siblings.”
19-year-old Shahida can relate. “We are a family of eight and my father is jobless. Somehow I got a job here and am able to shoulder the financial responsibility for my family. It has come as a relief for families like ours.”
(Ms. Afsana Rasheed, 29, was born and raised in Srinagar and attended the Minto Circle High School. She graduated from the Government College for Women with a Bachelor's degree in science, and completed her post-graduation degree from the University of Kashmir, obtaining her Master's Degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. She has received numerous world-wide recognition and awards for covering economic depravation and gender sensitive issues in Kashmiri journals, which include Sanjoy Ghose Humanitarian Award, Bhorukha Trust Media Award 2007, and the 2006-07 UNFPA-Ladli Media Award. Her work on "Impact of conflict on subsistence livelihood of marginalised communities in Kashmir and Alternatives", was recognized by Action Aid India in 2005-06. She has travelled abroad attending a workshop on "conflict Reporting" by Thomson Foundation, Cardiff, UK, and a seminar for women in conflict areas by IKV Pax Christi, Netherlands. In February 2008, she compiled a book, "Waiting for Justice: Widows and Half-widows." She was formerly the chief correspondent for the Khidmat, having worked before that at the Daily Etalaat, The Kashmir Times and the Kashmir Images. She now writes for the Tribune.)
Kashmir's Private Industry Offers Solutions Where Government Falls Short
With soaring unemployment and a private sector still in troubled infancy, for the last few decades, government has provided the bulk of Kashmir’s jobs. Yet today this may be changing; on the heels of much-needed infrastructure development and technological innovation, a good number of entrepreneurs are taking the plunge into the generational traditions of horticulture and floriculture.
• Generations of Kashmiris have cultivated the region's fertile lands but lack the technology needed to export their crops. Photograph by flickr user ReefRaff used under Creative Commons licenses. •These core sectors of Kashmir’s economy already engage a sizable section of both the majority Muslim and minority Pandit (non-Muslim) populations in direct and indirect employment, but have historically failed to meet their full potential. Ongoing political instability discourages private investment in the region’s economy and the government has not stepped in to build the basic facilities and transport systems necessary to support industry development.
With several hundred thousand families growing apples, pears, cherries and plums, in addition to walnuts, almonds and flowers, Controlled Atmosphere Storage (CA), which increases fresh fruit shelf life up to seven months, is in particular demand in the Kashmir valley.
“Pears, apples and plums are delicate fruits. We have to store fruits due to reasons such as bad weather, lack of transportation and [access to] market facilities. Cold storage helps us a lot - otherwise we’d face losses,” says Jamal Khan, a fruit grower from Tral.
Bashir Ahmad Malik, an entrepreneur in floriculture products and essential oils, believes that the absence of cold storage and bureaucratic issues such as transportation charges are the biggest challenges confronting entrepreneurs like him. With practically no storage facilities available in the Kashmir valley, “We have to send our produce by air - which is costly.”
Technological Advancement Brings Hope
Fungicides India Limited (FIL) Industries is creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs like Khan and Malik. With state-of-the-art Austrian equipment, FIL is a hallmark of technological excellence, establishing India’s first cold storage facility in Srinagar.
“CA storage is open for everyone!” declares General Manager Basharat Ahmad. With a warehousing capacity of 20,000 (integrated) metric tons, the facility could revolutionize valley grower participation in the market.
•Already one of the largest juice producers in Asia, FIL recognized a good business opportunity in the valley’s need for CA, commissioning the facility in 1999 with an investment of Rs. 200 crore ($39.8 million USD). FIL is the largest exporter of apple juice concentrate from India – having crushed 80,000 tons of apples between July and December 2008 alone. It also processes pear, cherry, apricot and plum concentrates, exporting its products as far as the United States and Europe, as well as the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Within India, it operates with banner names such as Nestle, Parle, and Godrej.
Local orchardists praise the FIL move while airing frustrations at the government.
"Thousands of kanals (land holdings) are being used for growing fruits,” says Mohammad Sultan, an orchardist in the frontier district of Kupwara. “The government [should] set up CA, but it hasn’t. I credit FIL for taking initiative."
Abdul Rahim, a fruit grower from Shopian in South Kashmir agrees. “The government should set up cold storage in the valley [or] collaborate with those who have already set up their CA," suggests Rahim. He thinks the government should negotiate with FIL so growers can store their fruit in its cold storage at a subsidized cost or for free. “This would ensure that the benefits trickle down to the grassroots level in the horticulture sector and inspire youth to take this up as a profession,” he says.
The company has proven it is possible to profit even in a climate of continual political instability. It succeeds largely by forging partnerships and a sense of goodwill with the local community. During last summer’s economic blockade, FIL's general manager Basharat Ahmad says that its cold storage was left open for fruit growers to use, free of cost.
“Grapes, pears and apples were stored by people from Ganderbal, Shopian and Pulwama, without paying anything. We [recognized] that it was a tough time for them,” says Ahmad.
He adds that it has never been difficult for management to run the unit during political upheavals. “The general public understands that the unit should go on with its activities. They know the importance and delicacy of the products and understand that [quality control] has to be prioritized.”
•Khan appreciates that FIL provided the service free of charge when the community needed it, but argues that it is not a complete solution. He feels that the government must get involved, because “I can't do it (like this) every time.”
Government investment and oversight will be necessary if the FIL success story is to become anything more than an extraordinary exception.
Privately held by a wealthy family, FIL was in a unique position to capitalize on the valley’s need. But other major companies still consider it a waste of time, money and resources to invest here, especially as the valley continues to lack a basic, reliable power supply. As a result, enterprises are increasingly shifting their bases from Srinagar to Jammu and other places in India.
A Bureaucratic Nightmare
Technological investment in the valley is only half the battle. Growers continue to call for increased subsidies from the government.
Malik owns cut flower and medicinal plant farms in Chandipora-Harwan and Wangat-Kangan. After a decade in the profession, he argues that cumbersome export procedures limit his profits. “We can’t export our produce since we have to apply for a license first and there are many formalities required for it. We can’t [easily] apply.”
He’d also like to see a rationalization of bureaucratic regulations, which in their current state add layers of complication to his business. “Within India, we can send our produce to Delhi or Mumbai, but we don’t get a subsidy if we send our produce to Mumbai.”
He adds that existing subsidies and protections are insufficient. “We suffered huge losses due to agitation over the transfer of 800 kanals (100 acres) to SASB last year, but the government provided us no relief.”
•Government Floriculture Development and Extension Officer Fida Ali Alamgeer agrees that improved subsidies are necessary, but counters that the industry is not without risks and that many factors affect a grower’s success.
“An entrepreneur shouldn’t simply go for the activity because (s)he has learned that it fetches good [money]. Many times expectations are shattered at harvest - either the flower is undersized or diseased.”
He feels that government subsidies should focus on infrastructure and training to improve the sector’s economy. “Heating and lighting systems should be on a subsidy basis,” he says, “and training should be imparted to the growers by the concerned department.”
He points out that Himachal Pradesh state in India is doing well in agriculture and credits their keeping pace with technology. “Buyers always prefer quality [but compared to theirs,] ours is obsolete and unappealing,” argues Fida.
With political issues unresolved and calls for more government subsidies unheeded, the role of FIL is imperative. It provides not only CA for entrepreneurial orchardists but steady wage work in a valley where paychecks are rare. With such immense operations, employees here work in three shifts a day.
For Sakina Bano, the job has been a big help. “After the death of my husband, I had no source of income. FIL provided the opportunity to earn decent money for my younger siblings.”
19-year-old Shahida can relate. “We are a family of eight and my father is jobless. Somehow I got a job here and am able to shoulder the financial responsibility for my family. It has come as a relief for families like ours.”
Barrier Free Voting for the Physically Challenged Voters
Javed sends a letter to the State Election Commissioner on behalf of disabled citizens of the State
(Mr. Javed Ahmad Tak, 35, was born in Bijbehara in the Anantnag district. He received his schooling from Government schools in Bijbehara, and his B.Sc. degree from the Government Degree College in Anantnag. Unfortunately, at the age of 21 he became a victim of a terrorist bullet which hit his spine and disabled him for the rest of his life. However, he overcome mental and physical odds to complete his Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Kashmir, and also completed certificate courses in Human Rights and Computers from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Although wheel-chair bound, Mr. Tak is recognized as a leader who has relentlessly and with extreme passion taken up the cause of disabled people in J&K, seeking full citizen rights guaranteed under the J&K Disability Act but never implemented in the past. He is a founder-member of numerous NGO's dealing with issues and sensitizing public about challenges faces by physically handicapped people in Kashmir. He has received numerous awards and citations for his selfless work and has attended numerous workshops on disability rights around the country.)
The Election commissioner
Govt. of Jammu and Kashmir
Civil Secretariat Srinagar.
Subject: Barrier free Voting for the Physically Challenged Voters of our state (J&K).
Respected Sir,
We the persons with disabilities of the state face immense problems. Although we are humans but our rights are denied because of lack of awareness and less sensitive approach. These days everyone is thinking of electioneering and right to vote but we are again in the threat and fear of denial. Already two phases of electioneering in Jammu province has witnessed zero arrangements for the persons with disabilities in J&K. The polling booths were non disable friendly. No visually challenged person could vote without seeking help because all matured blind people in the state have no knowledge about Braille script. There are few schools in the J&K state where Braille has been medium education for blind children. Therefore thousands of visually challenged people are unable to read and write.
Now that Hon’ble Supreme court has directed that elections 2009 should be barrier free for the physically challenged people. We all should get the privilege to vote with dignity.
Every adult Indian is entitled to exercise her/his voting rights and choose a government of her/his choice. This right is officially not denied to persons with disabilities either. However here lies a big dilemma – are persons with disabilities are really is a position to execute their voting right? The answer in the majority of instances is no.
Till a few years back this question had been relegated to the backseats as persons with disabilities being perceived as mere object of charity and not as adults with the rights to voice their political opinion. Poor or no proper infrastructure force most persons with disabilities to remain passive citizens. People with disabilities were never considered a potential vote bank by the political parties. In our state the political parties have not talked about we people in their respective manifestos. There we can’t expect much more from them.
However over the later half of the last decade there has been a paradigm shift from the charity and medical model to a rights based approach. People with disabilities have claimed that there are not silent recipient of charity and pity but equal partners in all activities that concerned their lives and decision making. In 1995 India enacted the Persons with Disabilities {Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights, and Full Participation) Act after being a signatory to the Asia and Pacific Decade of the Disabled from 1993 to 2002. The Persons with Disabilities Act is a first of its kind in India. Although this act does not implicitly talk about the right to exercise the franchise of persons with disabilities, Chapter VIII, Section 46 speaks of non-discrimination in public buildings. The polling booths being a public place quite naturally fall under the preview of public buildings.
On a more explicit level, the Supreme Court issued an order in 2004 stating:
a) Wooden ramps in polling stations to enabled disabled persons easy access
b) The numbers in the EVMs are to be written in Braille to facilitate voter with visual impairments
c) Separate queues and special arrangements for persons with disabilities in the polling stations
d) The personnel at the polling stations are to be trained to render necessary assistance to enable voters with disabilities exercise their franchise without harassment.
e) Adequate advertisement in print and electronic media to publicize the availability of such facilities for persons with disabilities.
In the present decade we have witnessed the historical enactment of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in March 2007. India is a signatory to the convention and ratified the same in October 2007. Hence India is legally obligated to ensure that the provisions of the UNCRPD are adequately implemented. The UNCRDP is a unique treaty of its kind as persons with disabilities were a driving force behind the drafting and enactment of the same. Some of the articles specifically highlighting the issue are:
Article 2 of the UNCRPD speaks of non-discrimination in participation and enjoyment of fundamental freedom in every aspects of life: social, economic, cultural, political, and economic
Article 3 – full and effective participation and inclusion in society
Article 5 – equality and non-discrimination through the promotion of reasonable accommodation
Article 9 – accessibility to physical environment, to transportation, to information and communication, including information and communication system
Article 29 – right to participation in political and public life including the right to choose their representatives hence right and opportunity to vote through secret ballot and right to contest elections.
Hence in the light of the above discussion we reinstate our voting rights in an accessible and congenial environment.
I, on behalf of persons with disabilities of J&K state sincerely hope to seek your cooperation to support our cause. In the coming phases every polling booth may please be made barrier free for the physically challenged people.
Thank you very much.
Yours faithfully
Javed Ahmad Tak
Honorary Chairman
Humanity Welfare Organization HELPline (NGO)
(Mr. Javed Ahmad Tak, 35, was born in Bijbehara in the Anantnag district. He received his schooling from Government schools in Bijbehara, and his B.Sc. degree from the Government Degree College in Anantnag. Unfortunately, at the age of 21 he became a victim of a terrorist bullet which hit his spine and disabled him for the rest of his life. However, he overcome mental and physical odds to complete his Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Kashmir, and also completed certificate courses in Human Rights and Computers from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Although wheel-chair bound, Mr. Tak is recognized as a leader who has relentlessly and with extreme passion taken up the cause of disabled people in J&K, seeking full citizen rights guaranteed under the J&K Disability Act but never implemented in the past. He is a founder-member of numerous NGO's dealing with issues and sensitizing public about challenges faces by physically handicapped people in Kashmir. He has received numerous awards and citations for his selfless work and has attended numerous workshops on disability rights around the country.)
The Election commissioner
Govt. of Jammu and Kashmir
Civil Secretariat Srinagar.
Subject: Barrier free Voting for the Physically Challenged Voters of our state (J&K).
Respected Sir,
We the persons with disabilities of the state face immense problems. Although we are humans but our rights are denied because of lack of awareness and less sensitive approach. These days everyone is thinking of electioneering and right to vote but we are again in the threat and fear of denial. Already two phases of electioneering in Jammu province has witnessed zero arrangements for the persons with disabilities in J&K. The polling booths were non disable friendly. No visually challenged person could vote without seeking help because all matured blind people in the state have no knowledge about Braille script. There are few schools in the J&K state where Braille has been medium education for blind children. Therefore thousands of visually challenged people are unable to read and write.
Now that Hon’ble Supreme court has directed that elections 2009 should be barrier free for the physically challenged people. We all should get the privilege to vote with dignity.
Every adult Indian is entitled to exercise her/his voting rights and choose a government of her/his choice. This right is officially not denied to persons with disabilities either. However here lies a big dilemma – are persons with disabilities are really is a position to execute their voting right? The answer in the majority of instances is no.
Till a few years back this question had been relegated to the backseats as persons with disabilities being perceived as mere object of charity and not as adults with the rights to voice their political opinion. Poor or no proper infrastructure force most persons with disabilities to remain passive citizens. People with disabilities were never considered a potential vote bank by the political parties. In our state the political parties have not talked about we people in their respective manifestos. There we can’t expect much more from them.
However over the later half of the last decade there has been a paradigm shift from the charity and medical model to a rights based approach. People with disabilities have claimed that there are not silent recipient of charity and pity but equal partners in all activities that concerned their lives and decision making. In 1995 India enacted the Persons with Disabilities {Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights, and Full Participation) Act after being a signatory to the Asia and Pacific Decade of the Disabled from 1993 to 2002. The Persons with Disabilities Act is a first of its kind in India. Although this act does not implicitly talk about the right to exercise the franchise of persons with disabilities, Chapter VIII, Section 46 speaks of non-discrimination in public buildings. The polling booths being a public place quite naturally fall under the preview of public buildings.
On a more explicit level, the Supreme Court issued an order in 2004 stating:
a) Wooden ramps in polling stations to enabled disabled persons easy access
b) The numbers in the EVMs are to be written in Braille to facilitate voter with visual impairments
c) Separate queues and special arrangements for persons with disabilities in the polling stations
d) The personnel at the polling stations are to be trained to render necessary assistance to enable voters with disabilities exercise their franchise without harassment.
e) Adequate advertisement in print and electronic media to publicize the availability of such facilities for persons with disabilities.
In the present decade we have witnessed the historical enactment of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in March 2007. India is a signatory to the convention and ratified the same in October 2007. Hence India is legally obligated to ensure that the provisions of the UNCRPD are adequately implemented. The UNCRDP is a unique treaty of its kind as persons with disabilities were a driving force behind the drafting and enactment of the same. Some of the articles specifically highlighting the issue are:
Article 2 of the UNCRPD speaks of non-discrimination in participation and enjoyment of fundamental freedom in every aspects of life: social, economic, cultural, political, and economic
Article 3 – full and effective participation and inclusion in society
Article 5 – equality and non-discrimination through the promotion of reasonable accommodation
Article 9 – accessibility to physical environment, to transportation, to information and communication, including information and communication system
Article 29 – right to participation in political and public life including the right to choose their representatives hence right and opportunity to vote through secret ballot and right to contest elections.
Hence in the light of the above discussion we reinstate our voting rights in an accessible and congenial environment.
I, on behalf of persons with disabilities of J&K state sincerely hope to seek your cooperation to support our cause. In the coming phases every polling booth may please be made barrier free for the physically challenged people.
Thank you very much.
Yours faithfully
Javed Ahmad Tak
Honorary Chairman
Humanity Welfare Organization HELPline (NGO)
Vandalizing Heritage
Parihaspora locals allege complicity of Tehsildar and police; blame administration for inaction
7th century Buddhist structures facing destruction
Srinagar: It’s not only official neglect but official complicity too that has brought the seventh century Buddhist structures at Parihaspora in Pattan on the verge of obliteration.
“The extraction process has been going on here without any respite for past many years and now the situation is such that the monuments might cave in any time.”
Despite being the an area of great archeological importance housing ancient seventh century Buddhist structures including a temple of Kanishka’s and Lalitaditya’s eras, the Gawadran area in Parihaspora Pattan in north Kashmir Baramulla district is under the sickle these days.
Locals allege their repeated pleas to the concerned agencies have failed to move them.
Quoting a delegation of local residents, KNS news agency said people allege the complicity and patronage of the Tehsildar Pattan and blame Station House Officer (SHO) of Police Station Pattan as being responsible for some irreparable damage being done to the archeological site and its structures.
Even though the structures at Gawadran Parihaspora are protected monuments under the Ancient Monuments Act, yet the extraction of soil from the area continues without any respite. They say a local landlord, who has procured some 40 kanals of land around the archeological site for setting up some business there, is using mechanical excavators for soil extraction.
“The extraction process has been going on here without any respite for past many years and now the situation is such that the monuments might cave in any time,” the delegation said.
They said they had reported the matter to the district administration as well as to the authorities at Archeology, Archives and Museums department, “but so far no action has been taken”.
The officials in the Archives department say they had reported the matter at Police Post Mirgund as well as at Police Station Pattan “but the SHO there is not ready to entertain an FIR in this regard,” reported KNS.
Confirming the archeological importance of the area vis-Ã -vis its history dating back to Kanishka’s time, KNS quoted an official as saying that there is evidence suggesting that in the seventh century, Kanishka has organized a Buddhist conference at Parihaspora. Experts say there are proofs suggesting presence of some really important archeological artifacts in the area which needs further exploration.
“However, if the extraction of soil and subsequent constructions continue, there is little doubt that the world might lose this important historic site forever,” warned an official.
He said as per the Ancient Monuments Act, there can be no extraction or construction activity even in the vicinity of any protested place. “Whatever is happening at Parihaspora is completely illegal and violation of law and it couldn’t happen without the active connivance of police,” the official, who didn’t want to be named, confessed.
Locals informed that on Saturday Deputy Commissioner Baramulla visited the site and ordered that extraction process be halted “but immediately after DC left the area, the activity was resumed and excavators employed to take out soil from the area.”
It is pertinent to mention here that besides being a protected site, Parihaspora, owing to its historic and archeological importance, is also being brought on the tourism map.
“In this connection the Union Tourism Ministry as well as the Tourism department in Kashmir have already initiated measures through formal communication with the district administration, but these files too are gathering dust as no one in the administration seems interested in protecting this site,” KNS quoted some officials as saying.
(Kashmir Images)
7th century Buddhist structures facing destruction
Srinagar: It’s not only official neglect but official complicity too that has brought the seventh century Buddhist structures at Parihaspora in Pattan on the verge of obliteration.
“The extraction process has been going on here without any respite for past many years and now the situation is such that the monuments might cave in any time.”
Despite being the an area of great archeological importance housing ancient seventh century Buddhist structures including a temple of Kanishka’s and Lalitaditya’s eras, the Gawadran area in Parihaspora Pattan in north Kashmir Baramulla district is under the sickle these days.
Locals allege their repeated pleas to the concerned agencies have failed to move them.
Quoting a delegation of local residents, KNS news agency said people allege the complicity and patronage of the Tehsildar Pattan and blame Station House Officer (SHO) of Police Station Pattan as being responsible for some irreparable damage being done to the archeological site and its structures.
Even though the structures at Gawadran Parihaspora are protected monuments under the Ancient Monuments Act, yet the extraction of soil from the area continues without any respite. They say a local landlord, who has procured some 40 kanals of land around the archeological site for setting up some business there, is using mechanical excavators for soil extraction.
“The extraction process has been going on here without any respite for past many years and now the situation is such that the monuments might cave in any time,” the delegation said.
They said they had reported the matter to the district administration as well as to the authorities at Archeology, Archives and Museums department, “but so far no action has been taken”.
The officials in the Archives department say they had reported the matter at Police Post Mirgund as well as at Police Station Pattan “but the SHO there is not ready to entertain an FIR in this regard,” reported KNS.
Confirming the archeological importance of the area vis-Ã -vis its history dating back to Kanishka’s time, KNS quoted an official as saying that there is evidence suggesting that in the seventh century, Kanishka has organized a Buddhist conference at Parihaspora. Experts say there are proofs suggesting presence of some really important archeological artifacts in the area which needs further exploration.
“However, if the extraction of soil and subsequent constructions continue, there is little doubt that the world might lose this important historic site forever,” warned an official.
He said as per the Ancient Monuments Act, there can be no extraction or construction activity even in the vicinity of any protested place. “Whatever is happening at Parihaspora is completely illegal and violation of law and it couldn’t happen without the active connivance of police,” the official, who didn’t want to be named, confessed.
Locals informed that on Saturday Deputy Commissioner Baramulla visited the site and ordered that extraction process be halted “but immediately after DC left the area, the activity was resumed and excavators employed to take out soil from the area.”
It is pertinent to mention here that besides being a protected site, Parihaspora, owing to its historic and archeological importance, is also being brought on the tourism map.
“In this connection the Union Tourism Ministry as well as the Tourism department in Kashmir have already initiated measures through formal communication with the district administration, but these files too are gathering dust as no one in the administration seems interested in protecting this site,” KNS quoted some officials as saying.
(Kashmir Images)
The Wonders of Mud Construction in Kashmir
Ather describes a marvel called mud
(Syed Ather Qayoom Rufia, 27, was born in Srinagar, and received his initial schooling from the Tyndale Biscoe Memorial School, Srinagar, and Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi. He graduated as an Architect from the Rizvi College of Architecture, Mumbai. He is currently a partner in an architect and real estate development company in Srinagar. His personal interests are reading, writing and surfing the internet.)
Earth Architecture
For a while now we have been celebrating the marvel that is steel and glass. A sheer glass exterior that goes hand in hand with a geometric structure seems a staple. So much so, that architects have probably exhausted the various permutations and combinations that are possible to showcase their originality. But there always has been, and will be, good old mud. It’s the building material that has run the longest race, and still is way ahead of its competitors with no sign of the finishing line approaching either. Renowned earth architect Laurie Baker has called mud the building material for the 21st century. It is estimated by the United Nations that about 40% of the world population lives in earthen dwellings. Those working with mud as the medium of construction prefer to call the practice earth architecture, not mud architecture. In contrast to other construction materials, including cement and steel, mud does not demand imported commercial energies and is therefore a favored material for those desirous of sustainable living. Mud in most cases is a preferred construction material because of its low embodied energy, its availability as a local material, and its versatility in use. Earth architecture is much more eco-friendly than buildings made from conventional fired bricks. It has the least environmental impact, is cost effective, and works well climatically. Given that it is a plastic material, it lends itself to moulding into extremely graceful and fluid forms.
Due to one man’s persistent, wise, skilful and persuasive efforts, mud in many parts of the world has been restored to its rightful status as a worthy construction material that can help produce durable houses and dwellings for both rich and poor. More people in India today live in houses constructed out of mud than out of any other material. Most of these houses have been built by those who live in them, with the assistance of persons skilled in the use of mud as a building material. And this is also the situation in countries like Australia and even many of the other so-called advanced countries. Many of these houses are 50-100 years old.
It is totally a wrong perception that mud is a poor man’s material. Contrary to popular perception, mud houses are affordable to all classes and can be designed to suit different tastes and fancies. They are environmentally virtuous and can face the elements with as much hardiness as supposedly stronger constructions made from concrete. For those not yet fixated on the inevitability of the use of modem materials and on their much vaunted strength, mud houses can be a liberating way to meet housing needs, private and public, without extravagance but with elegance. More than 25 million families (200 million or 20% of the population) in India are still without a roof over their heads. This is not an unusual scenario in most, if not all, countries of the South. The problem of providing mass housing would be insurmountable if one imagines this vast unsheltered population can only be housed once adequate quantities of cement and steel (and the funds or loans for these) are available. The fact of the matter is that such quantities will never be available.
Even if they were, it does not mean they would be affordable since their manufacture requires expensive imported fuels. Since the homeless are generally also the economically deprived, it is doubtful if such materials will ever be destined for their use. Modern materials and architecture colleges have effectively mired most modern minds, particularly the architects and government bureaucrats, in one-dimensional thinking. For 5,000 years, people have constructed houses without either cement or steel and provided durable solutions. Several million houses of mud have remained standing for centuries. In India even today, the largest number of houses constructed are out of mud. In contrast, in India and especially in Kashmir, experience with modern materials is fairly recent. Not enough time has elapsed to enable a proper evaluation and assessment of their ability to withstand the forces of nature. There are indications already that they may not pass the long-term test. For example, in most coastal areas, where large numbers of people live, metal rods used in reinforced concrete construction (RCC) of houses and bridges have been unable to withstand the forces of corrosion and are giving way. RCC slabs have been unable to protect residents from heavy downpours and these leak profusely.
There are various techniques by which one can use mud to build the most important part of a house that is a wall.
(a) The “cob” system: Large lumps of mud are moulded in the shape of a huge elongated egg, about 6 inches in diameter and about 12 to 18 inches in size. Rows of cobs are placed over each other to make a wall. Gaps and holes are filled and the wall is slammed down at the sides. The cob system is the easiest for those constructing a mud house for the first time and no special tools, equipment or moulds are required.
(b) Adobe or sun-dried brick systems: Moulds of brick are filled with the right mix of wet mud. The mould is then removed and the brick dried in the sun. This is the most popular form of brick-making since it uses only solar energy, which is free.
(c) Wattle and daub methods: This is used particularly for meeting housing requirements in areas prone to cyclones or earthquakes. Wattle is used to form the structure of the house similar to that of dajji-dewari in Kashmir and mud is used to fill the walls. During the rains, the mud may be washed away but it is easily replaced. The wattle can withstand any earth tremors.
Mud has been used extensively in Kashmir for many centuries and is still being used. Mud has a thermal property which keeps it warm in winter and cool in summer. During the Dogra period in Kashmir, majority of the population used the sun-dried bricks as less tax was levied upon them as compared to burnt bricks. Many old buildings constructed of only sun-dried bricks can be seen in downtown Srinagar. In many areas of Kashmir like Bederwah and Poonch, houses are still being constructed of sun-dried bricks. Mud along with timber is still considered the best building material in Kashmir due to earthquakes. Timber and mud make the structure light and flexible in case of shaking. Only time will tell us whether the modern concepts and materials suit our local architecture where our buildings are located in seismic zone or the old and traditional materials and techniques.
(Syed Ather Qayoom Rufia, 27, was born in Srinagar, and received his initial schooling from the Tyndale Biscoe Memorial School, Srinagar, and Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi. He graduated as an Architect from the Rizvi College of Architecture, Mumbai. He is currently a partner in an architect and real estate development company in Srinagar. His personal interests are reading, writing and surfing the internet.)
Earth Architecture
For a while now we have been celebrating the marvel that is steel and glass. A sheer glass exterior that goes hand in hand with a geometric structure seems a staple. So much so, that architects have probably exhausted the various permutations and combinations that are possible to showcase their originality. But there always has been, and will be, good old mud. It’s the building material that has run the longest race, and still is way ahead of its competitors with no sign of the finishing line approaching either. Renowned earth architect Laurie Baker has called mud the building material for the 21st century. It is estimated by the United Nations that about 40% of the world population lives in earthen dwellings. Those working with mud as the medium of construction prefer to call the practice earth architecture, not mud architecture. In contrast to other construction materials, including cement and steel, mud does not demand imported commercial energies and is therefore a favored material for those desirous of sustainable living. Mud in most cases is a preferred construction material because of its low embodied energy, its availability as a local material, and its versatility in use. Earth architecture is much more eco-friendly than buildings made from conventional fired bricks. It has the least environmental impact, is cost effective, and works well climatically. Given that it is a plastic material, it lends itself to moulding into extremely graceful and fluid forms.
Due to one man’s persistent, wise, skilful and persuasive efforts, mud in many parts of the world has been restored to its rightful status as a worthy construction material that can help produce durable houses and dwellings for both rich and poor. More people in India today live in houses constructed out of mud than out of any other material. Most of these houses have been built by those who live in them, with the assistance of persons skilled in the use of mud as a building material. And this is also the situation in countries like Australia and even many of the other so-called advanced countries. Many of these houses are 50-100 years old.
It is totally a wrong perception that mud is a poor man’s material. Contrary to popular perception, mud houses are affordable to all classes and can be designed to suit different tastes and fancies. They are environmentally virtuous and can face the elements with as much hardiness as supposedly stronger constructions made from concrete. For those not yet fixated on the inevitability of the use of modem materials and on their much vaunted strength, mud houses can be a liberating way to meet housing needs, private and public, without extravagance but with elegance. More than 25 million families (200 million or 20% of the population) in India are still without a roof over their heads. This is not an unusual scenario in most, if not all, countries of the South. The problem of providing mass housing would be insurmountable if one imagines this vast unsheltered population can only be housed once adequate quantities of cement and steel (and the funds or loans for these) are available. The fact of the matter is that such quantities will never be available.
Even if they were, it does not mean they would be affordable since their manufacture requires expensive imported fuels. Since the homeless are generally also the economically deprived, it is doubtful if such materials will ever be destined for their use. Modern materials and architecture colleges have effectively mired most modern minds, particularly the architects and government bureaucrats, in one-dimensional thinking. For 5,000 years, people have constructed houses without either cement or steel and provided durable solutions. Several million houses of mud have remained standing for centuries. In India even today, the largest number of houses constructed are out of mud. In contrast, in India and especially in Kashmir, experience with modern materials is fairly recent. Not enough time has elapsed to enable a proper evaluation and assessment of their ability to withstand the forces of nature. There are indications already that they may not pass the long-term test. For example, in most coastal areas, where large numbers of people live, metal rods used in reinforced concrete construction (RCC) of houses and bridges have been unable to withstand the forces of corrosion and are giving way. RCC slabs have been unable to protect residents from heavy downpours and these leak profusely.
There are various techniques by which one can use mud to build the most important part of a house that is a wall.
(a) The “cob” system: Large lumps of mud are moulded in the shape of a huge elongated egg, about 6 inches in diameter and about 12 to 18 inches in size. Rows of cobs are placed over each other to make a wall. Gaps and holes are filled and the wall is slammed down at the sides. The cob system is the easiest for those constructing a mud house for the first time and no special tools, equipment or moulds are required.
(b) Adobe or sun-dried brick systems: Moulds of brick are filled with the right mix of wet mud. The mould is then removed and the brick dried in the sun. This is the most popular form of brick-making since it uses only solar energy, which is free.
(c) Wattle and daub methods: This is used particularly for meeting housing requirements in areas prone to cyclones or earthquakes. Wattle is used to form the structure of the house similar to that of dajji-dewari in Kashmir and mud is used to fill the walls. During the rains, the mud may be washed away but it is easily replaced. The wattle can withstand any earth tremors.
Mud has been used extensively in Kashmir for many centuries and is still being used. Mud has a thermal property which keeps it warm in winter and cool in summer. During the Dogra period in Kashmir, majority of the population used the sun-dried bricks as less tax was levied upon them as compared to burnt bricks. Many old buildings constructed of only sun-dried bricks can be seen in downtown Srinagar. In many areas of Kashmir like Bederwah and Poonch, houses are still being constructed of sun-dried bricks. Mud along with timber is still considered the best building material in Kashmir due to earthquakes. Timber and mud make the structure light and flexible in case of shaking. Only time will tell us whether the modern concepts and materials suit our local architecture where our buildings are located in seismic zone or the old and traditional materials and techniques.
New CM, Old Culture
Fighting Corruption takes a back seat in the new Administration
SAC existing only on proper
Syed Junaid Hashmi (Kashmir Times)
Jammu: Finally, the much hyped State Accountability Commission (SAC) has been rendered obsolete by inept and callous attitude of the state government. Functioning of the commission has come to a grinding halt since it neither has a chairman nor any members.
The institution exists in name and paper only, thanks to the coalition government's disinterest in filling up the long pending key vacancies. 20 days have passed since the last remaining member of the commission Justice Muzaffar Jan retired on April 15. Officials in the Law department assert that these appointments would be made shortly.
The story goes like this. Whosoever has retired from the commission, his replacement has been a major causality. If the law department is to be believed, judges are reluctant to take over the reins of this institution where common man has the power to get summons issued even on the name of Chief Minister.
"Now we managed some arrangement for this institution. An official announcement in this regard would be made soon," added a senior officer .of law department. "We are awaiting consent from the Election Commission of India," say the officials.
Ironically, it has no answer as to why the vacancies were not filled within a specified period of time and why this important institution was allowed to become redundant.
Ask the commission officials and they would tell you "Cases can still be filed with the commission. When the vacancies will be filled, they would be taken up." But the fact remains that both the coalition governments have preferred keeping the commission silent and restricted to penalising junior level officers.
Failure of the government to find replacements of those who were appointed and retired with the passage of time speaks volumes about how much significance the respective state governments attach to this commission where cases against two sitting Ministers including Peerzada Mohd Sayeed (Cong), incharge School Education and Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Taj Mohi-ud-Din (Cong) are to be decided.
Besides this, former Minister for Health, Mangat Ram Sharma (Cong), two PDP Ministers Tariq Hamid Qarra and Dillawar Mir of the previous coalition government are among nine ex-ministers facing corruption charges and their cases are pending in the State Accountability Commission.
250 complaints which were filed till June 2008 continue to gather dust in the offices of Commission at Jammu and Srinagar thereby rendering complainants further aggrieved, the sources said, adding that people have stopped filing complaints since they now consider it mere wastage of time since the commission's redundancy would mean that justice will continue to elude them.
Prior to Justice Muzaffar Jan's retirement, term of then "acting chairperson" of SAC Justice Girdhari Lal Raina expired on June 18, 2008. After Raina, Justice Muzaffar Jan carried out the functioning of the commission. Interestingly, state government has not been able to find a fitting replacement of the first permanent chairperson of the commission late Justice R P Sethi.
He was forced to resign under pressure and undue interference in working of SAC. It was during Late Justice Sethi's tenure that complaints were lodged against some senior ministers and bureaucrats of the coalition government. After his resignation, Justice Girdhari Lal Raina, who was until then a member of the commission, was appointed as the acting chairperson of the commission.
The appointment was made within days of the late Justice Sethi's resignation. Interestingly, the appointment of Justice Girdhari Lal Raina as the acting Chairperson of the commission was questioned in the court of law by some legal luminaries of Kashmir Bar Association but of no avail.
It is important to mention here that Justice Raina did not possess the qualification as laid down in the SAC Act for being appointed as acting chairperson of the commission. Even his appointment as member of the commission had come under severe criticism from the legal experts.
Justice Raina was accused of having fixed his salary on his own and some legal luminaries had even sought a vigilance probe into the issue. But the Law Department kept the issue in the cold storage until Justice Raina's term expired. On the other hand, SHRC is being headed by a retired session judge. Moreover, judges from within and outside the state have shown reluctance in accepting the offer of heading this institution. They have reportedly cited the ineffectiveness of this institutions in delivering speedy justice, for not accepting the repeated requests of the state government. Even the judges from within the state have been critical of the recommendatory nature of this institution.
However, if the officials in the state government are asked, their one liner reply is "it is because of the coalition politics". After having put the blame on the coalition politics, they desist from explaining the utility of keeping this institution headless. They further fall short of explaining the need for developing consensus among the coalition partners over the appointment of head of this institution.
Ask them if this is a political post, they say "Even if the post is not political, that does not mean consensus is not needed." However, it has been reliably learnt that state government has been awaiting a response from Election Commission of India for making the appointments.
SAC existing only on proper
Syed Junaid Hashmi (Kashmir Times)
Jammu: Finally, the much hyped State Accountability Commission (SAC) has been rendered obsolete by inept and callous attitude of the state government. Functioning of the commission has come to a grinding halt since it neither has a chairman nor any members.
The institution exists in name and paper only, thanks to the coalition government's disinterest in filling up the long pending key vacancies. 20 days have passed since the last remaining member of the commission Justice Muzaffar Jan retired on April 15. Officials in the Law department assert that these appointments would be made shortly.
The story goes like this. Whosoever has retired from the commission, his replacement has been a major causality. If the law department is to be believed, judges are reluctant to take over the reins of this institution where common man has the power to get summons issued even on the name of Chief Minister.
"Now we managed some arrangement for this institution. An official announcement in this regard would be made soon," added a senior officer .of law department. "We are awaiting consent from the Election Commission of India," say the officials.
Ironically, it has no answer as to why the vacancies were not filled within a specified period of time and why this important institution was allowed to become redundant.
Ask the commission officials and they would tell you "Cases can still be filed with the commission. When the vacancies will be filled, they would be taken up." But the fact remains that both the coalition governments have preferred keeping the commission silent and restricted to penalising junior level officers.
Failure of the government to find replacements of those who were appointed and retired with the passage of time speaks volumes about how much significance the respective state governments attach to this commission where cases against two sitting Ministers including Peerzada Mohd Sayeed (Cong), incharge School Education and Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Taj Mohi-ud-Din (Cong) are to be decided.
Besides this, former Minister for Health, Mangat Ram Sharma (Cong), two PDP Ministers Tariq Hamid Qarra and Dillawar Mir of the previous coalition government are among nine ex-ministers facing corruption charges and their cases are pending in the State Accountability Commission.
250 complaints which were filed till June 2008 continue to gather dust in the offices of Commission at Jammu and Srinagar thereby rendering complainants further aggrieved, the sources said, adding that people have stopped filing complaints since they now consider it mere wastage of time since the commission's redundancy would mean that justice will continue to elude them.
Prior to Justice Muzaffar Jan's retirement, term of then "acting chairperson" of SAC Justice Girdhari Lal Raina expired on June 18, 2008. After Raina, Justice Muzaffar Jan carried out the functioning of the commission. Interestingly, state government has not been able to find a fitting replacement of the first permanent chairperson of the commission late Justice R P Sethi.
He was forced to resign under pressure and undue interference in working of SAC. It was during Late Justice Sethi's tenure that complaints were lodged against some senior ministers and bureaucrats of the coalition government. After his resignation, Justice Girdhari Lal Raina, who was until then a member of the commission, was appointed as the acting chairperson of the commission.
The appointment was made within days of the late Justice Sethi's resignation. Interestingly, the appointment of Justice Girdhari Lal Raina as the acting Chairperson of the commission was questioned in the court of law by some legal luminaries of Kashmir Bar Association but of no avail.
It is important to mention here that Justice Raina did not possess the qualification as laid down in the SAC Act for being appointed as acting chairperson of the commission. Even his appointment as member of the commission had come under severe criticism from the legal experts.
Justice Raina was accused of having fixed his salary on his own and some legal luminaries had even sought a vigilance probe into the issue. But the Law Department kept the issue in the cold storage until Justice Raina's term expired. On the other hand, SHRC is being headed by a retired session judge. Moreover, judges from within and outside the state have shown reluctance in accepting the offer of heading this institution. They have reportedly cited the ineffectiveness of this institutions in delivering speedy justice, for not accepting the repeated requests of the state government. Even the judges from within the state have been critical of the recommendatory nature of this institution.
However, if the officials in the state government are asked, their one liner reply is "it is because of the coalition politics". After having put the blame on the coalition politics, they desist from explaining the utility of keeping this institution headless. They further fall short of explaining the need for developing consensus among the coalition partners over the appointment of head of this institution.
Ask them if this is a political post, they say "Even if the post is not political, that does not mean consensus is not needed." However, it has been reliably learnt that state government has been awaiting a response from Election Commission of India for making the appointments.
Rabbit Farming in Kashmir
Rabbit farming in Kashmir valley is emerging as a lucrative business
Rabbit Farming
Asifa Amin Koul (Kashmir Times)
Srinagar: Though still in infancy, rabbit farming is emerging as a lucrative business in the valley.
Besides one government farm at Pattan, there are over 250 private rabbit farms across the valley and if it takes off it is expected to be a multi-crore industry in the next few years.
The popular rabbit breeds, which are reared for this purpose, in the valley are French Angora (wool), Gray Giants, New Zealand White and Chinchillas (mutton).
To set up a rabbit farm requires small investment as well as small space and has promise of better returns than other livestock ventures chiefly due to the advantages that this species has over other animals. A small unit can have six rabbits with male and female ratio of the order of 1:5.
"Rabbit is a prolific multiplier having a gestation period of about 30 days. Out of a small unit one can have four to five crops annually, i.e., around 100 kindlings a year," said R L Kher, director animal sheep husbandry.
Apart from meat, this meek innocent looking animal provides several marketable products such as wool, fur or pelt which can be used for making numerous utilities and fancy products.
It's meat is lean, white with high protein and low fat and cholesterol content and it's wool is finer, lighter and warmer than that produced by most sheep breeds.
"I am planning to start my own rabbit farm. What attracted me to this business is that it can be initiated with few thousand rupees and has quick returns. It can also be started as a backyard activity and add to additional income," said Rafiq Ahmad, a farmer.
The experts opine that if the market is tapped fully, the rabbit industry can create employment avenues and help in income generation for the local entrepreneurs. "I think it is a lucrative business. I foresee a very good future in this industry for entrepreneurs here," opined Shakeel Qalandar, the President of the Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industries Kashmir (FCCI).
Qalandar said that the famous fur industry in Kashmir was earlier not only based on rabbit but also on the hides of other wild animals. "But since the state government imposed ban on the killing of few animals, there is a scope of diverting the market to rabbit farming for its wool and hides," he added.
The state presently imports rabbit skins from France and other countries which are then processed locally to make various products.
Qalandar, however, maintained that the imported products can be substituted if the real commercial potential of rabbits is sharpened by adopting organised farming which otherwise is missing in the valley at the moment.
"The government does not have very sound and composite policy to promote rabbit farming or any other livestock activity as a small-scale industry although it has been given the status of an industry worldwide. It has also failed to provide incentives and other benefits to promote rabbit farms on a commercial scale in the valley," he said.
He stressed upon creation of a livestock development authority which could devise and formulate policies to encourage local entrepreneurs to adapt for rabbit and other livestock farming. "The government should also set up processing units as a back up to this industry," he added.
Kher, however, claimed that the state government had started a scheme based on participatory mode sometime back but it soon deflated owing to the little response from the people.
"Though rabbit meat has medicinal values such as for Asthma patients, it still has small clientele in the valley. Unless and until rabbit meat gets popular here, rabbit farming will fail to exist as a big industry here," Kher said.
Rabbit Farming
Asifa Amin Koul (Kashmir Times)
Srinagar: Though still in infancy, rabbit farming is emerging as a lucrative business in the valley.
Besides one government farm at Pattan, there are over 250 private rabbit farms across the valley and if it takes off it is expected to be a multi-crore industry in the next few years.
The popular rabbit breeds, which are reared for this purpose, in the valley are French Angora (wool), Gray Giants, New Zealand White and Chinchillas (mutton).
To set up a rabbit farm requires small investment as well as small space and has promise of better returns than other livestock ventures chiefly due to the advantages that this species has over other animals. A small unit can have six rabbits with male and female ratio of the order of 1:5.
"Rabbit is a prolific multiplier having a gestation period of about 30 days. Out of a small unit one can have four to five crops annually, i.e., around 100 kindlings a year," said R L Kher, director animal sheep husbandry.
Apart from meat, this meek innocent looking animal provides several marketable products such as wool, fur or pelt which can be used for making numerous utilities and fancy products.
It's meat is lean, white with high protein and low fat and cholesterol content and it's wool is finer, lighter and warmer than that produced by most sheep breeds.
"I am planning to start my own rabbit farm. What attracted me to this business is that it can be initiated with few thousand rupees and has quick returns. It can also be started as a backyard activity and add to additional income," said Rafiq Ahmad, a farmer.
The experts opine that if the market is tapped fully, the rabbit industry can create employment avenues and help in income generation for the local entrepreneurs. "I think it is a lucrative business. I foresee a very good future in this industry for entrepreneurs here," opined Shakeel Qalandar, the President of the Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industries Kashmir (FCCI).
Qalandar said that the famous fur industry in Kashmir was earlier not only based on rabbit but also on the hides of other wild animals. "But since the state government imposed ban on the killing of few animals, there is a scope of diverting the market to rabbit farming for its wool and hides," he added.
The state presently imports rabbit skins from France and other countries which are then processed locally to make various products.
Qalandar, however, maintained that the imported products can be substituted if the real commercial potential of rabbits is sharpened by adopting organised farming which otherwise is missing in the valley at the moment.
"The government does not have very sound and composite policy to promote rabbit farming or any other livestock activity as a small-scale industry although it has been given the status of an industry worldwide. It has also failed to provide incentives and other benefits to promote rabbit farms on a commercial scale in the valley," he said.
He stressed upon creation of a livestock development authority which could devise and formulate policies to encourage local entrepreneurs to adapt for rabbit and other livestock farming. "The government should also set up processing units as a back up to this industry," he added.
Kher, however, claimed that the state government had started a scheme based on participatory mode sometime back but it soon deflated owing to the little response from the people.
"Though rabbit meat has medicinal values such as for Asthma patients, it still has small clientele in the valley. Unless and until rabbit meat gets popular here, rabbit farming will fail to exist as a big industry here," Kher said.
The Death of Pukhribal
Zahid provides a first-person account
(Mr. Zahid G. Mohammad, 60, was born and raised in Srinagar. He earned his Master's degree in English literature from the Kashmir University and has completed a course in Mass Communication from Indian Institute of Mass Communication. He is a writer and a journalist who has written for many newspapers, including the Statesman, the Sunday, and the Kashmir Times. He currently works for the Greater Kashmir.)
An Elegy on Pukhribal
It was living through an agony - more agonizing than Mahiwal watching Sohni’s unbaked pitcher dissolving in the waters of the Indus and drowning Sohni screaming and crying for help when a few days back I along with my friends visited my childhood haunt - the Pukhribal and saw it gasping for breaths, sinking and dying.
In my heart of hearts I turned an elegist in the tradition of Thomas Gray and wished to write a powerful elegy on my childhood haunts in an around the beautiful lagoon that once scintillated like the blue diamond in the sunlight and shimmered like golden necklace set with jewels on Mogul Queen’s heaving chest in the moonlit Shalimar garden. I wished to write an elegy to move the stone-hearted to save the legendry lagoon from dying.
Looking at the vanishing Pukhribal in a speeding motorboat was like writing an epitaph on my childhood. As the motorboat pierced its way through the swampy and soggy water ways the memoirs of childhood flashed before my eyes like slide show of just clicked pictures on my computer. It was not once upon a time. It was just yesterday. Yes, just yesterday, I along with my friends almost on all Fridays- then our school remained closed on Friday instead of Sunday and all other holidays in the wee hours gathered at the Khawaja Bazar crossing and chalked out our itinerary for the day. We had many favorite pastimes-cycling, boating and fishing were best of all.
We often cycled to the Chasmashahi garden and Pari Mahal through the bund that started at the Naidyar and ended at the Nishat garden. It used to be a great joy ride- with vast Dal Lake on both the side of this pedestrian mall – it was like crossing an ocean on bicycle. The dipping coots on placid waters, the lone boatman singing Rasul Mir’s love song at high pitch and the fisherman spreading net for catch of the day was full of thrill for us. There were many bridges on the mall but I don’t know why we felt excited on crossing over the hump of the Camel bridge near the Nishat garden much more than other bridges- was our excitement out of our admiration for the architectural beauty of this bridge or it was our imagination of the great desert animal whose picture we had first seen in our English primer while learning the Alphabets. The bridge has now crumbled- and its ruins are a sad commentary on our insensitivity towards our dying heritage.
In our childhood we were as free as migratory birds that visited all lakes and lagoons around my birth burg in great numbers. Those days there were no restrictions on the movement of the natives. No one stopped us from trekking in the alpine lands or hiking on the Zabarwan, none stopped us from cycling to the lost point on the Dara Road. Those days none asked us for proof of being a Kashmiri in deep woods or busy streets- our complexion and language was our identity. The idea of carrying a photo-identity card in the pocket was alien-the only card that we learnt about much later was the library identity card in college… those days we were really as free and fearless as the fish in all our springs— Varnag, Achabal or Sheerbagh.
In summers boating under the canopy of drooping willows through cool and calm water ways was our best past time. Starting our journey through lanes and by lanes amidst vast tracts of green vegetable gardens we reached Naidyar Ghat to hire a small boat- popularly known as Dumbi Nav- from a young boatwomen- we did not know her name but we called her Margret perhaps after some character in a story prescribed in our syllabus. We paid two rupees as charges for two to three hours for the boat and two heart shaped oars. The heart-shaped-oars are used by Kashmir boatman only. I have not seen boatmen in any other part of the world using heart shaped oars. It could be some carpenter with great poetic imagination who has invented this oar that slices through translucent waters like mizrab playing on the santoor. Armed with homemade fishing tackles and bait for the fish we descended into the boat. The sparkling waterway passed through many a Mohallas and of these most important was the Khaoja Yarbal for its great historical relevance to our locality Khoja Bazaar. The waters around the Ghat were the cleanest- In our childhood we were told that there were many springs in this waterway that extended healing touch to the waters near the Ghat.
I and most of my friends were non-swimmers but it was love for the sport of fishing that made us to take the risk of rowing through these water ways to the scintillating waters of Nigeen Lake—for fear of speeding motorboats turning our boat turtle we often preferred to propel our boat along the shores of the lake. Those days the lake was so crystal clear that one could see through its waters, the golden and silver hued fish feasting at weeds at its bottom- I remember we could see their vibrating gills from the surface of the water. Instead of moving into the main lake we always choose to anchor our boat under shade of Chinars near the beautiful blue lagoon of Pukhribal that abounded in fish. Sometimes we moved further towards Amda Kadal for a bigger catch- and we were never disappointed, we often returned home with a bagful of fish. I and my friends had never imagined this lagoon panting for breaths in our life time. Seeing my Pukhribal dying was as good as a lover sitting by the side of deathbed of his beloved offering nothing but tears.
I was shocked – shell shocked when I was told that the waterway from Khoja Yarbal to Naidyar had breathed last- I could do nothing but sob for the Margret – and a friend who once lived in Naidyar- sorry cannot write even an elegy for my childhood haunts.
(Mr. Zahid G. Mohammad, 60, was born and raised in Srinagar. He earned his Master's degree in English literature from the Kashmir University and has completed a course in Mass Communication from Indian Institute of Mass Communication. He is a writer and a journalist who has written for many newspapers, including the Statesman, the Sunday, and the Kashmir Times. He currently works for the Greater Kashmir.)
An Elegy on Pukhribal
It was living through an agony - more agonizing than Mahiwal watching Sohni’s unbaked pitcher dissolving in the waters of the Indus and drowning Sohni screaming and crying for help when a few days back I along with my friends visited my childhood haunt - the Pukhribal and saw it gasping for breaths, sinking and dying.
In my heart of hearts I turned an elegist in the tradition of Thomas Gray and wished to write a powerful elegy on my childhood haunts in an around the beautiful lagoon that once scintillated like the blue diamond in the sunlight and shimmered like golden necklace set with jewels on Mogul Queen’s heaving chest in the moonlit Shalimar garden. I wished to write an elegy to move the stone-hearted to save the legendry lagoon from dying.
Looking at the vanishing Pukhribal in a speeding motorboat was like writing an epitaph on my childhood. As the motorboat pierced its way through the swampy and soggy water ways the memoirs of childhood flashed before my eyes like slide show of just clicked pictures on my computer. It was not once upon a time. It was just yesterday. Yes, just yesterday, I along with my friends almost on all Fridays- then our school remained closed on Friday instead of Sunday and all other holidays in the wee hours gathered at the Khawaja Bazar crossing and chalked out our itinerary for the day. We had many favorite pastimes-cycling, boating and fishing were best of all.
We often cycled to the Chasmashahi garden and Pari Mahal through the bund that started at the Naidyar and ended at the Nishat garden. It used to be a great joy ride- with vast Dal Lake on both the side of this pedestrian mall – it was like crossing an ocean on bicycle. The dipping coots on placid waters, the lone boatman singing Rasul Mir’s love song at high pitch and the fisherman spreading net for catch of the day was full of thrill for us. There were many bridges on the mall but I don’t know why we felt excited on crossing over the hump of the Camel bridge near the Nishat garden much more than other bridges- was our excitement out of our admiration for the architectural beauty of this bridge or it was our imagination of the great desert animal whose picture we had first seen in our English primer while learning the Alphabets. The bridge has now crumbled- and its ruins are a sad commentary on our insensitivity towards our dying heritage.
In our childhood we were as free as migratory birds that visited all lakes and lagoons around my birth burg in great numbers. Those days there were no restrictions on the movement of the natives. No one stopped us from trekking in the alpine lands or hiking on the Zabarwan, none stopped us from cycling to the lost point on the Dara Road. Those days none asked us for proof of being a Kashmiri in deep woods or busy streets- our complexion and language was our identity. The idea of carrying a photo-identity card in the pocket was alien-the only card that we learnt about much later was the library identity card in college… those days we were really as free and fearless as the fish in all our springs— Varnag, Achabal or Sheerbagh.
In summers boating under the canopy of drooping willows through cool and calm water ways was our best past time. Starting our journey through lanes and by lanes amidst vast tracts of green vegetable gardens we reached Naidyar Ghat to hire a small boat- popularly known as Dumbi Nav- from a young boatwomen- we did not know her name but we called her Margret perhaps after some character in a story prescribed in our syllabus. We paid two rupees as charges for two to three hours for the boat and two heart shaped oars. The heart-shaped-oars are used by Kashmir boatman only. I have not seen boatmen in any other part of the world using heart shaped oars. It could be some carpenter with great poetic imagination who has invented this oar that slices through translucent waters like mizrab playing on the santoor. Armed with homemade fishing tackles and bait for the fish we descended into the boat. The sparkling waterway passed through many a Mohallas and of these most important was the Khaoja Yarbal for its great historical relevance to our locality Khoja Bazaar. The waters around the Ghat were the cleanest- In our childhood we were told that there were many springs in this waterway that extended healing touch to the waters near the Ghat.
I and most of my friends were non-swimmers but it was love for the sport of fishing that made us to take the risk of rowing through these water ways to the scintillating waters of Nigeen Lake—for fear of speeding motorboats turning our boat turtle we often preferred to propel our boat along the shores of the lake. Those days the lake was so crystal clear that one could see through its waters, the golden and silver hued fish feasting at weeds at its bottom- I remember we could see their vibrating gills from the surface of the water. Instead of moving into the main lake we always choose to anchor our boat under shade of Chinars near the beautiful blue lagoon of Pukhribal that abounded in fish. Sometimes we moved further towards Amda Kadal for a bigger catch- and we were never disappointed, we often returned home with a bagful of fish. I and my friends had never imagined this lagoon panting for breaths in our life time. Seeing my Pukhribal dying was as good as a lover sitting by the side of deathbed of his beloved offering nothing but tears.
I was shocked – shell shocked when I was told that the waterway from Khoja Yarbal to Naidyar had breathed last- I could do nothing but sob for the Margret – and a friend who once lived in Naidyar- sorry cannot write even an elegy for my childhood haunts.
Corruption in Kashmir is More Serious Than Economic Downturn
The Chanber of Commerce finally bares the truth
CCIK for transparency in utilization of funds
Rabia Noor (Greater Kashmir)
Srinagar: The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kashmir (CCIK) has called for greater scrutiny and transparency in the utilization of central funds being issued from time to time for different handicraft schemes in Kashmir.
President CCIK Muzaffar Khan while expressing serious concern over what he said the misappropriation of the huge funds released by the centre for different handicraft schemes in Kashmir, said a foolproof mechanism needed to be devised to check the misuse of such funds in future.
“Huge funds in the past have been released and are being released from time to time for uplift of various trade segments in Kashmir, but it is unfortunate that such funds have not been spent on the schemes they were meant for,” he alleged.
Khan told Greater Kashmir there were many issues confronting the trade in Kashmir that were “more severe than the economic meltdown.”
“We are suffering more because of the things that don’t have any connection with the economic recession, although the economic downturn has affected every segment of business everywhere,” he said.
He said some “wrong” policies and “lack” implementations have caused huge distress to the state economy.
He said the central government for past many years had been allotting funds to some traders’ bodies who claim to work for the uplift of the trade. “But it is unfortunate that these organizations have not utilized these funds in a proper way,” he said.
He said there were various policies and schemes for the artisans and weavers of Kashmir but the benefits have not reached to them.
Senior vice-president CCIK Muhammad Afzal Parray said under some schemes extended to Kashmir, the local artisans were supposed to be taken to trade fairs and exhibitions held in foreign countries for the live demonstration of their crafts. “Although the funds were released under these schemes, the local weavers and artisans were never taken on such exhibitions,” he said.
He said many a time in absence of any local artisan or weaver at the international trade fairs like in Global Village Fair held in Dubai, the art and crafts of Amritsar, Rajasthan, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Saharanpur and other places were sold in the name of Kashmir.
CCIK for transparency in utilization of funds
Rabia Noor (Greater Kashmir)
Srinagar: The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kashmir (CCIK) has called for greater scrutiny and transparency in the utilization of central funds being issued from time to time for different handicraft schemes in Kashmir.
President CCIK Muzaffar Khan while expressing serious concern over what he said the misappropriation of the huge funds released by the centre for different handicraft schemes in Kashmir, said a foolproof mechanism needed to be devised to check the misuse of such funds in future.
“Huge funds in the past have been released and are being released from time to time for uplift of various trade segments in Kashmir, but it is unfortunate that such funds have not been spent on the schemes they were meant for,” he alleged.
Khan told Greater Kashmir there were many issues confronting the trade in Kashmir that were “more severe than the economic meltdown.”
“We are suffering more because of the things that don’t have any connection with the economic recession, although the economic downturn has affected every segment of business everywhere,” he said.
He said some “wrong” policies and “lack” implementations have caused huge distress to the state economy.
He said the central government for past many years had been allotting funds to some traders’ bodies who claim to work for the uplift of the trade. “But it is unfortunate that these organizations have not utilized these funds in a proper way,” he said.
He said there were various policies and schemes for the artisans and weavers of Kashmir but the benefits have not reached to them.
Senior vice-president CCIK Muhammad Afzal Parray said under some schemes extended to Kashmir, the local artisans were supposed to be taken to trade fairs and exhibitions held in foreign countries for the live demonstration of their crafts. “Although the funds were released under these schemes, the local weavers and artisans were never taken on such exhibitions,” he said.
He said many a time in absence of any local artisan or weaver at the international trade fairs like in Global Village Fair held in Dubai, the art and crafts of Amritsar, Rajasthan, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Saharanpur and other places were sold in the name of Kashmir.
Going From Seminar to Seminar
Maroof discusses life in the "Seminar Capital" where one can spend an entire lifetime in and around seminar halls
(Dr. Muhammad Maroof Shah, 31, was born in Kunan, Bandipore. He has pursued a career in veterinary medicine and animal husbandry, completing Bachelors's degree in veterinary sciences (BVSc) at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry (FVSc & AH), Shuhama campus of the Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir (SKUAST-K), and MA English through the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). He is presently posted as a Veterinary Assistant Surgeon (VAS) at the Government Sheep Breeding Farm in Dachigam. Dr. Shah is the author of two books, and has lectured as a visiting fellow at the Jaipur University on Western Philosophy. In his leisure time he pursues studies in comparative religion, philosophy and literature.)
SEMINARS IN KASHMIR: A serious academic activity or a simple time-pass
In Kashmir, generally speaking, seminars and conferences are not discussion forums but just provide a space for gossip. It is not that a properly constituted seminar committee invites papers through proper media, reviews them and then selects the paper readers – only the pleasure of the HoD counts in selection of the paper reader. His acquaintances, his erstwhile guide and his party in some business partnership are more likely to get invited. It is rare to see open invitation circulated in easily accessible medium as is the norm. Seminars have time for everything, including tea breaks, lunch breaks, gossip breaks (thak kadun) but often little time for paper readers.
I remember one experience of a seminar in which paper readers were given two and at the most five minutes – asked to present gist only or abstract only or more ridiculously only the first and last paragraphs. A serious argument can rarely be paraphrased without creating confusion and need for explanation. One wonders how funds are granted for seminars and why there is no monitoring and auditing. What for is the audit department? Some seminars are conducted only to prevent lapse of funds. There is so much repetition of time worn themes that one feels suffocated at times and seeks excuses to leave the seminar.
Here in our universities paper readers come to read papers and not listen to others and it is often seen that the paper reader is present only on the session or the day at the most in which his paper is scheduled. Organizers are unable to check the problem. Sometimes vote of thanks takes more time than would suffice for one or two paper readers.
In developed countries seminars are goal directed, issues are raised and discussed threadbare. Every Tom, Dick and Harry will not be allowed to poke nose or bore audience. Here, in contrast, few people are really interested in genuine researches and debate or discussion. People need to be dragged or begged to attend seminars and offer of lunch coupons etc. proves ineffective.
If one has some personal grudge against the seminar organizer it is rare to find him to accept the invitation. If organizers have some grudge they too are not keeping scholarship in consideration while inviting potential participants. There is hardly observed any seminar ethics. Organizers are sometimes interested in conducting seminar come what may or they are compelled to do so. Seminar organizers are compelled to beg for papers through repeated phone calls and letters to the paper readers. The paper readers don’t bother to send soft copies or hard copies of papers in advance. It is often a challenge for the organizers to gather paper readers and the audience. In a world where knowledge is the last thing on the list people have no time and no energy for seminars.
In big seminars the most disgusting thing often noticed is the arrangement for lunch etc. Respectable and aged scholars are compelled to sit in queue for a long period to receive the meal as if beggars are with a begging bowl or it is some shrine in which tahr is distributed.
Inaugural session is the least technical thing in the whole seminar and it is more a formality and could even be bypassed. But the irony is that it is in this session that most people attend, relevant and irrelevant – many attend just for the sake and fun of gathering or are compelled to attend for this or that reason. Big audience in the inaugural session is often supposed to make seminar a success.
Here almost all seminars are declared success even if no important paper has been read or more than a handful of people have bothered to attend the seminar.
Another absurdity is that paper readers are asked to stoop to the level of audience which is often lay with a few scholars as if seminars are like mahfil-i- waaz of preachers. It is not for har khas-o-aam. They are primarily for the concerned, the specialists. If we are to evaluate utility of seminars it might be asked what significant papers have come out of them in Kashmir. Derrida became world famous for his paper that introduced deconstruction in a seminar. One could well ask the authorities here which paper has created history or even ripples. If any paper could it would, most probably, not be accepted or understood. It is an observation of many people in the seminars that only lunches are the most remarkable things about our seminars. And who takes seminars seriously. Perhaps it is in the logical order of things as there are hardly any serious seminars and serious deliberations though themes are often weighty. There are examples where students who can’t even pronounce words correctly are allowed to present papers.
Why conduct seminars? If nothing substantial is to be achieved or planned to be achieved and no specific agenda is there why waste money on it? It is a routine that the same faces, with little variation, will present papers in departmental seminars across decades and there is not much innovation in the subject chosen for seminars. It seems as if departments are taking it as a hobby and a feast. Papers are often not presented before the date of seminar as they should be normally and they are not distributed in the audience. Sometimes discussion on papers is not allowed or just skipped. Sometimes scheduled papers are not read as some more assertive and manipulating persons manage to take extra time or the chief guest takes time to come or spends too much time with his presidential remarks. How humiliating it is for certain paper readers to beg the seminar organizer for a space to read his paper as happens often here? It is almost routinely observed that time schedule is hardly observe neither by the organizers nor by the paper readers and sometimes discussion takes too long a time at the sacrifice of another paper reader. But who bothers? It is rare to observe pin drop silence and rapt attention from the audience in seminars. Side-talks and even attending to phone calls is not a rare sight in our seminars.
Abstracts are normally submitted weeks before the seminar but here, especially in humanities departments, little consideration is paid to abstract submission. There are examples where scholars have no time for writing papers and they just jot a few lines at the last moment to make a paper out of it and even don’t give full length paper after many requests from concerned authorities. Even extempore lectures are deemed to be papers and justify one’s claim to receive an honorarium.
How many seminars have created noticeable impact in academic circles nationally or internationally?
There are examples where the same paper is read in many seminars. Very few scholars take pains to write really original papers. There is much repetition, appropriation and cut pasting from other works with little creativity. Very few scholars care to avoid plagiarism and if one goes by the strict laws that are operational in most developed countries most of our authors/paper readers would find themselves charged – and not unwarrantably so – with plagiarism.
Often it has been noticed that the papers are not quite relevant and widely deviate from the theme proposed. Yes almost anything goes in this part of the world which believes in “democracy” of education and generously tolerates all kinds of abuses in academic industry. It is good to impress upon the concerned authorities to conduct seminars but it is necessary to ensure that a seminar in the real sense of the word is conducted instead of a gossip show.
Occasionally good seminars are held and a few good papers are read and discussed but that only proves the rule of general indifference towards this important academic activity.
I am not opposing holding of seminars but only emphasizing the need of holding them in real spirit. Otherwise it is better to divert seminar budget to finance scholarships for meritorious students and projects or some similar activity. It is at the cost of taxpayers that seminars are conducted and they have every right to demand proper use of their money from the authorities. Seminar as an important academic institution or a concept is virtually dead in the valley and needs to be revived. Seminars are crucial for academic health and the diseased state of academics in the valley is attributable to the virtual absence of healthy critical activity that seminars are supposed to carry.
(Dr. Muhammad Maroof Shah, 31, was born in Kunan, Bandipore. He has pursued a career in veterinary medicine and animal husbandry, completing Bachelors's degree in veterinary sciences (BVSc) at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry (FVSc & AH), Shuhama campus of the Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir (SKUAST-K), and MA English through the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). He is presently posted as a Veterinary Assistant Surgeon (VAS) at the Government Sheep Breeding Farm in Dachigam. Dr. Shah is the author of two books, and has lectured as a visiting fellow at the Jaipur University on Western Philosophy. In his leisure time he pursues studies in comparative religion, philosophy and literature.)
SEMINARS IN KASHMIR: A serious academic activity or a simple time-pass
In Kashmir, generally speaking, seminars and conferences are not discussion forums but just provide a space for gossip. It is not that a properly constituted seminar committee invites papers through proper media, reviews them and then selects the paper readers – only the pleasure of the HoD counts in selection of the paper reader. His acquaintances, his erstwhile guide and his party in some business partnership are more likely to get invited. It is rare to see open invitation circulated in easily accessible medium as is the norm. Seminars have time for everything, including tea breaks, lunch breaks, gossip breaks (thak kadun) but often little time for paper readers.
I remember one experience of a seminar in which paper readers were given two and at the most five minutes – asked to present gist only or abstract only or more ridiculously only the first and last paragraphs. A serious argument can rarely be paraphrased without creating confusion and need for explanation. One wonders how funds are granted for seminars and why there is no monitoring and auditing. What for is the audit department? Some seminars are conducted only to prevent lapse of funds. There is so much repetition of time worn themes that one feels suffocated at times and seeks excuses to leave the seminar.
Here in our universities paper readers come to read papers and not listen to others and it is often seen that the paper reader is present only on the session or the day at the most in which his paper is scheduled. Organizers are unable to check the problem. Sometimes vote of thanks takes more time than would suffice for one or two paper readers.
In developed countries seminars are goal directed, issues are raised and discussed threadbare. Every Tom, Dick and Harry will not be allowed to poke nose or bore audience. Here, in contrast, few people are really interested in genuine researches and debate or discussion. People need to be dragged or begged to attend seminars and offer of lunch coupons etc. proves ineffective.
If one has some personal grudge against the seminar organizer it is rare to find him to accept the invitation. If organizers have some grudge they too are not keeping scholarship in consideration while inviting potential participants. There is hardly observed any seminar ethics. Organizers are sometimes interested in conducting seminar come what may or they are compelled to do so. Seminar organizers are compelled to beg for papers through repeated phone calls and letters to the paper readers. The paper readers don’t bother to send soft copies or hard copies of papers in advance. It is often a challenge for the organizers to gather paper readers and the audience. In a world where knowledge is the last thing on the list people have no time and no energy for seminars.
In big seminars the most disgusting thing often noticed is the arrangement for lunch etc. Respectable and aged scholars are compelled to sit in queue for a long period to receive the meal as if beggars are with a begging bowl or it is some shrine in which tahr is distributed.
Inaugural session is the least technical thing in the whole seminar and it is more a formality and could even be bypassed. But the irony is that it is in this session that most people attend, relevant and irrelevant – many attend just for the sake and fun of gathering or are compelled to attend for this or that reason. Big audience in the inaugural session is often supposed to make seminar a success.
Here almost all seminars are declared success even if no important paper has been read or more than a handful of people have bothered to attend the seminar.
Another absurdity is that paper readers are asked to stoop to the level of audience which is often lay with a few scholars as if seminars are like mahfil-i- waaz of preachers. It is not for har khas-o-aam. They are primarily for the concerned, the specialists. If we are to evaluate utility of seminars it might be asked what significant papers have come out of them in Kashmir. Derrida became world famous for his paper that introduced deconstruction in a seminar. One could well ask the authorities here which paper has created history or even ripples. If any paper could it would, most probably, not be accepted or understood. It is an observation of many people in the seminars that only lunches are the most remarkable things about our seminars. And who takes seminars seriously. Perhaps it is in the logical order of things as there are hardly any serious seminars and serious deliberations though themes are often weighty. There are examples where students who can’t even pronounce words correctly are allowed to present papers.
Why conduct seminars? If nothing substantial is to be achieved or planned to be achieved and no specific agenda is there why waste money on it? It is a routine that the same faces, with little variation, will present papers in departmental seminars across decades and there is not much innovation in the subject chosen for seminars. It seems as if departments are taking it as a hobby and a feast. Papers are often not presented before the date of seminar as they should be normally and they are not distributed in the audience. Sometimes discussion on papers is not allowed or just skipped. Sometimes scheduled papers are not read as some more assertive and manipulating persons manage to take extra time or the chief guest takes time to come or spends too much time with his presidential remarks. How humiliating it is for certain paper readers to beg the seminar organizer for a space to read his paper as happens often here? It is almost routinely observed that time schedule is hardly observe neither by the organizers nor by the paper readers and sometimes discussion takes too long a time at the sacrifice of another paper reader. But who bothers? It is rare to observe pin drop silence and rapt attention from the audience in seminars. Side-talks and even attending to phone calls is not a rare sight in our seminars.
Abstracts are normally submitted weeks before the seminar but here, especially in humanities departments, little consideration is paid to abstract submission. There are examples where scholars have no time for writing papers and they just jot a few lines at the last moment to make a paper out of it and even don’t give full length paper after many requests from concerned authorities. Even extempore lectures are deemed to be papers and justify one’s claim to receive an honorarium.
How many seminars have created noticeable impact in academic circles nationally or internationally?
There are examples where the same paper is read in many seminars. Very few scholars take pains to write really original papers. There is much repetition, appropriation and cut pasting from other works with little creativity. Very few scholars care to avoid plagiarism and if one goes by the strict laws that are operational in most developed countries most of our authors/paper readers would find themselves charged – and not unwarrantably so – with plagiarism.
Often it has been noticed that the papers are not quite relevant and widely deviate from the theme proposed. Yes almost anything goes in this part of the world which believes in “democracy” of education and generously tolerates all kinds of abuses in academic industry. It is good to impress upon the concerned authorities to conduct seminars but it is necessary to ensure that a seminar in the real sense of the word is conducted instead of a gossip show.
Occasionally good seminars are held and a few good papers are read and discussed but that only proves the rule of general indifference towards this important academic activity.
I am not opposing holding of seminars but only emphasizing the need of holding them in real spirit. Otherwise it is better to divert seminar budget to finance scholarships for meritorious students and projects or some similar activity. It is at the cost of taxpayers that seminars are conducted and they have every right to demand proper use of their money from the authorities. Seminar as an important academic institution or a concept is virtually dead in the valley and needs to be revived. Seminars are crucial for academic health and the diseased state of academics in the valley is attributable to the virtual absence of healthy critical activity that seminars are supposed to carry.
Taking the Kashmiri Non-Voter on a Ride
Sajjad wonders when Hurriyat's doublespeak will end
(Mr. Sajjad Bazaz, 45, was born in Srinagar. He attended the Khalsa high school and the Sri Pratap College in Srinagar. He received his bachelor's degree in Media and his master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir. Mr. Bazaz has over two decades of experience in journalism (both print & electronic), and he is author of the book "Bankwatch" which is about a financial scenario with particular reference to the J&K state. He is currently incharge of corporate communications department in a leaduing financial instution in J&K. Mr. Bazaz likes to spend leisure time watching movies and enjoying company of his friends.)
Are Kashmiris born to suffer?
All is not well in Kashmir. Lull before storm is a common phenomenon here. But these storms have always made common people to suffer. This geographically remote location continues to remain economically depressed despite huge treasures of natural resources enough to make this beleaguered state self reliant and prosperous. Political uncertainty has given it a status of one of the most deadly conflict zones in the world. Precisely, both, economic depression and the political uncertainty have consumed prosperity and have left the state subjects to suffer. Ultimately, the future prospects continue to be marred.
Last few months have been dominated by election fever in the state. First it was assembly election 2008 which surprised one and all especially the separatist conglomerate - Hurriyat Conference. In fact, it was ‘boycott the election-boycott’ which led to record breaking voter turnout in the valley. Now it is the Lok Sabha election which has engaged everyone whosoever matters in Kashmir scene. This parliamentary election too is not without surprises.
The fissures in separatist cadres despite fighting for a common cause yet again surfaced. First it was within the moderate Hurriyat camp. This faction announced that it would not issue a poll boycott call, a statement which witnessed perhaps first ever open altercation between the Hurriyat and the United Jehad Council, an amalgam of 13 armed separatist groups. For the first time, angry mob shouted slogans against the moderate conglomerate and burnt the effigy of Abas Ansari. However most notable development was that the protests sparked in the areas which enjoys stronghold of moderate Hurriyat faction and the protesters raised slogans in favour of Sayed Ali Shah Geelani who runs hardliner Hurriyat faction. Amid threats and protests, the moderate faction took yet another U turn and announced poll boycott.
Even as poll boycott call is in force, the Hurriyat factions still have left many questions unanswered. It is not clear whether they are fighting for separate nationhood for Kashmir or for the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir which also includes Jammu and Ladakh regions. Usually we have come across statements from these factions about annexing the state from the union of India. But the ground situation is otherwise and time and again they have proved it. Lok Sabha election were first held in Jammu region. Where was the Hurriyat leadership? The boycott call didn’t flow from their headquarters. When it comes to Kashmir, they all get their acts together to make the hapless Kashmiris to dance to their tunes.
Let them understand this that every Kashmiris’ mind probes this aspect. Shut down calls on Indian Independence day, Indian Republic day, October 27 (when Indian armed forces first landed in Kashmir to fight out tribal raiders in 1947) etc have been witnessed only in Kashmir. Why? While focussing entirely on Kashmir region, these separatists have allowed other regions to prosper at the cost of a common Kashmiris economic comfort and peace of mind.
I am reminded of 1996 Lok Sabha election. Before the elections were held, V. P. Singh visited Kashmir and held several face to face meetings with mainstream as well as separatist cadres. V. P. Singh’s visit didn’t go waste, as it was their (Janata Dal) candidate Maqbool Dar who won the South Kashmir parliamentary seat and nearly won the Baramulla seat. Surprisingly, one of the frontline separatist leaders at that time who had met V. P. Singh during his visit to the valley lost no time to call him immediately claiming credit of Maqbool Dar’s win in the election. The point is that election has been an attraction for some of the separatist cadres even during those times when anti-India fever was at its high pitch.
Analysis of some developments in the recent past reveals that a large section of separatist cadres were in negotiating mood at various stages. But circumstances were created to neutralise their efforts. Last year, various factions of separatists assembled at a seminar “Kashmir sentiment, sacrifices and realism – A synthesis” and preached that sacrifices aren’t guarantee for freedom and rigidity is not productivity. They talked about future strategy containing some compromises to move forward. Even as it was a launching pad for new strategy, the Amarnath land row emerged on the scene and pushed it to the wall. Yet again a move was set to gauge the public mood when the moderate separatist conglomerate announced not to give poll boycott call during the Lok Sabha elections. They immediately back tracked when protest and threats emanated from public and some separatist cadres. Today it has become a game of hardliner versus moderate separatists.
So what we observe that different voices with different approaches coming within the separatist ranks have left Kashmiris frustrated. Of course Kashmiris want freedom. But as on date freedom is no solution to the circumstances prevalent here. The conflict situation has enveloped the Kashmir Valley alone. There are families in abundance in Kashmir whose bread earners have been consumed during the conflict. We have alarmingly increasing number of orphan children who have lost their parents (either killed or missing) during the turmoil and most of them are wandering for support to live and grow. We have old aged parents who have no one at home to support him or her at the fag end of their lives, because they sacrificed their sons for the sake of ‘freedom’. And there are ‘half-widows’, as their husbands disappeared after they were picked up either by military, paramilitary and police personnel or by the unidentified gunmen. This is a situation which is even present in the heart of Srinagar city.
In simpler terms, who is going to pull the battered and brutalised Kashmiri society out of the miseries? Kashmiris desperately look for a future where there are no human rights violations, no bullets and no bomb blasts. They want to live with honour and dignity. All groups, whether separatists or pro-India, at their own levels have to stop playing double game with double talk. They have a responsibility to remove the sense of terror and persecution in the Kashmiri psyche.
(Mr. Sajjad Bazaz, 45, was born in Srinagar. He attended the Khalsa high school and the Sri Pratap College in Srinagar. He received his bachelor's degree in Media and his master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University of Kashmir. Mr. Bazaz has over two decades of experience in journalism (both print & electronic), and he is author of the book "Bankwatch" which is about a financial scenario with particular reference to the J&K state. He is currently incharge of corporate communications department in a leaduing financial instution in J&K. Mr. Bazaz likes to spend leisure time watching movies and enjoying company of his friends.)
Are Kashmiris born to suffer?
All is not well in Kashmir. Lull before storm is a common phenomenon here. But these storms have always made common people to suffer. This geographically remote location continues to remain economically depressed despite huge treasures of natural resources enough to make this beleaguered state self reliant and prosperous. Political uncertainty has given it a status of one of the most deadly conflict zones in the world. Precisely, both, economic depression and the political uncertainty have consumed prosperity and have left the state subjects to suffer. Ultimately, the future prospects continue to be marred.
Last few months have been dominated by election fever in the state. First it was assembly election 2008 which surprised one and all especially the separatist conglomerate - Hurriyat Conference. In fact, it was ‘boycott the election-boycott’ which led to record breaking voter turnout in the valley. Now it is the Lok Sabha election which has engaged everyone whosoever matters in Kashmir scene. This parliamentary election too is not without surprises.
The fissures in separatist cadres despite fighting for a common cause yet again surfaced. First it was within the moderate Hurriyat camp. This faction announced that it would not issue a poll boycott call, a statement which witnessed perhaps first ever open altercation between the Hurriyat and the United Jehad Council, an amalgam of 13 armed separatist groups. For the first time, angry mob shouted slogans against the moderate conglomerate and burnt the effigy of Abas Ansari. However most notable development was that the protests sparked in the areas which enjoys stronghold of moderate Hurriyat faction and the protesters raised slogans in favour of Sayed Ali Shah Geelani who runs hardliner Hurriyat faction. Amid threats and protests, the moderate faction took yet another U turn and announced poll boycott.
Even as poll boycott call is in force, the Hurriyat factions still have left many questions unanswered. It is not clear whether they are fighting for separate nationhood for Kashmir or for the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir which also includes Jammu and Ladakh regions. Usually we have come across statements from these factions about annexing the state from the union of India. But the ground situation is otherwise and time and again they have proved it. Lok Sabha election were first held in Jammu region. Where was the Hurriyat leadership? The boycott call didn’t flow from their headquarters. When it comes to Kashmir, they all get their acts together to make the hapless Kashmiris to dance to their tunes.
Let them understand this that every Kashmiris’ mind probes this aspect. Shut down calls on Indian Independence day, Indian Republic day, October 27 (when Indian armed forces first landed in Kashmir to fight out tribal raiders in 1947) etc have been witnessed only in Kashmir. Why? While focussing entirely on Kashmir region, these separatists have allowed other regions to prosper at the cost of a common Kashmiris economic comfort and peace of mind.
I am reminded of 1996 Lok Sabha election. Before the elections were held, V. P. Singh visited Kashmir and held several face to face meetings with mainstream as well as separatist cadres. V. P. Singh’s visit didn’t go waste, as it was their (Janata Dal) candidate Maqbool Dar who won the South Kashmir parliamentary seat and nearly won the Baramulla seat. Surprisingly, one of the frontline separatist leaders at that time who had met V. P. Singh during his visit to the valley lost no time to call him immediately claiming credit of Maqbool Dar’s win in the election. The point is that election has been an attraction for some of the separatist cadres even during those times when anti-India fever was at its high pitch.
Analysis of some developments in the recent past reveals that a large section of separatist cadres were in negotiating mood at various stages. But circumstances were created to neutralise their efforts. Last year, various factions of separatists assembled at a seminar “Kashmir sentiment, sacrifices and realism – A synthesis” and preached that sacrifices aren’t guarantee for freedom and rigidity is not productivity. They talked about future strategy containing some compromises to move forward. Even as it was a launching pad for new strategy, the Amarnath land row emerged on the scene and pushed it to the wall. Yet again a move was set to gauge the public mood when the moderate separatist conglomerate announced not to give poll boycott call during the Lok Sabha elections. They immediately back tracked when protest and threats emanated from public and some separatist cadres. Today it has become a game of hardliner versus moderate separatists.
So what we observe that different voices with different approaches coming within the separatist ranks have left Kashmiris frustrated. Of course Kashmiris want freedom. But as on date freedom is no solution to the circumstances prevalent here. The conflict situation has enveloped the Kashmir Valley alone. There are families in abundance in Kashmir whose bread earners have been consumed during the conflict. We have alarmingly increasing number of orphan children who have lost their parents (either killed or missing) during the turmoil and most of them are wandering for support to live and grow. We have old aged parents who have no one at home to support him or her at the fag end of their lives, because they sacrificed their sons for the sake of ‘freedom’. And there are ‘half-widows’, as their husbands disappeared after they were picked up either by military, paramilitary and police personnel or by the unidentified gunmen. This is a situation which is even present in the heart of Srinagar city.
In simpler terms, who is going to pull the battered and brutalised Kashmiri society out of the miseries? Kashmiris desperately look for a future where there are no human rights violations, no bullets and no bomb blasts. They want to live with honour and dignity. All groups, whether separatists or pro-India, at their own levels have to stop playing double game with double talk. They have a responsibility to remove the sense of terror and persecution in the Kashmiri psyche.
Taking the Kashmiri Voter on a Ride
Shuhab notes that the two major political parties in the valley have made a mockery of the electorate and themselves by making pivotal references to BJP
(Shuhab Hashmi, 39, was born in Baramulla, and graduated from the Degree College in Sopore, and completed his M.A. from the University of Kashmir. He is a Columnist, and in his spare time enjoys reading, discussions and traveling.)
Kashmir’s murky poll politics
“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment." Thus goes Benjamin Franklin.
For the past few weeks a heightened campaign has been going on for the Parliamentary elections; the discourse adopted by political parties is disappointing. Unlike the Assembly elections, held in December last year, only the ruling National Conference (NC) and opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are in the direct contest. So the war of words is also confined to these two parties.
Of late it is being referred to as “Red-Green” war. Notwithstanding the claims by both parties that they are very much concerned about the Kashmir issue and it will be the highlight of their agenda in the Parliament, the course of rhetoric has completely taken a different turn; a bizarre one really. Both the premier parties, led by two families have crossed the limit of decency in debating the issues and putting forth the arguments to substantiate their positions. If Kashmir issue would have been so close to their heart most of the time in their campaign would have been devoted to discussing the Autonomy and Self Rule, the political doctrines of these two parties. First of all one has to understand that how much time an MP or two can get to discuss the proposals like Autonomy or Self Rule in the Parliament, even if no other issue is to be tabled there! Very little. So the electoral campaigning was the opportune time to talk about the niceties of these two vital proposals ostensibly meant to solve the vexed Kashmir issue. Though Autonomy has been discussed threadbare during a special session in 2000 in the Assembly, but the resolution passed was rejected by the Centre. Self Rule, figured in the Round Table Conferences chaired by the Prime Minister and was one of the issues talked about during Assembly elections, December last.
Parliament elections, according to both Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are about larger issues. So they had the larger issue as for as people’s aspirations are concerned. But what has been seen is that the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has become the larger issue for both the parties. BJP in its essence is not connected with Kashmir politics, obviously because of its right wing Hindu and anti Muslim political discourse. It is only after the eruption of militancy in Kashmir that one could see BJP’s presence in the valley, and that too was negligible. Its “cadres” mostly comprise people who have been first part of militancy and then the infamous counter insurgency platform, and had to take shelter under the political canvas where they could go scot-free. This marginalized political assemblage is ideologically bereft and has no political understanding. But the way both NC and PDP have made BJP the central debate of their campaign, it has dominated the Kashmir’s mainstream political rhetoric from last few weeks. Only yesterday a statement of NC read “PDP is BJP’s extended arm” and the PDP’s was like this; “Omar grew up in the lap of Advani and Modi”.
To what galleries both these parties are playing by exhausting themselves on the issue which concerns people the least. It is quite understandable that by projecting PDP as BJP’s wing NC is trying to paint it as a party close to Hindu extremism, and PDP by referring to the Omar Abdullah’s association with the NDA regime want to prove that he was groomed in this camp. But are people’s minds so blank that they cannot judge by themselves who is right and who is not. In fact both the parties are engaged in petty politics; the politics of exploiting the Muslim sentiment in Kashmir. This they are doing while they have been swearing of being against religious exploitation.
This brand of politics, particularly in the Mainstream camp has been further eroding its position in Kashmir. With new generation taking over the political landscape of Kashmir, it was expected that new values would be infused into the politics which was otherwise devoid of any standards. In Kashmir generally any wrongdoing is justified under the pretext of political uncertainty which has been prevailing since 1947. Kashmir has never been allowed to grow as a place where politics could get grounded in principles and values. Character assassination, both of individuals and parties, has remained the salient feature of Kashmiri politicians.
With the new vistas opening up at the global level, education becoming common and world coming closer to the ordinary citizens, it was expected that the change will come here as well. But as they say political uncertainty has again promoted the mediocre. Sitting in the Assembly gallery the picture that one catches is disappointing. Those who have been occupying benches for many terms are yet to learn the difference between “Tum” and “Aap”. Their ability to become good parliamentarians is pathetic. Their behaviour besmirches the radiant cultural values, Kashmir has been nourishing and nurturing.
The fact remains that the top rung leadership of these parties does not want to come out of this web. They continue to take people far granted and exploit them to the hilt. This time it looks that mainstream political set up is in real sense part of Indian politics as the two main parties, Congress and BJP, have also been wasting time in cajoling the voters over these trivial issues. In a big and diverse country like India, the Health and Education are the biggest issues for political parties to concentrate on, but both are missing. It is only the person of Manmohan Singh and L K Advani which merit discussion in poll politics! So we are really an ‘integral part’ of India in that sense!
(Shuhab Hashmi, 39, was born in Baramulla, and graduated from the Degree College in Sopore, and completed his M.A. from the University of Kashmir. He is a Columnist, and in his spare time enjoys reading, discussions and traveling.)
Kashmir’s murky poll politics
“Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place, but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment." Thus goes Benjamin Franklin.
For the past few weeks a heightened campaign has been going on for the Parliamentary elections; the discourse adopted by political parties is disappointing. Unlike the Assembly elections, held in December last year, only the ruling National Conference (NC) and opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are in the direct contest. So the war of words is also confined to these two parties.
Of late it is being referred to as “Red-Green” war. Notwithstanding the claims by both parties that they are very much concerned about the Kashmir issue and it will be the highlight of their agenda in the Parliament, the course of rhetoric has completely taken a different turn; a bizarre one really. Both the premier parties, led by two families have crossed the limit of decency in debating the issues and putting forth the arguments to substantiate their positions. If Kashmir issue would have been so close to their heart most of the time in their campaign would have been devoted to discussing the Autonomy and Self Rule, the political doctrines of these two parties. First of all one has to understand that how much time an MP or two can get to discuss the proposals like Autonomy or Self Rule in the Parliament, even if no other issue is to be tabled there! Very little. So the electoral campaigning was the opportune time to talk about the niceties of these two vital proposals ostensibly meant to solve the vexed Kashmir issue. Though Autonomy has been discussed threadbare during a special session in 2000 in the Assembly, but the resolution passed was rejected by the Centre. Self Rule, figured in the Round Table Conferences chaired by the Prime Minister and was one of the issues talked about during Assembly elections, December last.
Parliament elections, according to both Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are about larger issues. So they had the larger issue as for as people’s aspirations are concerned. But what has been seen is that the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) has become the larger issue for both the parties. BJP in its essence is not connected with Kashmir politics, obviously because of its right wing Hindu and anti Muslim political discourse. It is only after the eruption of militancy in Kashmir that one could see BJP’s presence in the valley, and that too was negligible. Its “cadres” mostly comprise people who have been first part of militancy and then the infamous counter insurgency platform, and had to take shelter under the political canvas where they could go scot-free. This marginalized political assemblage is ideologically bereft and has no political understanding. But the way both NC and PDP have made BJP the central debate of their campaign, it has dominated the Kashmir’s mainstream political rhetoric from last few weeks. Only yesterday a statement of NC read “PDP is BJP’s extended arm” and the PDP’s was like this; “Omar grew up in the lap of Advani and Modi”.
To what galleries both these parties are playing by exhausting themselves on the issue which concerns people the least. It is quite understandable that by projecting PDP as BJP’s wing NC is trying to paint it as a party close to Hindu extremism, and PDP by referring to the Omar Abdullah’s association with the NDA regime want to prove that he was groomed in this camp. But are people’s minds so blank that they cannot judge by themselves who is right and who is not. In fact both the parties are engaged in petty politics; the politics of exploiting the Muslim sentiment in Kashmir. This they are doing while they have been swearing of being against religious exploitation.
This brand of politics, particularly in the Mainstream camp has been further eroding its position in Kashmir. With new generation taking over the political landscape of Kashmir, it was expected that new values would be infused into the politics which was otherwise devoid of any standards. In Kashmir generally any wrongdoing is justified under the pretext of political uncertainty which has been prevailing since 1947. Kashmir has never been allowed to grow as a place where politics could get grounded in principles and values. Character assassination, both of individuals and parties, has remained the salient feature of Kashmiri politicians.
With the new vistas opening up at the global level, education becoming common and world coming closer to the ordinary citizens, it was expected that the change will come here as well. But as they say political uncertainty has again promoted the mediocre. Sitting in the Assembly gallery the picture that one catches is disappointing. Those who have been occupying benches for many terms are yet to learn the difference between “Tum” and “Aap”. Their ability to become good parliamentarians is pathetic. Their behaviour besmirches the radiant cultural values, Kashmir has been nourishing and nurturing.
The fact remains that the top rung leadership of these parties does not want to come out of this web. They continue to take people far granted and exploit them to the hilt. This time it looks that mainstream political set up is in real sense part of Indian politics as the two main parties, Congress and BJP, have also been wasting time in cajoling the voters over these trivial issues. In a big and diverse country like India, the Health and Education are the biggest issues for political parties to concentrate on, but both are missing. It is only the person of Manmohan Singh and L K Advani which merit discussion in poll politics! So we are really an ‘integral part’ of India in that sense!
Saving Kashmir by Preserving its "Green Gold"
Iftikar suggests a model for preservation of forests based on experience in India
Need of a Chipko Movement
Iftikar Rashid Wani
During the United Nations Conference on Human Environment at Stockholm in 1972 when there were hectic deliberations to formulate the strategies to protect the human environment, perhaps nobody was aware about a powerful grass roots level environmental movement that later came to be known as Chipko Movement. Emerging in the isolated Garhwal (Uttrakand), a Himalaya hill village thousands of kilometers far from the Stockholm Conference, it was actually started by the illiterate villagers who were totally ignorant about the major event, but were the victims of highly destructive floods and land slides because of destruction of forests.
This movement was started by the people against the cutting down of trees for sports goods by the contractors. It soon became a popular movement to protect trees from being felled, and women of the hills took active part in it and mobilized others to put a stoppage on tree felling. Many social activists dedicated their services for the noble cause of tree protection; however, it was Sunder Lal Bahuguna, a prominent social leader who raised the slogan Chipko. The inhabitants of the hilly area responded by declaring trees as their brothers and formed a human chain around the tree when influential contractors used official machinery to crush the sentiments of people about protection of trees.
The situation is not so different in Jammu and Kashmir. Here the forests which harbors most of the biodiversity and are rendering invaluable services to the humanity are at the verge of extinction. Forest is the most important natural resource gifted by the God to mankind. They are considered as the most valuable assets of a nation. They influence and reduce the extremes of temperature. The forests have rightly been termed as the “Green gold”. Recognizing the importance of forests great Kashmiri saint, Shiekh-ul-Aalm, hundreds years ago has rightly said “Un poshy tely yelay von poshey”. Notwithstanding the goods and services provided by forests their destruction is rampant through out the world. The plunderers are looting the green gold to satisfy their greed.
In the name of development we are destroying these forests that represent life. Richness of natural resources is past now in Kashmir. That was the time when we used to value natural resources. They even worshiped trees and forests as for them they were sacred. But over the period of past two decades things have changed drastically. Now human beings have started cutting the branch that they perch themselves on. This has lead to the environmental catastrophe and is posing a great threat to humanity. We have converted our forests into lifeless tracts. This is the state of affairs in spite of recognizing the importance of forests in maintaining the ecological balance and economy of the state by us.
Our state which was once abundantly endowed with natural resources is currently going through a critical stage. With the blessing of beautiful landscape and wealth of natural resources comes the responsibility to ensure their preservation. In the new knowledge based technology driven global economy this can be achieved only by planning our economic and environmental policies at various levels. The goal of environmental security can be achieved if all of us get serious about the problem. In the exploration and exploitation of natural resources, care needs to be taken that there is no degradation of land, contamination of aquifers, serious damage to vegetation and pollution of atmosphere. The sustainable development is guaranteed if there is balance between the human activities and nature’s ability to cope with them. This planning demands the environmental protection and ecological harmony by protecting our forests. Remember if we lose forests we will lose everything because without forests there will be no Kashmir.
Painfully enough once charming and fascinating forests of Kashmir Valley are now presenting a horrifying picture. Our selfish actions have resulted in degradation of 10 lakh hectares of forest area which constitutes about 50% of the total forest area. It is irony that the Kashmiris are unable to protect their forest area. No significant damage has been reported from Jammu Division which holds 60% of the forest area of the State. The official reports from Jammu and Kashmir Government have put the forest cover of the State at 19.95% which according to researchers is untenable. According to recent analysis our State has only 13% as forest cover even though both figures are far less than the average of 60% for a hilly state like Jammu and Kashmir. It is a fact that those 25 countries in the world which have lost their entire forest areas over a period of 50 years still survive. But in Kashmir we cannot sustain if forests are extinct.
In recent past Kashmiris have witnessed irregular climate; less snow in winters, frequent rains in odd seasons and snow even in April and May. Nature has sounded an alarm and if we still remain ignorant towards the problem there would be no Kashmiris in coming years. Thus it is now the need of the hour to start a public campaign on the pattern of Chipko Movement so that the forests thrive. For that prominent section of the society like religious preachers, imams, respected elders of the locality can play the role of saviors by awaking the people at grass roots level. Besides electronic and print media, NGOs, teachers and students are the other vital parts for promoting this noble cause of protecting the forest; and together we can ensure and compel the government to think about the revival and the future safety of forests for our own safety.
(Rising Kashmir)
Need of a Chipko Movement
Iftikar Rashid Wani
During the United Nations Conference on Human Environment at Stockholm in 1972 when there were hectic deliberations to formulate the strategies to protect the human environment, perhaps nobody was aware about a powerful grass roots level environmental movement that later came to be known as Chipko Movement. Emerging in the isolated Garhwal (Uttrakand), a Himalaya hill village thousands of kilometers far from the Stockholm Conference, it was actually started by the illiterate villagers who were totally ignorant about the major event, but were the victims of highly destructive floods and land slides because of destruction of forests.
This movement was started by the people against the cutting down of trees for sports goods by the contractors. It soon became a popular movement to protect trees from being felled, and women of the hills took active part in it and mobilized others to put a stoppage on tree felling. Many social activists dedicated their services for the noble cause of tree protection; however, it was Sunder Lal Bahuguna, a prominent social leader who raised the slogan Chipko. The inhabitants of the hilly area responded by declaring trees as their brothers and formed a human chain around the tree when influential contractors used official machinery to crush the sentiments of people about protection of trees.
The situation is not so different in Jammu and Kashmir. Here the forests which harbors most of the biodiversity and are rendering invaluable services to the humanity are at the verge of extinction. Forest is the most important natural resource gifted by the God to mankind. They are considered as the most valuable assets of a nation. They influence and reduce the extremes of temperature. The forests have rightly been termed as the “Green gold”. Recognizing the importance of forests great Kashmiri saint, Shiekh-ul-Aalm, hundreds years ago has rightly said “Un poshy tely yelay von poshey”. Notwithstanding the goods and services provided by forests their destruction is rampant through out the world. The plunderers are looting the green gold to satisfy their greed.
In the name of development we are destroying these forests that represent life. Richness of natural resources is past now in Kashmir. That was the time when we used to value natural resources. They even worshiped trees and forests as for them they were sacred. But over the period of past two decades things have changed drastically. Now human beings have started cutting the branch that they perch themselves on. This has lead to the environmental catastrophe and is posing a great threat to humanity. We have converted our forests into lifeless tracts. This is the state of affairs in spite of recognizing the importance of forests in maintaining the ecological balance and economy of the state by us.
Our state which was once abundantly endowed with natural resources is currently going through a critical stage. With the blessing of beautiful landscape and wealth of natural resources comes the responsibility to ensure their preservation. In the new knowledge based technology driven global economy this can be achieved only by planning our economic and environmental policies at various levels. The goal of environmental security can be achieved if all of us get serious about the problem. In the exploration and exploitation of natural resources, care needs to be taken that there is no degradation of land, contamination of aquifers, serious damage to vegetation and pollution of atmosphere. The sustainable development is guaranteed if there is balance between the human activities and nature’s ability to cope with them. This planning demands the environmental protection and ecological harmony by protecting our forests. Remember if we lose forests we will lose everything because without forests there will be no Kashmir.
Painfully enough once charming and fascinating forests of Kashmir Valley are now presenting a horrifying picture. Our selfish actions have resulted in degradation of 10 lakh hectares of forest area which constitutes about 50% of the total forest area. It is irony that the Kashmiris are unable to protect their forest area. No significant damage has been reported from Jammu Division which holds 60% of the forest area of the State. The official reports from Jammu and Kashmir Government have put the forest cover of the State at 19.95% which according to researchers is untenable. According to recent analysis our State has only 13% as forest cover even though both figures are far less than the average of 60% for a hilly state like Jammu and Kashmir. It is a fact that those 25 countries in the world which have lost their entire forest areas over a period of 50 years still survive. But in Kashmir we cannot sustain if forests are extinct.
In recent past Kashmiris have witnessed irregular climate; less snow in winters, frequent rains in odd seasons and snow even in April and May. Nature has sounded an alarm and if we still remain ignorant towards the problem there would be no Kashmiris in coming years. Thus it is now the need of the hour to start a public campaign on the pattern of Chipko Movement so that the forests thrive. For that prominent section of the society like religious preachers, imams, respected elders of the locality can play the role of saviors by awaking the people at grass roots level. Besides electronic and print media, NGOs, teachers and students are the other vital parts for promoting this noble cause of protecting the forest; and together we can ensure and compel the government to think about the revival and the future safety of forests for our own safety.
(Rising Kashmir)
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