Introduction to KashmirForum.org Blog

I launched the website and the Blog after having spoken to government officials, political analysts and security experts specializing in South Asian affairs from three continents. The feedback was uniformly consistent. The bottom line is that when Kashmiris are suffering and the world has its own set of priorities, we need to find ways to help each other. We must be realistic, go beyond polemics and demagoguery, and propose innovative ideas that will bring peace, justice and prosperity in all of Jammu and Kashmir.

The author had two reasons to create this blog. First, it was to address the question that was being asked repeatedly, especially, by journalists and other observers in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, inquiring whether the Kashmiri society was concerned about social, cultural and environmental challenges in the valley given that only political upheaval and violence were reported or highlighted by media.

Second, the author has covered the entire spectrum of societal issues and challenges facing Kashmiri people over an 8-year period with the exception of politics given that politics gets all the exposure at the expense of REAL CHALLENGES that will likely result in irreversible degradation in the quality of life and the standard of living for future generations of Kashmiris to come.

The author stopped adding additional material to the Blog once it was felt that most, if not all, concerns, challenges and issues facing the Kashmiri society are cataloged in the Blog. There are over 1900 entries in the Blog and most commentaries include short biographical sketches of authors to bring readers close to the essence of Kashmir. Unfortunately, the 8-year assessment also indicates that neither Kashmiri civil society, nor intellectuals or political leadership have any inclination or enthusiasm in pursuing issues that do not coincide with their vested political agendas. What it means for the future of Kashmiri children and their children is unfathomable. But the evidence is all laid out.

This Blog is a reality check on Kashmir. It is a historical record of how Kashmir lost its way.

Vijay Sazawal, Ph.D.
www.kashmirforum.org

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Forsaking Addiction to Corruption

Jawad, a true patriot and a noble soul of Kashmir, speaks the voice of reason. In our hearts, we also know that he speaks the truth


(Mr. Jawad Hussain Reshi, 56, was born in Kralteng, Anantnag. He went to local government schools for his early education, and received his B.Sc. and LL.B (Hons) degrees from the University of Kashmir. He is a practicing lawyer at the J&K High Court in Srinagar. He is a political activist and may join a political party. He is also a freelance journalists writing on international topics from time to time.)


Misgoverning Kashmir

The NC led government has miserably failed to curb the menace of corruption which accounts for half of the problem state is facing because of decades of misrule and miss governance at the hands of its leaders. Whether it was Sheikh Abdullah’s government or Dr. Farooq’s or that of their present Chief Minster Mr. Omar Abdullah, their track record is no different from each other. However on this front at least there is a full co-operation and coordination going on between the two coalition partners in power in the state that is National Conference and Congress.

Secessionist leaders are no exception to it either. A majority of these leaders are enjoying a lavish lifestyle without any ostensible means of income or sustenance while as people in general have suffered a worst kind of hardship and pain during the past two decades of turmoil in the valley. Thousands have turned destitute and orphans with one to worry or care for them. Over one lakh unemployed youth and an equal number of families are left without a bread earner. A sad state of affairs by any standards.

There is no doubt that state has all along received liberal funding from the central government but most of these funds get secretly transferred to to the wrong hands that is true as well. As a result thereof a large section of population has remained alienated. It is, therefore, main cause for lack of development and has led to a political unrest of decades together. Had there been a genuine disposal of these funds, state would have by now become prosperous and self-reliant. However a few who have benefited from it have made fortunes.

During the beginning of this year, Mr. Omar Abdullah, had promised that he will ensure that people will get a corruption-free government and those found guilty of it are brought to the book. But there is hardly anything that was done thereafter to curb this menace except for making of that statement. Vigilance Organisation which was expected to undertake this drive has hardly booked a clerk, policeman, Patwari, forest guard, VLC, Lambardar, store keeper or an engineer ever since that time.

Misgovernance at this scale and level has never ever been seen in the past. Every cabinet minister is a Chief Minster unto himself and is hardly accountable before anyone. There is a government within a government in every department and no one including Chief Minster is allowed to question the functioning thereof. Every officer and a government employee is master of his own. As a result thereof government people alienation is so wide that it was never before.

Unless this government is cleaned up and the Ministers with tainted images are laid off no one will believe or trust government’s seriousness. May be it is inherent with every coalition governments everywhere that no individual initiatives are possible. But that does not mean that one should surrender before the vested interests within his own fold or from the camp of a coalition partner with whose support this government is in power.

We must make use of tools like newly constituted Accountability Commission and RTI as effectively as possible to curb this menace and bring around some social change which we all want and deserve.

20 comments:

Mas Din said...

Is this some kind of joke ? !! what we are witnessing here is an article on corruption by a perfidious person himself! Ironically the writer of this article is one of the most corrupt persons to have ever walked on the face of this valley ! Jawad reshi, a land grabber who is recognized as hell of a greedy and fradulently corrupt person in south kashmir. He has on several ocassions backstabbed, fradulently grabbed people's properties which amount to millions of rupees. Among these, some noble people who provided him with means of livelihood and a chance to get his life out of destitude and dependence which has had been a part of life for decades.
Jawad reshi has no moral ground to enter into a discourse on subjects like these. People like him make a mockery of such paltforms.

Kashmir Forum said...

RESPONSE FROM THE WRITER:

"Mr. Massarat Din s/o Gh.Mohiudin r/o Khanabal, Anantnag, Kashmir and his family are unfortunately trapped in a longstanding litigation with their close cousins and relatuives. I am prcaticing lawyer and am unfortunatly a counsel in those cases. They want me to bargain and side with them which I have time and again refused plainly and categorically. If there is a dispute between my brother and me that is subjudice before a court of law and will be decided on its merits sooner or later. Any unwholly alliance between them to pressurise me to make a deal of any kind on either these fronts is not going to work.

Any mad rehtoric like this from him is not, therefore, unexpected or surprsing. However he is free to qoute a single incident in which I may have compromised my principles or committed any act of corruption or malpractice. I am ready to face whatever may be the consequences thereof.

I beg to request you that you should not allow your august blog to be misused for this kind of personal vengeance or publish such a degradable material which is nothing but an out come of a bankrupt mind.

J.H. Reshi, Advocate"

Mas said...

Well a lawyer like Jawad less than mediocre in his capabilities could claim to have amassed money for 20 kanals of land and hut in Pahalgam, land and house in Sarnal, Pehru Anantnag, another house in Pantachowk Srinagar, trying to grab all ancestral property from Reshi Bazar, Mattan Chowk Anantnag, Khayar and Channigam etc from his elder Brother, the person who financed Jawad Reshi and his family from abroad for 3 decades. This fact is well known to the people of Anantnag town. I wont have to struggle too hard to find people who would vote for the fact that he is an expert on falsifying documents, twisting facts and distorting the truth. For that he deserves a medal. Jawad is truly a morally corrupt and decadent person who has no right to criticize others.

zulekha said...

Well, Mr.Mas Din, you seem to have got it absolutely wrong. This definetely is not any kind of joke. It is a forum where respectable people such Mr.J.H.Reshi,an imminent lawyer of the valley,pin their opinions! Its a matter of real disgust that you are using a platform such as this to defame a person fo r your selfish needs!I feel rathersorry that certain elements try to ruin the efforts of those who can take this country from darkness to light.'

omar said...

Advocate J.H.Reshi,I just read a few of your articles and I must say you have done a splendid job. Time and again you have managed to address the issues of the valley in an apt manner!
As far as the comment by MAS DIN is concerned, i think what he needs is a reality check.So keeping that in mind I would just quote the main objective of the blog as stated by Dr.Sazawal in the introduction- "We must be realistic, go beyond polemics and demagoguery, and propose innovative ideas that will bring peace, justice and prosperity in all of Jammu and Kashmir."

Hopefully after reading that Mas will realise that neither is his an innovative idea nor will it bring peace in any manner!
And all I can say is that his comment just speaks volumes about his own character! I would request him to atleast respect the forum,if he can't contribute to it!

Mas said...

I have had a look at all the articles written by jawad including the recent one “ Death of Innocence” and a broad observation reveals the fact that none of them drew any comments(neither in support nor contradictive) ! This article by jawad on corruption was written and published in August’11 and this one also didn’t draw any comments until the first one by me in Nov’11! So these charlatan comments by some zulkha, omar (and may be in the coming days it could be some bashir, azra, charlie or abz) don’t really matter because they are non-contextual and don’t hold their ground. Even if we assume this is genuine feedback, it doesn’t provide any evidence in support of the content and is seen attacking the role of the critic which is highly unfortunate and perhaps one of the reasons why such people get exploited. While understandable, this is disastrous, as it results in an insular community that values the fabricated claims made by self-deceptive people and leads to distortion of facts. In my opinion continual critical assessment is necessary to build a strong foundation for any belief(s), to improve the effectiveness of conversed actions and to help us pierce the bubble of complacency that forms when we listen only to opinions that match our own.

omar said...

I am sorry but you do realise that this is not the only site where the author's articles are published!Infact much before this blog articles by this author have featured in the local newspapers, therefore most people like me have mailed our feedbacks to the author on several occassions.Infact even this article was published in GK under the title "Misgoverning Kashmir" and i had made it a point to mail my comment to the author(which can be produced as proof for those who beleive that these comments hold no grounds)As far as this article is concerned, let me burst your bubble and remind you that you have in no sense or way critically assessed this article! So before making claims of being a critic aiming to build a strong foundation for beleifs kindly review your very own comments which seem to be rather contradictory to your apparent purpose.Infact this article has drawn comments so that people like you are made to realise that everyone is open to constructive criticism but not to unecessesarily, irrelevant and defamatory statements.

Sahar said...

Hi, been following this trail for a bit now ! I see visible signs of defensiveness by Mr JH Reshi and others except the lone warrior which happens to be Mr.Mas Din in this case.Having read some matter written by Mr JH Reshi,it looks like all he is trying to do is create a favorable impression of himself and lacks substantive knowledge and the required expertise to comment on subjects like corruption, morality and innocence ! The quality of the matter delivered is poor i must say. Omar,all i can say after having read your comments is pal you need some rest!

Mas said...

Hi Sahar, are you on facebook ?
Mas

Gowher said...

I can only tell the truth. Mas Din is absolutely correct in his writings Mr. Jawad Reshi is currently trying to grab his brothers property. A brother who provided him with a means of livelihood as Mas Din has said. Mr. Reshi is an expert in using his lawyer capabilities to falsify documents and manipulate the justice system. He has no right to write or talk about others re: corruption. Saher's comment is very apt, sensible and well written. Omar's is without too much thought other than he wants to emphasize what a wonderful writer Mr. Reshi is!! Zuleika no doubt does find him a respectable man, though I find he is a man in a black suit with a black heart.Believe me, this is a 21st century "Cain and "Abel" story!were I to tell it in full! Mr. Jawad Reshi, at least be true to yourself.Surely the worst corruption of all in life is that committed against a brother?

Sahar said...

@Mas ..well yes i m !
Sahar Bisati
;)

omar said...

thanks for the suggestion Sahar indeed I have no option but to rest when people such as Gowher bring the entire discussion back to square one by once again discussing the author's charachter rather than his work.Sahar although i like the article but its absolutely ok with we me if you think of it otherwise. After all its a matter of opinions and they do differ from person to person.
Yes Gowher it is indeed the 21st century where an honest man is questioned about his integrity.

Sahar said...

Hi Omar, pal I think you have missed a broad point which has become a purpose of discussion here. Even though there might be nothing grossly wrong technically with the content of Mr Reshi’s article but no civilized society would accept any criticism on a subject from the originator of the content who has a suspicious background. I think Mas here has an issue with the context, the setting in which this is being said and he has reflected that in one of his comments. Even though a conclusive link between corruption and Mr JH Reshi has yet to be found, there is much circumstantial evidence to support such a causal link. If the author by any means reminded you of someone who had committed offences in his personal life or was evil, then you have a reason to be uncomfortable watching him to comment on sensitive subjects like these. Accepting Mr Reshi’s view point is tantamount to accepting a judicial system where on one hand the judge himself has been committing heinous crimes and on the other is trying to judge and punish others and rate them as defaulters! These two points cannot be joined by a straight line! It reminds me of the situation which occurred during the common wealth games in India where a person like Mr Suresh Kalmadi was entrusted with an inordinate responsibility but he failed to deliver and almost single handedly caused a loss of hundreds of crores to the country because he was also able to convince some people (perhaps like you and Zulekha!) to entrust him with the responsibility of heading a magnum opus event.

M.Altaf said...

My question to Mas Din, Gowher and Sahar is that why Mas Din has not clarified whether it is correct that the author of aforesaid article is Mas Din's opposite counsel in some court cases or not? If so it was his moral duty to clarify that first before making any further comments on the article or casting of any personal aspersions on the author. Who has been making every endure to express public opinion broadly and boldly. Even those who were directly hit by these articles had no courage to contradict him on his articles. As most of these articles were factually correct and a clear depiction of authors foresight and imagination as a writer. It is not our business to comment here on his capability as a lawyer as for that he will be judged by his clients who retain him and not by Mas Din or any of his God fathers or proteges. A fair criticism is what is always required to shape a good writer so please confine your criticism which is relevant and meaningful and not mean or disgraceful. Thanks!
M.Altaf

Sahar said...

Altaf, had you read the comments(all of them) you wouldn't be jumping to false conclusions.What is being discussed here is perhaps beyond the scope of your understanding!

K Khan said...

Sorry for the late entry into the circus guys ! I am from Anantnag and know some people who have been mentioned in the trail and having known them over the years I think its suitable for me to express some views pertaining to the subject cause. Jawad Hussain Reshi is a known person in the town of Anantnag,known not for anything famous or good but for being an ill-charactered and a nefarious person who has only inflicted damage to people around him and to society at large. I have noticed some one addressing him as an "imminent" lawyer, well I think before writing such a comment one should take a tour in the law circles of Anantnag and Srinagar. His colleagues and his seniors would bring out numerous instances where Jawad Reshi has been warned about his lack of professional integrity and misconduct in general. Jawad's half brother Dr Sajjad Reshi is a well known cardiologist with an international fame and he financed Jawad and his family over a long period of time and in return Jawad has been harassing him and trying to exert pressure so that he could grab Sajjad's share of property in addition to other ancestral assets. This is what I know about the issue hence would encourage philanthropists like Sahar, Mas Din, Gowher etcetra to kindly keep treading on the path of social upliftment which would help us uproot weeds like Jawad Reshi and those who support his felonious cause.

M.Altaf said...

all namely Mas Din,Sahar,Gowhar and K Khan have failed to answer my one question that whether Mr.J.H.Reshi is Mas Din's opposite counsel for last two decades.The comments of above mentioned persons are only because of the fact that Mr.J.H.Reshi is opposite counsel of Mas Din.If necessary I can provide proof that Mr.J.H.Reshi is his opposite counsel for last two decades.

Mas said...

Hi Sahar, hun please don't waste your energy addressing a person who probably doesn't exist!
On the other hand if he really does, let him join and be visible on the forum which we have created against jawad on facebook. So far nobody has written anything favouring jawad much to the chagrin of the dismal soul !

Gowher said...

K. Khan, thank you for the comments which I categorically endorse is absolutely true and believe me I speak as one who knows more about Mr. Jawad Reshi than anyone on the blog who has commented. Omar, Jawad Reshi's character requires comment and discussion when he writes about corrupt, cheating people etc. because he has no right to do so Sahar again is absolutely correct. As far as his article goes and his skills as a writer, I myself find them pretty mediocre. I would have expected a more profound, professional and thoughtful writing from a lawyer. So, I bring the blog back to the beginning as far as his articles go. There are such wonderful writers from Kashmir seen in the journals and newspapers. Jawad Reshi must read them and grow more capable in his jottings. He is at present not one of them. Anyway, nothing to stop him from trying. I would advise him though to concentrate on being a good honest lawyer and a good human being, rather than delve into the realm of journalism. He needs to get that right first

Gowher said...

Thank you K. Khan. By the way, your writing is great. Perhaps you could teach Mr' Jawad Reshi so that he can perform as well as so many Kashmiri journalists who write for our newspapers. He should practice being an honest man and lawyer rather than try new realms of becoming a writer, especially in English. Perhaps he's better in Urdu? Sorry Mr.Reshi, on the writing front you have much to learn and Saher is right, you do have a suspicious background and therefore comments cannot only be about your articles, but also about your character.