"Brick Mafia"

Necessity being the mother of invention, yet another mafia comes into existence to extract their share from wealthy Kashmiris

Illegal Brick Kilns Mushrooming in Budgam'

Srinagar: Even as the authorities have threatened action against the black marketing of bricks and illegal kilns, several such kilns are coming up in district Budgam, while the prices are shooting up to Rs 7 per brick.

Brick makers say the menace is likely to threaten Kashmir’s Rs 600 crore brick manufacturing industry. When contacted, District Development Commissioner, Budgam, Khursheed A Shah admitted that the government order issued in this behalf, continues to be violated in the district, which houses 205 kilns out of Valley’s total 294 brick making units.

“We are trying to implement the government rates, which are Rs 4400 per thousand for Grad A, and Rs 3100 for Grade B,” Shah said, adding that the violations continue “because the consumers rarely write complaints.” Sources said that over half a dozen new brick kilns have come up in Kaneer Ranger, Kathair Gund, Chitru and Nasrullah Pora areas of the district.

Shah did not rule out illegal constructions of kilns saying that the district administration had insufficient manpower to check the menace. “We don’t have bulldozers to pull down the illegal structures. Police cover is often not available. But we are still trying to implement the government directions as effectively as we could,” he said, adding that a survey was being conducted to list the kilns operating without “proper registration.”

Sources said some brick kilns, which were earlier asked to close down “because they had not official sanction have started functioning again with the official connivance.” The Deputy Commissioner of Budgam, however, said no such complaint was formally lodged with his office. Official records show that there are 205 brick kilns in Budgam, 40 in Pulwama, 35 in Islamabad (Anantnag) and 14 in Kulgam. Average production from each kiln, depending on weather conditions, touches 25 lakh bricks per season.

The industry that directly employs nearly one lakh persons, most of them outsiders, experts say, records an annual turnover of Rs 600 crore. Brick makers have long been lobbying with the government for a “mutually agreed upon rate list”, but the authorities, they allege, have come out with a unilateral tariff.

“We tell them (Govt) let’s mutually discuss and fix a price because the just released price list is illogical. There has been tremendous hike in the prices of raw material especially coal. One truckload of coal now costs Rs 40,000 more than it used to cost last year. If the government agrees to a mutually fixed rate, then that needs to be enforced with seriousness,” said a brick maker from Budgam. (Greater Kashmir)

A DNA Malignancy Called Corruption

Bashir speaks for many who wonder if it is a malady which has been left untreated for so long that it is incurable now

(Mr. Bashir A. Bashir, 62, was born in Srinagar. He passed his higher secondary schooling from Baghidilawar Khan, and  graduated from the Gandhi Memorial College Srinagar. Mr. Bashir completed his Law Graduation from the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Urdu. and received his M.A in Political Science from the University of Kashmir. He joined the Bar in 1973 and was appointed as Additional Advocate General of the J&K in 1984 till 1986. He is a practicing advocate of J&K High Court and has been recently designated as the Senior Advocate by the Hon'ble High Court of J&K.)

We The Corrupt

Corruption has rendered us rootless and lawlessness has spoilt our society. In a democratic setup people are governed by the rule of law. Article 14 of the Constitution guarantees equality before law and equal protection of laws irrespective of any distinction of creed, cast, color, gender, religion etc but these are only golden words written in the pious book of constitution. The reality is different.

We have an Anti-corruption Organization called Vigilance Commission which aims at eradicating corruption. Has the said Department come to the expectations of the people. The answer will be a simple no, then what for is the department. Even some people will suggest winding up the department. Some percentage of the corruption might come down. The tragedy is that most corrupt are the most vocal in public gatherings against corruption knowing it fully well that it is all ritual without any seriousness or any accountable consequences. Rates of mutton are increasing every now and then and the government fixed rates are never adhered to. 

Take the instance of Food Adulteration. People are being supplied adulterated food and all kinds of eatables including fruits even. But does any body bother about the quality and safety of the items we take for ourselves and our children. Do we know what do we feed them with? Have we been able to convict even a small trader in this field not to talk of any big fish who enjoy all the patronage of the powers-that-be. Where then is the law of the land. Corruption is at such a peak that one of my clients told me he had to pay Rs.17,000/- for getting a dispatch number and date written on a government letter. Posts are apparently filled by recruitment process but behind the curtain the rule book is `pay and get it'. We have drug Controller to check the spurious drugs and the costs of the drugs but we know the drugs are spurious and sold in this state with impunity. Is any body bothered even in the least. I purchased few months before a product. The MRP written on each bottle is Rs.6030/- but one bottle was sold for Rs.2350/- and the other for Rs.2500/ and the third one for Rs.2700/. This all happened within a span of five days and all three cash memos are with me. For any innocent person MRP written of Rs.6030/could be easily charged when the actual price is much less than half of it.

That is the extent of corruption we all seeped into. The question is who will pull us back. Nothing less than a miracle. The lawlessness is at its worst and stringent measures are required to meet it. If we let it continue like this, we will be heading for a worse tomorrow.

Kashmir's Proud Linguistic History

Tahir loves his culture and wants to talk about it

(Mr. Tahir Majeed Mir Lolabi, 21, was born in the famous Lolab valley of Kupwara district.He did his schooling from Islamia Model High School Diver Lolab & Govt.Higher Secondary School, Tekipora, Lolab.He has completed his bachelor's degree from the University of Kashmir through the Government Degree College, Handwara, with Geography, Political Science & History as main subjects. Presently he is pursuing further studies. He has contributed many articles to the Daily Rising Kashmir on varied socio-cultural & political issues.)

Of Kashmiri Prose and Poetry

Kashmiri has an interesting linguistic history. Like the other North Indian languages, it branched off from the Indo-Aryan Sanskrit, but had another ancestor before that-the Shina languages of the Indo-Iranian family. But when mighty Sanskrit came, Shina was thickly overlaid. From 14th century, medieval Persian too started creeping into Kashmiri. With such foreign influences, the Kashmiri language boasts of peculiarities like certain vowel and consonant sounds which no other Indian language has. Kishtawari is the most popular dialect of Kashmiri.

The literary history of Kashmiri, beginning from 12th century AD, is equally interesting. Poetry is the key word, with writers experiment with different forms in all ages. Anyway, contrary to what happened in other literatures (or rather what has been recorded of them), the first great Kashmiri writer was a woman. She was everybody's favourite-Lal Dad. Her senility and mysticism in the verses "vaakh" appealed to the Hindus, Muslims, scholars and peasants alike. Other works of this formative phase (till about 1555 AD), though not as brilliant as Lal Dad's, are "Shrukhs" of Sheikh Noor-ud-din, Mahanay Prakash of Shiti Kantha, Banasura Katha of Bhatavatar and Sukhadukhacharitam of Ganaka Prashasta.

Love-poetry flourished in the next few centuries. Along with the mystical and esoteric verses perfected by Habib Ullah Navshehri (1555-1617) and Rupa Bhawani(1625-1720), a new kind of love poetry developed. Habba Khatoon (1551-1606) and Aarnimal (late 18th century) were the ruling ladies of this genre of mellifluous verses. 'Although a garden jasmine I, in the very prime of bloom, yet waste I as the snow in June. Come in and enjoy the jasmine bloom; It blooms for you.' (Habba Khatoon)

Persian literature became quite an influence on Kashmiri in the late 18th century. And Kashmiri litterateurs like Mahmud Gami and Waliullah Motoo (19th century) took to translations from Persian and writing 'masnavis' (couplets expressing one emotion) and 'ghazals' (romantic poetry set to music) in a big way. The legendary love tales of Laila and Majnu, Shirin and Farhad, Sohrab and Rustum, and many more were brought in which, a hundred years later, also became excellent fodder for hit films. ‘Lila’-poetry was another innovation, where the poet sang like a lover-devotee of the Creator's exuberance.

Paramanand (1791-1885) excelled in this, while others like Prakash Ram, Maqbul Shah, Lachman Raina, Rasul Mir and Shams Faqir dealt with other forms of poetry. The Kashmiris are a singing people; songs and ghazals have always been a part of their literary culture. The cult of the 'maikhana’ (liquor house) and 'sharaab' (wine) in ghazals, popular in Urdu poetry too, was created in the 1890s and 1900s. The first few decades of the 20th century saw a prolific writing of mystical and secular poetry, ghazals, masnavis and geets (songs).

Do Incumbents Deserve to be Re-elected?

Junaid says, with good reasons, no! 

(Mr. Junaid Azim Mattu, 26, was born in Srinagar. He partly completed his schooling at the Burn Hall School, Srinagar, and partly at the Bishop Cotton School, Shimla. He attended college in America and graduated with a degree in Business and Finance from the Eli Broad School of Business at Michigan State University. He is a consulting financial analyst and telecom-IT entrepreneur based in Srinagar. A seeded national varsity debater throughout his school and college career (his grandfather - Khwaja Ghulam Ahmed Ashai - was one of the founding fathers of the Muslim/National Conference), Mr. Mattu also played under-19 cricket at national level for J&K. He is a founder of the World Kashmiri Students Association (WKSA), a global youth association for Kashmiris based in Srinagar, Kashmir, working on social, economic and political issues through constructive and informed activism. WKSA, as of today has 1,700+ registered members in Kashmir. He is also a nominated alumnus of the Global Young Leaders Conference. He is also the Srinagar District President of J&K Peoples’ Conference, led by Mr. Sajad Lone. In his leisure time, Junaid likes to engage in reading, gardening, watching movies and listening to music.)

‘Srinagar Nobody’s Family Fiefdom’

Srinagar: Taking a dig at the ruling National Conference and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, the Peoples Conference (PC) on Monday said this historic City is nobody’s “family fiefdom” adding the Srinagarites who have been long “persecuted, neglected and exploited by both NC and PDP governments, are now looking for a cleaner, effective and genuine political alternative.”

The PC Srinagar Head, Junaid Azim Mattu said: “The response that PC’s Caravan of Change has evoked in Srinagar should be an eye-opener for both traditional, nepotistic, corrupt and exploitative mainstream parties whose leaders have made it from rags to riches by looting and skinning the common man.” He said: “All eight constituencies in Srinagar are represented by alien representatives who are solely the beneficiaries of election boycotts.”

Stating that the people of Srinagar are living a life of deprivation and economic hopelessness due to alleged misrule and malfeasance, Mattu said: “It’s time for the Srinagarites to throw the traditional political garbage out and empower themselves with the vital responsibility of defeating those representatives who have made personal empires on a platform of broken promises, corruption and our own voluntary disempowerment.” 

Present elected representatives of Srinagar from the ruling dispensation, he said, have embezzled public wealth and deliberately kept Srinagar economically backward to coerce people to fall in line. “It was time to remind the government that Srinagar has a rich history and legacy of being a center of enlightenment and evolution and as the capital City of this state deserves all the public amenities and infrastructure that other modern metropolitan cities of the country are basing their economic and technological advancements and progress on,” he said. Stating that it was a “matter of shame that Srinagar’s government schools, hospitals and government offices were defunct or malfunctioning due to administrative apathy and lack of political will”, Junaid Mattu criticized successive regimes for “governing arbitrarily on a firefighting basis without having comprehensive policies and plans for reform”.

“While the rest of the country is benefitting from reforms in the fields of education, health and public infrastructure – our government is bereft of shame and embarrassment even when the Planning Commission has hit out at the government for failing to come up with any policies for development and addition to our capacity to usher this State into a corrective era of economic growth.” The Peoples Conference, Mattu said, has comprehensive, sector-specific plans for Srinagar’s development and planned expansion. “(PC) doesn’t believe in rhetoric and gamesmanship and is consulting with renowned town planning and economic experts to evolve solutions for our urban development mess,” he said.

Mattu said it was a “matter of shame for successive governments that have ruled this state like a family fiefdom they have supposedly inherited that tourists are actually cancelling their plans to visit this state because of lack of accommodation.” “This reality is criminal as successive governments, through SDA, SMC and LAWDA have suffocated Srinagar under the fig leaf of impractical, socialist laws and archaic regulations and have made construction of hotels in this City a crime punishable by harassment, extortion and coercion,” he added. Mattu said Srinagar cannot prosper if its private sector is not encouraged and positively reassured by liberal laws that aim at giving Srinagar modern roads, hospitals, schools, hotels, factories, industries and retail spaces.

“If governments in Gujarat and Bihar can aid and facilitate the private sector in their states, why can’t a government in Kashmir do the same instead of starting a new era of License Raj?” he argued.

Wood Works of Kashmir

Iqbal recalls the magical talent of Kashmiri artisans specializing in wood Works

(Mr. Iqbal Ahmad, 51, was born in Parigam Chek, Kulgam. He is a graduate with Diploma in Numastics, Archaeology and Heritage. He is an archaeologist, writer, and a cultural historian. Mr. Iqbal Ahmad has published 12 reference books on Kashmir archaeology and heritage.)

Those Golden Hands!

The wood works of Kashmir were, undoubtedly, the most interesting and praiseworthy works that earned the valley a distinction among other parts of the world. Such was the craftsmanship of the carpenters, who in reality were great artists, that great kings and rulers here patronized the form and also tried to showcase it to the outside world.

The tradition of wood works for several centuries was the result of those golden hands which knew the craft and felt the soul of wood. It would take them several hours to draw a single engraving or a design, even a line, and they would patiently do that. They knew that the work had very less margin for error and trained themselves to meet the nuances of the form.

Latticework, locally known as Panjra Kari, was once very popular in Kashmiri architecture. The craftsmen dealing with wooden works used to fill the doors, windows, ventilators with Jali screens formed of lattice work. It was the most complicated art and perhaps no less than carving or inlaying. The Jali screens were formed of smaller wooden pieces finished very brilliantly and were then arranged in geometric forms so as to display their edges. They are held in position by the pressure they exert upon each other by certain main lines being doweled together and by the frame of the panel within which they are fitted. These wooden pieces made of either Deodar or walnut wood. The logs were chipped to the desired length and breadth and then woven in several orders. The geometric Sun and Moon patterns were commonly followed.

Many designs of Panjra Kari were popular in Kashmir, the most favorite being those of the Rising Sun and cobwebs. The best kind of Pinjra work was known by their Kashmiri names Posh Kandur, Chaharkhana, Shashpahlu, Dwazdah Sar, Sheikh Sar, Jujjari, Shirin and Tota Shesh Tez. The Panjras were formed in these designs in square and rectangular shapes. These Panjras were then put in various uses in Kashmiri houses, windows, doors railings, ventilators, ornamental partitions and screens. Most of the houses built in 19th & 20th century were wonderfully decorated by Panjra-Kari.

Unfortunately the craft has disappeared from contemporary Kashmir craft scene while as the marvels depicting this art form are being dismantled instead of preservation and promotion. In the old city of Srinagar including Habba Kadal, Saraf Kadal and Zaina Kadal areas numerous houses were decorated by lattice works with doors, windows, ventilators (Roshan Dans) filled with these Jali screens. This art, like other wood works, has a long history in Kashmir as some scholars have traced its his¬tory from eleventh century, the period of Harsha. While quoting Kalhana, these scholars have made mention of a twelve storey wooden palace of Harsha's period decorated by wooden works.

Most of the scholars believe that Shahmiri Sultans first introduced it in their architecture while few other suggest that Panjrakari was in¬troduced and promoted by great Mughals. Though it least matters who introduced this art form, but the historical records signifiy that the craft was cultivated here for centuries together. It was initially used in Muslim Shrines- almost all-ancient Muslim shrines carry wonderful designs of intricate latticework. From here it was adopted in common structures and during a particular period, it was followed strictly in Kashmiri architecture and became an inseparable part of Kashmir architecture. As much as, some foreign travelers reaching here from across the globe chose Kashmir Lattice works as their research subject and thus bestowing immortality to this art form, atleast in archival records.

Bernier, who visited Kashmir in the reign of Aurangzeb makes a mention of the latticed windows, shutters and doors and the Palaces of kings and nobles along with a view of the beautiful ladies of their harem. That is why, the Pinjra also figured fre¬quently in the romantic folklore of Kashmiri. To quote a Kashmiri verse, Zaele panjray teale nazar trave Bali Asimi Tamblav (Bestow upon me, one glance from behind the Pinjra. Oh beauty pray, do not tantalize me). Several other verses also symbolize the popularity of Jali screens. The doors were not thrown open al-ways but remained ajar, creating the pattern of creeping sun, invoking a scene of romance within the four walls. Though the re¬vival of this artistic and romantic Pinjra in cemented works has been initiated, the sheen and glory of the craft in wood is however something that may never be possible.

The craft has now almost disappeared and even the existing works are vanishing from the old houses. The ruined and neglected houses of the old city of Srinagar exhibit a pathetic view of these glorious screens. As the things stand, the revival of the art in this modern age looks very difficult. However, few spinners of the art visible on the Muslim shrines and on traditional houses of old city could be saved if required steps are taken. The shrines and olden houses and building carrying these artifacts need to be preserved and conserved on modern and scientific lines.

How Low Can One Sink?

Javed says that crooks are making it harder of physically challenged people to receive their due

(Mr. Javed Ahmad Tak, 38, was born in Bijbehara in the Anantnag district. He received his schooling from Government schools in Bijbehara, and his B.Sc. degree from the Government Degree College in Anantnag. Unfortunately, at the age of 21 he became a victim of a terrorist bullet which hit his spine and disabled him for the rest of his life. However, he overcome mental and physical odds to complete his Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Kashmir, and also completed certificate courses in Human Rights and Computers from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Although wheel-chair bound, Mr. Tak is recognized as a leader who has relentlessly and with extreme passion taken up the cause of disabled people in J&K, seeking full citizen rights guaranteed under the J&K Disability Act but never implemented in the past. He is a founder-member of numerous NGO's dealing with issues and sensitizing public about challenges faces by physically handicapped people in Kashmir. He has received numerous awards and citations for his selfless work and has attended numerous workshops on disability rights around the country.)

Fake Disability Certificates Mar Rights of Disabled

Sana Altaf (Kashmir Times)

Srinagar: Disabled persons are entitled to three percent reservation in fields of employment and education, but their right is being hampered by the issuance of fake disability certificates.

 Disabled persons alleged that the certificates are used to grab government jobs (both under SSRB and PSC), and even admission in the university. Some applicants of the government jobs use approach to get disability certificate from the medical board. This directly affects the jobs prospects of disabled persons who are left in lurch. 


“Fake disability certificates are used to get high profile jobs and admissions at different levels. The reservation quota meant for us benefits others,” said Javaid Ahmad Tak, Chairman Humanity Welfare Organization, Helpline NGO. He says people use high approach to get the disability certificate which is issued by the medical board and signed by specialist. But many a times, the signature of a general physician is used instead of a specialist. “The most common disability shown in fake certificates is that of hearing and speech impairment,” Tak adds. 


Hilal Ahmad who works as an engineer says the loophole in the issuance of disability certificate mars the rights of disabled persons. A BDS student who has one leg amputated could not get a job because his competitor, who had a broken thumb, had managed to get disability certificate showing him as severely disabled, says Hilal. “Someone who struggled with his disability gets nothings,” says Hilal who suffers from visual imparity. Abdul Rashid, secretary Handicapped Association, says repeated complains about the fake certificates fetched no results. 


“There are so many cases of fake certificates and government is doing nothing to address the issue. We people are suffering and no one is bothered,” Rashid said. Mohammad Shaheel, coordinator of Special Cell meant for disabled persons at the University of Kashmir, said 16 cases of fake disability certificates were reported in two years in SSRB. Special Cell was established at the University of Kashmir for the welfare of disabled persons in 2009. 


“Since the inception of Cell, we have come across many cases but we ensured they are verified and declined from the list,” said Shaheel. He however regrets no such check is facilitated at other levels. Chief Medical Officer, Srinagar, Dr Farooq Ahmad said the concerned board follows strict guidelines to grant disability certificate. “We have a centre set of guidelines to follow for giving fake disability certificates. We verify the details.”

Crawling City

Traffic is a nightmare in Srinagar

Choked City

In a classic case of bad civic maintenance causing distress to thousands of commuters, travelling on Srinagar roads has become longer and grueling. The daily traffic mess has been worsening with each passing day. The main city chowks remain jammed all through the day making travelling difficult evening for pedestrians. The distance which normally could be covered in minutes takes hours to travel over.

The huge traffic jams at Panta Chwok, Hydrepora, Ram Bagh, Exhibition Chowk, Batamaloo, Qamarwari, Budshah Chowk and Dalgate has reached unparalleled proportions. Panta Chowk is a classic case. It chokes the city from south and east ends completely. The traffic congestion at Qamarwari clogs the city from the west end. The left-over (north end) gets blocked with huge jams at Soura and city interiors like Khanyar and Rainawari. Huge traffic snarls are reported from other parts of the city as well. There is a traffic bottleneck everyday and everywhere in the city that causes slow down in movement of the vehicles. The slowing down of the movement ultimately ends at adding to the mess on the roads.

It should not be deemed with surprise if a commuter complains of wasting hours on city roads before reaching his or her place of work. There are instances when a commuter had to wait for two to three to get cleared of the traffic jam at Panta Chowk. The scene at other places in the city is no different. On occasions, it takes about an hour for a commuter to reach Lal Chowk from Hyderpora or Rawalpora. The mess right from Ram Bagh to exhibition chowk is so grueling and time consuming that many a commuters, who have their work places in and around Lal Chowk, have made it a habit to leave their homes in early morning hours. The mess on prestigious Boulevard Road, which is the face of Kashmir tourism, is even more agonizing. The evening time, when there is large presence of tourists in the area, is more messy.

The installation of traffic signals has not helped to the level one had expected in regulation of traffic at Exhibition ground. The commuters could not be absolved completely for the mess. The moment the light turns red, cars zip past in a flash. The zebra-crossing is blocked by cars, forcing pedestrians to make their way through the vehicles. Shameless drivers on the wrong side, nosing through illegal cuts, taking U-turns before roundabouts, driving with mobiles - all are direct causes of the mess on the roads. What makes things murkier is the indifference of the police supposed to manage the traffic. One can see policemen busy with gossip or talking to individual pedestrians and drivers on the fringes little caring about traffic madness around.

Undoubtedly, much needs to be done for regulation of traffic in the city to make life easy for the people. The development of road infrastructure is the primary need but it cannot be done overnight. It would take time. But the government little appears to be conscious of this primary requirement. It has no idea of how the mess on the roads could e cleared. The widening of road at Panta Chowk has been felt over for a considerable time but it exists nowhere on the government’s list of priorities. Any responsible and caring government would make the road widening at Panta Chowk and construction of by-pass as its primary task. But the way our government functions its priorities are more personal and political.

There had been a talk for construction of a flyover from exhibition ground to Ram Bagh for several years now. Some movement in this direction seemed some time back when some shops were removed near exhibition chow. But nothing beyond that has happened. The present mess on the city roads is a strong reminder to the government to build road infrastructure on priority bases. Till then people should not be left to suffer. There is a strong need for regulation of traffic to minimize the peoples’ problems. The strength of traffic police should be increased in proportion with the increase in rush on roads. The policemen have to become more responsible. There are large scale complaints that policemen allow illegal parking of vehicle against payoffs. They have equally to be harsher with the people who break traffic laws and believe that rules are not for them.

Dismal Health Care

No medical care facility in Kashmir is up to even "West Africa Standards" in spite of huge budget outlays provided by the Central government to the State for medical care. Take the case of the Bone and Joint (B&J) Hospital

Lack of Funds, Poor Sanitation Hits Patient Care at B&J Hospital 

Asem Mohiuddin (Rising Kashmir)

Srinagar: Even as the state government claims of spending crores of rupees to improve healthcare, authorities at Bone and Joint Hospital Barzulla are struggling to improve patient care for lack of funds and proper infrastructure.

The hospital also suffers due to poor sanitation since the drainage system has not been upgraded for the last 27 years. “The drainage system is as old as the hospital; nothing has been upgraded since then. So many structures have come up in the hospital premises besides the huge rush of patients,” sources said.

Against the requirement of six ambulances, the hospital has four “outdated” ambulances and no vehicle for the consultants. “In emergency cases we have to ferry our consultants in ambulances or in dead body carriers. We require at least six ambulances at this time with life support system to cater to the demand,” hospital officials said. “The ambulances available at the hospital often breakdown and consume more fuel,” they added.

The hospital is also lacking proper Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) which is important to ensure proper sanitation. Inadequate availability of funds with the hospital authorities and delay in release by the government is hampering smooth functioning of the hospital.

The shortage of funds has forced hospital authorities to write a letter to the Principal of Government Medial College, Srinagar seeking immediate release of Rs five lakh to clear the long pending liabilities of laundry contractor. The letter no BJS/PA/806-07 dated 1 June 2012 reads, “The monthly laundry bill is around Rs 70,000 and the hospital has the liability of Rs five lakh till ending May 2012 while as so far only one lakh has been released and the contractor has threatened to stop the supply of washed linen.” The letter further reads that in case the funds are not released soon, Medical Superintendent, B&J hospital should be allowed to pay contractor either from HDF funds or from revolving funds which later would be recouped.

According to sources, the government has also not provided any funds for purchasing furniture and furnishing for past many years. They said the hospital suffers from shortage of furniture while the staff has to contend with old worn out chairs to discharge their duties. “The furniture available in the hospital is outdated as it has been purchased more than eight years ago. Since then we have not received any funds to purchase the furniture.” While the hospital is receiving patients from far flung areas, non-availability of hospital inn (Sarai) is posing inconvenience to the attendants. “We have no modern Sarai here due to which the attendants with the patients either sleep in the corridors of the hospital or are forced to pay huge amount to book a hotel room,” sources said.

Meanwhile, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, A R Badoo said government is considering to install CT Scan and MRI equipments in the hospital. He said the hospital has added 35 beds in the last one year and have referred the proposal to the government for authorization. “Thirty-five beds have been increased from the existing strength and now we have sent the proposal to the government for its authorization. The CT Scan and MRI are also in the pipeline. In fact, the government is seriously considering setting up these equipments in the hospital,” he said. He said the hospital will also get Sarai assured by the Member of Planning Commission Hameeda Syed who visited the hospital last October. Badoo said the hospital operates upon patients suffering from neck fracture in 72 hours while in premier hospitals like AIMS, PGI Chandigarh such operations are conducted in five days time. He said patients whose fractures are not fixed in shortest time are either semi-emergency patients or are elderly patients with multiple ailments and need clearance from other doctors. He, however, ruled out having ICU at the hospital arguing that whenever patents require they are shifted to SKIMS. “Having an ICU in the hospital is a very costly affair and in Bone and Joint hospital we don’t require it that much. Whenever patients need it we refer them to SKIMS,” he said.

Badoo also declined the requirement of having fair price shop in the hospital. “It is not required; we have enough medical shops outside the hospital. The presence of fair price shop in hospital will unnecessarily create congestion and overcrowding,” he said.

Where Were those 1400 Parents Until May 2012?

Nothing provides a clearer glimpse of the Kashmiri mind than the way infant deaths in Kashmir hospitals were routinely covered up by both hospital authorities and by parents and relatives

Infant dies at G B Pant hospital, Family Stages Protest

Srinagar: One more infant died at the G B Pant hospital here, leading to protests by grieved family members who blocked the Srinagar-Jammu national highway for an hour. Dozens of people took to the road outside the Valley's only children's hospital at high-security Sonawar area, blocking the highway in protest against the death and shouting slogans against the hospital administration, officials said.

Traffic was briefly suspended for some time, but was restored after the protesting mob dispersed after intervention by police, officials said.

Over 1,400 children deaths have been reported in the hospital since January last year. In May, authorities had removed Medical Superintendent of the hospital Javed Choudhary over the deaths, besides ordering a probe into the matter.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence generally affects only women who are at the wrong end of the bargain

SWC Gets 20 Cases Daily: Shameema

Aliya Bashir (Kashmir Monitor)

Srinagar: With knowledge just a click away for the valley women to learn their rights, divorce and marital feuds are soaring as figures paint a very grim picture of post marital life of Kashmiri couples. Ironically, the women instead of getting justice end up with divorces. Importantly, every divorce ends up with split not just between husband a wife, but between two families and a never ending trouble for the child, if the couple has one.

As per the latest figures available with the government, the matrimonial cases pending disposal in various courts is 2448. Similarly, 4862 maintenance cases are pending disposal before various courts in the State, officials reveal. At the same time, the figures available with State Women’s Commission (SWC), suggest that the domestic and post martial feuds cut across with both the lower income groups as well high profile people ending up with divorces.

“We have 1820 cases registered with the commission since last few years, 1333 were from the valley and 487 from Jammu. In the past two decades, the commission has managed to settle over 600 cases,” says Shameema Firdous, SWC chairperson.

Shameema says that on average the commission receives at least 20 cases a day. “No divorce is done in the commission. We try our best to persuade the couple to reconcile but due to the degrading social fabric, misunderstanding and money matters, it gets quite difficult to keep the social intact,” she says.Women cite different reasons for ending their marriages, from getting more exposure and knowing their rights to increasing domestic violence and extra-marital affairs.

“There is a growing trend in which not only the uneducated but educated women are filing petitions for dissolution of marriage which was something unheard before. At present, we have more than 7310 cases of domestic discord and maintenance disputes pending in courts in the whole state,” as per the statistics available at Lower Court, Srinagar.Experts in the field say that due to the increased awareness among women about their rights, it is easier for women to file for divorce than men. But socially, women still face a stigma for divorcing their husbands.

“There is an increase in 4 per cent compared to last five years and out of 100, 30 per cent are pleaded divorces by husbands,” says A K Hanjura, a renowned lawyer. “In most of the cases women are responsible for the trigger and husbands resort to the divorcees.” Due to the lack of any special court for speedy trials, lakhs of cases are already pending in various courts across the state.“Without emphasizing on what could be the consequences of the divorce, counsellors and lawyers don’t try to work more on reconciliation and then if things doesn’t work then to take it as last resort,” Hanjura adds. Women’s rights advocates say that a rise in awareness among women has helped more and more women to come out of the cocoon and raise their voice against their sufferings.

“The increasing trend of working women has led to more public awareness about rights and not to accept the domination to fight for one’s right and to not accept the oppression,” says Shireen Jabeen, a women rights activist. “Women are not getting only ready to file divorce but also to combat with the traditionally attached social stigma.” The huge influx of divorce cases are reported due the post-marital disputes, dowry, physical torture, harassment, torture of the in-laws and most importantly, misunderstanding over petty issues.“We suffer but still society wants us to be silent sufferers.

Those who opt for divorces are looked down. Only a women is to be blamed for failed marriages and her inability to handle the situation,” says Tahira Ismail, whose case is pending in lower court since long.Albeit, the legal filing process may be now easier for women but the psychologists say the impact of divorces is taking a heavy toll on the mental health of the couples as well as children.

“Whenever there is a feud between parents, a child becomes the causality,” says Asiya Nayeem, a senior counsellor with Kashmir Lifeline, a mental health helpline. “We receive many calls in which children suffer due to the rift between parents. Children have the right to be together with both of their parents and they are denied of this privilege due a divorce.”