A Perspective on Gilgit-Baltistan

Zafar discusses the schism that exists between Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and AJK

(Mr. Zafar Iqbal, 32, was born in village Tarar, Rawalakot, in the Poonch district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He did his early schooling in a private school, matriculating through examinations conducted by the Mirpur Educational Board, and completed his higher secondary education from the Government Degree College in Rawalakot. He received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Rawalakot campus), and his M.A. in Mass Communication from the Punjab University in Pakistan. He received international scholarships to attend the International Summer School at the University of Oslo in 2005 receiving a Graduate Diploma in Media Studies, and the Nottingham Trent University, U.K., in 2006-2008 receiving M.A. in Media & Globalization. Mr. Iqbal has been a journalist working in the print and TV media since 1999 and is very active in human rights, earthquake relief and rehabilitation especially involving women and children, and inter-faith harmony. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Press for Peace (PFP) and the Founder-President of the Environmental Journalists Forum, both based in Muzaffarabad. Mr. Iqbal has been invited to numerous national and international seminars and workshops related to human development.)


Self Rule for Gilgit Baltistan

The people of Pakistan controlled Giglit Baltistan are going to exercise their right of vote to elect 24 members of Legislative Assembly on November 12, This significant move is component of a contested Constitutional package-“ Gilgit- Baltistan Empowerment and Self governance Order-2009 ” enforced by Government of Pakistan, which, amid strong criticism and resentment of Kashmiri political parties, received largely cheerful rejoinder from the people of Gilgit Baltistan who were struggling for their constitutional rights since their inclusion in Pakistan.

Historically, the Northern areas have been part of former State of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan assumed the administrative control of the region on 28 April, 1949 when first president of AJ&K Sardar Ibrahim, Ghulam Abbas, President All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference and M Ali Gurmani, Minister without portfolio Government of Pakistan signed an agreement in Karachi. This agreement was not participated and endorsed by the people and leadership of the region which future was decided in it. At that time Government of AJ&K had no representation from Gilgit and Baltistan and then ruling party - Muslim Conference had no presence in Gilgit and Baltistan like now. Plainly, the decision was made without the consultation or involvement of local leadership and people who liberated their homeland from Dogra regime by an armed revolt.

The region practically remained invisible in the mainstream political and constitutional structure of the country for almost half century. No considerable move was made to empower the local population who stayed on the mercy of Islamabad controlled local administration. During this period the only noticeable step was Northern Areas Council Legal Framework Order 1974-75 which abolished feudal system and Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) from the region. On November 3, 1999, Northern Areas Council was established through the election; however, it is a common perception among the nationalist circles that that Islamabad continued to alienate local people through Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas.

Throughout the history, the focal point of the Pakistani establishment and pro- Pakistan Kashmiri leadership confined to highlight the human rights situation in Indian Kashmir and advocating the “doctrine of right of self determination”, conversely, the people of Gilgit Baltistan were ignored both by Pakistan and majority of Kashmiri leadership. In recent years the plight of the people of Gilgi Baltistan was echoed on international fora like European Union and Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) where Pakistan was denounced for its deliberate failure Vis -a -Vis political rights scenario of Gilgit Baltistan.

Under new economic and strategic processes in South Asia, the region of Gilgit Baltistan becomes vital for the survival of Pakistan. The Kara Korarm Highway (KKH), abundance of water recourses and prospective participation of China in Iran Pakistan gas pipeline project- are few critical factors which connote the significance of the region for Pakistan and its neighbors. In this milieu, Pakistan can not afford the aggravation of local population in northern Areas where some nationalist groups already demand for an independence state at a time when separatist struggle in Balochistan and Taliban movement in NWFP region have raised the questions for the survival of the country.

In this scenario, Islamabad considered indispensable to design some measures to counteract this stern international criticism on Northern Areas issue, thus, recent ‘Self rule Ordinance’ could be viewed as an artifact of that international and domestic needs of Pakistan, however, the development has attracted by and large amalgamated resentment and resistance from major Kashmiri political voices. All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC-M) which claims to be representative of all Kashmiris even without any representation from Pakistani controlled AJK and Gilgit Baltistan, hailed the self rule for northern areas. However, all fractions of JKLF and other nationalist parties and alliances like APNA and United Jihad Council have categorically opposed Pakistan’s move. They say that Northern Areas are part of Kashmir; therefore, Pakistan can not initiate any mechanism in the region till the resolution of Kashmir dispute.

On the other hand, the cheerful supporters from Gilgit Baltistan argue that if Azad Jammu & Kashmir can operate under an interim constitution enacted by the AJK Legislative Assembly in 1974, without damaging the official stance of government of Pakistan over Kashmir, why the people of Gilgit Baltisant can not enjoy the similar political, constitutional and administrative rights?. Additionally, they allege that the people of Gilgit Baltistan were ‘sold’ to Pakistan through reprehensible ‘Karachi Agreement’ participated by some Kashmiri leaders. Subsequently, they insist that inhabitants of Northern Areas should not be sacrificed for the sake of ‘Kashmir case’ and term the package as a stride towards further political, constitutional and democratic reliance and economic development of the region.

The truth is that the majority of Kashmiri leaders who strongly oppose the package have never felt the sufferings of people of Gilgit Baltistan. Few from these champions of reunification of Kashmir have been enjoying the luxurious gains of clout structures who never consider establishing any physical, constitutional or symbolic arrangements between AJK and Northern Areas to restore the reunification of the divided State. Few of them frequently enjoy visits of foreign countries ‘to highlight the Kashmir issue’ on international level’ on expense of nation’ exchequer. Ironically, the expertise of the majority of these leaders could be judged from their pathetic knowledge of contemporary intertioanal affairs, regional geo-political developments and poor competency in English language. Others who had opportunities to grab parliamentary representation through AJK LegislativeAssembly, confined to pass resolutions denouncing human rights violations in Indian part of Kashmir, disregarding that the Gilgit Baltistan being an essential component of state of Jammu and Kashmir, also needs their moral and human support to grant the citizens their basic rights.

The enforcement of self rule regulations in Northern Areas and other current Pakistani measures are a visible sign that Kashmir and Kashmiri people are no more in Islamabad’s policies and priorities like the previous decades. In such situation, the Kashmiris should ready for some more harsher decisions from Pakistan. No doubt, it is a hard-hitting time for Kashmiri leaders to intertwine internal social, economic, political and cultural needs of all units of former state of Jammu and Kashmir with the broader national cause of self determination.

Surprise! Leading Separatist Voice Says There is More to Life Than Politics

An editorial in the Greater Kashmir pitches for ..... humanism and arts

Art Galleries Needed

It has not only been a season of ‘mellow fruitfulness’ but also a season of intellectual blossoming. The summer capital this autumn hummed with intellectual, academic and cultural activities. Kashmir University held many international and national level conferences, seminars and workshops. There has been hardly any area on which a conference or a seminar was held during the past few months. These conferences besides setting a scholarly tone in this highest seat of learning were also aimed at bringing the university on the academic map of world. The efforts made are appreciable but it is a long journey towards restoring the prestige that this land enjoyed as a seat of great learning during the period of the Sultans.

There was a time when scholars from many parts of the sub-continent and the Central Asia visited this place for acquiring knowledge. The glory of that time is to be revisited. Besides academic activities many notable cultural events that were reminiscent of the majestic past of the city were also organized by various organizations both from the state and outside. Kashmir, with its five thousand years recorded history, is proud to have its autochthonic art forms, theatre, music, musical instruments, and folk literature. The city of Srinagar for its thousands years rich history of art and culture is comparable to any great city in the world but for lack of modern facilities for promotion of art and culture it has failed to emerge as an international centre for art and culture. It is appreciable that some individuals and organizations have ventured into holding of photographic and painting exhibitions.

The Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Tuesday visited an exhibition organized by the Lalit Kala Academy, Delhi in collaboration with J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages in a private school on the outskirts of Srinagar. It is a major art event wherein more than 50 paintings of renowned artists of national and international repute have been showcased. Besides a rear painting by MF Hussain paintings of many other famous artists that included works of GR Santosh, Birveshwar Batacharji, J Swaminathan, Ram Kumar, Shuja Sultan, RV Bhaskaran, PN Kachru, Vijay Gupta, Manu Pareshkh, Tatin Das, Devan Seth, Shamshad, Himat Shah, BS Saniyal, SN Bhat, MA Mehboob and GM Sheikh have been exhibited.

A few weeks back a photographic exhibition by a prominent Kashmiri photographer of international repute was held on a club on the banks of Nageen Lake. Chief Minister was right in stating that such exhibitions in the state could encourage young lovers of art. Such exhibitions undoubtedly breed a sense of competition in young artists and help them in exploring their talent. It is ironic that such an important exhibition for lack of proper art galleries in Srinagar had been held in a private school on the outskirts of the Srinagar city. The city of Srinagar despite being a cradle of great culture does not have a cultural centre or an art gallery worth mentioning. As against the winter capital of the State has not only a couple of culture centers, theaters for performing arts but also three prominent galleries. It is no secret but a historical fact that some thirty years back the then Chief Minister; Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah had laid foundation of a culture centre in the Emporium amidst great fanfare. The centre was expected to be an icon of Kashmir culture but it was never constructed. And during the past thirty years almost all Chief Minister held promises of constructing a state of art culture centre with all modern amenities but the so far the promises have never been held. Notwithstanding the Chief Minister, announcing constructing of an integrated cultural centre in the city at the 17th Central Committee meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Literature so far there is no progress.

To see the art and culture of Kashmir valley flourish, it is high time for the government to establish cultural centers and art galleries at all district headquarters. Let’s have a cultural complex with modern facilities in the capital city. Let’s have an art gallery that attracts all.

Why Has LAWDA Failed to Clean up the Dal Lake?

Why has the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) failed to deliver? Experts - in and out of the government - say that wrong technology was selected under questionable circumstances. Dr. Kundangar's paper is followed by a comment from Mr. Khurshid Naqib.

(Dr. Mohammad Rashid-ud-din Kundangar, 62, was born in Srinagar. He completed his Masters degree in Botany, and Doctoral/Postdoctoral degree in Hydrobiology through the University of Kashmir. He served as a lecturer in Botany and Head of the Hydrobiology Research laboratory or about 25 years. Prof. Kundangar has about hundred research publications to his credit and has been actively involved in environmental studies with special reference to aquatic resources of the J&K State. He is the approved research guide of University of Kashmir, Barkatullah University, Bhopal, University of Roorkee and has supervised a number of M Phil candidates and PhD scholars. He has been the Chief Investigator of various state and centrally sponsored minor and major research projects. He was a founder Director Research & Development, J&K Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, and preceding retirement from the government service served as Principal of the Degree College. Dr Kundangar is the author of a number of books and is the Dean of Academics and the Head of the Department of Lake Sciences and Water Management in the SSM College of Engineering, the only privately run engineering institute in the valley. Dr Kundangar has been the consultant ecologist for various J&K government departments and a member of the Wetland Committee set up by Government of India. He has attended number of National and International conferences and toured various Asian and European countries.

Mr. Khurshid Ahmed Naqib, served briefly as the Vice Chairman (VC) of LAWDA, is a graduate of the University of Kashmir. He completed a diploma in hotel and hospitality management from Tamil Nadu and s course in Marketing with focus on tourism from the World Tourism Organization, Turin, Italy, and took credits in MBA (International marketing) from the University of Oklohoma. After joining the state service, he became the head of the She-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), and Managing Director of the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Authority (JKTDC). As the VC of LWDA, he was the first executive to tackle enroachment of the Dal Lake with some degree of success by relocating two fishermen colonies.)

Dal Cleaning Project: No need to teach, we already know this

FEEDBACK BY DR. MUHAMMAD RASHID-UD-DIN KUNDANGAR

In their article in the Greater Kashmir, Aswin Dinakar and others had tried to explain the Constructed Wetlands and their applicability in a lucid and simple language. I as a student of aquatic ecology appreciate their efforts but would like to convey them and to learned readers of GK that what authors have written about Constructed Wetlands and their role in wastewater management is not Greek to the scientists of this part of the world.

We in Kashmir acknowledge the fact that Constructed Wetlands comprise an amazing diversity of managed ecosystems and provide an impressive array of water quality improvement mechanisms, have successfully carried out research studies on Constructed Wetlands both in situ and ex situ conditions somewhere in year 2000-02. The root zone technology utilized in the form of Constructed Wetlands were carried out on experimental basis and simultaneously under in situ microcosm experiments under the Research and Development programme of LAWDA and it was observed that Phragmites communis and Typha angustata can accumulate maximum nitrogen up to 45% and 58% respectively, similarly the phosphorus accumulation in Typha was 88% while in Phragmites it was 177%. In Lemna sp. and Salvinia natans accumulation of Potassium was 242.8% and 15.3% respectively besides other nutrients. The findings revealed that a uni model series of Constructed Wetlands can reduce nitrogen by 70% and Phosphorus by 73%.

We are also aware of the fact that the Constructed Wetlands have gained momentum in Developed countries like Scandinavia, U.K., Australia, New Zealand, U.S.A and also in developing Asian countries like Nepal, Bangladesh and India. The technology is cost effective, independent of electric energy and suitable under Kashmir conditions but unfortunately not viable to our politicians and people with vested interests.

Constructed Wetlands has also been recommended by the Wetland International experts in their MAP on Wular Lake which reads as, “The villages in the proximity of the Southern part of Wular are scattered and waste water generated from these habitation shall be taken care of by using Wetlands Mediated Technology -- The goal of using wastewater treatment through wetland mediated technologies is for the removal of contaminants from the water in order to decrease the possibility of detrimental impacts on humans and aquatic ecosystem -- It is proposed to construct treatment Wetlands in 10 villages in Southern lake periphery to control diffused sources of pollution -- A pre-treatment tank will be constructed before allowing sewage to enter into the constructed wetland system, each unit will comprise of different types of aquatic vegetation based on their nutrient uptake capacity.”

Even on date, our juvenile civil engineers in SSM College of Engineering and Technology very recently have completed a project envisaging, ‘constructed Wetland for treatment of Wastewaters’ for Parihaspora village. According to these authors they have been able to remove Nitrate and phosphate by about 65% besides lowering number of hazardous elements using Typha angustata, Phragmites communis in associations with Lemna minor in the Constructed Wetlands. There is no doubt that the Constructed Wetlands is the most successful Technology which could be considered in our valley for the conservation of lakes and other degraded aquatic ecosystems but the million dollar question is, Who are the takers of this technology?

When the Constructed Wetlands Technology was recommended and strongly advocated for Dal Lake, the authorities at the highest level had already entered into a “DEAL” and thus the advocates of this technology (R&D Wing) had to face the wrath. People with vested interests saw to it that all these scientists are sacked and not only the entire Research and Development Wing was wound up but the entire building housing the LAWDA research labs. was handed over to the Health Department. Scientists at LAWDA were humiliated and entrusted with peculiar and unfamiliar jobs like works supervisors, monitoring squads, gauge readers and rendered headless and redundant. The enraged bosses of the time made them subservient to the Engineering wings and had to work under their thumb and dictations. They were taught to use tamed parrot like words before the visitors to give an impression that the lake is improving and pristine glory of the lake is being restored.

I am of the firm opinion that the present Sewage Treatment System is a failure and disastrous for both Dal and Nigeen lake and in near future the condition of the Nigeen lake will be as that of the Brarinambal (it will turn into a stinking cesspool). My scientific observations on the basis of independent monitoring and surveillance is confirmed by the recent status report of State Pollution Control Board (May-July, 2009) and it bears testimony to the fact that the Dal waters are deteriorating at an alarming rate due to malfunctioning of STP’s and with drastic changes in physico-chemical parameters, biodiversity and perpetual obnoxious algal blooms.

The onus of failures of Dal lake conservation programme solely lies on the so called Consultants of Roorkee and the temporarily hired experts who have managed their entry through foul means and also for advocating for adoption of STP’s, proven as failure under Kashmir climatic conditions.

Dal Cleaning Project: Some Facts

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: KHURSHID AHMED NAQIB

This refers to Dr.Kundangar‘s article ‘Dal cleaning Project’ published in the Greater Kashmir newspaper. Dr. Kundangar has been forthright in his observations regarding the inefficiency of the present Sewage Treatment Plants (STP’s) and the untapped potential of wetland technology for the Dal lake conservation. Having been at the leading and encouraging end of Dr. Kundangar’s recommended technology I would like to add a few facts for the benefit of those who are concerned about the state of the Lake, although sadly it seems there are not many of them in the state.

‘Root Zone Technology’ was started during my tenure in LWDA on experimental basis. The experiments gave encouraging results. Unfortunately, tapping this technology fully could not be carried forward on a bigger scale after our ouster. In simple terms the root zone technology system has low maintenance cost since it involves no machinery and also requires negligible operation and monitoring costs. Root Technology enhances landscape and provides right habitat for birds. In other words this amounts to artificially constructed wetland. With limited funds and lack of proper infrastructure ( i.e. electricity) , this could have been the answer for many of the areas of Srinagar where untreated sewage finds its way to the lake. Research supports that this technology is not only cost effective but sustainable as well. Regarding DK’s observation on STPS, he has missed a point, deliberately or otherwise. For his recollection ,and the readers who follow the trail of articles declaring the slow demise of ‘Dal Lake’ regularly,

I would like them to refer to my article carried by Greater Kashmir I had provided some key facts and remarks regarding the STPs. Unfortunately no one including the State and followers of the lake ecology reacted to those facts. I had written the article with an aim and hope that a discussion would follow and facts would come to light and eventually right steps would be taken for restoration of the Lake ecology. At that time even Dr,Kundangar thought it wise to remain silent. His observations on STP technology now adopted by LAWDA were recorded and circulated in my time.. Even in the presentation given by the AHEC way back in 2001-2002 and presided by the present Chief Minister of J&K , I as the VC of LWDA had stopped AHEC from making a commercial presentation in a scientific session, .What happened after our suspension is history. Someone needs to probe and investigate the files (if in existence} and make public our remarks.

Last Word: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on technology used in Dal Cleaning in 2006-2007 - says LAWDA's is Lying

CAG Pulls up LAWDA on STPs Around Kashmir's Dal Lake (18 May 2007)

Srinagar: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has pulled up the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) for going ahead with the construction of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) around the periphery of the famous Dal Lake in Kashmir despite the central government's serious reservations about these.

In a report, the CAG said the Dal Lake has been used as a receptacle for large quantities of waste water and untreated human wastes from the peripheral areas through a number of drains that enter into it. With a view to arresting the inflow of waste water and sewage into the Dal Lake, LAWDA proposed the installationof six STPs at different spots around its periphery, it added.

However, the report said the Union Urban Development Ministry expressed doubt over the effectiveness of the STPs during cold weather conditions and the sustainability of huge maintenance costs.

Audit scrutiny also revealed that the project report did not include a plan for connecting houses to treatment plants.

Despite concerns expressed by the Union Ministry, LAWDA in August 2004 allotted the construction of three STPs at Hazratbal, Laam (Nishat) and Habak to a private firm at a cost of Rs 8.90 crore with the scheduled date of completion as May 2005.

Out of the three STPs, the ones at Hazratbal and Habak had been commissioned during February and April 2006, the report said. In October 2006, LAWDA claimed that the STPs were working efficiently and that the Dal Lake's health would improve after all the STPs were completed and commissioned.

However, according to an analytical report of the research and monitoring division of LAWDA in August 2006, concentration of some of the nutrients present in the waste water increased at the outflow stage vis-a-vis inflow stage despite receiving treatment at STPs.

The percentage efficiency of the two STPs ranged between 63.39 and (-) 366.3. Also, the STPs did not match the prescribed norms, particularly with regard to inorganic nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, the report said.

According to the report, measures were required to be taken for effective treatment of sewage to prevent detrimental impact on the lake ecology as entry of raw sewage was one of the major causes of its enhanced eutrophy.

LAWDA's contention in October 2006 that the STPs were working efficiently was, therefore, not acceptable, the CAG said.

The Unspoken Problem

Khayal zooms in on criminal violence in Kashmir

(Mr. Ghulam Nabi Khayal, 70, was born in Srinagar. He received his schooling and college education in Srinagar, and completed his Masters degree in English. Mr. Khayal is considered a doyen among Kashmiiri journalists, having worked for both Indian and international newspapers like the Statesman, India Today, the Guardian, Voice of America, and others. He is also a topnotch Kashmiri writer having bagged numerous awards at local, national and international levels, including the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1975. Mr. Khayal has published 24 books in Kashmiri, Urdu and English languages. He is the owner of a journal, Voice of Kashmir, published weekly from Srinagar.)


KASHMIR TODAY ... CRADLE OF CRIME?

Srinagar: Probably it was in these columns sometime back when I wrote that up to the 50th year of my life, I had heard of only of a couple of murders; one having been committed in old city of Srinagar and the second one somewhere in Shalimar area.

Today’s Kashmir, bruised and brutalized with terror-war of twenty years, has lost all its moral nobility and the crime rate has gone up alarmingly beating all previous records of the past.

The blood shedding militancy came in as a blessing disguise for certain elements that made it as their unfair business when the gun was used against innocent citizens and not the security forces. The kidnappings, rape of women, murders, abductions fro ransom, dru abuse and burglaries became so rampant that one wonders in sadness as to what happened to the peaceful and god fearing Kashmiris whose spiritual preachers like Lall Arifa, Shekhul Alam, Hazrat Shah Hamadan and thousands of Islamic scholars are now forgotten and their diktats taken as obsolete words of myth.

This has transformed the dignified Kashmiri nation into a society of ssruthless criminals though every one is not involved in this spate of crime.

The figures that follow are given by the police sources ands are hair raising when compared to the several past decades, if not centuries.

During the last nine months (January to November this year) as many as 90 murders were committed across Kashmir Valley of which 24 were solved and the rest are still under investigation.

Cases of 81 rapes were registered with the police; 42 solved and 33 are under investigation. The happenings of burglaries top the list in the world of crime in Kashmir. There were 763 burglaries committed, most of them involving vehicle thefts, 48 were not admitted and takes as false and 94 challaned. Four hundred fifty five kidnappings took place during these nine months but only 121 could be solved till date and 108 cases of drug abuse including drug peddling and trafficking in narcotics were reported out of which 36 were challaned in various police stations. Even now, all these crimes are continuing in Kashmir unabated. A slight let up has been recorded in incidents of eve teasing particularly outside the female educational institutions.

No doubt, when every Tom, Dick and harry including auto rickshaw drivers, street venders, market urchins, illiterate youths and anti-social elements inn the social set up are offered gus, the use of the weapon is boud to side tracjk and its aim to fight outn the State is brfushed saside. Insteda, it is freely iused by the so called holy warriors against theor own civilkian brethren even to settlke score pertaining to frivillous matters. The conservative fiogurs of civilians butchered during the last 20 ydears bythe. foires as well as by the militants has lareday crossed an alarming mark of 50,000 which include infants, woman and old men. Today, each ands every locality and village in the Valley is having a martyrs graveyard. This is what has been gained out of misuse of gun by militants who are not answerable to any authority except Almighty Allah. Although the forces are accountable before their seniors, but on this side too much less has been done to bring to book the culprits and punish them despite official claims of zero tolerance and safeguarding of the human rights in this bleeding Kashmir.

One of the reasons for a steep increase in crime over the years is that the State police was compelled to take to a different course of being trained to deal with the militancy obviously resulting in their paying little attention to the curbing of crime in the society, says Farooq Ahmad, inspector general of police (Kashmir range). According to him many complex cases were resolved in no time which would otherwise create a serious law and problem in the city. He cited the case of murdering of a young student, Israr of Maisuma, by his own class mates. After the report of missing of Israr was registered in the Maisuma police station, the political miscreants lost no time to paint it in political colours and vehemently blaming the orces for disappearance of this Islamia College student. The misled youths came out in streets holding to ransom the civilian population, damaging public properties, smashing window panes of private vehicles even ambulances and destroying whatever came in their way most violently in the city of Srinagar till it was revealed to them to their astonishment that Israr’s murder was the outcome of a so called love affair simultaneously between not less three students with one girl. Who the girl was and where she belonged to? No one knew nor has any one bothered to know about her till date credentials, rather genuinely.

The bringing to the book of the culprits of this particular tragic incident by the police does not absolve this force of the blame of their being complacent with regard to a series of killings and other heinous crimes constantly being committed in the Valley without any strict action taken against these social evils and criminals in the society to go ahead with their illegal activities with a clear belief that police cannot lay its hands on them and that’s why most of them are roaming around scot free.

It may not be out of place to add here to this colum n that tens of thousands of Biharis and other labourers thronging the valley during summer, have also been found adding to the menace of rising graph in the crime chart. They are rag collectors as well as thieves. Their women go for begging and also indulge in immoral activities where ever they have erected their polethene tents for their stay. There are cases registered with the law enforcing agencies of children and people having been abducted by these outsiders who at times take them out of the Valley and sell them to goons for begging purposes. Unfortunately, they are also added to the number of our “dear” tourists when the annual figures are made public by the concerned department:
Naatiqa sar ba girebaan hai ise kya kahiye?

So What is New?

Zahid brings up scenarios that intrigue Kashmiris

(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.)

Waiting For 2010

It tells a story. The moment I sit at my desk in the morning the bookcase in my carrel tells me a story - the story of sixty three years of pain and agony. The spines of the books on the shelves read: the Wounded Valley, Kashmir in Chains, the Wounded Paradise, the Verdant Valley in Flames, the Prison Stories, Wailing Freedom, the Cindering Chinars, the Freedom Search, Birth of Tragedy, Kashmir the Disputed Legacy, the Trauma of Kashmir, Incomplete Partition, Danger in Kashmir, Kashmir Roots of Conflict, My Kashmir Conflict and the Prospects of Enduring Peace, Kashmir the Untold Story, Echoes of Freedom, Curfewed Night and many other heart rendering titles of Urdu publications. On glancing through the books on the racks in my library it often haunts my mind if the spines would ever read: The Bruised Valley Healed, the Valley Blooms Again, the Trauma Ends and Kashmir Resolved.

The wicker basket in a corner of my carrel that I use for putting old newspapers sprang a hope this Sunday morning when I picked up couple of old newspapers dated October 14, 2009, October 15, 2009, October 21, 2009 and October 22, 2009 and relooked at the lead stories in them. The lead stories read different than one is familiar with. They read: ‘Resolve Kashmir: Omar Tells Delhi,’ ‘You Cannot Divorce JK from its Politics’; ‘Kashmir on Table Quiet Dialogue, Unique Solution: Chidambaram,’ ‘Mum on Atoot Ang’; ‘From media hub, Geelani seeks troops withdrawal’ and ‘Unique Solution to K-issue Talks to be result oriented: Omar, Admits There Were mistakes in the Past.’

These banner headlines and headlines when read between the lines not only indicate change of mood in New Delhi but also provide many a leads for looking at the political developments that in all likelihood are going to dominate 2010. There are many significant points in the statements made by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah during past week and Home Minister, P. Chidambaram during his recent visit to Srinagar. Looking at the statements made by Omar Abdullah in perspective of the statements made by Farooq Abdullah as Chief Minister (1996-2002), the statements of the present Chief Minister have lot of reconciliatory tone in them. Farooq Abdullah, notwithstanding being recognized as suave and soft-spoken when he joined politics spoke in terrifyingly belligerent language. He often talked of waging a war against Pakistan and bombarding town and villages of the state on the other side of the line dividing the state. He talked of bulldozing those who demanded freedom. He often repeated at high pitch that the “accession of the state to India was irrevocable” and if there was a dispute it was about the AJK. In the middle of his tenure as Chief Minister in tune with the thinking of a US think tank and mood in New Delhi he saw resolution of Kashmir in making the artificial line drawn across the state (LOC) as a temporary measure to ensure ceasefire between India and Pakistan army as an international border. He at that time failed to understand the perpetuating cause for the problem could not become resolution of the problem.

It is historical reality that the Chief Ministers of the state lost their political idioms and phraseology after 1953 and ever since that year they have been speaking in the language of New Delhi. The Chief Ministers who dared to speak in their own political idioms were led to the exit door. It has not only been Farooq Abdullah who during his incumbency as Chief Minister of the state spoke Delhi’s language so has been true of all other Chief Ministers who succeeded him after 2002. The Kashmir doctrine of New Delhi underwent a change after it initiated a composite dialogue with Pakistan and held intense talks on track two on General Musharraf’s four point formula. The formula spoke of ‘demilitarization’, porous border, self- rule and joint management. This formula when seen in broader perspective was akin to the formula worked out by New Delhi’s think tank, Centre for Policy Research in early nineties when most of the government institution in the state had crumbled (Sea India- Pakistan and Kashmir by Pran Chopra published in 1993). The PDP Chief Minister while talking of ‘self-rule’, porous LoC, “demilitarization” which to him did not mean demilitarization as mentioned in the UN resolution but redeployment or ‘garrisoning of army’ was reflecting the then thinking in New Delhi.

The statements of Omar Abdullah, I have quoted above can also not be looked in isolation of thinking in New Delhi about Kashmir. In the context of the Chief Minister’s statement it become important to understand if New Delhi’s thinking has changed and if it is really is serious about ending of political uncertainty in Jammu and Kashmir.

The statement made by Home Minister during his visit as very rightly commented by this newspaper and as quoted by prominent Pakistan newspaper the daily times was different than the routine one. “He did not complain of abysmal law and order situation in the state nor did he talk of growing threats from across the border. There were no thunderous threats in his speeches for the dissenting political voices in the state instead they cascaded with rapprochements and reconciliations. He not only talked of holding dialogue with all shades of political opinion including “separatists” leadership but he was highly positive in admitting that Jammu and Kashmir had a unique geographical location and unique history. And there was need for a finding an honorable solution of the problem acceptable to vast majority of people. Home Minister was right in stating that any solution that fails to recognize the uniqueness of the problem will not work.”

The Home Minister’s talking of finding an indigenous solution to the problem speaks about New Delhi’s response to the models about the resolution of Kashmir problem that are being talked about at the international level by many think tanks. There has been lot of debate going for past couple of years for finding out a solution of the problem outside the primary model contained in the United Nations resolutions that allowing people to exercise their choice through ballot under aegis of the United Nations. The secondary models that are being debated in these forums include: “ 1. Aland Island Model 2. Trieste Model 3. Andorra Model 4. Northern Ireland Model 5. Faith-Based Reconciliation Model 6. South Tyrol Model 7. Sudan Model 8. Somaliland Model 9. Nepalese Model 10. Conflict Transformation.

True, none of these models caught imagination of Kashmir leaders. These were discussed in some media circles and forums in Srinagar but mostly they were talked about in Kashmir conference organized by Kashmir Diaspora Centers in Washington, London and Brussels. These models also were discussed by India and Pakistan think tanks. “In 2007 these models were discussed in an important conference on Kashmir by the Institute of Strategic Studies and Kashmir Institute of International Relations. The conference was attended by experts from India, Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir. In this conference three models were recommended as basis for the resolution of Kashmir which included 1. The Northern Ireland Model 2. the Faith-Based Reconciliation Model 3. The Conflict Transformation Model. Out of these models the most discussed and debated model has been the Northern Ireland Model. But none of these models found any serious takers in India, Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir. The only formula that was debated, discussed and dismissed in Jammu and Kashmir was the Four Point Formula. The Home Minister during his press conference at Srinagar broadly hinted at evolving a solution outside the already available models on conflict resolutions. He also hinted at evolving a consensus model that would be acceptable to the vast majority of people of the state.

True, he offered dialogue to all political parties including those demanding right to self-determination as envisaged in the UN resolution but at the same time spoke of quiet diplomacy and quite dialogue till contours of a solution of the problem emerge. The quiet diplomacy he talked of suggest of behind the scene talks rather than a direct dialogue. It seems that the year 2010 compared to 2009 would be politically hectic and more vibrant. The Kashmir leadership more particularly the dissenting leaders shall have to tread cautiously with sagacity and pragmatism rather than rushing hastily for getting a berth in first row or remaining soaked in emotionalism.

The Hurriyat Conference (M) more or less failed to analyze the niceties and nuances of the statement of the Home Minister and hurriedly announced its decision of entering into a dialogue with New Delhi without even getting an offer. The Home Minister’s statement when read in perspective of the failure of all previous initiatives in the state indicates that New Delhi this time does not want to hurry through the dialogue process under the arc of media gaze but work out a formula that would not fail on the touch stone of durability but lead to some logical conclusions.

Holding of dialogue on track two for evolving a consensus formula for finding a resolution of the problem should not be a taboo for any of the organization whether bracketed as hardcore or moderate but it should be taken as a welcome sign.

Wanted: Jobs

Shakeel-ur-Rehman discusses rampant joblessness in an area flaunting wealth

(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.)

Wanted Jobs

Given the situation in the job market out here, most of the Kashmiri youth are forced by circumstances to take up occupations which are rarely up to their satisfaction. It is no secret that unemployment in a place leads to wasting of valuable human resource.

The problem with our system is that it is flawed. Our educational institutions unfortunately still follow the pattern devised by Lord Macualay which was intended to produce clerks. This system has become obsolete and needs an urgent overhaul. While the government should take up the overhauling job, the youth on their part should enroll in some classes imparting professional knowledge or work part time to gain experience.

Unemployment is a grave curse. If we look at the situation in Kashmir, the problem of joblessness would look bleaker than otherwise projected. The problem of unemployment has in a way aggravated over the years. The valuable human resource is not being put to proper use. This is pure wasting of the youthful energy.
The non utilization of human resource capital that we have available in our state has resulted in adversity, poverty, slow rate of economic growth and a general restlessness in the society. According to one analysis by the year 2010 over 60 per cent of the unemployed will come from the educated class. So far the majority of the unemployed labour force has been educated or semi literate that is absorbed mainly by the public sector enterprises or in agriculture.

Unless the government changes its strategy, the educated unemployed would be the single largest causality of the new millennium. Admittedly, one of the basic factors for the growing joblessness in the state is the unchecked growth in population. The teeming population means more mouths to feed and more hands to seek jobs. So apart from addressing the problem of growing population, the powers that be also need to address the attendant problem of joblessness.

Another important way of addressing the growing joblessness is to drastically overhaul the existing system of education. As a matter of fact today’s educational system has lost its relevance because it fails to conform to the requirements in the present scenario. New teaching techniques have to be introduced with emphasis on practical training. Through such training, students would gain an in depth knowledge of the subject and would also gain confidence once they venture into the job market.
Apart from acquiring practical skills, the youth should try to start business ventures of their own. Setting up one’s own business would help solve unemployment problem in Kashmir in a big way. But for this to actually materialize, our banks will have to come forward. In the past couple of years what we have seen is that most of our lending institutions didn’t come forward with proper lending facility. If this aspect of the problem is also addressed besides other responsible factors, Kashmir’s jobless would surely find some work.

The Gap Between the Rich and the Poor Keeps Growing

The second most corrupt state in India has some lucrative consumer needs

Car Market

Srinagar: The car market here has witnessed a big leap for many years now and almost all the major players in the Indian automobile sector are vying to take their pie from the lucrative Kashmir market. While it is a good sign and reflects the affluence of the community, increase in disposable income, more convenience and other aspects but simultaneously has some negatives as well. The market has not only witnessed growth of number of car dealers but has also thrown open number of automobile service stations not only in the centers of the city but in rural areas. This has led to employment generation to skilled and semi skilled youth of the Valley.

The car market in Kashmir is emerging as one of the fastest growing markets in North India and auto makers are cashing in on this opportunity and offering price competitive products. With rising affordability and easy bank finance, vehicle sales started picking up in early 2000s here. The launch of Nano was a watershed moment in the automobile industry of India as the car earned a reputation of common man’s car. Affordability, manoeuvrability in crowded streets and Tata brand made people book the vehicle left and right.

Automotive experts believed that due to economic downturn and concern over Carbon dioxide emissions, people will prefer smaller cars and their predictions came right when even big car manufacturers like BMW, Audi and Mercedes also started to have their small car versions. Maruti, Tata Engineering and Hyundai are the major players who share a major portion of the car market within the State. While the Indian car market is expected to grow at 3-5 per cent during the year 2009-10, the growth in Kashmir market is well above all India average according to data available with the dealers of various manufacturers.

All the car manufacturers operating here have reasons to celebrate but consumer are left to marketing skills of sales person who bring forth the positives of the vehicle and leave the dark spots for consumers to guess. The case of fire in Nano cars brings to the fore the low awareness level among customers who trusted manufacturers blindly.

The State government needs to intervene and ensure that consumers who invest their hard earned money in buying the necessity get a fair value for their money. Consumer forums and weights and measures department have a role to play for ensuring the protection of consumer interests. At least the corporate sector cannot be left to the forces of market alone given the low level of information about cars people of the Valley have.
(Rising Kashmir)

Reliving Faiz All Over Again

The night Naseeruddin Shah came to Srinagar's Broadway

‘Evening of Poetry and Harmony’

Mukhtar Ahmad Lone (Kashmir Images)

Srinagar: It was certainly a unique combination – two legends in harmony – as internationally acclaimed actor Naseeruddin Shah lent his voice to the philosophically meaningful soul-warming poetry of Faiz Ahmad Faiz.

Obviously those present to witness this symphony were mesmerized Saturday evening at Hotel Broadway where ANHAD (Act Now For Harmony And Democracy) had organized an ‘evening of poetry and harmony’.

Reciting classic Faiz’s masterpieces – ‘Intesab’, ‘Subh-e-Azadi’, ‘Raqeeb Se’ and ‘Gulshan’e Yaad Mein’, magic of Naseeruddin Shah’s recitation itself was a practical display of his love for Urdu poetry.

“I was born in a family where Urdu was an alien language and I am highly indebted to Mirza Ghalib (famed 18th century Urdu poet) for being my inspiration in getting me introduced to Urdu language,” Shah said.

Addressing the gala event, Valley’s renowned poet, Farooq Nazki described Shah as the cornerstone of Indian cinema saying he was undoubtedly one of the finest actors of Indian cinema.

“Naseeruddin Shah is a veteran, versatile, brilliant and a kind of artist who depicts every character with élan, guts and gumptions and leaves an indelible impact on the minds of audiences,” Nazki said.

Gauhar Raza, a senior scientist, a documentary filmmaker and a poet mesmerized and enthralled the audiences by reciting ‘Bahar Laut Ayegi’, ‘Ram Mandir’ and ‘Naya Libas’ – ‘Naya Libas’ being a satire on the political system and politicians who feign themselves to be caretakers of the poor.

Later in the evening, Dhruv Sangari, performed the Sufi Kalam. He was accompanied on Tabla by Amjad Khan and on Mandolin by Siraj Khan. The trio gave a superb performance which won them the admiration and ovation from the listeners.

Finding Space For Gender Equality in Kashmir

Social Welfare Minister Sakina Ittoo speaks to Kashmir Images

(The Ministry of Social Welfare is responsible for the welfare, social justice and empowerment of disadvantaged and marginalized sections of the society. The role of this ministry has become all the more important in a place like Kashmir where many families have lost their breadwinners, youth are facing joblessness and orphans are abundant. In order to assess as to how far this ministry has been able to fulfill its mandate as far as empowerment and social justice is concerned, Kashmir Images, Special Correspondent, Zeenat Zeeshan Fazil spoke to Jammu and Kashmir Social Welfare Minister Sakina Ittoo)

“Ours is a male dominated society”

Zeenat: In a conservative and male dominated society you have risen to a top most position. How do you feel?
Ittoo: As a woman I feel good that I have risen to a top most position but at the same time this post is full of responsibilities and commitments. There is no doubt that we are living in a male dominated society but at the same time I fell that women have gone ahead not like old times when women were downtrodden or looked down upon. So, in a way I must say I am satisfied.

Zeenat: You are the only woman Minister in coalition cabinet. Do your officers co-operate with you in the same manner as they do with the male counterparts?
Ittoo: So far I didn’t face any such difficulties that my colleagues didn’t co-operate instead officials always co-operated and co-operated in a big way. In 1996, when I became Minister, it may surprise but during those days I was not even aware what politics is all about and due to which sometimes my people used to take me for granted. They might have felt that I am young and won’t be able to discharge my duties properly. But after assuming my charge I first built infrastructure of my area which was gutted down in fire during militancy period , implemented schemes for the betterment of my area and also did lot of work during my tenure of six years and in that period didn’t gave chance to any officer to over look the problem of people.

Zeenat: Given your experience in politics would you like more women to join politics?
Ittoo: While attending functions or dinner parties I sometimes feel awkward standing alone in a group of males and wish to have more participation of ladies. We are very few in this field like President (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti, My self and some nominated MLA’s so expect and wish more participation of women in future. In a male dominated society when we talk about 33 percent women reservation then how many women are there but we are ourselves at fault as educated women around us are not coming forward in politics. Don’t know the reason, why they are not joining politics. May be they are scared whether society will digest them or not and whether people will not trust them while discharging duties towards society.

I believe wherever she will work woman will work with convention, dedication, honesty and will take her job seriously. We have better examples of Late Indira Gandhi, Late Benazir Butto , UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi who have made their mark in the field of politics. Even President of India, Pratibha Patil is a woman who is running whole country on her shoulders. People of J&K needs awareness that a woman can also do better work for the community. People should give them full support from society to come forward and to help the humanity. In Assembly Elections some ladies did come forward to try their luck but people at large didn’t encourage and support them .I personally believe that they can do something good and great for the nation and also for the state of J&K. I wish more and more ladies especially qualified ladies should come forward in politics and bureaucracy to represent..

Zeenat: As a woman politician, do you favor reservation for women in legislative Assembly and Legislative Counsel?
Ittoo: Yes I do, People in India and in every state have asked for 33 percent reservation of women but nothing concrete has been done on the ground level. I don’t know why but somewhere male dominated society is feeling insecure of ladies joining politics. I personally feel that a woman is a very essential part of government machinery and she should come forward and for that people should encourage them so that they should perform well in a present day society. I am hopefully that there will be a day when this Bill will be passed and a woman will get her due share in running the administration of our country.

Zeenat: In other parts of India the schemes under social welfare department have revolutionized the areas and helped poor societies in tremendous way. Why in J&K, the Social Welfare schemes have failed to deliver?
Ittoo: I can’t say that the Social Welfare schemes have failed to deliver but our department gets 70 percent funding from the central government and 30 percent from state government .But unfortunately we don’t get funds on time and with the result we are not able to go ahead with our schemes on time. We are not able to give utilization certificate on time so that people at centre could know that money has been spent in right direction and further releasing of funds could go ahead. Then in our state as a Minister I have seen people are also not aware of certain schemes and the central sponsored schemes are not implemented properly as more concentration is done on old age pensioners and widow pensioners here but then even these widows and old age pension schemes people do not get pension on time due to non availability of funds and delay in release of funds from Central government.

Maximum money of our department is spend on old age pensions and widow pensions but sometimes even old age pensions are released after six months and a widow gets her pension after three months and causing lot of problems for her to meet the exigencies of her life and family. There are some 35,000 cases of such nature pending with us which needs an immediate action. We even tried to clear the backlog but the process doesn’t stop here, it has to go again and again due to lack of funds. Then the state of J&K is a poor state and we have lot of expenditures and these expenditures are given by the center so simply when we get money from center and with that money we cater the necessity of needy and deserving people.
NFB scheme which is quite beneficial for people but unfortunate part is that people are still unaware of the scheme. Under this scheme Rs 10,000 would be given for the marriage ceremony of such grown up daughters for their daughters. No doubt it meager amounts for the marriage ceremony of a girl in today’s time but cases are numerous and government is doing its job.

We have rehabilitation counsel and under which we have received lots of funds and have disbursed that money among the needy. This scheme is for rehabilitation of the militancy affected families. Under this we sanction pension of Rs 750 per month in their favor and also provide education facilities to their children. The major problem that lies with Social Welfare department here is that we don’t have man power available. Officers are unavailable as the posts of Programme officers, district officer, project officers of ICDS project and CDP posts are lying vacant. So until we don’t have man power and required staff how can we run the department smoothly.

In the beginning when I joined this department I saw one CDPO at a times is looking after 4 projects and now one can analyses how long he will justify his job and when already 3000-4000 Aganwari workers are working under him. But we are trying our best to set the things right and we will over come the problem soon. There is a shortage even of Tehsil officers as well and in our department we have to lot of field work in order to analyze the cases of needy people so when you get appropriate staff how come work will be done on time. In our department we appoint KAS officer as Project Officers.

We don’t have departmental programme officers due to which get officers from General department. The posts of CDPO’s are not refereed to SSRB on time which indicates that our government lacks proper system .first it was the responsibility of previous government to refer post to SSRB (which previous governemnet didn’t) so that we could have got officers. Now we are trying for it. Even the promotion of Supervisor has not been done so far. Even there is no provision for the promotion of Anganwadi worker. Even DPC’s are not held till date. Now who is to be blamed that we can’t say but these things needs immediate attentions?

In our state people are mostly interested in government job and due to which they don’t go for central schemes of Social Welfare Department. They have better avenues in this filed but they hardly care for this. Whenever I approach any deserving person for applying for a loan he categorically refuses for it and asks for a casual appointment mostly. This is the reason that our schemes are not running successfully in our state

Zeenat: It’s said that Social Welfare Ministry has hundreds of schemes but no effort is being made to make people aware of those schemes because people don’t know about the schemes so they fail to take benefits?
Ittoo: Yes we have lots of schemes available with us but unfortunately people are still not aware of them. There is a scholarship scheme for pre-matriculation and post matriculation students but mostly people don’t know how to take benefits of the scheme which may be due to lack of awareness or may be department has not given due publicity to it but at the same time deserving people do approach us. Recently, we had to close down our district offices as their was so much rush of students and in many areas people started stone pelting on our complexes so that we could extend the dates and accept the scholarship forms and up to now we have extended thrice the day of application for those students who were unable to submit scholarship forms on time.

Recently , when Union Minister for Minority affairs , Salman Khursheed visited valley I personally requested him for the extension of dates in this scholarship scheme for which he agreed and then he was also kind enough to say that every needy person who has applied will be benefited and this time around 50,000 forms are under consideration.

People of rural areas were almost ignorant of the scheme whereas Srinagrities used to get maximum benefits. I distributed cheques among them. Intelligent students coming from rural and far-flung areas of Kulgam, Baramulla, Gurez, Leh. These students were not able to highlight their talent due to their financial position but our scholarship schemes has boosted their moral and made them financially sound. We have made appointed Director for Tribal affairs so that there is a full proof supervision of the activities which took place in such areas so that there is accountability because in tribal affairs we get funds for Schedule caste and Schedule tribes but such funds are never utilized as such funds are received in March and at that time due to climatic disturbance we are not able to do any concrete work but this I conducted a meeting with all Deputy Commissioners and asked them to inform us well on time for their requirement so that we could approach funds on right time.

Zeenat: Anganwadi scheme is a great concept if implemented in letter and spirit but there are complaints that this scheme is in a complete mess. All the work is done by poor Anganwadi workers who even don’t get comfortable wages and whatever they get is always delayed?
Ittoo: Yes its true, these workers get their salaries very late sometimes after six months and the reason for that are funds that are received very late. Then another reason for delay of the salaries is the number of Andanwari workers that has increased enormously after 1996. At the time of appointments these workers are well aware that they can get a very small salary of Rs 1500-1800 but they prefer to have this job even after passing their graduation and post graduation but at the same time I have observed that our Anganwari workers are getting better salaries than the workers living in other parts of country.

Zeenat: Your Ministry has a scheme for old age people in order to help them monetarily. But till date no efforts have been made to have old age homes in J&K sate?
Ittoo: Yes its true that there are no such homes in our state as we have not paid any attention to this problem but I believe it is need of the hour to look after those respected old age parents who are often tortured by their sons, daughters and daughters-in-law. Our sincere efforts should be to look into the problem and revive their living pattern in a respectable way. I have discussed the requirements regarding old age homes with Chief Minister and with the concerned Deputy Commissioners also who have been directed to prepare a concrete plan and identify certain patch of land so that we can place the proposal before central government and ask for funds and at the same time the state government will also have its contribution in running such homes smoothly.

Saving Dal

Tanvir has a suggestion to slowing Dal's inevitable death based on a personal experience

(Mr. Tanvir Sadiq, 31, was born in Srinagar and attended the Burn Hall School. He completed his Bachelor's degree in Information technology and management from Orissa University. He is the youngest Municipal Corporator of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and was elected from Zadibal Constituency. He has contributed regularly to local newspapers like the Kashmir Times, Kashmir Images, Greater Kashmir, and Kashmir Monitor. He was associated with many programs on Disaster Management of J & K and did a couple of programs on highlighting urban poverty. He is active in State politics and his interests are writing and social work.)

Dal - My Ailing Friend

Jogging on the boulevard is like visiting an old friend, an old friend who is ailing. Every time I look at the gently swaying reflections of lit up houseboats in the rippling waters of the Dal, I get a warm feeling, a feeling that you only get when you return home after a long journey. I like to jog here not only to witness the mesmerizing beauty of Kashmir, but also to breathe in fresh air and experience this treasure while it lasts. It might not be here for long.

Last week, I jogged on the boulevard for the first time since I returned from the US, and that made it even more special. It was an overcast day, and low clouds were scudding across the evening sky. A gentle breeze seemed to welcome me as I stepped out of my car and stepped on the boulevard footpath.

I usually start my run from Dalgate, right where the boulevard road starts. First, I walk briskly to warm up while occasionally being obstructed by other walkers and loiterers--I am not the only Kashmiri who likes to come out at dusk for a stroll here. My brisk walk gradually progressed to almost a trot and I begin to feel my body warming up. I had worn two sweatshirts thinking it would be cooler near the lake--a decision I soon regretted since I began to feel hot very soon. As I started running faster and reached just short of the half-way point to Nehru Park, I heard a familiar hum at a distance and saw a swarm of people gathered on the opposite side of the road. I couldn't make out from that distance what those people were doing; perhaps they were tourists checking into a hotel, I thought to myself at the time. Nor could I hear what was causing the musical hum because the constant noise of car horns was overshadowing every other sound.

As I started to get warmer, small beads of sweat started to trickle down my face. I tried to move a bit faster to keep my momentum going, but there were more people on the street by that time, which was slowing me down. The humming that I had heard was very distinct by then and I noticed that it was from the music playing at a popular restaurant. The crowd of people that I had seen earlier were customers either entering the restaurant or coming out of there. There were also a number of cars parked outside and that was creating a bottleneck for the traffic which was backed up all the way till my eyes could see. I saw people--small kids, women, and men--cross the street, oblivious to the heavy traffic, as they made their way to either side of the road, further slowing down traffic.

As I meandered, dodged, and shoved my way through thick crowds, and even occasionally stepped on to the road to pass an impregnable swarm of people, only to be honked at by an angry motorist so I got out of his way and got back on the footpath, I noticed that boulevard has become too crowded to go for a jog. I finally reached Nehru Park 45 minutes since I had started from Dalgate--it used to take me 15 minutes just three years ago. As I stopped to take a breather just opposite Nehru Park, I remember thinking to myself that the car smoke that I had just breathed in because of the idling cars in the traffic jam outweighed any health benefits of my jog.

It was dark by then and I could see the occasional flash of lightning trace the veins of the sky. I couldn't tell whether a roar accompanied the lightning because the traffic noise at Nehru Park was too overwhelming. I usually run up to Gupkar, just past the TDC restaurant. The stretch of run between Nehru Park and the shrine at Gupkar is the most rewarding for me. The gentle breeze had started to turn into a light wind by then and the small waves it created made Dal lake seem ferocious and graceful at the same time. There were only a few people walking on that stretch of the road then--perhaps people had started making their way home in anticipation of rain. Seeing the footpath deserted, I picked up speed and ran faster. Just at that moment, the wind began to howl and lightning lit up the lake like day; it began to drizzle, and it seemed I was the only one on boulevard at that time.

The other side of the lake seemed like perpetual darkness. The shapes of the magnificent fort, the roof tops, the houseboats and the vast lake, all were visible only when lightning lit up the valley. Right around me, on the lonely stretch of boulevard, finally there was silence, and I could even hear the roar that follows lightning. When I finally reached my destination, the wooden pier just past the shrine, I breathed in the fresh air and smelled the sweet smell that follows when it first rains.

The beauty of it all is impossible to absorb all at once. I wanted to stay on that pier forever and just stare at the awesome beauty of our valley. How peaceful it seemed with no car noise there to silence the sweet sound of gentle waves thrashing against the banks.

At that moment I began to think that if that breathtaking view of Kashmir seemed so overwhelming to me--someone who was born here, and spent all his life in Kashmir--how must it appear to our guests and tourists? Will my children's children be able to stand right at that spot years from now and see what I had just seen, smell what I had just smelled, and feel what I had just felt? I am afraid, the answer is no they will not. A hundred years from now, there will be a hundred times more cars in the valley, and the boulevard will probably have been widened. Traffic jams on the boulevard will perhaps not clear till midnight. Will someone be able to stand on that pier and drown the noise from cars, trucks and whatever is plying on the boulevard hundred years from now? Our fore fathers gifted Kashmir to us in pristine condition, would it not be selfish of us not to pass it along so future generations can have their chance to enjoy it as well? If we don't make hard decisions now, the answer is very obvious that we are indeed selfish.

One logical solution is to close down the boulevard for all vehicular traffic and make it a pedestrian and bicycle only zone. It will be the first of its kind in India: a 15 km long stretch of road exclusively for foot and cycle traffic only. There is already a back road which connects all businesses that are on the main road now, and these back roads and lanes can be widened if necessary. This will be an immediate novelty and definitely draw tourists.

I will not claim there will not be initial hiccups and this will inconvenience hotels and businesses on the boulevard, but they have to understand that in the long run, it will help their business as this will be the most attractive tourist spot in the subcontinent: A 15 km stretch of walking/running/cycling track which is for the enjoyment of all.

Arshi's Dream

Arshi shares her innocent views in a world full of bigotry. Will Kashmir be an abode of tolerance once again?

(Ms. Arshi Javid, 20, was born in the Lal Chowk area of Srinagar. She completed her schooling from the Tiny Harts School. Ms. Javid is pursuing a graduate degree in Humanities at the Government College for Women, Maulana Azad Road, Srinagar. She has been actively writing in newspapers from last three years and was awarded budding journalist award by the Rotary Club of Kashmir. As a socially concerned Kashmiri youngster, she wants to contribute on local issues emanating from the turmoil.)


Tryst With Chaos

I opened my eyes to mayhem, bullets and bombs. Political uncertainty had gripped my native city-Kashmir. I was born in 1988 when armed insurgency broke out in valley. During the formative years life meant firings, cross firings, crackdowns and curfews. A long day of 24 hours was squeezed to 6 or 7 hours for us. Markets and schools would open at 10 in the morning only to close down at 4 in the afternoon. My canvas of life never brimmed with joy, it will always grim, blood oozed out of it. One left home without the surety of returning back to their homes without any confirmation of seeing their loved ones again.

I don’t remember playing with dolls or watching cartoons. My favorite toy was gun and my mother says that I always threw tantrums for buying a Kalashnikov. Conflict always takes a toll on the psyche of children. I perhaps realized the meaning of life first time when I moved out of valley for touring other states of India. Unlike me, my peers outside the valley were fearless, confident and their day extended much beyond 5 in the afternoon. I couldn’t relate to them because no political conflict pulled the strings of their life.

As soon as I realized and understood the realities around me, the conflict outside traversed in and forced me to think a bit differently. Out of sufferings emerge the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars. The changing social definitions perturbed me. The syncretism that integrated all the religions, castes and creeds was reduced to books Mistrust had crept in, friends had become foes, and politics ruled supreme, above emotions and values. Kashmiri Hindus had taken a flight to other states of India leaving their home and hearths behind. The secular social fabric which was a pride of Kashmir had been torn down. Conflict gave us a legacy of widows and orphans and they mushroomed across all the corners of valley. Women have become the worst sufferers of all and continue to reel under the fear. Some were raped, molested, made to live as half-widows-a term coined for women whose husbands disappeared mysteriously in the years of militancy. Some turned bereaved mothers and sisters. Their Hindu counterparts who left the valley during mass exodus suffocate and bear insults in the relief camps across India. Be it a traitor, a government loyalist or a militant, he belonged to a family. And, the pain of losing your kin remains the same regardless of the social tags. Recent medical research’s conducted in valley suggest that over the last 20 years women have been target victims of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Growing up in a conflict zone like Kashmir, that has become a bone of contention between two nuclear giants India and Pakistan, I have figured out that there is an immense need of addressing the grassroots issues other than he big issues that will be solved with the help of international actors. I am a BA final year student and wish to apply for social policy and social work at Oxford.

My conviction in upholding the human dignity and human rights, freedom of individual made me to participate in a number of debates, seminars, elocution competitions at my school level. My endeavor was never about getting the first prize but it was withholding the principles I believed in. I participated in a number of debates and group discussions- few of them organized by Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, directorate of ecology (Kashmir division), ANHAD- an Non government organisation.

At some stage in my high school realized a media interaction is essential for promoting the libertarian, egalitarian and secular set of ideas I believe in. I began writing on various social issues and luckily my writings were placed in renowned newspapers. While in college I began my journey as a feature writer in a widely read local daily Greater Kashmir. The earliest feature I jotted down was about Shivratri - a revered festival of Kashmiri Hindus which is believed to be a day when Lord Shiva married Godess Parvati. It was my idea of letting the new generation know that some other festival besides Eid was celebrated in Kashmir valley and how Muslims celebrated this festival along with their Hindu neighbours and friends. Besides, a tribute to the religious diversity which Kashmir enjoyed once.

I wrote on issues ranging from disability concerns, domestic violence and its effect on children, old aged men deserted by their children tracing life of minorities-like Tibetan Buddhists who are living a life of exile in Kashmir. I did a series of stories with orphans of conflict living in the various orphanages of the valley. I was awarded the best budding writer title in by the Rotary Club of Kashmir. One of my writing over disability communication has been awarded a first prize by Ali Yavar Jung Institute for the hearing handicapped. I have also worked as a volunteer for various non government organizations. I assisted relief operations during 2005 when the deadly earthquake stuck Kashmir.

If given a chance, I would like to enter the reputable university with an aim of acquiring an in-depth knowledge, using the university as a platform to share my ideas and experiences with myriad fellows. It would provide me a space for interacting, associating and trying to find a middle ground for resolving the conflicts and uplifting the sufferers. Being a woman myself and having seen women suffering around, I understand their pain and anguish. I would love to get involved in programmes that aim at emancipating the women. I will bring forth issues that woman confront, provide them knowledge about laws and legal safeguards, empower them socially, involve them in decision making and assess their role in decision making at family, work and nation.

Later in my life, I have a dream of starting a magazine which will deal with the issues of women and having a publishing house of own which will promote women writers in particular. I aim to use my energy in helping woman entrepreneurs throughout the Kashmir valley -micro-financing them, promoting them and their products. I would like to be instrumental in restoring Kashmir to its earlier position of being in the vanguard of the advancement of human civilization and helping in the restoration of its pluralistic culture. My ability will be synergized in a direction of establishing gender and gender perspectives as important themes in academic disciplines and its raising consciousness about gender issues in private life. I promise to work with utmost dedication. Most of all I will make sure that I will return to my roots and contribute towards the development of my people. Moreover, being a part of the big, positive social change.

The Ghost of Rural Kashmir

While Urban Kashmir is philosophising on Azadi, Rural Kashmir prays for the good life that city folks have

We are Born to Protest!

Asem Mohiuddin (Rising Kashmir)

Few days ago, my boss called up and told me to cover the Bandh in Kupwara the call for which was given by “Kupwara Save Committee”, a local committee which is constituted to raise the voice against the inter-district recruitment policy by government. The call was given in protest against the discrimination in recruitment process. People alleged that the people in Jammu are getting the “lions share” in government jobs whereas the Kashmir is ignored and discriminated.

It was my first visit to the place so I asked my younger brother to accompany me as he is familiar with the terrain.

As soon we reached Sopore where we saw a huge crowd roaming around the taxi stand. I knew they all are for Kupwara. The traffic was off the roads and drivers refused to leave the stand as all the roads heading to Kupwara were blocked. “People have burnt tyres on the roads holding lathis in their hands and aren’t allowing any vehicle to ply on road,” said a worried passenger.

But somehow we persuaded a driver and as soon as he opened the windows of his taxi, it was jam packed. I could hardly breathe. A seat which can accommodate only three passengers has to bear the weight of five people and two kids. One can imagine the plight of, both, the seat and the passengers.

I told driver to move and soon we were on road. Before leaving the driver asked us to pay the fair first plus twenty rupees extra. There was a verbal brawl but finally we settle down and left for the destination. On my right side there was a middle aged lady with her two young daughters who were sitting on front seat. The lady seemed disappointed and justifies the strike. She said, ‘there is every reason to hold such protests the other day I heard that for the posts of SI (Sub inspector), a price tag of six lakh rupees has been fixed. How can a common person afford it?’

As we were talking our vehicles came to a grinding halt. I saw with a sign board, it was Wahipora, a village. There was a diminutive group of children led by some elder people protesting on the road. They had set on fire the tyre to stop the movement of traffic.

We requested them to pave the way for us but they refused. Meanwhile another vehicle was also stopped. A man came out of the vehicle holding camera in his hand. He repeated the same question but the answer was again ‘No’. He told them he is from press. His vehicle was allowed but on the condition that protesting children will be pictured and the picture will be published in newspaper.

It was now my turn to prove my identity. I produce by identity card and told them that I also belong to the press and has come to cover the protest. But they disagreed as I had no camera. We have some argument finally they were conceived and allow us to move.

By the time we reached Handwara, the protest has already begun and it was led by none other than Er Rashid himself.

There were people and people everywhere, they were pouring from everywhere, from every corner and all of the sudden a sea of people gathered around. Among this crowd I sighted a visibly frustrated old man holding a lathi in his hand. He said, “I am here to stop the vehicles. We will make this strike a success. I have worked very hard to get my three sons educated. All of them are graduates now but see their condition, they ran from pillar to post in search of job and always returned disappointed as they find no job. Government is cheating upon us. We can’t tolerate this injustice.”

I heard a scream from behind I turned my head and saw a middle-aged man pointing fingers towards me. He said, ‘Who are you? I replied that I am a reporter working with a local newspaper. The man seemed unimpressed and before I can say anything he came up with volleys of questions. He commended me to right only whatever says. He said, ‘write in your newspaper that Kashmiris have been discriminated in every sphere.’ Kashmiris are not once but also exploited by none other than their own people.’ ‘Write down that to be born in Kashmir is a sin and it becomes a big sin when you happened to be born in rural Kashmir’ this isn’t the first time that we call for bandh and it won’t be last either. We are born to protest and will protest’

The man speaks with a force and that force was divine. I was shattered with his speech, I left the place in disdain, and he has done something to me. He has awakened something in me. For a moment I turn my head to right and man was nowhere. He disappeared like a ghost. I ask many who he was but no knows. Can any answer me who he was?

Kashmir Carpet Trade in Doldrums

Global economic downturn takes its toll on Kashmir's premier export commodity

Recession Hits Kashmir Carpet

Zeenat Zeeshan Fazil (Kashmir Images)

Srinagar: What the turmoil of past two decades could not do to Kashmir’s prestigious carpet industry, has been done by the global economic meltdown. Lo and behold! The recession has made Kashmiri carpet industry to face losses to the tune of 70 per cent.

“Last year, our carpet industry achieved a target of Rs 500 crore. But the global recession has hit us hard,” says Naseer Kawoosa, a leading exporter of Kashmir carpet. “We have suffered badly and have faced 70 per cent losses.”

Kawoosa says that though the global recession is almost over now, still a slump in the international market remains. “Even sales have not yet started and that has affected the production part also,” he adds.

Records suggest that Kashmir valley possess more than 29,000 carpet weaving looms engaging more than three hundred thousand (3,00,000) local weavers whose sole source of earning livelihood is weaving.

Making expensive woolen and silk carpets for buyers in Japan, England, Germany et al, the weaver has all along been in a pathetic condition as he/she gets just peanuts but the slump has denied them even these proverbial peanuts, sources within the industry say.

Kawoosa says that due to absence of buyers, the flow of cash in the industry too is less as compared to normal times and that has affected the livelihood of those associated with the trade.

“We used to earn our livelihood by weaving carpets, but now, it is almost nothing. Given a choice, most of us would call it a day,” says Hilal Ahmed, carpet weaver.

Turmoil that the valley has suffered for almost more than two decades has not affected the industry in the way recession strike industry.

While admitting that instability impacts tourism and therefore the carpet industry too, Imtiyaz Ahmad Shah, another exporter reveals that turmoil of past two decades has not affected the industry as badly as the global recession.

“Mostly our market is outside the country and then we are co-related with foreign tourists therefore the turmoil had not much impact,” informs the exporter.

Like the weavers, the exporters too are worried about the future of the industry. “It has gone down, God knows what will happen,” says another apprehensive exporter. The carpet industry of Kashmir has its origin in Persia and the carpets made here were earlier largely influenced by Persian motifs.

However, in the 16th and 17th centuries, the artisans in Kashmir began giving specialized touches to the carpets produced in the region, giving them a distinctive character.

Exchanging Cultivating Land for Monetary Wealth

Bashir is concerned how corruption in land management and personal greed is reducing cultivatable land in Kashmir. Presently 65% food requirement of the state is being met locally as against 80% previously

(Mr. Bashir Wani is the Administrator of Associated Hospital, Srinagar.)

Bleak Future Awaits Kashmir

No other community shall be as insensitive to the future of its generation as people of Jammu and Kashmir. The concept of land use and land management is a distant idea in the state; even engineering departments are no exception. Land especially wheat and paddy growing is being ruthlessly converted into residential / commercial areas. As per records of Agriculture Department only few years back 275.824 thousand hectares and 271.00 thousand hectares of land in the State was under paddy and wheat cultivation respectively.

Today it has come down to 258.526 thousand hectares and 261.49 thousand hectares. Moreover, physically the area has further come down and as per rough estimates only 180 and 201 thousand hectares of land are under such cultivation at present. This onslaught is on an increase and there seems to be no end to it with the result with every passing day new residential colonies and industrial sites are coming up across the state with least regard for proper land use. The government authorities are maintaining such criminal silences as if they are doing very good for their people. Violations are allowed with impunity. The land mafia has grown so strong that the government either fears taking any action against them or is in hand and glove with them. The civil society and self styled NGOs are also watching the menace unconcerned as if they too are a part of the game. Whatever is happening is not a secret to anybody as everything is happening before the nose of each and every person. Trison City, Cooperative Colony Narbal, Umer Abad Zainakote, Sun City Pampore, Cooperative Colony Peerbagh, Sheikh-ul-Alam Colony and myriad other beautifully named colonies at Hyderpora, by pass and other towns are just a tip of the iceberg.

The menace is not restricted to cities and towns only but has spread its tentacles across the nook and corners of the state. The worst part of the issue is that paddy cultivation is seen as most cumbersome and less lucrative so the people are also converting the said land into orchards and raw material sources for brick kilns. Section 133 of land Revenue Act though provides safe guards against such violations, the implementing agency of the Act is either in a deep slumber or has crumbled under its own weight of influence, both material and political. No doubt, some short comings are inborn in the Act but social obligations and sincerity, if exercised, are stronger elements of protection and do have over ridding effect on such weaknesses.

The softness of Act is used as a tool to earn money and good will by the persons at the helm. The suo motto cognizance by the then Honb’le. Chief justice, B.A.Khan, of this grave issue, did not yield the desired results as the orders passed by him also withered away with the passage of time either because of his retirement or these were not too strong to punish the violators and those abetting it. Admittedly, no constitution guarantees freedom of not allowing others to live or make others to starve before they open their eyes. We are heading towards a catastrophe where from it will be very difficult to retreat and our future generations will be left with no choice but to curse us. How long will Punjab state cater to our food requirements?

Besides fatten the Bank accounts of Netas and babus of Food and supplies department (CAPD). Presently 65% food requirement of the state is being met locally as against 80% previously. However, the situation is bound to worsen further if we and our government continue to remain insensitive to the issue and do not wake up. The government finds it difficult to arrange 25 to 35% of food requirement of the state at present and it would be next to impossible for it to arrange 100% food in the coming years that too when Punjab and other States are also loosing agricultural land at a fast pace.

The paddy growing land normally requires retained water for three to four months as such the water gets gradually percolated in the soil which not only raises water table but serves as future water reservoir. Thus conversion of land is threatening survival of humans, animals and vegetation. Food security is one of the preambles of Human rights and in case the government fails to provide this security to its subjects it has no right to continue in the office. As per conservative estimates at least 10% of paddy/wheat growing land in the State is every year either converted or left uncultivated, just to further the interests of land mafia, meaning thereby that by next ten years i.e. by 2020 we shall be left with no land to cultivate and disastrous situation is any body’s guess.

This menace can be stopped if the government rises above political considerations and musters enough courage to deal with the situation, judiciary plays its social role, law implementing agencies at all levels discharge their duties honestly, police also take cognizance of such violations like other criminal acts, civil society discourages such violations, NGO’s come forward to act as watch dogs and media launches awareness campaigns.

To accomplish the task a strong legislation envisaging demolition of all such colonies, initiating criminal proceedings against builders indulging in such practice, panelizing land owners leaving their paddy lands uncultivated or converting the same as orchards or brick kilns, ensuring food security to all present and future generation, making law enforcing agencies accountable and personally responsible for all such violations, besides Revenue Department, Agriculture Department made responsible for taking action against violators.

The housing needs of people can be tackled by enforcing land management and changing mind set of people to go for multi storied residential buildings at barren and khushki lands. The government shall be responsible to provide all infrastructural facilities at such places to encourage people to opt for the same.

Embrace the Future

Wasim's vision for the future is one that builds on information technology. How can we get there?

(Mr. Wasim Hussain, 29, was born in Srinagar. He attended Government High School and the Gandhi Memorial College, both in Srinagar. He has completed graduation and is pursuing his Master's degree in political science through Distance Mode of Learning. He took an English speaking course through the Islamia College of Science and Commerce and an advanced diploma in Information Technology. He has completed diplomas in web design and software design. Wasim has worked at the University of Kashmir since 2000, and is presently in the Directorate of Internal Quality Assurance (DIQA) as a senior computer assistant. He has received awards both as a student and as an employee for his performance. He enjoys writing and reading books. Wasim writes under the pen name of Wasim Ali.)

We've a Dream

Life without knowledge is hard to live in an age like ours. Man lives locally, thinks globally. To get rid of these challenges there is a solution. To make our state a computer skilled state – an information state. What does a person need to know today to be a full-fledged, competent and literate member of the information society? We all have to participate. Should everyone take a course in creating a web page, computer programming, TCP/IP protocols or multimedia authoring? Or are we looking at a broader and deeper challenge - to rethink our entire educational curriculum in terms of information?

Perhaps a brief sketch of such a curriculum, with stress on what is needed in our higher education will inspire such debate. The curriculum may help the government to formulate its policies as per the demand of time. This prototype curriculum attempts to include the old concept of "computer literacy" no doubt everyone should learn BASIC knowledge. There are seven dimensions of literacy which have been identified by various philosophers and eminent scholars of information technology.

Tool literacy, or the ability to understand and use the practical and conceptual tools of current information technology, including software, hardware and multimedia, that are relevant to education. This can be taken to include the basics of computer and network applications as well as fundamental concepts of algorithms, data structures, and network topologies and protocols.

Resource literacy, or the ability to understand the form, format, location and access methods of information resources, especially daily expanding networked information resources. It includes concepts of the classification and organization of such resources.

Social-structural literacy, or knowing that and how information is socially situated and produced. This means knowing about how information fits into the life of groups; about the institutions and social networks - such as the universities, libraries, researcher communities, corporations, government agencies, community groups - that create and organize information and knowledge; and the social processes through which it is generated - such as the trajectory of publication of scholarly articles (peer review, etc.).

Research literacy, or the ability to understand and use the IT-based tools relevant to the work of today's researcher and scholar. For those in graduate education, this would include discipline-related computer software for quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis and simulation, as well as an understanding of the conceptual and analytical limitations of such software.

Publishing literacy, or the ability to format and publish research and ideas electronically, in textual and multimedia forms (including via World Wide Web, electronic mail and distribution lists), to introduce them into the electronic public realm and the electronic community of scholars. Writing is always shaped by its tools and its audience. Computer tools and network audiences represent genuine changes in writing itself.

Emerging technology literacy, or the ability to adapt to, understand, evaluate and make use of the continually emerging innovations in information technology so as not to be a prisoner of prior tools and resources, and to make intelligent decisions about the adoption of new ones. Clearly this includes understanding of the human, organizational and social context of technologies as well as criteria for their evaluation.

Critical literacy, or the ability to evaluate critically the intellectual, human and social strengths and weaknesses, potentials and limits, benefits and costs of information technologies. This needs a historical perspective, a philosophical perspective, a sociopolitical perspective and a cultural perspective.

Once we start to take information literacy seriously in this multi-dimensional sense, we have left far behind us the world of short courses on "Getting Started with Windows," "Surfing the Net" and "Bibliographic Instruction" although clearly they have a role to play. We are really talking about a new curricular framework: one that equips us not only with a bunch of technical skills but with a broad, integrated and critical perspective on the contemporary world of knowledge and information, including its origins and developmental trends, its redefinitions of experience and social life, its philosophical justification, biases and limits, its potential for human emancipation and human domination and for growth and destruction.

Isn't it time to rethink what this educational goal means at the present juncture of the information society? Shouldn't people learn computer programming as much to become computer scientists? What are we creating? And is anyone paying attention? Is Govt. really keen to take some stern steps and make our society a computer literate society? Is there any clear policy framed by the government or by our Hon’ble Minister which would be the remedy of the challenges which may come in front of us during the period of globalization. Is there any work done at grassroots level vis-à-vis at school level which can make our students able to face every challenge in future, in view of the fact that Information Technology has equal role in all the subjects.

The State government set-up the information technology policy in the state during the year 2004 perhaps before 200 years the concept of information technology was being sketched in western countries. Actually Govt. never considered the demand and need of the people of the state and what are the challenges ahead to the students and how to eradicate them. Is there anyone to realize the necessity of information technology so that people "no longer be limited to a mechanical knowledge of the procedures of the arts or of professional routine," so that "they will no longer depend for every trivial piece of business, every insignificant matter of instruction on clever men who rule over them in virtue of their necessary superiority?" so that “people can make themselves able to access at any corner of world through world wide web”. The policies framed by the government for the development of the Information Technology are no where known by an individual there is a need to take some revolutionary steps to widen the dimension of information technology in the state and involve the interests of students and people.

In the era of globalization information technology has taken a tremendous importance at every individual’s life. Educated citizens would not only be able to manage their lives properly: "They will be able to govern themselves according to their own knowledge; they will no longer be limited to a mechanical knowledge of the procedures of the arts or of professional routine; and this would be made possible not only by improving and democratizing education but by simplifying conceptual schemes through the integration and unification of science, and the development of graphical representations of logical and scientific ideas and theories. Thus the average citizen and student of the state would be able to make the use of information technology as an important tool of its day to day life.

There is a dire need to get knowledge about the information and Science technology, its concepts and questions which carry so many queries like who owns information? What's the difference between a piece of information and a copy of it? Who should have access to it? Is the Internet a public good or a private one? Should anyone regulate internet content, and if so who? What should the property rule of the information economy be? What are the bounds of privacy in information? Could the government economic crises be alleviated by a "bit tax"?

If the Information Society is to be free - especially if we share the illumination goals of abolishing unnecessary inequality and creating a society of liberty - then let us have vision of computer literate state. Let us contribute to liberty through advancing citizens' knowledge, through democratizing education. Let us design a comprehensive, multi-dimensional and thoughtful information literacy curriculum.

A Tribute to a Kashmiri Wetland Master

Mohammad recalls the life and times of a great environmentalist named Dr. Chaman Lal Trisal

(Dr. Mohammad Rashid-ud-din Kundangar, 62, was born in Srinagar. He completed his Masters degree in Botany, and Doctoral/Postdoctoral degree in Hydrobiology through the University of Kashmir. He served as a lecturer in Botany and Head of the Hydrobiology Research laboratory or about 25 years. Prof. Kundangar has about hundred research publications to his credit and has been actively involved in environmental studies with special reference to aquatic resources of the J&K State. He is the approved research guide of University of Kashmir, Barkatullah University, Bhopal, University of Roorkee and has supervised a number of M Phil candidates and PhD scholars. He has been the Chief Investigator of various state and centrally sponsored minor and major research projects. He was a founder Director Research & Development, J&K Lakes and Waterways Development Authority, and preceding retirement from the government service served as Principal of the Degree College. Dr Kundangar is the author of a number of books and is the Dean of Academics and the Head of the Department of Lake Sciences and Water Management in the SSM College of Engineering, the only privately run engineering institute in the valley. Dr Kundangar has been the consultant ecologist for various J&K government departments and a member of the Wetland Committee set up by Government of India. He has attended number of National and International conferences and toured various Asian and European countries.)

A Tribute to Wetland Master

The term “wetland” is defined in the text of the Convention on the Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (the Ramsar Convention).That is, wetlands are “areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters.”Wetlands support a disproportionately large part of the human population. The Wetlands serve as Kidneys of the planet and are crucial for the wellbeing and survival of humankind and living beings.

Freshwater resources need to be managed with ecological constraints and human needs in mind. Its freshwater strategy calls for a holistic approach, which includes conservation of catchment and watershed areas as well as tackling issues such as pollution and wasteful consumption. This art of understanding and managing of wetlands in India and even in our valley of Kashmir was masterized by none else than a Kashmiri Wetland Expert known as Dr. Chaman.Lal Trisal.

Dr. Trisal in his Comprehensive Management Action Plan for Wular Lake in the capacity of Director Wetlands International-South Asia and the team leader of the report writes, “The Comprehensive Management Action Plan is based on evaluation of Ecological and socio-economic features of Wular and associated wetlands within Jhelum River Basin. A critical analysis of these features provides the rationale for identification of objectives including the factors governing these features. Steps are critical to understanding of the basic characteristic of Lake Ecosystem and its dynamics within river basin. Adapting this approach helps to undertake measures for development of specific action plan for sustainable management which can be monitored through indicators sensitive to change in the ecosystem”. He further adds that the Action Plan aims at mainstreaming of Wetlands of Kashmir valley in the National Developmental Planning process. Emphasis has been laid on improving livelihood of socially and economically weaker sections of the society which are entirely dependant on Wetlands for their livelihoods. The Action plan has a special focus on poverty reduction through sustainable resource development and is in line with the approach followed by Planning Commission in the 10th Five Year Plan.

Dr.Trisal though less known in the valley but was indeed one of the leading wetland experts of national and international repute. Four decades ago, a simple and docile village boy from Trisal Pulwama joined S.P.College and became my classmate and soon after a close friend. He was popularly called as “CHAMANI-TRISAL”. We passed B. Sc. together and again remained classmates in the Post graduate Department of Botany of University of Kashmir. Both of us choose the Aquatic Ecology for our Ph. D. Programme but this time our Supervisors were different. During my course of PhD. Programme I, got appointed as Lecturer in Botany and had to leave the University as a full time scholar and my association with my fellow colleagues and with Trisal got discontinued. Nothing was heard about him and it was after a gap of fifteen years, Dr.Trisal met me in S.P.College where he had come in connection with the B.ED exam of his wife. I was heading the Hydrobiology Research Lab and it was now known to me that he happens to be one of the Directors in the Ministry of Environment and Forests Govt. of India and looking after Wetlands Conservation in India. It was this meeting with him and subsequent correspondence followed by his and his fellow colleague and friend, yet another Kashmiri wetland expert Dr. Sidarath Kaul’s active support which gave a real boost to Hydrobiology Lab at S.P.College and in fact brought it due recognition at National and International level. Flow of funds besides procurement of valuable instruments accelerated the research activities of the lab. and dozens of scholars were able to have their Mphil and PhD. degrees.

It was the same duo (“Chunu-Munu”) who paved the way for putting the proposal of Dal lake Conservation Programme in the agenda of National Lakes Conservation Programme of Govt. of India and suggested for having an independent Lake Authority for Dal Lake, a pre-requisite criterion for financial assistance.

By this time, Dr.Trisal had already established his vision by playing a crucial role in shaping of the National Wetland Programme. He represented India in the Ramsar Convention and was nominated to its first Scientific and Technical Review Panel. He contributed immensely to India’s position in all Conference of Parties Meeting.

Dr. Trisal left the Ministry in 1996 to establish the Wetlands International – South Asia office in New Delhi. In 1997, he launched his first major initiative in north east with the support of India Canada Environment Facility. The project implementation lasted for more than 7 years and was an ambitious programme for conservation of Loktak Lake, with focus on collection of scientific data on various wetland functions and ecological processes and building capacity at multiple levels for lake management. He travelled far and wide into the state despite civil unrest, worked extensively with communities and became the voice of the numerous villages which had faced the implication of lake degradation. He always challenged established scientific knowledge and urged scientists to test and enrich their understanding by dealing with real world situations, in particular by internalizing traditional knowledge and natural resource management practices. Of particular mention is one workshop on management of lake vegetation organized in 2002 in Imphal which was attended by several senior scientists from entire country. To their surprise, he asked all community leaders to take the centre-stage and express their opinions of lake management. The attending scientists were given the task of decoding the community anecdotal knowledge into management practices. No wonder, the recommendations set a new direction to the perspective of management of Loktak Lake vegetation. It is to his credit that Loktak Development Authority transformed from an engineering organization to an organization capable of implementing integrated wetland management initiative. He particularly focused on role of water in wetland management, and designed initiatives aimed at supporting integration of wetlands into river basin management. It was this recognition that was behind the invitation by Ramsar Convention Secretariat to present the guidelines for integrating wetlands into river basin management in the Conference of Parties Meeting held in Costa Rica in 1999.

Dr. Trisal in parallel then focused on Chilika Lake, wherein he had played a pivotal role in preventing shrimp aquaculture during his tenure in the Ministry. He initiated a systematic hydro-biological monitoring which ultimately laid the foundation of first environment flows initiative in India. His ability to transform the myriad information of ecological processes into concrete management actions made him a champion of systematic wetland management. Several state governments called on his expertise to formulate management plans. From the period 2004 till 2009, he wrote management plans for Loktak Lake (Manipur), Rudrasagar Lake (Tripura), Kolleru Lake (Andhra Pradesh), East Kolkata Wetlands (West Bengal), Vembanad Kol Wetlands (Kerala), and Wular Lake (J&K).

His extensive knowledge on the high altitude systems made him an avid supporter of their priority consideration in conservation and management programmes. He played a crucial role in initiating a dialogue between Himalayan countries – India, China, Bhutan and Nepal. He always pressed for a regional action to conserve the high altitude wetlands, more importantly as an adaptation to climate change. His efforts yielded the Delhi Declaration on conservation of Himalayan wetlands endorsed by four countries in February 2008. When he breathed his last on 10th of September 2009, he was reportedly working on a book on wetlands and climate change adaptation primarily focused on high altitude systems.

Dr. Trisal’s death is not only my personal loss but a great loss to the Nation and to the wetland lovers and scientists. I have lost a friend with whom I had association of forty long years and I hold him the champion of Wetland Conservation. Across the globe where as people mourn your death, we in your native land mourn both for you and for the wetlands which are being plundered mercilessly both at govt level and through private agencies. Wetlands of your time viz; around Bemina, Chandmari, Mirgund, Narkara, Hokera Baghi-Arath have gone for ever and rest are on the verge of extinction. One can find new established colonies with newly coined names.

So let God rest your soul in peace and give courage to the bereaved family particularly to Sudesh (wife) Deepshikha, Priya and Monal (daughters).

Putting Faith in a Single Agenda Civil Society

Sajjad would like to revisit options, but a civil society that sees its world through a political prism alone is not the one that can ever deliver justice to all, especially minorities

(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.)

Civil society must strengthen the institutions of peace and justice

Kashmir is one of the world's longest unresolved international conflicts between in which India and Pakistan are engaged. Both the countries are engaged in horse-trading for control over the disputed territory of Kashmir. In other words, since 1947 Kashmir is a dispute which has bedeviled relations between Pakistan and India. It has led to three wars, in 1947, 1965, and 1971. Both the countries were almost on the brink of fourth war in Kargil in 1999. Even as both countries at regular intervals initiated dialogue and peace process, but it floundered without making any meaningful development vis-avis Kashmir imbroglio and the relations between the two countries continue to remain strain.

For Pakistani Kashmir is the ‘unfinished business of Partition’; it is the missing ‘K’ in the word Pakistan. Pakistan insists that in accordance with the United Nations resolutions a plebiscite needs to be held to ascertain the ‘will of the people of Kashmir.’ For India, Kashmir ‘lawfully acceded’ to India when the Maharaja of Kashmir signed the Instrument of Accession to India in 1947. In reply to Pakistan’s demands for the plebiscite India maintains that the fact that elections have been held in Kashmir since 1952 is proof that the ‘will of the people of the state’ has been ascertained and there is no need for a UN plebiscite.

Six decades have witnessed the problem being discussed and most of the times without any concrete solutions being put forward. Historically speaking, unique nature of Kashmir has always been recognised by India and, in 1949, incorporated it into the Indian Constitution. The special Article 370 granted most governing powers to the people of J&K, except for defense, foreign affairs, currency and communications. The State received its own constitution and flag and the state Assembly was to decide which Indian laws, if any, would be permitted to apply to the state. Notably, these concessions were quite remarkable for a constitution that was otherwise centralized. However, the strength of the Kashmir constitution did not last long. From 1953 onwards Article 370 was systematically whittled down, which is known to everybody and does not need elaboration.

Meanwhile, since 2002 there have been increasing attempts by India and Pakistan to try to resolve the Kashmir issue. The reasons are not hard to find. Indian claims to regional power or global power status are useless if it remains embroiled in a conflict that once led Clinton to refer to South Asia as “the most dangerous place on the earth.” Pakistan too faces a lot of domestic and international pressure. The Taliban factor under the current circumstances has challenged the internal security of Pakistan and on October 9, at least 50 people were killed and 120 others injured when a suspected Taliban suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden car in a busy Peshawar market, the deadliest attack in six months that pushed Pakistan to vow that army would march into militants’ den to flush them out.

One of the major obstacles in the way of lasting solution is the lack of meaningful Kashmiri representation in Indo-Pak negotiations. Even as the Government of India has held several meetings with several separatist cadres, it is opposed trilateral dialogue. But most of the political commentators and analysts have been advocating tripartite talks as a means of negotiating solution to the Kashmir problem, which means talks between Government of India, Government of Pakistan and people of Kashmir. Needless to mention that demand for tripartite talks is a long pending demand of separatist cadres.

We cannot ignore the hard fact that the impasse over Kashmir cannot end over night. All possible options need to be revisited and all the parties involved in the dispute need to rethink their strategy, which should revolve around the peace and prosperity of the people of the state. Above all, it is the human suffering which has to end in this geographically remote location and peoples’ dignity has to be restored. Tragically, lack of realistic approach on the parties is only delaying a way forward to the solution of the problem.

Unofficial dialogues between influential actors in civil society are to be focused and will be useful for breaking down false negative stereotypes. Besides, other people-to-people contacts will help to counter the chauvinist propaganda and mindset in India as well as Pakistan. Basically it is the chauvinistic attitude what has led to the Kashmir problem so stubborn and the power elites so inflexible and unyielding. Unless a the problem is tackled with a broad mind, the peace constituencies will remain too weak to pressure their respective governments to reach a reasonable and fair compromise.

Here India has to understand that it cannot pretend that there is no dispute in Kashmir and has to offer both dialogue and build close cultural, economic and social ties with Pakistan. Today India also needs to reassure the Pakistani leadership that India will not take advantage of present Taliban factor by causing any problems on Pakistan’s eastern frontier. Here it is noteworthy that international analysts on Indo-Pak relations too have, in lieu of strong India and Afghanistan ties from the 1950s, vehemently said that India needs to calm any Pakistani fears that this Indo-Afghan cooperation has an anti-Pakistan flavor.

On short-term basis, the need of the hour, if at all parties are sincere, is to see an end to the vexed problem, maximum autonomy in accordance with the original intentions of Article 370 should be restored. The LoC should become irrelevant for the people of the state. Both India and Pakistan should immediately accept all international human rights and humanitarian law, including the International Criminal Court, and amend their own laws accordingly, which even India has not done. The international community can help through indirect mediation.

For quite some time now mainstream political leadership in the state too has been talking about resolution of Kashmir issue. The separatist cadres’ ultimate goal too is resolution of the imbroglio. But we haven’t seen any interaction between these two warring factions (mainstream and separatist cadres) on the issue. Can’t they join hands if both are pursuing resolution of the problem? If there is consensus between the mainstream and separatist cadres on the modalities seeking resolution of the issue, then let them form a conglomerate, board the bus and seek what has not been sought during the past six decades – end to Kashmir imbroglio.

At the moment these ideas may seem a wish list. But nothing is impossible. It is a matter of will. Here the civil society too has a vital role to play - vigorously strengthen the forces of peace and justice.

How Much do Indians and Pakistanis Care for Kashmir?

Nazir has seen meetings on Kashmir come and go, but there is a marked trend towards growing number of non-Kashmiris in such parlays

(Dr. Syed Nazir Gilani, 59, is a jurist. He was born in Naranthal (Jalshree) village near Baramulla and was a student at the Government Degree College in Baramulla. Subsequently, he studied English Literature and Politics at the University of Kashmir, Law at the Sindh Muslim Law College in the Karachi-Pakistan, Islamic Law at the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), International Law at the Queen Mary University London, Victimology at Inter-University Centre Dubrovnik - former Yugoslavia, Peace Keeping/Humanitarian Operations & Election Monitoring from Scuola Superiore di Studi Universitari e di Perfezionamento S. Anna - Pisa Italy, and has a Ph.D. in the Jurisprudence of UN Resolutions and Kashmir Case. He successfully argued a constitutional writ petition in the High Court of Azad Kashmir from December 1992 to April 1999 on the question of self determination and duties of AJK Government. As a lead human rights advocate he has faced a sentence of 5 years imprisonment and 15 lashes and a death sentence during the Martial Law of General Zia in Pakistan. Dr. Gilani has introduced awareness around the title of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to a Rights Movement since 1877 and the respective sovereign claims of India and Pakistan since 1948.)

Intra Kashmir Dialogue: It is a good pastime engagement

Three-day intra-Kashmir conference organized by Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation (CDR) in Srinagar is a commendable civil society effort. It will increment the constituency of freely expressed opinions and resource the instrument of dialogue. However, it is discomforting to see that a culture of ‘secondary victimization’ of the people of Kashmir has started to expand.

Retired military officers and bureaucrats have found Kashmir as an easy pastime engagement. During the currency of their active service they fight tooth and nail their turf and discourage every effort made for ‘peace’ and ‘dialogue’. They ink policies and laws to violate human rights and subscribe to torture. Just at the close of their youthful and authoritative tenures of active service, the warriors and cynics turn to Kashmir for peace and dialogue.

Before one accredits and examines the merits of the Intra Kashmir Dialogue one has to reconcile the conflict in two statements one made by Mirwaiz Omar on Friday at Jamia Masjid that “The appointment of special envoy on Kashmir by OIC is diplomatic victory for the resistance movement. The 56 member countries of OIC have unanimously supported the right to self determination of people of Jammu and Kashmir” against the other statement made on Friday at the opening session of Intra Kashmir Dialogue by former foreign secretary of Pakistan Himayun Khan that “Kashmiris from both sides of LoC were neither heard nor listened by their respective governments. The two governments have also not brought the element of settlement into public.”

If Khan is to be believed that “Kashmiris were neither heard nor listened”, then Mirwaiz has no good news for us. The appointment of an OIC envoy on Kashmir does not make an iota of difference if it is to end up in the same manner in which our politics and militancy has ended up by causing a huge number deficit in the numericals required for a successful conclusion of self determination. More so we have failed to take the process of life of common people ahead towards achieving a quality of life in Kashmir.

Institutions like Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation (CDR) should not allow themselves as temporary life boats to the retired or discreetly sponsored compositions for these events. A casual look at the participants from Pakistani side of Kashmir does not have a serious merit to take any pride or consolation. There is no doubt that some of them are State Subjects and have a right to travel to the other part of Kashmir and enter into a free dialogue with other State Subjects there. We need to encourage more and more intra Kashmir dialogue. We need to discourage efforts of waste and secondary victimization of the people, whose life and habitat has badly suffered since 1948 and more so after 1990.

The non issuance of visa to Ershad Mehmood and the non participation of chief of Liberation League retired chief justice Abdul Majeed Malik are unfortunate. If Ershad Mehmood as a State Subject and noted peace activist was no threat to the State of Jammu and Kashmir in 2001 and at three other intra Kashmir forums, he should have not been treated as a security threat this time. He continues to remain a State Subject. Justice Majeed Malik is a sober balance for any such dialogue. As a close associate of late K H Khurshid he enjoys the confidence and trust of over 2.5 million Kashmiri refugees living in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan.

The principal flaw in the representation remains that there is a deliberate effort from both sides of LOC to discourage the credible refugee representation at these forums. It may be because these voices are too loud and overbearing and do not adjust with the political culture being sponsored since 1990. There has been a coordinated effort to erode the impact of Kashmiri refugee leadership since 1948. K H Khurshid although a trusted confidant of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, yet was deposed, arrested and humiliated. He was always labelled as a ‘suspect’. The 2.5 million Kashmiri refugees have failed to resurrect their representative ability in politics in Azad Kashmir and their representation in the AJK assembly has no substantive character or influence. They are numbers and nouns.

One wonders as to why Kashmiris do not have the love and affection for their cause. If they had they would have advised the sponsors of the fourth intra Kashmir Dialogue to balance their ‘sarkari’ list with an equal number of genuine contributors. Names like justice Sharif Hussain Bukhari, retired col. Dr. Ali Mohammad Mir, M. Y. Shah, G. M. Mir, Dr. A. Basit, justice Syed Manzoor Hussain Gilani, Sharif Tariq, Khalid Ibrahim and many others spread all over Azad Kashmir and Pakistan in various disciplines should have been involved to advance the constituency of wisdom on the subject. A non participation of Kashmiri Diaspora would make such efforts far less meaningful. It seems that the post 1990 political culture is so badly tainted that it has lost courage, confidence and conscience.

One should thank former foreign secretary of Pakistan Himayun Khan for agitating in the interests of the people of Kashmir. However, such an interest during the days of authority in Pakistan would have helped us a lot. It is too late and self serving. Even now he could have advised the CDR to make the list genuine and justifiable. As regards Mirwaiz the appearances at the OIC contact group or at other meetings is no more than a routine. Everything is stale and scripted and does not have any relevance to peoples cause.

So far as the bureaucrats of Pakistan are concerned, the post retirement or even the interest during their active service is not reliable. I remember when I finished my lecture at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad in early 1990s a Pakistani diplomat (senior ambassador) came to me and said “Gilani Sahib don’t overdo on Kashmir. I (he) was with Japanese ambassador last night. He said the talk of Kashmir is making us sick”. I was shocked at his comments and so where others around us.

In the same manner when I was a member of an 11 member delegation nominated by President Asif Ali Zardari (incidentally named first in the list) to receive Tipperary International Peace Award which was conferred posthumously on Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in a ceremony in Tipperary, Ireland on Friday April 25, 2008 a lead member in the delegation, who is now an ambassador told me at the breakfast table, “Gilani Sahib why don’t you Kashmiris call it off and settle down by accepting the LOC”. If Benazir had been alive, I may have succeeded to block his desire to become the ambassador a second time. Our tragedy is just helping non Kashmiris to remain relevant and Lawrence seems to be correct about Kashmiri character in many ways.

It does not mean that retired Indian military officers and bureaucrats who have turned to peace in Kashmir would be different in any manner. Intra Kashmir Dialogue for all of them is a good pastime engagement.

The Besieged Hangul

Nature's Gift, Man's Folly

Experts Need to Come Together for Conserving Wildlife, Ecology: Governor

Abrar Lone (Rising Kashmir)

Srinagar: The three-day International Conference on “Conservation of Hangul and Endangered Deer Species” concluded here on Monday, 12 October 2009, with the Governor, N. N. Vohra, Chief Guest at the valedictory session.

The Conference was organized by the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir (SKUAST-K) in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, and the State Wildlife Protection Department.

The Governor, who is also the Chancellor of the University, addressing the valedictory session, said that Jammu and Kashmir has a fragile environment and gave a clarion call to the environmentalists, conservationists and experts to come together for preserving, conserving and sustaining the environment, ecology, fauna and flora and water bodies in the State. He expressed serious concern over the growing shrinkage of glaciers, forest cover and water bodies and near extinction of many wildlife species and stressed that if this trend is not reversed the very survival of mankind could be in danger.

Referring to Hangul, the Governor observed that heavy human biotic interference led to decrease in its numbers and now Hangul is among the critically endangered species, like Markhor, Himalayan Bear, and Musk Deer. He called for taking all possible measures for its protection, conservation and propagation. He said that along with the statutory and punitive provisions, greater awareness needs to be created among the people at large in regard to Hangul conservation.

The Governor said that Jammu and Kashmir has been gifted by nature with enchanting natural beauty and hoped that at least some of the participants in the Conference would visit some of the tourist spots in and around Srinagar.

The Governor, on the occasion, released a publication brought out by the SKUAST titled “Endangered Wetlands of Kashmir Valley”.

The Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof. Anwar Alam, said that 150 scientists from within and outside the country had deliberated upon the subject during the past three days. He called for people’s participation to conserve Hangul and put forth several suggestions for the purpose and said that carrying capacity of Hangul habitats should be improved by taking various scientific measures.

The Vice Chancellor said that the recommendations presented by the Chairmen of various technical sessions will be brought out in the form of a compendium.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the Director, Resident Instruction/Dean Post-Graduate Studies, SKUAST-K, Prof. Syed Sajjad Hussain, gave a resume of the deliberations of the Conference.

The Organizing Secretary of the Conference, Dr. Khursheed Ahmad presented vote of thanks.

The Chairmen of the five technical sessions of the Conference presented the recommendations of the respective sessions on the occasion.

The experts recommended that for the conservation of Hangul, a separate disease diagnosis centre, post mortem lab and other necessities need to be established handled by trained veterinarians.

President Association of Indian Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians and principal scientist wildlife, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Prof. B.M Arora while talking to Rising Kashmir on the sidelines of the function said that breeding, captive management, cloning and health care can result in a vibrant population of reproductively healthy animals with a better sex and female fawn ratio. “Animal specialists should be included in the rescue team of the wildlife department so that the animals could be protected,” he added. The experts blamed the encroachment of humans a major cause for the extinction of wildlife.

The Director, WWF Central Asian Program, Dr. Olga Pereladova meanwhile recommended for according priority to health management of wild animals. “Similarly, identification of separate pastures besides providing a special protection in ecological corridors is also important,” he said.

Prominent among those present at the valedictory function were the Commissioner/Secretary Forests, Shantmanu, participants of the Conference from within and outside the country, faculty members of the SKUAST, scholars, students and senior officers.

It Can Only Get Worse in Kashmir

We know it is bad news when the Minister personally delivers it at the International Workshop on Climate Change, Glacial Retreat and Livelihood


Joint Efforts Needed To Protect Glaciers, Water Bodies: Environment Minister

Muddasir Ali (Greater Kashmir)

Srinagar: With global warming already showing its signs in Jammu and Kashmir in the form of untimely climatic changes, the Jammu and Kashmir government candidly admitted Monday that no concrete steps had been taken to preserve the environment and to arrest the phenomenon which could lead to ecological disaster.

“A lot of paper work has been done on climatic changes but a huge question mark hangs on its implementation. We have an Environment Department but it is not taking concrete steps to work on climatic changes,” Minister for Forests, Environment, Mian Altaf, said at the inaugural function of a 3-day “International Workshop on Climate Change, Glacial Retreat and Livelihood” at the SKICC here.

However, the minister quickly added that the department was short of manpower. “We have to set it right. The government can adopt the models (already) being implemented by different countries to preserve the environment,” he said.

“Coordinated efforts between the government and people are needed to preserve water bodies, glaciers, forests and other natural resources,” Altaf said, adding that no system could ever be perfect even as the government was making efforts to stop the degradation of environment.

“Along with global efforts, the state should formulate policies to tackle climate change locally, and a state mechanism needs to be evolved for micro level solutions that require a sincere response from bureaucracy, civil society. NGOs and the media,” he said.

Over the past few years, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed frequent and freakish climate changes including rains and long periods of dryness lessening the water levels in rivers and streams and fall in horticulture and agriculture production.

More importantly, the changes, which experts believe were occurring due to the effects of global warming, result in fast depletion of glaciers, the lifeline of water bodies in Kashmir. According to a study, glaciers in this part of the Himalayan range are receding faster than ever.

“The (untimely) climatic changes are a matter of grave concern as these impact forests and agriculture with the potential to affect the livelihood of people,” Altaf said.

He said the department would be releasing a declaration on climate changes at the end of the workshop.

The vice-chancellor, Kashmir University, Prof Riyaz Punjabi, criticized the government for doing little on the front. “There is not much scientific data available on climate changes in Jammu and Kashmir but the indicators are already there,” he said.

“We need to pool the data in a coordinated manner and formulate the strategy to deal with the issue which has far reaching consequences,” the VC said. Kashmir, Prof Punjabi said, used to have a pattern of seasons but the region had now lost one of them, Sount Kaal, a season which used to arrive prior to spring.

The minister of state for Forests, Shabir Ahmad Khan, also addressed the function.
The workshop was organized jointly by the state government, the University of Kashmir and The Energy and research Institute.

Head Glaciologist from TERI, Prof Syed Iqbal Hasnain, while giving a scientific assessment of the glacier receding and carbon soot levels rise, said warming of the climate system was unequivocal as was evident from the fourth assessment report of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

So Near and Yet So Far

Tanveer recounts a personal triumph, but more than that it is a triumph that overcame boundaries and religions to score one for the humanity

(Mr. Tanveer Ahmed, 37, was born in Gurutta, Tehsil Sensa, in the Kotli district of Azad Kashmir. He received his school education in Luton, Bedfordshire, U.K., and completed his college education from Dunstable College and the Thames Valley University, where he received his B.A. Honors in Economics. He has done various professional courses relating to financial markets and IT. Mr. Ahmed is a free lance journalist and an activist. His personal interest are diverse covering sports, reading, music, travel, adventure and food.)

A Quiet Triumph for Humanity

It has now been nearly three months since my naani (maternal grandmother) reunited with her brother and sister. They were separated in October 1947. Witnessing the two sisters meet for the first time after that, yards forward of the family home in Mendhar (District Poonch in Indian-administered Kashmir), was nothing short of an epiphany for me.

I spent the last 22 of my 37 years trying to make this happen, and for the most part, it seemed an unattainable dream. Since April 2005, staying put in Pakistan-administered Kashmir — I came down from the United Kingdom — was my only means to ensure my dream was attained.

In these four years, two months and 11 days of my adamant insistence that this reunion must take place, it was just good fortune that old age and chronic health issues did not take any of the three siblings beyond return and India and Pakistan did not embark on a nuclear holocaust despite Mumbai.

Week after week, I watched divided families benefit from the cross-LOC bus service, except mine. The phenomenon of Chinese goods moving easier across the LOC than divided families, even the societal disgrace of not pursuing a living — nothing — absolutely nothing, tempted me to forego my project.

It was an angst-ridden period, but it gave me ample opportunity to examine human relationships and analyse the way politics and politicians herd us like sheep into a protective ‘national’ net that restricts and exploits us rather than allow us to utilise our strengths. I still find it difficult to believe that the impossible has occurred.

It is a bizarre coincidence that I am writing from an inner suburb of Rawalpindi, namely Arjun Nagar. Adjoining this is Mohalla Mohan Pura. As the names suggest, these localities have strong Hindu origins where, prior to the bloody partition of 1947, most of the residents here would have been of the Hindu faith, their heritage perhaps dating back thousands of years. Yet, just like my naani’s family in what is now Pakistani-administered Kashmir (Nikyal), they were all hounded out and those that survived, would now be living in various parts of India.

These mohallas of Rawalpindi or Nikyal for that matter have long ceased to be what they were. You would need to strain your eyes to notice any remnant of an old mandir and this is why I would contend that the whole sub-continent has become agonisingly indigent without coexistence. Our time with naani’s family gave me a refreshing tenor of how the region might have been.

Meeting her siblings almost instantaneously wiped out my naani’s misery and marginalisation of the past sixty-two years. Mourning face to face over their deceased parents and younger brother could almost be described as a luxury they had been deprived of for decades. The happiness and joy of reunion overwhelmed that sorrow like a balm. Naani seemed young again — after all, the three siblings could only visualise each other in the shape and form of when they were last together in their late childhood-early teens. Her voice got inflection, she no longer appeared to be the chronic heart patient that she was. In the time we spent with her family, even her diet and consequently her body frame changed as she finally began to enjoy food. From my childhood, I had always wondered why she ate so little — the reason now became so abundantly obvious.

Accompanying my naani and me on this trip was of course my naana (maternal grandfather), without whose involvement this 22-year-old dream of mine would have remained forlornly unattainable. For him this trip was into ‘traditional enemy territory.’ Thus the Jinnah cap was an essential item of attire. It came as quite a shock to him that Hindus and Muslims coexisted peacefully on the other side and that Muslims had no restrictions on worship. In a matter of days, it dawned on him that when you look beyond religious-cum-national identity, we were all homo-sapiens after all. He was pleasantly surprised that “they eat, laugh and swear like us.” Indeed, the Pahaari (the region of Kashmir that lies to the South and West of the Kashmir vale, traverses the LOC and is made up of Hindus and Muslims) cultural affinity was what he could readily relate to. By the end of our stay he was even waxing lyrical about Mahatma Gandhi’s attempts to keep the nation intact.

Which brings me to a dream that has been taking shape in my head these past few years. Is there scope for a Pahaari inspiration for reunion of the subcontinent? They didn’t cause the division of the sub-continent but suffered much because of it (my naani’s family being a case in point), and could possibly play a key role in reunion.

Alas, reality is much harsher than it should be. South of us in Kashmir, getting Punjabis on either side of the divide to forgive and forget is a mammoth task. Furthermore, India and Pakistan still have difficulty sitting across a table. Negative elements on either side are intent on sustaining separation. In our Pahaari region, if the constraining demands of Indian and Pakistani identity are loosened and crucially, if the legitimate security concerns of our Hindu minority are appropriately addressed, our people would be willing to listen, learn and revise. Evaluating history in a balanced manner and exploring opportunity in a globalised world requires that we embrace, not constrict our diversity.

Even this is asking for a lot. It is not just the tedious cross-LOC application process. Many Hindus on the Indian-administered side are apprehensive about visiting their ancestral homes and relatives, if any, on the Pakistani-administered side, not least because of security concerns. They are also aware that for many people on our side of the divide, being Pakistani necessitates being anti-Hindu (synonymous with anti-India). Unfortunately, no amount of entente between India and Pakistan in the past few years has changed that pernicious perception. For activists such as myself, there is a non-existent institutional framework for developing cross-LOC initiatives, zero space for civil society and on top of that, an endemically corrupt administration whose sustenance lies in maintaining the status quo. That should provide the reader with a reasonable idea of how far we are from the road to progress and reconciliation.

The final morning of our visit across the LOC was extremely painful. Naani’s sister fainted and collapsed as she watched her sister depart. Her nieces wailed and nephews wept incessantly.

Sensa (our home tehsil in district Kotli of Pakistan-administered Kashmir) was only about 70 kilometres away, yet we all knew for reasons more than obvious that this reunion may never happen again.

Nevertheless, Vedic chants and exclamations of Masha-allah and Subhan-allah did, do and will coexist in this region.

To read the pre-script to this article, please open the link:

http://kashmirforumorg.blogspot.com/2009/06/victim-of-circumstances.html

Using the Shopian Tragedy to Make a Point

Even when the rape and murder of two young women in Shopian remains unproven and even less certain is if any security forces were involved, Mehmood sees political ramifications that go beyond the two unfortunate victims

(Mr. Mehmood-ur-Rashid, 36, was born in Srinagar. He graduated from the Amar Singh College, Srinagar. He has been active in journalism for over ten years, and currently works at the Greater Kashmir, having worked in the past at the Rising Kashmir as the Features Editor. The columnist is presently the GK Magazine Editor.)

Theorizing Shopian

What happened in Shopian, and the events that preceded and followed this incident, can be explained by using various theoretical frameworks that have emerged after an in-depth study of the conflict zones, periods of intense violence and the crises that develop when conflicts become chronic and violence, instead of being an event, becomes a condition.

The first thing that strikes in this incident is the overwhelming presence of state forces in the midst of population. Living in a state of fear entire populations are subjected to humiliating treatment every time they conduct the routine of their life. No area of their life escapes the evil eye of ‘security’. The placement of CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and the District Police Lines in the entire area, where the incident occurred, gives a fare idea of how those passing through that area must have been feeling. A perpetual state of fear gripping an entire population over many years and a complete sway enjoyed by the personnel belonging to different security agencies makes an ideal situation for extreme cases of violence like the one that happened in Shopian. It reminds us of Linda Green’s study about socialization of terror in Xe’caj, Guatemala. Like in Xe’caj, towns and villages of Kashmir are faced with the subordination of political authority to the local army commander. In such situations violence is bound to happen as Scheper–Hughes emphasize that ‘violence is intrinsic to the military’s nature and logic’.

Impunity is another theoretical proposition that throws light on what happened in Shopian. Since Shopian was not the first case of rape and murder in Kashmir, many having happened before, those who committed it knew that none before was punished. The impunity enjoyed by the State forces under the twin cover of special laws and the practice of state over all these years, makes it easier for them to think of such horrible crimes. Like in all the conflict zones, the ‘dual issues of impunity and accountability are obstacles in the way of peace and social justice’ in Kashmir. The deliberate attempts of the government machinery to suppress the details of the incident and let the culprits go scot free is a fit case for lack of accountability and availability of impunity. When in one of the villages of the same district of Shopian, some years back, an incident of mass rape happened no one was punished for that. How could that not set a precedent among the security camps situated in the same locality.

So the heavy presence of troops, breakdown of local political authority and the absolute impunity enjoyed by the troops make an ideal atmosphere for incidents such as the one that occurred in Shopian, to happen.

The first thing that came to surface after the incident was the state’s brazen denial. This way attempt was made to exonerate the security forces who represent the Indian control of Kashmir. Since people directly connected the incident to the Indian oppression, Omar Abdullah’s statement was typical of a quisling behavior. Omar also spoke about the people’s lack of trust on government machinery. All this fits into the conceptual framework provided by Hannah Ardent about power, violence, opinion and quisling governments. In pure states power and violence appear distinctly as in the case of foreign invasion. Had there been a direct military rule or its subtle constitutional substitute, governor’s rule established in J&K, instead of a civil government, it would have been difficult for India to defend her forces at international level. Since a local government is in place violence turns impure and hence refuses a clear vision. In this situation the real source of violence, oppression and military presence, get off from the vision and it all gets projected as an administrative or law and order problem. This is how the government did in this case.

The admission of the chief minister that people do not trust government institutions and any inquiry conducted into the matter will have to face this difficult situation, shows that the power no more belongs to the government and its excessive use of violence becomes understandable. From the heavy presence of troops to the acts of rape and murder violence rules this place. Since power comes from people and requires opinion and numbers, this government is powerless. The shrinking of power, according to Hannah Ardent, automatically gives birth to violence. That power belongs to people when they act in unison becomes manifest in what happened after the incident. What could have been hushed up so easily by the police and civil administration became impossible for government only when people rose against the incident and the entire Kashmir burst into protests. The same government which flagrantly denied rape and called it a case of drowning was compelled to confess that ‘something has happened’ and established a commission to look into the matter. This theoretical framework of power being inherently present in the group and a government denuded of public opinion resorts to violence aptly describes the behavior of government machinery towards the incident of Shopian.

Another theoretical proposition that fits here is the subjectivity of women. Vena Das’s work on violence, gender and subjectivity throws good amount of light on this incident. The notion of masculinity is boldly present in this whole affair. Every time a protest rally marches on the streets there are only men shouting slogans and thus trying to speak on behalf on the pain inflicted on women. The group of local elders that now spearheads the agitation in Shopian, Majlis-e-Mushawarat, has no women member in it; this ‘makes visible the imagination of the nation as a masculine nation’, and brings into sharp focus the ‘subjectivity of women’ and ‘gendered acts of violation such as rape.’

These theoretical allusions used here in the context of Shopian can be used extensively in all the cases of terror committed by India. This can help develop an academic critique of the India’s presence in Kashmir.

For facts regarding the "Shopian Incident," please check:

http://www.kashmirforum.org/shopian-tragedy.htm

Preserving Rich Biodiversity and Wildlife

Mubashir says without a firm political resolve it will all disappear

(Mr. Taha Mubashir Husain, 37, was born and raised in Bandipore. He received his schooling and higher education all around the Wullar Lake in the Bandipore area. He has a post-graduate degree in Ecology and Environment. He is the spokesperson of the Kashmir Environmental Protection Coordination Organization (KEPCO), and on behalf of the KEPCO received an award on Wild Life Protection in Srinagar on October 2, 2007. Presently he is serving in the J&K Department of Education. He is a nature conservation activist and environmental protection is his motto and in his leisure time he promotes environmental education.)


Wildlife-Conflict Mitigation and Conservation

Wildlife to the human being means the undomesticated animals in their natural habitat like forests, grasslands and deserts but ecologically includes both flora ad fauna, hence a human misunderstanding of the values of wildlife and its role in linking the food chain that guarantees survival of life at this planet. The colorful birds, animals and other life forms are important in maintaining the biodiversity and ecological balance.

Nature has bestowed Kashmir with an immense biodiversity and rich gene pool resources with priceless treasures. Dense lush green forests, alpine pastures, snow bound peaks, glaciers, gushing rivers, streams and fascinating wetlands like Wullar , Dal, Hokersar, Hygam etc offering conducive breeding grounds for the migratory birds which add to the color and beauty of the valley. Kashmir exhibit rich diversity of wild flora and fauna.

The flora includes coniferous forests occurring between 1600m to 3200m being temperate dominated by the Blue pine (Pinus wellichiana), Kail (Pinus excelcia), Pinus roxburgy, Deodar (Cedrus deodra), Silver fir (Abies webiana), Walnut (Juglans regia), Mulberry (Morus alba). Alpine pastures immediately follow the tree line ending with Birch (Betula utilis) between 3200 to 3600m, the alpine vegetation is largely comprised of herbs and shrub species like junipers and rhododendrons, the vegetation is scarce between 3600-4100m. The fauna of Kashmir includes wild goats like Markhor and Ibex, antelopes like Chhiru, deer’s like Hangul or Kashmir Stag, Musk Deer, Spotted Deer, Shapoo, Black Bears, Leopards, Wolf, Fox, Monkeys and the birds like Western Tragopon, Himalayan Monal Pheasant etc.

As such the human-wild animal conflict is not a new phenomena occurring globally, in Kashmir too this conflict is witnessed as a historical one. But this human-animal conflict has certainly escalated in the past two decades. Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and common leopard (Panthra pardus fusca) are frequently in encounters with the human being and livestock resulting in the loss of life and injuries, besides the loss of property and damage to agriculture and horticulture. The obvious reasons of these conflicts are mostly of human origin in nature i.e. loss in forest cover due to wanton deforestation and loot of the green gold, change in land use pattern, human interference and presence of armed forces inside the forests and wildlife habitats, stone quarrying and mine blasting near the forest areas, forest fires, ban on grazing of livestock in high altitude pasture by the armed forces and natural factors like increase in the wild life populations, decline in the natural prey base, change in the predator behavior due to easy excess of the stray dogs, global warming and climate change.

Against more than 50% of the very dense forests in 1950’s, presently only 30% remains under dense forest cover in Kashmir with a big proportion of the forests as bare and denuded. The Forest Survey of India, however, indicates that total forest cover in Jammu and Kashmir has undergone a little change. There has been in fact a marginal (1.85%) increase since 1987; however, the dense forest cover has declined by 19% approximately but the open forest cover has undergone about 36% up during 1987-2003. Major problems identified in the loss of forest cover are of economic in nature besides the unplanned developmental works. Forest fires have been instrumental in reducing the forest cover. Most of the forest fires have been alleged to be the result of a deep rooted nexus between smugglers and some forest officials with sole aim of eliminating evidences after wanton plunder. The presence of armed forces in the forests and wildlife habitats is not only altering the movement of wild animals but is posing a serious threat to their survival. Ban on high altitude gazing pastures by the armed forces has resulted in the scarcity of prey to wildlife species as the shepherds and nomads are unable to carry their livestock to such grazing pastures.

Trans-LOC movement of the wild animals is greatly hampered due to barbed electrified fencing along the Line of Control resulting in the confiscation of these animals at various places and impeding their movement to the adjoining natural habitats like Gilgit, Iskardu, Hunza, Chitral, Chilas and the In Kashmir valley over a period of time, the wildlife has been managed exclusively for the game purpose and accordingly rules were framed to protect the wild life species. The Jammu and Kashmir Department of Wildlife Protection (DWLP) came into existence in 1982 and evolved from the erstwhile Game Preservation Department, with the specific aim of the wildlife protection and promotion of their natural habitats besides avoiding the conflicts. Out of its total geographical area of 15948 sq. km, Kashmir valley accounts for 50.96% (8128 sq. km.) territorial forest area and the wildlife habitat or Protected Area Network (PAN) accounts for 10.53% (1680 sq. km.) currently managed by the DWLP. This Protected Area Network (PAN) includes 02 National Parks, 07 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 13 Wildlife Conservation Reserves and 08 Wetland reserves. But, presently the Department of Wildlife Protection lacks the adequate infrastructure, trained and well equipped manpower and required transport facilities.

The DWLP, however, has recently signed a MOU with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) to impart and assist various wildlife management issues like mitigation of human-wild animal conflict, Markhor conservation, execution of Hangul recovery plan, rescue and rehabilitation of displaced wildlife species, capacity building and training in legal and wildlife crime issues to frontline staff of the Wildlife Department. Although WTI has come out with various key recommendations like the augmentation of infrastructure and manpower, habitat improvement and restoration, awareness generation, establishment of monitoring and evaluation system, decision making during the conflict situations, establishment of a central mitigation command center and rapid response teams to mitigate the human- wild animal conflict and translocation of the confiscated animals. A recently submitted Comprehensive Management Action Plan (CMAP) on Wullar Lake to the Department of Wildlife Protection by the Wetlands International South Asia (WISA) envisages the establishment of wildlife sanctuary within the Wullar Catchments in Bandipore forests being the summer habitat of Hangul and to create a full-fledged high altitude breeding center for the highly rare and threatened wildlife species within the premises of Kashmir Forest Training Institute, Chittarnar, Bandipore for their restocking and rehabilitation.

Other conservation measures like strengthening of existing PAN, installation of sophisticated cameras to sight the wild animal movement and capture traps along the vulnerable forest areas in close proximity to human habitations tranquilizer guns and related accessories, translocation and rehabilitation of the confiscated animals on modern scientific lines and strengthening coordination among the frontline territorial forest and wildlife staff along with the local communities, police and the civil administration besides immediate medicare and compensation without any prior documentation to the conflict victims need to be adopted for timely consideration at the gross root level.

Although Jammu and Kashmir enjoys a special status of its own Wildlife (Protection) Act 1978 amended in 2002, but to its dismay J&K is a unique state violating its own constitution and laws. Here forests are bestowed to the armed forces to denude the forests and disturb the wild animals, timber smugglers are nourished through nexus between the forest officials even top brass forest officers have been found culpable in the forest plunder and vanishing the wildlife habitat. National Parks are turned into the guest/ health resorts to appease the ‘Ruling Masters’. Wildlife Sanctuaries and Reserves are ascended to ‘Golf Courses’ to exhibit the ostentatious “Imperial Glory”. Protected Area Network gets exploited and so-called tourism development jeopardizing the Ecological Interest. Here short term economic benefits aimed at the revenue centric approaches are adopted without realizing their long term ecological implications.

To save our rich Biodiversity and Wildlife a firm political resolve aimed at the basics of ‘Conservation’ rather than ‘Exploitation’ , is the need of hour. Obliteration of Wildlife Habitat and decline in Forests cover will certainly cause Disappearance of the Wildlife.

Powering the RTI in Jammu & Kashmir

Arjimand sees hope and promise in Mr. Habibullah's appointment as the J&K CIC

(Mr. Arjimand Hussain Talib, 34, is a columnist/writer and a development professional who matriculated from Tyndale Biscoe Memorial School in 1991. He subsequently graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from Bangalore University and has a diploma in journalism as well. He is an alumni of the International Academy for Leadership, Gummerbach, Germany. Arjimand writes regular weekly columns for the Greater Kashmir and The Kashmir Times since 2000 on diverse issues of political economy, development, environment and social change and has over 450 published articles to his credit. His forthcoming book: "Confronting the Myths: A Critical Analysis of the Political Economy of Jammu & Kashmir," will be published soon. He is currently working with an international development organisation, undertaking projects evaluation and developing contingency plans in some 11 countries in Asia and Africa.)


From Here, Reforms!

Though belatedly, Wajahat Habibullah’s appointment as J&K’s Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) is a welcome step. For the advocates of a meaningful right to information (RTI) in our state, the absence of the CIC in J&K has been a serious lacuna in our information law. But the real work starts now.

Mr. Wajahat is one of those rare individuals in India’s establishment who understand and analyse the circumstances of J&K well. His significant role in the efforts to make RTI meaningful in India is well recognised. Despite a plethora of hurdles, his role in supporting the efforts for more-than-a-cosmetic RTI in J&K is well known too. But many uneasy questions remain. That extra mile required to supplement our RTI with a clean-up of our governance system is still elusive.

The appointment of a CIC, as envisaged in the J&K Right to Information Act, 2009, has come at an interesting time. The creation of and public response to an e-mail based public grievance cell set up by the Omar government is equally interesting. It is good to have a chief minister who understands and appreciates information and communications technology. But we must guard to get carried away by symbolism at the cost of substance.

The fact is that even the 2009 J&K RTI Act in its amended form does not put J&K people’s right to information at par with the rest of India. Our e-governance project for the civil secretariat has been a big flop. Community Information Centres (CICs) have still a long way to go before they could act as a strong tool to strengthen local self governance. The nature of our current administrative systems and processes is primitive. They are intrinsically a mismatch with the requisites of today’s modern governance needs. The bottom line is that J&K needs administrative reforms.

To begin with, let us understand a substantive and serious right to information alone is no guarantee to better governance. J&K needs administrative reforms which will help fine tune our service delivery systems. We badly need a new system which will bring time-sensitivity in the discharge of our public works. We need to reinvent the processes and procedures which are a legacy of the colonial era. We need to make information and communications technologies take over the paper file system, to save precious time and energy in doing petty works. We need to simplify the public approval and decision-making mechanisms. We cannot live with 18th century administrative systems in the 21st century and expect the RTI law to do a miracle.
It is well known that the categories of information excluded in J&K’s RTI seriously inhibit people’s ability to access information on many substantive matters of governance and public security. There is still a serious dearth of awareness among public officials about people’s right to information. The appointment or designation of information officers as stipulated in the 2009 RTI Act is still far from complete. Even the level of awareness among the general public about the admissible and inadmissible kinds of information is quite low.

The element of vagueness in many provisions of J&K’s RTI law makes the process of information seeking cumbersome, and, in some instances, even impossible. Information seeking continues to be costly to common people, and, of course, time consuming. Even as some basic information is possible to access under the law, macro-level information remains tightly shielded. J&K needs both micro and macro aspects of its governance to be subjected to reasonable scrutiny. Only one would not do.

The on-line system of grievance receipt introduced by Omar Abdullah has generated a good deal of public response. The month of September has come up with some interesting news on this front. As per official figures, 1650 complaints have been received through e-mails by the grievance redressal cell set up for the purpose since September 4 alone. The cell has also received about 1000 complaints on the toll-free phone set up for the same purpose.

In the absence of clear cut statutory systems, this grievance redressal system is likely to die down with time. Even if certain issues are possible to correct at the lower levels of the administration, there is currently no system to hold the senior government officials or departments responsible for professional irresponsibility. Humanly, it is not possible for Omar Abdullah to track the process of all the complaints and their redressal system. This grievance cell needs some sort of statutory teeth. Or else, it will become just a medium of communicating complaints, devoid of follow-up measures.

The idea of turning this grievance cell into a full-fledged call centre is not bad. The networking of the block-level based 134-odd community information centres (CICs) with this grievance redressal cell is an important achievement. However, this kind of ‘e-governance’ without the backing of a proper legislative framework could turn futile. These must be designed to serve more purposes than mere emailing and desk top publishing.

The setting up of J&K e-governance Agency is a welcome move too. But again, in the absence of administrative reforms, it would be an endeavour to no where. We have already lost several crores of rupees in the e-governance project of the civil secretariat, which turned out to be a big flop. There was no customisation of the software purchased from a South India-based firm because no statutory system was developed based on our needs and requirements. There was a mismatch between the information systems, processes and procedures between the borrowed software and our established systems. Any e-governance initiative is likely to reach a natural cul de sac in the absence of a reformed administrative system. Such a system cannot be software-driven. It has to be powered by the right kind of legislation.

We must also not lose sight of the thousands of the corruption cases lying with the State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) since decades. The reason a huge number of cases remain pending there is that the SVO is not appropriately empowered to take decisive and punitive actions. There continues to be a great merit in the suggestion of transforming this ‘organisation’ into an independent ‘commission’. The state of the State Accountability Commission (SAC) created with a lot of fanfare is another grim example.

J&K State today needs to seriously consider implementation of the recommendations of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC). Turning a blind eye to them would be a great folly.

Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side

Tajamal unlocks the mystery of the unfathomable

(Mr. Tajamal Hussain, 53, was born in Safakadal area of Srinagar. He graduated from the Sri Partap College, Srinagar, and completed his MBA from the Andhra University in Waltair, followed by a post-graduate diploma in International Trade from the prestigious Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in New Delhi. He is currently working in Srinagar. Mr. Hussain in his leisure time writer for local dailies and electronic opinion borads.)

Waiting in the Queue

You can be standing in front of a door of an ATM machine. Someone will brazenly walk right in front of you as the previous person exits the vestibule. He or she will pretend not to see you…until you stop him! The fellow may express his sorrow. He who does not have any idea about allowing personal space to the fellow citizen does not also care about his privacy while the latter operates his bank accounts to draw cash from the ATM. He will simply be on your head within the vestibule flouting the privacy required for operating your bank account and would pester you nonstop to either surrender your turn in his favor (irrespective of whether you finished with your transaction or not) or in an avuncular tone advise you as to how to operate your transaction and even suggest the amount of cash you should draw. Tell this fellow to refrain, and he will simply be with his hackles up to dismiss your request with scorn.

Standing in a queue requires patience, discipline, self respect and respect for others. It calls for a strong belief in the existence of good and fair play. The hatred for standing in the queue is some thing that perhaps unites India and Kashmir. Every one amongst us has had to go through the ordeal of standing in the queue at some point of time or the other. It is an everyday story once we wake up in the morning and are off to catch a bus to college or office. When we get into the bus, to buy a ticket, we are again waiting in queue. The same process haunts us every where in the canteen or on our way back. According to Advanced Gerontcrats enterprise, Indians on an average spend 12% of their lives in the queues. This however does not include the time that takes in commuting before they reach the tail end of the queue. The world records in the queue whether the longest, the fastest, the most patient queue, all belong to India. Queuing is such a national trait that the Indian athletes are invariably found in the queue to finish. Whether it is the union cabinet standing in a queue to welcome the President or Prime Minister, the queue is every where. The 3.2 kms long queue in Delhi to collect MTNL bills a decade and a half ago is a record in itself. The fastest moving queue in India was recorded at a movie theatre showing the film ‘Hot Nights’ in Hissar, Haryana. It took a mere 5 minutes and 40 seconds for 581 people, all men, to buy tickets and enter the hall.

During college days one of my friends (he is now holding a senior position in the government) dared to stand in front of a cinema in the city to buy a ticket. In the maddening rush as the unruly cine goers jostled each other, the hapless fellow managed to elbow his way through the crowd to push his hand into the ticket counter. The ticket seller seated behind the grill handed over the ticket to him. As he pulled himself out of the crowd after a great struggle, to his astonishment the sleeve of his shirt covering his right arm, was torn asunder to leave no trace thereof. Imagine the plight of the poor fellow!

In past the rare exception nevertheless was the claustrophobic queue forced upon us 3rd class cine goers in our childhood in the famous iron cage of the Palladium cinema, right in the centre of Lal Chowk, Srinagar. No sooner did the ticket vendor open the window to sell tickets than a dozen or so of mustachioed hooligans (with lot of muscle) suddenly appear from some where to leap across heads in the cage to worm their way atop tens of the queued heads in the cage to the counter to walk away with a wad of tickets to be later sold in ‘black’ to the same disgruntled lot who were imprisoned for several hours in the narrow cage. It was not many minutes before, much to the disappointment of the people waiting in the queue; the shutter at the ticket counter would suddenly and unexpectedly close down.

The turmoil that a person goes through, while standing in a queue, is unmatched. When you see your life going at a glacial speed and to know that even after hours of patient waiting, you are still not the first in line, all hell wants to break loose. But then the sanity prevails amidst all the pushing and shoving, or else one may lose the privileged spot that he occupies and may be sent back to square one. Life is a cruel thing for everyone in the queue and the willingness to get over with it is what gives people the strength to stand in it for hours while the discomfort one is facing is rising with the minute. And that too when one is made to stand in a queue (the analogue of what in the automotive world constitutes "bumper to bumper" traffic) without any personal space that has evolved over the ages to keep at bay transgressors, looking for breaks in the queue. Multiple queues follow the Murphy’s Law, “Whatever queue you join, no matter how short it looks, will always take the longest for you to get served” and thus, it is safer to stay put in one’s queue rather than go around looking for a quicker way to get to your goal.

In 1979 Dr. Kuabakoonam Balasubramanium of the University of Quebec, using a handsome grant, did some pioneering research on Indian queues, the laws and the paradoxes thereof. Bala laws, that he devised on the basis of this extensive research, are capsuled here under for us all to remember and brave the turmoil of standing in the queue;

1. The length of the queue is inversely proportion to the time you have to stand in the one.
2. You discover you are in wrong queue only when you reach the counter.
3. You always reach the counter at lunch time or closing time.
4. When you reach the counter on time, the tickets are over.
5. When you do get the tickets they are the wrong ones and therefore; a) you have to go to the tail end of the queue to get them changed or b). You have to go to the refund counter where 1 and 2 apply
6. When there are no obstacles, the queue moves quickly and when you buy the right ticket the teller has no change.
7. The teller always has his say.
8. The other queue always moves faster.
9. When you switch to the other queue the original queue gathers momentum.
10. When you are finally the second person in the queue the guy in front of you develops a complicated problem which takes half an hour to sort out.
11. When others jump the queue no one says anything. When you jump the queue hoots and jeers follow.
12. Every one in the queue will want to borrow your pen; when you want a pen no one will have one.
13 You are always caught napping when they open an extra counter.

Women Are Equal

Behind every woman that Fida's gender sees as being part of the problem, there is a looming shadow of a man clutching to his religious beliefs for self-esteem

(Mr. Fida Iqbal, 47, was born in Sopore. He attended the D.A.V. School in Nayadyaar, Rainawari, and the Government Higher Secondary School in Sopore. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Agriculture/Floriculture and Landscaping from Chowdhry Chottu Ram College at Muzaffarabad Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Iqbal works with the Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Department as a landscape architect. He enjoys kitchen gardening, reading writing, and is very a passionate and dedicated golf player.)

Women Have a Role

Commenting on women’s rights and their social standing is a very delicate subject particularly for male fraternity. For the last many decades in major part of the world female emancipation has lead women folk to the farthest boundaries of liberty and at occasions they resort to extreme feminism. Under these circumstances women activists are unable to accept any abrasion or even very little attempt of undermining their gained social liberty and status.

Social scientists always describe man and woman as two pivotal wheels of the social system and any flaw or lack of synchronization between the two wheels will lead to social confusion. Empowering and educating women have rejuvenated the social system and contributed in eradication of many social evils. Major education, healthcare and poverty eradication programmers and schemes became success by authorizing women folk. Community hygiene and sanitation are other areas which got enormous push by women empowerment. No one can deny the dynamism of womanhood, an embodiment of love, compassion and tolerance but fragility of women cannot be ignored as well.

Women are fragile in many ways. Fragility is both positive and negative attribute within the personality of a woman. Positive fragility in woman is the synonym of beauty and splendor while as negative impact of fragility within a woman is her physical limitation. Other major characteristics of women worth a mention are extreme levels of dedication and a sea of emotions. Women can endure extremes of suppression even after being the most emotional creature on earth.

Under prevailing situation women all over the world are leading their cause and are instrumental in empowering not only fellow women but are on the forefront to strive for human rights particularly for children. In early campaign for empowering women male society contributed more than women themselves and was much active in guaranteeing rights of women by social awareness and highlighting plight of women.

Female activism and empowerment of women in the subcontinent has its own history with many ups and downs. Several vital and varied factors influence the rights and process of emancipation of women in this area, rife with low literacy rate and social evils. These influencing factors with social, economic and religious implications have to be taken into consideration at every step of women’s empowerment and genuine freedom. Social setup of the whole third world is so complex and based on age old traditions that it was, and even now it is, very difficult to convince the conventional social leaders to give women their due in every field of life.

Social evils and lack of education are the major impediments in getting women on the path of emancipation. Economic empowerment in real sense paves the way for complete freedom of women. Unless women are economically protected no law or legislation can ensure and safeguard their rights. The main cause of suppression of female is their lack of economic security at every stage of their life. Religion in real sense is not impeding the women’s rights directly; instead it guarantees the genuine privileges of women but at occasions exploitation of religion by vested interests leave little space for women to make any headway.

Much more needs to be done for safeguarding the interests of women in the subcontinent. Administration, society and leadership have to play a vital role in empowering women and provide an atmosphere to excel. Process of liberation and empowerment emanates within the system and communities itself. This holds true for women’s rights as well. Unless women do not strive for their rights, no progress is possible on this front. Unfortunately the biggest enemy of womanhood in this region is woman herself. Women are contributing to social order which promotes woman as burden for the society. Simple examples; instead of celebrating arrival of female newborn, women are the front runners to curse fellow women who give birth to female babies. Glorifying birth of male babies by women is common in our society. This portrays the sense of insecurity among women within our social system. Are women completely insecure without men? No way. It is lack of confidence and ignorance perpetuated by inadequate education, which gives shape to such mentality. Encouraging female feticide in the society is mainly due to the malicious intervention of women.

In our society women as mother, sister, wife and daughter are equally responsible for the deprived plight of women. Mothers are the replica of heaven but when they put their feet in the wide boots of mother-in-laws they become monstrously sarcastic and unkind. And when young women as sisters and daughters contribute in social system in the role of daughter-in-laws they leave no stone unturned in demolishing the decades old family bonds. The role of our women folk is so contemptible at occasions that humanity feels embarrassed. The buck does not stop here only. Social evils eating the basics of our social system are directly or indirectly projected and endorsed by women. Whether it is dowry, ceremonies at the time of marriage, death and births every aspect is plagued by the evils with patronage from our female folk. In no way, I intend to show any disregard for women but introspection with open mind will reveal the facts.

Presently our society is facing an alarming situation of suicides, committed mainly by women. This is the consequence of our crumbling social arrangement and atrocities inflicted on women. Earlier women as an incarnation of tolerance would bear all these atrocities, but last few decades of turmoil has checked our level of tolerance. Maximum cases of suicide both within male and female communities are result of strife in our family life and social system. A realistic approach will reveal that every discord is either instigated by women directly or encouraged by the unpleasant circumstances created by women. Man can be superior to women in many ways but once under the influence of woman as son, husband, brother or father the mystic power of women leaves him torn and at occasions he becomes a tool in the hands of women to destabilize the society and undermine the creditability of women in one way or the other. In every respect looser is womanhood.

Women have to think seriously and ponder upon the outcome of their behavior and role in tearing apart the fabric of our social system by their egoistic approach. They should influence and provide a helping hand to men in getting the process of social reforms back on track, particularly the rights of women and children. Women can, strive resolutely in eradicating evils from the society and can provide an atmosphere of love and tolerance, necessary for the real emancipation of women. We have to reshape our social arrangement in accordance with the teachings of religion, fundamentals of equality and natural justice and women has to play a big role simply by abstaining from nurturing grudge against each other and lower their levels of ego, measuring different at different stages and roles of their life. They have to work in tandem with emerging trends of equality and sincerity and provide a considerate and realistic hearing to genuine thoughts and opinion of male fraternity.

At the end no one should feel offended by these words as I harbor no sense of contempt against any particular gender. At least I am not a male chauvinist…!

Leaving a Disastrous Legacy

Mehboob wonders, "Does anyone care?"

DYING HERITAGE

Mehboob Iqbal

“Unn poshi teli Yaeli van poshi” It is in the retrospect of this adage by Sheikh-Ul-Alam (R.A) that we as a Kashmiri nation are going down the mystery lane when it comes to conservationist aptitude amongst the local populace. Lately, Save Dal has been so popular a fad, that in the haze of self-styled NGO’S, intelligentsia, environmentalists or preservationists, the concern and vision of genuine players on other important conservationist issues has become moribund. Their views are placed on the back burner, while others with almost no vision have managed to hijack the agenda by successfully grabbing the centre-stage.

Ironically, adding to all this, academia comprising of schools, college or even university conduct regular seminars on the conservation of Dal in order to showcase their moral and social responsibilities, but in the process forget and fail to realize their responsibility as the torchbearers to teach the future generations about the importance of our culture and heritage in its totality in the form of the old city (Shehr-E-Khas), the banks of the river jehlum (Bund), the walled city (Kalai-Undar), the lakes and waterways, the forests, the market places, old monuments, heritage buildings, the cuisine, the artifacts, the museums, the gardens , the dresses and so forth and so on.

All this apathy on part of these institutions, which form the cornerstone of any society tantamount to nothing but the unfortunate herd like mentality that has been cultivated in the hearts and minds of the people over the years. Be it witnessing anybody’s rising from the ashes or for that matter any other thing, people in Kashmir tend to toe similar lines as of others and take the same route as a mantra for success. There are so many hidden agendas and interests amongst the vast segments of the local populace that doing things, which can make a difference to the society as a whole is a passé.

It is in the midst of all this that I recently happened to interact with some high dignitaries and connoisseurs from the coliseum city of Rome, who had come to Kashmir as tourists. On reaching Srinagar, first thing they wanted to see was the old city and not the usual Mughal Garden round or a shikara ride. On seeing certain patches of the old city, they were so impressed and excited that they thought of it as being one of the most beautiful cities they had been to but at the same time were aghast to see the dilapidated conditions of the houses with brick and cement taking over the traditional architecture of the city. Witnessing the old city turning into a concrete jungle disappointed them so much that they pleaded with me to do something about it as a Kashmiri, lest future generations curse us for what we have done. Although having been blessed with an opportunity of traveling far and wide and interacting with connoisseurs worldwide, which enhanced my preservationist and conservationist consciousness, I was so much moved by the concern these Italian dignitaries showed and shared with me that I decided to write on the issue as the least I could do.

It is an established fact that for the past one century, the social fiber of the western societies has been quite matured, responsible and visionary compared to eastern societies, when it comes to safeguarding and protecting heritage and culture. Kashmir being a Muslim dominated valley of saints and a tourist destination should have been treading the path of west on this issue, but alas! The conservationist sense in this valley of ours is almost minimal.

My first hand witness account of western aptitude for conservation was in the Greek capital city of Athens just before the Olympics. As the work on Metro was going on, they spent huge amounts to hire world class consultants on their way discovering underground heritage, some of which was put on the display at the metro stations. This entire amount was not spent on the already existing monuments or artifacts but the new ones they were expecting to discover lest they destroy them while the work was on. Compared to this our Kalai, which is one of the longest surviving city wall in world is in ruins. It has been subject to lot of encroachments over the years. Old city being equally important has lost its sheen; the grace of the old city being one of its own kinds has become a distant dream from yesteryears. Further, the cement and concrete is taking over the traditional wood and brick cladding. The old houses as the heavenly abodes on the banks of river Jhelum are left unattended by the owners and are in a dilapidated form. River Jehlum has become so dirty that strolling on Bund seems to be like once upon a time story. All this is so disheartening, that one feels it is the high time for us to wake up and face the ground realities. It is now or never kind of a situation, we need to act and act fast.

To start with, there are two things that need to be taken care of and revived on priority basis. One would be the Old City (Shehr-e-khas). This includes the inner lanes and by-lanes of the old city, which apart from comprising old houses, includes some old market places like Maharaj Gunj, Zaina Kadal etc. Old city also comprises of some heritage constructions on the banks of river Jhelum covering all the seven bridges the city used to be based on. It is worth mentioning that being blessed with the distinction of having an old city based on seven bridges is a wonder in itself, which we all should feel proud of. The revival of the old constructions, market places and the beautification of the banks of river Jhelum would be an ideal thing to do. Though the government has already taken up the beautification process, we still have a long way to go. The revival of the Bund along with the club house would help a great deal in reconverting the area into being as the most prominent promenade of the city. The very same beautified river banks of jehlum especially The Bund would also be an ideal location to host tourists in the hotels and hutments converted out of old houses and empty land patches. Further, one can even look into the possibility of restarting the Doonga cruises, which would put us in a different league on the world tourism map. At many places I know that tradition and modernity has to go side by side, we have to take clue from modern architectural marvels like in London, where one side of the Thames hosts houses of parliament and the big Ben on the other side is a giant Ferris wheel (London eye) which is constructed in such a way that it compliments and not contradicts the skyline of London. Finally, apart from tourism purposes; Jehlum has been and can still be for us what Thames has been for London, Seine for Paris and Rhine for Germany.

Kalai Undar (Walled City) is the other important place that really needs to be taken care of along with its 30 identified monuments built in different reigns. There is so much to be taken care of that it can prove its potential of being a modular walled city of its kind anywhere in the world. The Kalai dewar or the wall itself is in such shambles that one feels ashamed of talking about any revival. With regards to this, the best thing to do would be to take the Nagar Nagar Park endeavor further, which besides other things includes the Kathi Darwaza, Bachi Darwaza, Waris Khans Cheh, Dara shikohs mosque, the qila, Badam Vari and so forth and so on. It would be wise to note that the list is never ending and insufficient, but the issues highlighted above are the least I could think of, with any further additions as a welcome step.

Nonetheless, all the aforementioned depends on how visionary the leadership of a particular nation and how sincere its bureaucracy is. Of course the biggest onus is on the people how appreciative they are to encourage the leadership to continue with such endeavors. All this doesn’t go on to prove or say that anything is more important than other things, but it is an overarching reality that certain things have been occupying the minds of the people so much that in the process we are losing something on many fronts and are turned into mute spectators. The most unfortunate thing is that nothing concrete has been happening on the conservation front. It is still not too late for us as a society to act, especially through the annals of print media, where greater Kashmir plays a big brothers role, as it has been doing vis-à-vis various social initiatives.

Finally, as one further ponders about the future, I hope and pray that this article invokes a thought provoking response and not let the expression be as usual “Who cares”?

History is Whatever the Historian Wants it to Be

Zahid provides an interesting perspective of a multi-facted issue by picking and choosing history to his taste. The bottom line is nothing can change nor will change

(Mr. Z. G. Mohammad, 60, was born and raised in Srinagar. He earned his Master's degree in English literature from the University of Kashmir 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.)

History Has Lessons

It is a season of marriages. I am not talking of political marriages that are in full bloom during the elections but I am talking about mundane wedlocks that bind two humans together. This week I was at a marriage party. It was long wait for the bridegroom. More than two hours idle wait- and during these idle waits one has to listen either to religious discourses that often end up in acrimonious debates without reaching an agreement on the rituals or a sermon against extravagance in marriages. While waiting for the bridegroom I was a captive audience to a monologist religious zealot believing that his understanding of religion was the only right one.

Much before I could plug my ears with my fingers a lawyer punctured his monologue by talking about the contemporary political scene in the state. He had a plethora of questions on the subjects I had touched over a period of time in my column. What was bothering him more was that the concepts of forum politics and collective leadership were not going to help in ending political uncertainty nor was it going to bring tangible political dividends that would satisfy urges and aspirations of the majority? He was in agreement with me that there was no example worth quoting in the history where a collage of political parties would have led any movement to a logical conclusion. He was in agreement with me that it was one leader, one party and one goal that had led all major struggles and movements in the world to logical end.

His grouse was that I often in my column raised issues and posed questions but did not suggest solutions nor did I answer the questions raised. He had a question for me and so had a university time friend a senior bureaucrat. The question revolved around the statement made by Home Minister, P. Chidambaram regarding likelihood of initiating a dialogue with Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, APHC (M) leader. The question sounded well and I could start a whole discourse on it touching its hidden and apparent dimension. Like most writers, believing that as someone has said, ‘I seem to be smarter in print than in person. In fact, I am smarter when I’m writing.” I instead of answering the question and giving an elaborate discourse thought of taking up his question as subject for this week column.

The proposed talks between New Delhi and APHC (Mirwaiz) raise many questions. one, has there been change of heart at New Delhi barely a month after Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh denounced the APHC and other leaders outside it as irrelevant. Two, what is it that now makes them relevant. Three, is New Delhi really serious in holding a dialogue with Mirwaiz led Hurriyat Conference. Fourth what can be the agenda for talks and fifth if an agreement is reached between New Delhi and the leadership what could be the agreement will it be in consonance with their demand for allowing the people to exercise their right to self-determination.

There are many stories in the Kashmir political circle of New Delhi about the proposed talks between Kashmir leaders and New Delhi. One of the important stories is that there has not been much of a change in New Delhi’s evaluation of Kashmir leaders as manifested in the Prime Minister’s statement and it also reflected the understanding of the establishment including the PMO. If the grapevine in the capital is to be believed, it is a former union minister having a friend or two in the APHC (M) who is engaged on the track two for setting a thaw in the relation between the APHC (M) and New Delhi. It is a different question if he is a self-appointed interlocutor between New Delhi and Srinagar or has ‘go on signal’ from the power centers in the capital.

The question of proposed talks of the APHC (M) has more than meets the eye. It needs to be looked at both in the contemporary and the historical perspectives. The engagement of New Delhi with Mirwaiz is not something new. The behind scene dialogue between New Delhi and Kashmir leaders started before 1993 the birth of the multi-party combine. It would not be stretching thus far to say that it were these behind the scene talks between New Delhi and Kashmir leaders during their detentions that caused the birth of the conglomerate. Scores of NGOs or groups of intellectuals including some human rights activists who have been talking to APHC since the start of armed “struggle” have not been doing it without blessings from New Delhi. It were both the efforts of various NGO activists and back channel engagements that paved way for opening of front channel dialogue between the APHC(M) and New Delhi. The Kashmir leaders having chosen to be called as moderates for not adhering to the demand of plebiscite have been meeting leaders of both the NDA and UPA governments. The last meeting between six leaders of the APHC under the leadership of Mirwaiz and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was held in September, 2005 at New Delhi. It was nothing but a photo-session. The APHC (M) had not done any spadework before meeting and nor had it set an agenda for the meeting. It was a flop show. The prime minister asked the delegation to ‘come next time’ with some concrete suggestions that government of India could consider. There was no direct meeting between New Delhi and Srinagar leaders after September 2005. However Prime Minister asked these leaders to join round table conference of all parties mostly those believing in the finality of accession of the State with Indian Union.

The question that apparently demands an answer is what is it now that has made New Delhi to drop hints to the “moderates” for a resumption of a dialogue. Much before coming to this question and looking at the new development in relation to related developments with regard to Kashmir I am reminded of the dialogue between New Delhi and the National Conference in fifties that ended up in signing of Delhi agreement. The agreement survived just one year and debates about it along with other factors landed Sheik in jail for eleven years. The dialogue that started in seventies between the Plebiscite Front and New Delhi culminated into Indira-Sheikh Accord of 1975. The accord did bring Sheikh Abdullah to power and also assured power for his scions but historically it is not seen as an achievement of Kashmir leadership but as its surrender. To understand this surrender there is need to read between the lines the factors that led to it.

The dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971 dampened the initiative of Kashmir leaders fighting for the cause of right to self-determination. This followed by an agreement between India and Pakistan at Simla had seen Kashmir problem being relegated to the background. The Problem of the State of Jammu and Kashmir in the words of Alastair Lamb ceased to be an “active territorial dispute”. The agreement between India and Pakistan did make a mention of Kashmir and Pakistan after the agreement did reiterate that it did not compromise on Kashmir but Z.A. Bhutto did throw a challenge to India by stating, “It was up to India to demonstrate to the world opinion that the inhabitants of State of Jammu and Kashmir were willing to accept what India had to offer them.” The government of India took a cue from it and started a dialogue with Kashmir leaders. It first involved the smaller organization and then by playing carrot and stick policy also involved the Plebiscite Front. It may be a matter of debate if the smaller parties were caught in the booby-trap wittingly or not but the movement for right to self-determination did suffer an erosion with minor players like the Jammu and Kashmir Jamat-e-Islami, the Political Conference and Srinagar based the Awami Action Committee joining directly and indirectly in the electoral process and isolating the Plebiscite Front that had boycotted the elections.

It was not the lack of negotiating skills in the Front leadership that failed it in making New Delhi to agree to its terms and conditions but it started a dialogue from a weak position that culminated into an accord with zero achievement. The accord for its inherent weaknesses and required guarantees hardly survived for a period of seven months then it was story of compromises for remaining in power.

The Kashmir problem diplomatically and politically today is on a stronger pedestal than it was after 1971. The APHC (M) before entering into a dialogue with New Delhi will have to realize that it was no more on the slippery ground of 9/11 situation that had made some of its leaders to see their own Waterloo before it happened but instead it will have to reevaluate its strength and make its relevance felt. The dialogue with New Delhi held in isolation of other leaders outside its ambit will not be of much consequence.

To see the dialogue with New Delhi reaching to a logical conclusion it will have to work for arriving at a broader consensus with the other faction of the conglomerate, organization outside it and the combatant leadership.

Since the proposed dialogue is on the front channel it should not be held in hush-hush manner but transparently. The agenda for dialogue with New Delhi should be without any ambiguity and it should have people’s approval. The public approval should be sought in a session meant for the purpose.

Farming in the 21st Century

Iqbal finds Kashmiri farmers every bit as "modern" as their counterparts in the rest of India

(Mr. Iqbal Ahmad, 48, was born in Parigam Chek, Kulgam. He is a graduate with Diploma in Numismatics, Archaeology and Heritage. He is an archaeologist, writer, and a cultural historian. He is employed by the Jammu and Kashmir State Government. Mr. Iqbal Ahmad has published 12 reference books on Kashmir archaeology and heritage.)

Farmers Embracing Technology

Life in this ultramodern age has become very fast. It looks as if one has lost his patience.

There is no wait. If you are slow you have to give way to others. Nobody is to be blamed. Things and necessities of life have undergone a considerable change. Gone are the days when you had to wait for the reply of your letter for weeks and months together. The communication network has become so fast that you have, reply to your queries within no time. There is now direct contact with people around the world.

The slow-based mechanisms have become outdated.

`This phenomenon is not only observed in communications but even in other fields of life as well. Every one wants to achieve maximum in minimum times. For example, a businessman who invests hundred out of it wants to earn thousand that too in minimum times, so does vows a transporter, an engineer, a doctor , a professor or even a non technical labourer.

The farmers and Zamindars in this race are not far behind. They are also making better usage of their forms and prefer to cultivate such produces which have a quick growth and better yield. They have been transforming their agricultural lands into orchards, where only commercial fruits are grown. Similarly, they have also shifted towards commercial plantation and tree culture in their forest lands and nurseries.

The plant growers prefer such variety of seeds and plants in their forms, which have a quick growth. They cultivate such forest nurseries in their forms, which are fast in growth and better in demand, The traditional plants with slow growth are being discouraged. Yearly number of plantation forms are cultivated and distributed on vacant land. The plant growers which mostly comprise farmers and few government based agencies get involved in various plantation projects.

They have been encouraging such new varieties of plants in their forms, which grow in less times. For this purpose Rosi and Bulgarian varieties of poplar are being favoured because they have 'most fast growth then the locals varieties of popular. Fortunately such, varieties of foreign origin trees have also found here the favourable soils and climate and are grown here in large numbers.

No doubt it has been a successful initiative towards protecting environment and meeting the growing consumption of wood. Besides a step towards protecting forest degradation. But the present trend of encouraging foreign varieties of trees has effected the local tree culture of the land. The valley is fast loosing its centuries old local varieties. Their propagation has already collapsed. The standing one's are also left without care.

In this context mention may be made of local varieties of popular called Kashur phras. The minister of the kingly plane trees which grows great height and girth was once very" popular in Kashmir. It grew at all elevations from 5000 to 7500 feet. Although it is esteemed for wood however it was also used for house buildings. There were several varieties, cultivated of this tree here, Kabuli varieties of this tree was very beautiful, with its white bark and silvery leaves it was; giving a fine look and considered suitable for the local environment.

It was grown more commonly in rural areas and believed to had been introduced here by later Mughal or early' Durani Shah's. These varieties of the popular has almost disappeared from valley lands and rarely are found standing anywhere. One another favorite tree o£ Kashmir is called Brenn (Elm). 'It usually grows at all elevation-upped 9,000 feet. Like Kashmir pharas it also attains a great height and girth and is also used for wood and building constructions. It has also remained saints tree in Kashmir, many such trees are still regarded in great esteem and believed to, have been planted by some Sofi saints of Kashmir.

The Hindus also regard this tree as sacred to Ganpati, one of the Hindu deities. Although still quite a number of trees of Elm are seen standing on several valley lands, but no attention is paid on its positive propagation. Bremiji, the centuries old tree of the valley was usually grown in graveyards and in the vicinity of shrines. It has a slow but natural growth to the extent of a magnificent tree. The tree is said is very soft and cool and deeply attached with Kashmiri graveyards.

Few specimen of the tree are still to been seen in olden Mazar's of the valley. The historical graveyards of Malkh'a, Mazari Qalan, Mazari Sulateen exhibit a few rare magnificent Breimji trees. The local trees no doubt have a slow growth and cannot standby the fast growing phenomenon. However, their survival is also necessary for the local environment. The plant growers and the government agencies involved in plantation should not forget the local trees altogether but shall also provide-some space to local plants in their forms, and nurseries.

Gulmarg Headed Towards Disaster

Corruption generates another first: night-time construction

Vulgar Constructions mar Gulmarg

Tangmarg: World famous tourist destination, Gulmarg, is losing its charm due to the illegal encroachments and vulgar constructions going unabated despite a blanket ban imposed by Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA).

According to sources the constructions are taking place at an alarming speed despite restrictions by the Supreme Court and GDA.

Sources said that then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) GDA in and order bearing number GDA /08/1785/94, issued on December 31, 2008 had banned al kind of constructions within the Wild Life Sanctuary as per Supreme Court directions and thus the constructions were banned in GUlmarg too which also falls under Wild Life Sanctuary.

However, of late, the constructions are going on unabated.

“The only difference is that construction works are carried during nights and not during days,” said a deputation of locals.

Bashir Ahmad Mir, president of Gulmarg Mazdoor Union, while expressing serious concern over the vandalization of Gulmarg said that people of the area will give any sacrifice to save Gulmarg.

“We don’t want Gulmarg to be transformed into a jungle of concrete,” Mir said adding, Gulmarg Bachao Committee will raise voice and ensure that all these illegal constructions are stopped.
(Kashmir Images)

Ailing Education and Newer Avenues of Education

Report on the tragic state of education, followed by a report by Shakeel-ur-Rehman on new opportunities in the age of Information Technolgy

(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.)

Ailing Education (Editorial in the Kashmir Images)

Much is being written and said about the educational system and there is a general complaint that the system ails and ails badly. There are several factors responsible for these ailments, however, the main one being government’s non-serious attitude.

It is tragic that education is the one sector that never tops the priorities of the government and therefore receives a raw deal. The very fact that children of top government functionaries, elite and ministers are comfortably admitted in expensive private schools and the government schools are meant for the poor and downtrodden alone, government cares not to through even a glance towards government schools.

But the overall callous attitude of the government and the society towards government schools disheartens the teachers and thus they fail to give out their hundred per cent. If the intension is to make the education in Jammu and Kashmir result oriented and to correct the wrongs of the system, government should make it mandatory that the children of top government functionaries study in government schools. Once that is done, the government schools will start competing with elite private schools because then only the government functionaries would be interested to see what is happening in these government institutions as the future of their own children would be at stake. Though a wishful thinking, but if it is done, the educational system in the state would undoubtedly see a revolution.

That said, the medium of instruction in our schools is too problematic for the young children who fail to grasp the basic concepts. Teaching languages, be that English, Urdu or Hindi is okay but making these three languages as a medium to teach mathematics, science or social sciences tantamount to doing injustice to the young minds. While these kids are still in the process of learning these languages, we try to teach them other subjects in these languages thus overburdening them. It goes without saying that one can understand things in a much better way in one’s own language and therefore the educational experts should not shy away from this universal reality.

If the intention is to impart education in a healthy way and to allow the kids grow with clear concepts of what they are being taught, mother tongue alone should be the medium. That is what is being done all over the world. Germans, French, Russains, Chinese etc don’t teach political science, physics, sociology or any other subjects in any alien language. They too study and learn other languages but when it comes to impart education, they use the mother tongue alone as the medium of instruction. So why not here? The teachers too can be more successful that way because they too can be clearer while using the language in which they think and generally every individual thinks in his or her mother tongue. Need is to take a decision and make it mandatory for the teachers to use the mother tongue as the medium of instruction in the schools.

Newer Avenues

The joint family system has given way to the nuclear family system in the wake of urbanization and there is exodus of the young to the towns for better alternatives than agrarian.

People send their children to schools so that they could grow to be better individuals with better employment opportunities than themselves. But the educational system followed in India still adheres to the one propounded by Lord Macaulay, intended to produce babus or clerks. No attempts have been made by the government to scrap the obsolete system of education and bring it in line with that of the several developing nations.

The modern youth is in a dilemma as to the selection of a proper career. He ventures into the job market with high hopes and finds that he is yet another addition to the vast saturated market of the jobless. His sheer grit and perseverance succumbs to the rejection he faces at various offices and he becomes frustrated. The fifteen or more years of his dedication to the education is unable to fetch a decent job. All he acquires is theoretical knowledge and he is unable to apply that knowledge in the practical field.

The increasing population has also resulted in the growth of competition among the youth where each tries to fare better than the other. In the age of the survival of the fittest, those acquiring jobs through nepotism or bribery are deemed successful. The youth today is, therefore, a disgruntled lot. All this makes it imperative for the youth to acquire newer skills with emphasis on market relevance. And it is here where information technology could play a crucial role.

It is now an admitted fact that no achievement of science has brought about such a transformation as IT. It has catapulted the progress of several nations and even individuals. It has opened up an infinite number of new avenues in the fields of health care, education, entertainment, communication, commerce and agriculture. Realizing the need for computer literacy in the state, efforts are on to provide computer aided education in all the schools in the near future.

Besides other benefits, computer education will not only make the administration efficient but would also open up newer job avenues thereby reduce joblessness to an appreciable extent. With a government which appears to have a farsighted vision, Kashmir could also become an IT hub. Admittedly, we need politicians with foresight. We are a place with one of the most intelligent human resources and all it needs is to show them a direction.

With concerted efforts on the IT front, the state will not only become able to take on the challenge of joblessness but would also present a rosy picture to the outside world which would in turn attract investments in key sectors of development. Given the importance the Omar Abdullah administration has attached to IT, it looks imminent that IT would get the kind of priority it needs. It might take a few years but the vision of making Kashmir an IT hub is achievable.

No One Employed in Kashmir Will Earn Less Than Rs. 3,300 a Month

Minimum wages of skilled and other workers revised

Srinagar: Government has revised the minimum wages of skilled and other workers with effect from October 01, 2009, a spokesperson of the Labour and Employment department said here today.

He informed that the revision was made after four years.

Accordingly, the wages of unskilled has been revised from Rs 66 per day to Rs 110, semi-skilled Rs 88 to Rs 150, skilled Rs 147 to Rs 200, ministerial, supervisor and accountants Rs 94 to Rs 175.

The spokesperson also said the revision of the rates will benefit lakhs of labourers working in organized and unorganized sectors of the economy.

The rates are applicable across the board to all workers of different categories.

Any employer who pays wages less than those fixed above shall be prosecuted under the provisions of Minimum Wages Act, he warned.

The Assistant Labour Commissioners of the Labour Department of all districts have been directed to strictly implement the revised rates and take due cognizance of any violation thereof.
The revised rates are also applicable to the workers working in the shopping establishments, domestic hands, factory workers and other industries.

Therefore, all the employers including the citizens who have hired domestic hands were informed that the payment of wages less than Rs 110 per day or Rs 3,300 per month shall invite the punitive provisions of the Act.

The rates shall also apply to the labourers working under various Central government schemes, State government schemes and other Corporations and Public Sector Undertakings.
(Kashmir Images)

Community Based Approach in Dealing with Children Without Guardians

Arshi may not have been able to keep her promise but she is thinking of a day when there will be no need to make such promises

(Ms. Arshi Javid, 20, was born in the Lal Chowk area of Srinagar. She completed her schooling from the Tiny Harts School. Ms. Javid is pursuing a graduate degree in Humanities at the Government College for Women, Maulana Azad Road, Srinagar. She has been actively writing in newspapers from last three years and was awarded budding journalist award by the Rotary Club of Kashmir. As a socially concerned Kashmiri youngster, she wants to contribute on local issues emanating from the turmoil.)

Orphanages in Kashmir

Making promises to children is a difficult job. And when the promises remain unfulfilled, they don’t just hurt children but adults too, who deliberately offer them dreams that are meant to be shattered. Children might even forget the myriad promises that we make to them, but when promises are significant, they neither forget nor forgive.

We all err with promises, but I blundered. In addition my preys were already fate-bitten orphans –barely seven or eight year old. My inquisitive nature always transported me to the places which meant strange to my peers. One of the places, I frequently visited was an orphanage. One of my visits coincided with Eid and gave me a chance to witness how festivity commenced at these special homes. I could realize that festivals never came alone. They bought along euphoria and a deeper sense of wiping out sorrows and despondencies for a while. The magic of festivals could make the saddest boys cheerful. Nevertheless I could scan a pain in their eyes, a discomfort in their voices. It was a language of isolation, codified expression of separation and broad grudge of segregation from rest of the society.

People took some children home on the occasion of festivity and dropped them back once it is over. But the practice isn’t very popular and not many people come forward in this regard. Whirling in a jerk of idiosyncrasy and perhaps emotions, I assured few children that my family will be playing their host this Eid. The spontaneous response from kids was whether I was being truthful or just kidding. In order to establish my truth I made a rapid promise. The news was sufficient to give them bright smiles that could lit up the saddest scene. However melancholy was to replace the gaiety that I was enjoying. It is said that children cannot keep secrets. Within no time, the boys I had planned to take home had unburdened their hearts with fellow inmates, making them all eager to come with me. Soon I had scores of orphan boys after me, yearning to come with me but it was impractical for me to invite all of them. So, aborting the entire arrangement was the only alternative left with me. And, somehow I broke the promise I had just made. But never again could I look anybody in eye, who believed every word I uttered. My shadow felt like a traitor which had crushed a thousand tiny hopes. I can imagine little Imran peeping outside the window, waiting for me endlessly and ultimately reverting to the life determined for him.

Children fall the biggest casualty in any conflict. Be it a clash between disputing parents or the political conflict between two states. In our case, the armed conflict has been benevolent enough granting a legacy of orphans which multiplies each passing day. We have a generation of children whose ears knew the sounds of gunfire before actually they recognized their mothers. It is estimated that there are about 30,000 orphans in Kashmir making it about 3-5% of the total child population. Thankfully, we as a community have dealt wonderfully in the time of catastrophe offering our help to the kids and widows. The role of orphanages which mushroom the valley and the Samaritans who worked hard for the cause cannot be neglected either. But as alert commoners, a thought arises. How long can this orphanage culture continue? It has been twenty long years since the armed insurgency has broken out and hopefully the worse period has been averted. It’s high time when alternatives should be adopted.

Observers believe that need of the hour is community-based care for these star-crossed kids rather than institutionalizing orphanages. Children living in orphanages experience isolation. Genuinely orphanages have catered to the requirements of orphans in an unparallel manner but how long can this stretch? Though all their apparent needs like food, clothing, shelter, education and health but somewhere all round development-physical, social, psychological, congenial has been neglected. And the neglect cannot be put on the shoulders of people who run orphanages, but on community, on every individual who has been spectator to this pain. Any thinking community cannot afford to isolate a major chunk of their child and teenaged population. The stress should shift on the broader contours of rehabilitating the orphans in community; inculcating a feeling of kinship- making them feel like one of our own; cutting through the knots of segregation making them a part of society. Furthermore, segregation can make them more susceptible to various unethical habits. Apart from this focus should be on all round growth rather than confining them to particular atmosphere where the feeling of victimization can never vanish. My conversations with young orphans hinted at the victimization syndrome that they undergo at all fronts and unnecessary tagging as orphans. Their grievance is that people don’t empathize but sympathize with them.

The concept of orphanages unfortunately originates from a bad precedent. Throughout the Islamic history one hardly finds any reference of orphanages. Prophet Muhammad (saw) never supported the model of orphanages and rather insisted on community care for orphans. An episode from battle of Ohd testifies it too. During the Ghazavi-Ohd, Muslims lost against pagans and roughly 72 Muslims were martyred, while the total population of Muslims was not more than 900, that made it a significant chunk of 10% population. As the news spread to Medina, the prophet commanded his followers to remarry the widows and shelter the orphans. And, the whole dilemma was resolved in few days only.

Traditionally, orphanages were unheard of in Kashmiri society before 1990’s. Previously due to closely knit joint family structure, orphans got adjusted within the extended family or even neighbors didn’t falter to take their responsibility. But after the insurgency, the social scene changed and we saw orphans in abundance, making way for orphan homes.

It is imperative to redefine the commitment we have for orphans; else the internal strife may not be distant. The tribulations can construct serious fallouts, lest we may go the Afghanistan way.

An Incurable Malady

Fida is a concerned citizen who sees the evil of growing corruption in an atmosphere full of dishonesty and nepotism

(Mr. Fida Iqbal, 47, was born in Sopore. He attended the D.A.V. School in Nayadyaar, Rainawari, and the Government Higher Secondary School in Sopore. He obtained his Bachelor's degree in Agriculture/Floriculture and Landscaping from Chowdhry Chottu Ram College at Muzaffarabad Nagar in Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Iqbal works with the Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Department as a landscape architect. He enjoys kitchen gardening, reading writing, and is very a passionate and dedicated golf player.)

Confronting Corruption

Decades after independence the true face of democracy is eluding us due to lack of impartiality and sincerity within the system of governance. In every field of life the levels of transparency are lacking which otherwise should have been the essence of people’s governance we had opted in 1947 after a long battle. Dictatorship has its own unwritten rules; rules to encourage nepotism and favoritism to ensure fortification of the system of ruthless governance and the strengthening of dynastic rule.

Democracy is largely influenced by the thumb rule of equality with a great deal of honesty, impartiality and sincerity but the same is missing from the day first in our democratic system. May be early years of self-governance in our state being transitory in nature faced a number of bottle necks and administrative hiccups which compelled our leaders to make some compromises. But if records of last sixty years of popular governance are to be checked those are strewn with loads of unjustified favors to few selected ones. Every government aspect like appointments and elevations, providing of vital licenses and permits, benefits in industrial and other sectors, subsidies, government sponsored loans and allotment of government land is plagued with the bug of partiality.

Jammu and Kashmir has shouldered the burden of many heads of the governments since 1947 and everyone has knowingly or unknowingly allowed the nepots and sycophants to flourish with limitless (out of turn) benefits. Let us have a broader look over the wide political spectrum influencing the post independence era, excepting few everyone in collaboration with mighty and powerful have resorted to the unfair means of elevating their favorites and kin. Even popular mass leader like Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was not spared by the sycophants and was persuaded to make appointments and elevations; shower favors negating the fundamentals of peoples rule.

A casual look will reveal the facts that during past sixty years many politicians, bureaucrats and powerful people have rehabilitated their sons, daughters and kin on vital posts in the administration or have promoted them comfortably by other covert means. No one can deny this fact as records will reveal how rules were manipulated and norms floated. Exceptions are there but they have lost under the imposing shadow of rampant deceit, mistrust, partiality, dishonesty, insincerity, nepotism, and exploitation.

In the first instance let us scrutinize the government service sector. As I said first few years after 1947 were transitory so any deviation of norms can be brushed aside as minor abrasions but later years saw regime of favoritism where even least qualified were so craftily employed and elevated that they became baggage of elite state administrative services in later years. Some nepots who joined the government as simple receptionists ended up their carrier as head of the departments. Not as much qualified personal staff of ministers became development commissioners and line seniority drama was enacted for few to elevate them over the heads of many who were far senior to them. Rules were changed and tampered to accommodate loved ones. The only qualification taken into consideration while justifying these irregularities was relation to mighty and powerful.

For many years the regular selection of administrative service aspirants was shelved on one or the other alibi only to pave way for the favorites to enter through the back door. This brazen violation continued for many decades. In late eighties I asked one of the honest and upright bureaucrats’ of the state administration about the criterion for selection and deputation of assistant project officers (APO) and block developments (BDO) in rural development department , pat came the answer ‘these are political selections’. This was democratic governance administered by our elected representatives!

Every state department is full of these blooming favorites who have rewritten their fate and destiny with the active support of their masters and have become effective tools to fleece the common man. These preferred blue eyed people have become instruments of deceit and corruption as they are immune to all sort of accountability. Thus these chosen ones are responsible for polluting the whole democratic setup, fondly called ‘government by the people’ for lesser mortals. This is all mockery of people’s representation. How long this will continue only Almighty knows? No doubt democracy is the only practical solution for judicious and effective governance for civilized societies but this flawed democracy sometimes compels me to believe otherwise. At occasions it appears that it will be better to invite the legitimate heir of late maharajas of Kashmir to run the affairs of state than bearing the burden of this exploitation in the garb of democracy.

For last more than a decade as many back doors of appointment and elevation have been plugged by the awareness of common man a new ploy of ad hocism is used to promote preferred and discourages the eligible ones. Politicians and bureaucrats’ use this tactic not only to sponsor blue eyed people but to exploit the legitimate ones for their own interests. Own pay and grade (OPG) and additional charge system have become part of our administration just to brow beat the best ones and sponsor the favorites.

People of Jammu and Kashmir had pinned their hopes on the young and enthusiastic chief minister and were hope full that even if he won’t be able to deliver autonomy and self rule but at least he will cleanse the system of this nuisance of favoritism, unjustified elevations and ad hocism. Unfortunately this energetic young man was put to the grind at the start of his term; drained of his energy and enthusiasm and is being compelled to deliver the same old wine in new rosy bottles. Recent administrative reshuffles particularly in the civil administration gives a grim picture, where those old weary and some blue eyed people have been endorsed to run the affairs of the administration at vital positions. Additional charges have become order of the day.

It will be unfair to blame this young man of bias and pursuing the old line of favoritism and nepotism by choice it seems the old guards and masters make him to resort to it by compulsion and make him to tread into the fields of partiality unknowingly. If young chief minister really believes in delivering justice he has to listen only to his inner voice influenced by his Gen-X factor and advice of few young and energetic advisors and civil servants, otherwise those old political hawks and pampered bureaucrats will always be there on prowl to fulfill their unending urge of nepotism and favors. Being critical just for the sake of criticism will be unfair and unjustified but raising the right issue is duty of every conscious citizen. This young man is of different political stock called Gen-X and we should give him due space to make justified difference between right and wrong; people friendly and anti people agenda. Make him understand that everyone around him is not concerned for common man and his miseries, but yes many are there to rely upon. There are people of repute in his administration who have proved their worth not only on state level but on the national level as well, they need due consideration while deciding the peoples agenda.

Unraveling the Mystery in Shopian

Fayyaz scores a bulls-eye with a hard hitting report on new facts that are emerging regarding the Shopian tragedy

(Mr. Ahmed Ali Fayyaz, 48, was born in Bodina, Budgam, and received his primary and secondary education in Budgam and later at Amar Singh College, Srinagar. He completed his Master's degree in Kashmiri language and literature from the University of Kashmir in 1987. After working with Rashtriya Sahara and Kashmir Times in 1993-94, and later for 13 years as Srinagar Bureau Chief of Daily Excelsior, he is woking as Resident Editor/ Srinagar Bureau Chief of Jammu-based English daily Early Times (www.earlytimes.in) since April 2009. He is also a filmmaker whose forte in audio-visual media is Kashmir's composite culture, heritage, ecology and social issues. Since February 2008, he has been regularly anchoring Take One Television's bi-weekly hard talk show "Face To Face With Ahmed Ali Fayyaz" which is watched by more than three million viewers in Srinagar, Jammu and other urban areas of Jammu & Kashmir.)

CBI breaks riddle of Shopian swab fudging

SRINAGAR: In a significant breakthrough in the investigation of alleged rape-cum-murder of two young women in Shopian on May 29 this year, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has unearthed the mystery of fudging of the vaginal swab of Neelofar Jan and Aasiya Jan 10 days after it took over one of the most challenging assignments in Jammu & Kashmir. Making a startling disclosure in presence of government officials and members of Majlis-e-Mushawarat Shopian, the lady doctor who had conducted the gynecological examination of the dead bodies on May 30 and declared to the crowds that both the women had been gangraped and murdered, has now revealed that she had actually collected the vaginal smear from the gloves used on some different female patients in the adjoining district of Pulwama in South Kashmir.

Informed sources told Early Times that in the third consecutive session of sustained questioning, Dr Nighat Shaheen spilled the beans and revealed to the CBI team that she had not obtained any vaginal smear during per vaginal of the dead bodies of Neelofar and Aasiya at District Hospital of Shopian on May 30th this year. According to her revelations, she had in fact collected some smear from the gynecological gloves used on some different female patients at District Hospital of Pulwama, where she remained posted before her suspension in June.

Slides of the same smear specimen---initially unsigned but later signed and sealed by Dr Nighat Shaheen---had been sent to CBI’s Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) in New Delhi where they turned out to be inconsistent with the viscera and other tissues earlier collected from the two dead bodies for the post mortem by a team of doctors and forensic medicine experts. Sources said it was now being investigated whether Dr Nighat Shaheen had resorted to the fudging to protect or frame anybody or she had failed to collect the specimen due to the rigor mortis pleaded by her colleagues before Jan Commission of Inquiry.

Sources said that the CBI team got Dr Shaheen’s confessional statement recorded on camera in presence of several officials as well as some members of Majlis-e-Mushawarat Shopian who also signed the statement as witnesses on the spot. According to these sources, Dr Shaheen led the CBI team to the ward at District Hospital Pulwama late last night and identified the spot where she had used the surgical gloves to collect the swab of some different women. However, efforts to speak to Dr Shaheen failed repeatedly for her telephone was found switched off or not reachable for the whole day today.

According to these sources, CBI also learned that the lately appointed SSP of Pulwama, Syed Kifayat Hyder, had also written a confidential letter to IGP Kashmir over a month ago to inform him that Dr Nighat Shaheen had reportedly collected the smear from some living female patients at District Hospital Pulwama rather than from the two dead bodies at District Hospital of Shopian. Even as Special Investigating Team (SIT) of J&K Police, headed by SP Shah Deen Malik, was believed to have made necessary entry into its case diary, it was not immediately clear what action had been taken by IGP Kashmir after learning about the vaginal swab fudging.

Sources said that CBI was now examining the call records of Dr Shaheen’s telephones and the people she remained in touch with for one month after the recovery of the dead bodies in Shopian on May 30th. This is expected to lead CBI to the people if any in the background as also the motive of the fudging. The lady doctor is reported to have said that she had done the process “under public pressure”. Officials associated with the investigation do not rule out polygraph test of the lady doctor under tight scanner now.

Meanwhile, CBI has constituted a team of doctors and forensic science experts which arrived in today from New Delhi for conducting exhumation of the two dead bodies and their fresh post mortem under the supervision of former Director of AIIMS Dr Dogra at 0700 hours tomorrow. The team stayed at CBI’s makeshift guesthouse at Humhama and it would start the process of fresh medico-legal operation under tight security arrangements at Shopian early in the morning. DC Shopian, Abdul Majeed Khanday, said that three duty magistrates, including two lady officers, besides Neelofar’s husband, Shakeel Ahmed Ahangar, and father, Abdul Hai, would remain present all through the post mortem exercise.

Dr. Sazawal also wrote on this topic on September 1, 2009. The link to his article is: http://www.kashmirforum.org/shopian-tragedy.htm

The Return of Kashmiri Pandits

Two mostly well-meaning editorials barely scratch the surface on actions that the civil society in Kashmir must advocate to open political, social and economic space for Pandits in the valley


Return of KPs (Rising Kashmir)

Peaceful conduct of Dusehra festival in Kashmir should prompt a gradual return of Kashmiri Pandits

On the eve of Ramnavmi the dummies of Ravana and his cohorts were inflamed in Srinagar amidst the traditional fervor. It is an important development. But the most significant part is that the event was organized jointly by Kashmiri Pandits and Muslims and a large number of Muslims representing various civil society groups were present in TRC ground near Lal Chowk when the devotees symbolically celebrated the victory of the truth over the falsehood. Though Shivratri (The night of shiv) has always been the key Pandit festival in Kashmir, Dushera too used to evoke attention for all the associated fun in the form of crackers and burning of giant dummies of Ravana.

Shivratri used to be a mass celebration while Dusehra was a sort of organized event. India’s various Hindu organizations including Sanatan Dharama would organize Dusehra but Shivratri, like Eid, used to be a spontaneous mass festival. Pandits had a tradition of collecting first spring rains, preferably on the eid of Nouroz (21 March), put the seasonal walnuts the pitchers carrying this water and preserve them till Novratri that would fall toward the end of summer. Those rain-dampened walnuts would serve a lovely bonding between Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits. Muslims in Kashmir have been craving for such camaraderie ever since the Pandit community chose to leave Kashmir following some murders of individuals who belonged to the community. That the entire community was terrified by those attacks is an indisputable fact. But the fact remains that the state, especially then governor Jagmohan administration added fuel to the fire rather than trying to prevent a community from getting uprooted.

Now that both sides are letting bygones be bygones, both the civil society and the government must play a positive and constructive role to dispel the chronic perceptions of distrust and suspicion. While the civil society must remain guard to the saboteurs the Pandit community itself should de-link their struggle from the grand fanatic rhetoric that has been harping on the “separate homeland” for the Pandits. On its part, the government too should review its policy of settling huge townships in Jammu’s border region in the name of rehabilitation. This goes without saying that the real rehabilitation of Pandits will be their restoration in the essential abode not their rehabilitation on some alien land.

Return of Migrants (Kashmir Images)

It is heartening to note that shedding their reservations and exhibiting their willingness to return home, majority of the organisations of Kashmiri Pandits Wednesday decided to cooperate with the Jammu and Kashmir government in its plans for their return to their homeland. It may be mentioned here that an apex committee was formed comprising of 35 members drawn from different groups of Kashmiri Pandits. The committee was formed following the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Rs.1,600 crore package for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits living as migrants in several parts of the country was , mostly in Jammu.

Wednesday’s meeting was first such meeting to discuss the issues related to the return of migrant Pandits to their homes in Kashmir Valley in the context of Prime Minister’s package. Though the issue may not be resolved in a jiffy and may demand more meetings and more brain storming, the very fact that 30 out of 35 members attended the meeting is in itself the success of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah’s initiative. While Panun Kashmir, a radical group, that is advocating carving out a separate land for Pandits in the Valley abstained two other members couldn’t attend as they were indisposed. The meeting discussed issues like creating accommodation for the migrants in the valley till they renovate their deserted residential structures and also offering jobs to the unemployed Kashmiri migrants were discussed.

The Prime Minister has already in his package announced Rs. 7.5 lakh financial assistance to any family which will undertake renovation or reconstruction of their houses located in the Valley. They will be given accommodation by the government till they complete the reconstruction of their houses and in case any family would like to stay in their chosen rented accommodation, the rent will be reimbursed by the government.

Migration of Kashmiri Pandits is a humanitarian issue and needs to be resolved without playing politics. True that several Pandit families are well adjusted outside Kashmir Valley; they have established their business; constructed good houses and are living comfortable life but even today, thousands of Pandits are living in shanty towns in the peripheries of Jammu city and some places in Delhi. These people are living in pathetic and unhygienic conditions. They don’t have proper access to pure drinking water, electricity and their children are not able to have proper education as their one-two room shanties are overcrowded. They have been living in these pathetic conditions since they migrated from Valley in early 1990 and despite tall claims by the respective governments, their living conditions have not improved.

Interestingly most of these people are the ones who originally hail from rural areas of the Valley. As most of them were agriculturists and solely depended on their agricultural and horticultural produces, they had no immovable properties and therefore were never in a position to buy homes outside the Valley. In fact these are the people carving for returning to their homes. They couldn’t fit in the alien atmosphere, culturally, climatically and socially. But unfortunately they have become victims of politics. Now that an initiative has been taken, let the dirty politics take a back seat and the issue be addressed purely on humanitarian grounds.

Motherland calls Kashmiri Pandit Entrepreneurs

Iftikhar describes believers who may have left Kashmir, but Kashmir has never left their soul

KP expatriate to invest in J&K’s thermal projects

New Delhi: A Kashmiri Pandit expatriate has offered to invest in thermal and renewable power projects in Jammu and Kashmir provided the state government also chips in with its booty. Owner of Australia based multi-billion dollar Perdaman Industries Vikas Rambal, who was here to attend a day long global conference of Kashmiri Pandit entrepreneurs offered to finance a major part of the upcoming Rs. 4000 crore thermal power plant at Udhampur.

Perdaman Industries is currently developing a US$2.5 billion urea manufacturing plant in Western Australia. It is also involved in using innovative and clean coal gasification technology; to transform sub-bituminous coal into urea.

Speaking on the occasion in presence of Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand, Agricultre Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir and Pradesh Congress Chief, Prof. Saifuddin Soz, Rambal even offered to transport coal for the power plant. He said in case the state government finds it difficult to procure coal, his company was ready to even transport coal from Australia, where its owns a dedicated coal mine.

Talking to KTNS later on the sidelines of the conference, Rambel, a chemical engineer who has earlier worked with Bharat Petroleum called for burying the immediate past, which led acrimonious mass exit of Kashmiri Pandits from their abode in Kashmir Valley. He said his company was ready to invest 75 per cent in any power venture provided the state government chips in with the rest 25 per cent. “I want government to share some burden to bring security to the project,” he said. He, however, added that for any investment peace was a pre-requisite and called on politicians to work for the return of calm and harmony.

Originally from Habakadal in Srinagar, Rambal’s father Perdaman Krishan Rambal (1940-2006) was a geologist. He later moved to wholesale pharmaceutical business, export business.

Wisdom may Come with Age, but Intellectuals Exist at all Ages

Muneeb examines the often held belief that young minds can never be intellectuls

(Muneeb Jeelani Khan is an ex-student of Law, University of Kashmir.)


Intellectual Monopoly

Our intellectuals usually complaint against and show their concern about the intellectual stagnation or mental bankruptcy confronting our society. But the question is, how far do these intellectuals fulfill their own responsibilities. Their responsibility is to see the younger ones grow and bloom.

These experienced intellectuals with their huge store knowledge and experience can and ought to impart it to the young and blooming intellects who are always in search of the elderly expertise advice to fulfill their intellectual cravings. But alas! Except for a few, the majority of them are never interested in sharing their ideas or imparting their knowledge to the young thinkers because they want to be the sole owners of the intellectual treasure.

Thus, we most often witness the intellectual monopoly or intellectual hegemony while having an interaction with such senior, elderly and respected cream of our society. When the young scholars having huge expectations from such senior and elderly think tanks knock their doors to gather some intellectual crumbs, they are treated in such a scornful and disdainful manner that they never dare to visit their chambers again.

For a moment their intellectual dreams get shattered, their pursuit of knowledge is throttled and the most unfortunate thing is that, the whole scaffold of trust and hope tumbles down. You get discouraged and disappointed not because you personally faced such disdain and rebuff, but thinking that if this kind of immature and irresponsible attitude is exhibited by the highest stratum of the society (as far as the intellectual point of view is concerned), then how and what can we expect from the remaining lot of that very society. Whenever such senior thinkers are requested by their students to share some of the ideas with them, they reject their request with a sharp or mild rebuff. And the big favour they do to you is when they say to you that, “read our articles in the papers and you will know everything”. But if you have read the same and want to discuss such articles with them in order to clear some doubts and grasp the core of such write up, your request is rejected once again. And the strange thing is that even if you have a substantial ideological compatibility with them, they still never want to encourage you, never want to impart their knowledge to you.

I want to ask, can a true intellectual really afford to be a bad tempered and easily irritable person? Yes of course, you deserve a severe scolding and reprimand from such senior thinkers, if you dissent with their opinions in a disrespectful and arrogant manner, but if you dissent and disagree with them in very respectful and revered manner, then there is no excuse left for them to evade answering your questions and learning from them. Then the only conclusion you arrive at, is that these experienced people are hell-bent to maintain their intellectual supremacy by being averse to discussions and debates.

It then seems that they are only interested in always being swarmed by the flatterers and sycophants mostly indulged in unquestioning obedience and `Yesmanism’. And there are some senior thinkers who mostly boast of their benevolence by lending books to the growing scholars but always avoid discussing ideas and events with them. Mere book lending won’t do, because it has been rightly said, that an interaction with a wise man is better than ten years study of books.
So if such elderly scholars really want to give something to the budding thinkers (which ultimately benefits the whole society) they should give it by sharing their elderly and invaluable ideas and experiences with them which can never be found in the books, because books provide you only one way communication. And if sometimes accidently you know about something which these intellectuals don’t know then that knowledge instead of becoming a boon turns into a bane for you because it disturbs and perturbs them so much that you fear that they might get struck by hypertension.

Is there any space left for the true intellectuals to be so jealous and envious if they sometimes find the budding intellectuals with a little more knowledge in a particular field. They should take a leaf from the pages of the Indian History.

Yes, I am talking about Vishnu Gupta or commonly known as Chanakaya (the author of Arthashastra, the famous book on Statecraft which Indians still consider as the Bible of political tactics), who once saw a child playing a game called “Rajkridam” with his friends in which he was playing the role of king with great aplomb. Chanakya didn’t waste time in recognizing and identifying his talent and took him immediately under his supervision and then groomed and trained him in a systematic manner. This child when grew up, scripted history by defeating the powerful Nanda dynasty. This conqueror was none other than the Chandra Gupta Maurya, the founder of the Maurean Empire who is regarded as the first national monarch of India.

And there are some “acclaimed intellectuals” who are blind hero worshippers, never ready to admit and accept the frailties of those whom they follow or admire. Can a true intellectual really afford to have a blinkered and rigid vision. Yet again we see some highly knowledgeable people with a great intellectual knack, who typically behave like the intellectual ascetics, giving lectures to their family members and guests while sitting in their cozy rooms and beautiful lawns never feeling the scruples that a greater responsibility lies on them to disseminate their knowledge and contribute towards society on a larger intellectual plane. Intellectuals already belong to the minute minority of any society and when one faces these unfavourable, unfriendly and hostile conditions the already narrow and constricted intellectual spectrum becomes more shrunken and depressed, so how can one expect intellectual affluence or intellectual abundance in these antagonist conditions. And, how can a young and budding intellectual grow and bloom when he finds such senior intellectuals around him.

Thus, I have no hesitation in drawing a conclusion that it has become a fashion to blame our society for the intellectual dearth or the intellectual bankruptcy without taking into account the vital and major factor of the responsibility of the elderly intellectuals in grooming and training the emerging scholars, the result of which of which trickles down to each and every segment of the society.

Kiya jo ilm haasil muneeb, sarf kar makhlooq kay liyay
Warna kyon abtar nahi too sehra kay sanyasi say

City's Oldest Water Supply Goes Dry

Dachigam Nallah goes dry and Administration sees no immediate respite

Dry spell hits city’s oldest water supply plant

Abdul Mohamin (Rising Kashmir)

Srinagar: Owing to poor rainfalls this season, the capacity of city’s oldest water supply plant at Nishat has exhausted forcing administration to throttle the supply fed to areas from the plant.

Officials of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) believe that the water supply will remain affected seriously until Dachigam Nallah, which is one of the major sources of water, remains dried.

“We didn’t have good rainfall this year. And it is telling upon the main watercourse that fetches us water for Nishat water plant,” Executive Engineer Water Works Division Srinagar, Rafiq Ahmad Malik told Rising Kashmir.

Malik said that the department has chalked out a two-hour curtailment programme in the areas being fed from this plant “as the water accumulation in the service reservoir has been affected after one of its went dry.”

“The only hope,” Malik said, “is rains and careful usage of potable water by consumers.”

To mention the city has been fed treated water from Nishat Water Treatment Plant since 1939 with a designed supply network for the city being started in the year 1906.

Retired Chief Engineer with PHED, GM Kanth, explained that the water sources were clean and the supply through a system of pipes was initiated in 1906 when the tapped water in Harwan fed by Dachigam Nallah which has its source in Tarsar and Marsar lakes above was worked upon.

“And the first 2.2MGD treatment plant at Nishat was made operational in 1939 that was also fed by the source from Dachigam Nallah. Potable water was sourced to city from this plant and it was sufficient to meet the demands then,” he said.

He also said that despite the plant been boosted with supply lifted from Dal Lake, any dearth of water in Dachigam Nallah affect the total output.

Meanwhile, Malik said that an additional raw water conductor from Rangil has been proposed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) which would help in case of any shortfalls from the Dachigam source.

“The proposal was earlier being handled by the Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (JKERA), but their proposed line was didn’t had much carrying capacity, so we have initiated the project under JNNURM where we propose to bring sufficient water to the plant.

Malik also said that the dry spell has not hit the areas which are being fed with the water from Rangil water supply plant.

The present curtailment programme has hit areas in Khanyar, Rainawari in the old city while the posh areas like Jawhar Nagar, Kursoo Rajbagh, markets Sariabala, Amira Kadal and Gonikhan.

There is, however, no good news from the Metrological department whose officials say that the dry spell will continue.

“There is least possibility of any continual showers in the next week as no system is approaching or developing over the area,” Director Met Centre, Srinagar Sonam Lotus said.

He said that overall seasonal precipitation received by Kashmir has been low and there is less possibility of any system bringing in rains in the next week.

“But there may be the local system which can bring down a short-lived spell of rains,” he added.

“We didn’t have good rainfall this year. And it is telling upon the main watercourse that fetches us water for Nishat water plant,” Executive Engineer Water Works Division Srinagar, Rafiq Ahmad Malik told Rising Kashmir.

Malik said that the department has chalked out a two-hour curtailment programme in the areas being fed from this plant “as the water accumulation in the service reservoir has been affected after one of its went dry.”

“The only hope,” Malik said, “is rains and careful usage of potable water by consumers.”

To mention the city has been fed treated water from Nishat Water Treatment Plant since 1939 with a designed supply network for the city being started in the year 1906.

Retired Chief Engineer with PHED, GM Kanth, explained that the water sources were clean and the supply through a system of pipes was initiated in 1906 when the tapped water in Harwan fed by Dachigam Nallah which has its source in Tarsar and Marsar lakes above was worked upon.

“And the first 2.2MGD treatment plant at Nishat was made operational in 1939 that was also fed by the source from Dachigam Nallah. Potable water was sourced to city from this plant and it was sufficient to meet the demands then,” he said.

He also said that despite the plant been boosted with supply lifted from Dal Lake, any dearth of water in Dachigam Nallah affect the total output.

Meanwhile, Malik said that an additional raw water conductor from Rangil has been proposed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) which would help in case of any shortfalls from the Dachigam source.

“The proposal was earlier being handled by the Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (JKERA), but their proposed line was didn’t had much carrying capacity, so we have initiated the project under JNNURM where we propose to bring sufficient water to the plant.

Malik also said that the dry spell has not hit the areas which are being fed with the water from Rangil water supply plant.

The present curtailment programme has hit areas in Khanyar, Rainawari in the old city while the posh areas like Jawhar Nagar, Kursoo Rajbagh, markets Sariabala, Amira Kadal and Gonikhan.

There is, however, no good news from the Metrological department whose officials say that the dry spell will continue.

“There is least possibility of any continual showers in the next week as no system is approaching or developing over the area,” Director Met Centre, Srinagar Sonam Lotus said.

He said that overall seasonal precipitation received by Kashmir has been low and there is less possibility of any system bringing in rains in the next week.

“But there may be the local system which can bring down a short-lived spell of rains,” he added.

“We didn’t have good rainfall this year. And it is telling upon the main watercourse that fetches us water for Nishat water plant,” Executive Engineer Water Works Division Srinagar, Rafiq Ahmad Malik told Rising Kashmir.

Malik said that the department has chalked out a two-hour curtailment programme in the areas being fed from this plant “as the water accumulation in the service reservoir has been affected after one of its went dry.”

“The only hope,” Malik said, “is rains and careful usage of potable water by consumers.”

To mention the city has been fed treated water from Nishat Water Treatment Plant since 1939 with a designed supply network for the city being started in the year 1906.

Retired Chief Engineer with PHED, GM Kanth, explained that the water sources were clean and the supply through a system of pipes was initiated in 1906 when the tapped water in Harwan fed by Dachigam Nallah which has its source in Tarsar and Marsar lakes above was worked upon.

“And the first 2.2MGD treatment plant at Nishat was made operational in 1939 that was also fed by the source from Dachigam Nallah. Potable water was sourced to city from this plant and it was sufficient to meet the demands then,” he said.

He also said that despite the plant been boosted with supply lifted from Dal Lake, any dearth of water in Dachigam Nallah affect the total output.

Meanwhile, Malik said that an additional raw water conductor from Rangil has been proposed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) which would help in case of any shortfalls from the Dachigam source.

“The proposal was earlier being handled by the Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (JKERA), but their proposed line was didn’t had much carrying capacity, so we have initiated the project under JNNURM where we propose to bring sufficient water to the plant.

Malik also said that the dry spell has not hit the areas which are being fed with the water from Rangil water supply plant.

The present curtailment programme has hit areas in Khanyar, Rainawari in the old city while the posh areas like Jawhar Nagar, Kursoo Rajbagh, markets Sariabala, Amira Kadal and Gonikhan.

There is, however, no good news from the Metrological department whose officials say that the dry spell will continue.

“There is least possibility of any continual showers in the next week as no system is approaching or developing over the area,” Director Met Centre, Srinagar Sonam Lotus said.

He said that overall seasonal precipitation received by Kashmir has been low and there is less possibility of any system bringing in rains in the next week.

“But there may be the local system which can bring down a short-lived spell of rains,” he added.

Aftermath of Amarnath

Amarnath agitation of 2008 affected industrial growth

44.42% industrial units go missing!

Srinagar: The Amarnath land row which had affected among other things tourism,
education and trade besides consuming more than 60 lives, also proved very costly for industrial growth in the Jammu and Kashmir where already 44.42 percent industrial units are ‘missing’ on ground.

According to official figures available here only 1.92 percent increase was registered during 2008-09, lowest since 2001-02 in the Jammu and Kashmir, where 44.42 percent industrial units are untraceable as per the census conducted last.

However, the result of the latest survey conducted during the year 2008 by Government of India (GOI) Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) are awaited.

According to Directorate of Jammu and Kashmir Industries and Commerce (DJ&KIC), only 971 Small Scale Industrial (SSI) units were registered during the year 2008-09, lowest since 2001-02.

The slow SSI growth of 1.92 percent during the 2008-09 was mainly due to the political disturbances that affected severely the entire economic life in the state.

According official figures 2005-06 witnessed all-time high growth of 3 percent of SSI in the state followed by 2004-05 when it was 2.50 percent, 2006-07 - 2.49 percent, 2002-03 - 2.31 percent, 2003-04 - 2.17 percent, 2007-08 - 2.12 percent and lowest 1.92 last year.

The last census conducted about two decades ago surveyed 36510 units in the state.
Surprisingly the census found 16219 units, which constitutes 44.42 per cent of the total SSI units, were untraceable while 4840 which was equitant to 13.26 percent were closed and 306 were found sick.

It said that only 15145 units, which constitutes 41.48 percent were functional.
Most of these untraceable units are those that are registered on paper only in order to take advantage of the incentives given to the SSI units.

According to survey conducted by the Entrepreneur Development Institute (EDI), Ahmeadabad, 32.71 percent units became sick due to financial crunch, 30.55 percent due to law and order and other problems, 19.40 percent due to marketing problems, 9.24 percent due to raw material unavailability and 8.10 percent due to migration.

Ministry of MSME, GOI, conducted 4th All India census last year, officials said adding the survey was being processed and the results are expected soon.

The survey will give a complete picture of the present status of the Micro, Small and Medium Establishments in the state.

However, according to figures available here, 23908 SSI units are functional as on March 2009, providing employment to 99031 persons.

It said on an average of four persons are working in each SSI unit in the state.
The number of sick units which was 13.26 percent when the last census was conducted has increased to 16.06 percent now in the state.

As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the number of sick units in the state was 16.06 percent, financed by banks and financial institutions so far.

Highest number of 116 identified sick units are in Srinagar district followed by Jammu 96, Udhampur 44, Baramulla 20, Badgam and Kathua 19 each, Anantnag 16, Pulwama 13, Kupwara six, Poonch five, Rajouri three and Doda two.

For rehabilitation of sick units, the state government has accepted to provide soft loan to the extent of 30 percent of total requirement to potentially viable sick units for their revival under rehabilitation policy.

However, out of the total 359 sick units, 68 units were approved by the State Level Rehabilitation Committee (SLRC) for a soft loan of Rs 9.05 crore. Soft loan of Rs 3.86 crore was provided to 32 units while another 5.19 crore stands approved in favour of 36 more units by SLRC.

It said that DJ&KIC, which is the nodal agency at state level for implementation of the central and state packages of incentives to industrial units, has provided various incentives amounting to Rs 57.66 crore to units during the period 2003-04 to 2008-09

(Kashmir Images)

When Shahr-e-Khas was a Destination for Global Merchants

Tariq Ali Mir takes you down the memory lanes when trade caravans came from places like Yarkand, Samarkand and Bukhara, taking a detour from the Silk Route to visit fabulous Safa Kadal

WHEN SAFA KADAL SARAI WAS TRADE CENTRE FOR CENTRAL ASIA

Looking at this dilapidated two-storied building at Safakadal in Shahr-e-Khaas, one can hardly believe that till some six decades ago, the place used to be a prime international trade hub for the central Asia. But this is true for Yarkand Sarai popularly known as Safa Kadal Sarai which for now is nothing more than a home of some refugee families.

The Mughal Emperors are believed to have established this place as a transit camp for central Asian traders on journey. Eventually, the place grew as a trade hub and achieved major importance on the international trade map. But the 1947 crisis in Kashmir and subsequent closure of the Silk Route, brought an end to its golden era.

Commenting about the historic importance of Safa Kadal Sarai, an expert on Central Asian Studies and ex-Professor of Kashmir University, Gulshan Majeed, said: “It was the only trade point between Kashmir and Central Asia and the business was so good that all type of merchandise were available here round the year.”

He said even though the Dogra rulers had constructed the Sarai building, the place was known for trade since the Mughal era.

“All what Kashmir would export to Central Asia was sent to other countries through the Yarkand Sarai,” he added.

The Sarai, Gulshan said also served as a Mandi for the then neighboring countries of India.

A variety of commodities like silk, gold, silver, textiles, soap, leather, tobacco, medicines and even gems like Topaz were imported to the Sarai via the Silk Route.

Added scholar, Pirzada Muhammad Ashraf: “Those days it used to be a fashion statement to own a Yarkand horse and people used to buy these horses from an open field near the Sarai.” The field used for the horse trading, as per Ashraf, now houses a densely populated colony.

To a question about the Silk Route link, he said: “One of the branches of the Silk Route via Korakoram ranges was connected to Kashmir through Ladakh.”

“Since centuries this route was used for trade,” he added.

Ashraf said even though after 1947 crisis, there was a decline on Silk Route trade with Kashmir, the business activities continued to some extent for two more years when the historic route was finally closed.

And after the 1962 war between India and China, the other trade links via Leh and Tibet were also shut.

But in the past, there were no problems.

“Despite political crisis in the Central Asia during the Mughal Era, Kashmir traded with other countries through the Sarai,” the scholar added.

Famous German tourist, Charels Baren Heugal, visited Srinagar during the Sikh rule and had interacted with the Sarai traders. Heugal writes that the international trade with Kashmir was prosperous.

Historian Muhammad Yusuf Taing said the then rulers had built two buildings at the Sarai. But with the closure of the international trade routes to Kashmir, the Sarai started to loose its sheen.

“The worst hit was the Shawl and Namda making because all the raw-material would reach Srinagar through the central Asian routes,” Taing added.

And as the post ’47 governments couldn’t reopen the central Asian trade links with Kashmir, the Safa Kadal Sarai lost its identity.

And, Sitara Begum prepared Ghosht Naans for traders

As the central Asian link to Srinagar was through Ladakh, its traders also frequented the Safa Kadal Sarai. And after the decline of the trade hub, some of their families got settled in the Sarai. Presently some 70 such families live at the erstwhile trade centre.

80-year-old, Sitara Begum has been witness to this international trade. And whenever she hears news about international trade on radio or TV, Sitara turns nostalgic of the caravans that visited the Sarai.

“I would prepare special Gosht Nan (a kind of bread consumed with mutton delicacies),” she recalls. Sixty-five-years ago she was married to a Yarkand man, Haji Sadiq, a trader who frequented the Sarai. Sitara would accompany her husband for business.

Haji Sadiq, she said, was a Namdah dealer who procured Namdas from Yarkand and sold them in Kashmir.

“After some years, our business flourished so much that we hired some employees to look after the procurements back home, while we got settled here,” she adds.
Sitara says Gosht Naan was introduced in Kashmir by Yarkand people.

“As for me I had learnt to prepare it from my in-laws,” she adds.

SITARA HAS A DREAM

“Before death I wish to see the Yankand Sarai back abuzz with business activities when traders from Yarkand, Samarkand, Bukhara, Turkistan and Gilgit visited the place and we prepared Gosht Naans for them.”

Sadly, the Place is Going to Dogs

With VVIPs insulated by Z security, it is the common man that has to bear the brunt of his barking nemesis

1 Lakh Dogs Roaming in City

Srinagar: The department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Government Medical College, has introduced the intra-dermal regimen of anti-rabies immunization to treat dog bites.

“During the treatment, only four visits are required and 0.1 ml is injected at two sites on each visit due to which less than a vial is required as against five through intra-muscular route,” said lecturer SPM and APCRI member Dr. S. Muhammad Salim Khan on Tuesday. He was addressing the continued medical education programme organised by the GMC in collaboration with national service scheme and association for prevention and control of rabies in India to observe world rabies week.

Dr Saleem underscored the need to control the dog population in the Valley. “About 16000 cases of animal bites have been reported from anti-rabies clinic run by SPM while as many peripheral hospitals are also managing such cases which add to the number while many more are unreported,” Dr Saleem added.

Addressing the gathering, the participants expressed concern over increasing numbers of dogs in valley, especially in city where their number is reported to be about 80,000 to one lakh. They urged authorities to take necessary steps to control the population of canines and asked the human right activists to challenge any rule or law in the Court that threatens human life.

(Greater Kashmir)

Not to Worry, Kashmir is no Gaza

After securing the elite spot of highest per capita VAT in the country, Kashmir adds to its laurels by consuming gold jewelry worth 800 crores annually

Kashmir imports Rs 20 crore gold packaging material for gold

Rashid Paul (Rising Kashmir)

Srinagar: Packaging material worth Rs 20 crores for gold items is imported annually into Kashmir from different Indian cities despite availability of locally made paper machie craft items.

There are some 5000 gold shops across Kashmir region and each shop on an average purchases packaging material worth Rs 40,000 annually said Showkat Hussain a noted gem and jewelry dealer. “Valley consumes gold items worth Rs 800 crores annually and is dependent on the covering stuff as well,” he told Rising Kashmir.

The owner of M/ S G M Gojwari Gem and Jewelries said ‘I introduced paper machie rectangular and cubicle encasings but customers were not inclined to this innovation. “It was disheartening to see that customers disdained locally made paper machie boxes and preferred glossy Chinese, Bombay and Delhi made packaging material.”

We are fast loosing our sense of belonging and commitment to our culture and crafts said Dr Tariq Ahmed, an economist. “The dependency syndrome has pervaded in to our psyche. We prefer outside products than locally made ones,” Tariq complained. If paper machie boxes and carry bags for jewelry items are encouraged Kashmir can save flight of capital worth cores of rupees. Acceptance for local products will also generate employment and revive our traditional crafts, the economist said.

Pushing local packaging stuff is up to gold dealers association. If they wish they can prevent outside wrappings and promote local manufactures. But they are least concerned about the well being of the Kashmiri society, said a gold merchant who wished not to be named.

When Rising Kashmir asked Bashir Ahmed Rather, the general secretary of the All Kashmir Gold Dealers and Workers Association to comment he said “It is Sunday. I have some social engagements we shall talk on the issue on the next working day.”

Owner of the Zeenat Ornaments from Karan Nagar area said if paper machie packaging is available at prices not exceeding the prevailing encasings then the former is a good idea. Paper machie has aesthetic value and will promote local art, he added.

In Kashmir Everything Turns Into a Political Mystery

Kashmir Observer reports on damaging construction that everyone wants stopped and yet no one does

Kralsangri Constructions A Political Mystery

Srinagar: Unabated construction in the supposedly green and inviolate zone of Kralsangri on the foothills of the Zabarwan and on the slopes of the Shankaracharya Hill is turning into a murky political mystery.

Despite an outcry in the public and claims of accountability from a section of the administration, the government has yet to place any restrictions on this prohibited construction or bring officials permitting it to book.

The persistent silence of the government makes the issue all the more intriguing as there are no answers to urgent questions.

The Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) which has jurisdiction over Kralsangri as it borders the Dal Lake, is understood to have granted permission to 28 constructions, bypassing the mandatory clearance from the revenue department, the forest department and the town planner.

Even big political bosses like NC president and union minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, who raised a hue and cry on the issue in a recent meeting of the district development board, appear powerless before the formless, but highly influential, syndicate driving the construction in the ecologically sensitive areas.

Government departments themselves appear clueless about the powers influencing decision-making at the top, as housing secretary, Abdul Hameed Allaqaband, who visited the sites along with other officers on the directive of the deputy chief minister, Tara Chand, had promised action against quarters responsible for the activity – assurances that have sunk without a trace.

There are still no answers to crucial questions as to who led the government when permission for the constructions was granted, who headed the LAWDA then, and who the other key officers in granting the clearance were.

Such brazen violation of land use laws could not have been possible without high-level political and bureaucratic involvement, but intriguingly, there is no clue about the hands behind the construction, except for the disturbing fact that it has been taking place during two successive governments.