Charisma The Great

Abdul makes another attempt to define leadership knowing the yardstick of measure in the valley is dismally low

(Dr. Abdul Ahad, 63, was born in Srinagar. He attended the Tyndale Biscoe Mission School in Fateh Kadal and the Multipurpose Higher Secondary School, Baghi-i-Dilawar Khan. He received his graduate degree from the Sri Partap College, Srinagar, and completed his post graduate degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Kashmir. He started his career as a lecturer at the Amar Singh College, Srinagar, but subseqyuently joined the state service and rose to the position of Director, Archives, Museums, Research & Public Libraries. At his retirement from the state service, he held the position of Commissioner-Secretary in the J&K Government. Dr. Ahad has written two interesting books: Kashmir to Frankfurt: A Study of Arts & Crafts (judged being the best book on Kashmir in 1986), and Kashmir Rediscovered. He has attended numerous seminars and conference at the state, national and international levels, and is a columnist writing in local dailies. He received the award of "Khilet-e-Mahjoor" in 2010.)


The Leadership Debate

The debate on Charismatic leadership has evoked an overwhelming response which is really heartening. But what I have discussed in my previous write-up (attached at the very bottom) has either been read in haste or not at all appreciated. The critics have tried to put words in my mouth by drawing far-fetched conclusions; attributing to me what hasn’t been my forte. To prove me incorrect, metaphoric, implausible, biased, wooly and coward has been their main thrust. By stating ardently that “in the last 800 years Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah is the only charismatic leader Kashmir has produced” they are plainly reflecting their ignorance of history and presenting a scary portrayal of medieval Kashmir; rejecting, thereby, the very existence and contributions of the outstanding, top ranking, charismatic leadership of the times; especially Budshah, Lal Ded and Nund Rishi. Also in their typical flamboyant way they attempt to mix up popular with charismatic leadership; more wittingly than unwittingly declining to differentiate the two less of morals than of expediency. The psyche and the social reality of a historically recognized conflict zone, immensely weighed down by unrelenting human rights violations, is totally different from that of a non-conflict zone characterized by independent, egalitarian settings, social security and Western outlook.

The two systems are poles apart. One is dependent, subservient, primitive and chained to a colonial system. The other is progressive, free, peaceful, democratic, independent and above all sovereign. Both throw up their own brand of leadership to resolve their peculiar problems and overcome tribulations: one yearns for freedom, independence, sovereignty and social justice and the other for economic reform, good governance, change and improvisation. A marked dissimilarity between the tow is, therefore, but natural. This glaring difference between the two needs to be adequately recognized and appreciated before writing about Kashmir and evaluating its leadership.

The contention that I have based my definition of Charismatic leadership on the propositions put forth by Nadler and Tushmun besides having used their idioms and phrases in my write-up is wholly untrue and grossly misconceived. My premise, my arguments and my conclusions are entirely my own; they are well grounded in history; especially Kashmir history. They are, therefore, creatively original enough to be incompatible with those of these writers who have written: Beyond the Charismatic Leader essentially for Business Executives to educate them how to win and influence their clients. There is no dearth of such books of alien origin; but the question is: are they really worthwhile in Kashmir context? The answer is no; Big no.

At the very outset of my article I have made it amply clear that these books and their writers have simply endeavored to recapitulate, reiterate and reinvent what was formulated, devised and discussed by the great scholars of different Civilizations long, long ago in distant past. For the sake of historical accuracy and amplification let me reproduce here the relevant paragraph which the critics have skipped over-- while going through my article--to keep up their natter in a merry little tune:

The book: “Beyond the Charismatic Leader” written by David A Nadler and Michael L Tushmun is “A product of painstaking research that speaks high of scholarly exertions of these political scientists, but is in no way the first of its kind on the subject. As a matter of fact it is a laudable and meaningful attempt to recapitulate systematically what the great scholars have already contemplated and marked out, long, long ago, as main components of unadulterated, stimulating and genuine leadership.”(Dr. Ahad: What Makes A Charismatic Leader? See at the bottom.)

There is no ambiguity in these words; nor are they in any way incomprehensible to lead readers astray and make them believe in fantasies and mundane gossip or rhetoric. These are lucidly intelligible enough to substantiate my point of view: that Kashmir leadership can best be evaluated through a local prism and native sources against the socio-political background obtaining in the Valley at the time of the leader we are writing about. They shed a flood of light on the subject which is as old as biblical times and vitally relevant in the Kashmir milieu burdened with a perennial conflict; a milieu that has been eagerly craving not for any democratic dispensation but for the restoration of its historical individuality that was compromised at the altar of political profit, power politics and shifting paradigms of social morality back in 1947 by those whose inanities and failures are historically too costly to be forgotten.

Yesterday’s events become today’s history. Today’s history is a rude awakening that acquaints us with unpleasant facts that have contributed to our past failings, collective despairs, national sufferings and emotional disturbances. Unmistakably enough its impact is markedly so overpowering that the genuine leaders draw important lessons to become more conscious to shape the future of their societies charismatically and responsively in a befitting manner and in keeping with the necessities not only of history but of geography, sociology and culture as well.
Human wisdom can hardly play any hoax with history because this wisdom is itself shaped and influenced by the very historical forces in operation. Gigantically powerful and dominant, these forces constitute the very social reality of a given society and push to the forefront the persons of substance to make sensible decisions at critical junctures to lead it charismatically towards the goal determined by the requirements of the time and cherished by the masses. The judgments of these men of genuine wisdom and foresight, therefore, work in tandem with the forces of history to drive multitudes out of the barren wilderness of strife, dispute and despondency. An objective study of great upheavals, revolutions and freedom struggles that have occurred so far in the world history amply corroborates this view.

It is in the struggle for power that human wisdom generally withers to keep pace with the demands of history and collective aspirations of society. Unlike the leaders of Freedom Struggle the strugglers in power struggle remain largely infatuated and over obsessed with a burning desire for political office. In this pursuit they set in motion stratagems to hoodwink masses with whose support they come to power. They resort to pulling the wool over the public eye through vote bank politics; tricking the naive and the raw by building up mystique around themselves; making them ultimately pretty upset by the tricks of their trade. Smart and astute as they are, they succeed in becoming popular enough to ascend the peak. They dominate the scene as long as they are able to befool the public. By camouflaging their real intentions under the garb of “people’s uplift”, “emancipation”, freedom from want”, “self rule” etc; etc; they do extremely well to lure a huge number of followers and supporters into mystifying them as “charismatic leaders”. The huge popularity they enjoy, thus, baffles even writers to confuse it with charisma. The struggle they get entangled in connotes nothing but their growing appetite for power, clout, supremacy and aggrandizement.

But it is unlikely for the leadership to get bogged down in power politics in a feudalistic set-up where authority is monarchical and hereditary. The autocracy is traditionally opposed to sharing authority outside the royal, feudalistic household. The leaders don’t, therefore, proceed beyond raising their voice against autocratic atrocities. For their inherent boldness and courage besides good intentions of doing something unusual (other than coming to power) in an authoritarian raj they enjoy considerable public trust, support and love. With the passage of time the quotient of their popularity rises to unbelievable heights; making them mass friendly and result oriented and increasingly effective and relevant both socially as well as communally. But as soon as the situation tilts towards assuming political overtones the charismatic qualities of the leadership, begin to fade.

Likewise in a conflict zone with a long history of bloodshed the perennial crisis press forward a variety of spoilers--to climb the bandwagon of an institutionalized vested interest--who become instrumental in widening the scope of malfunctioning of movements. In such circumstances it is next to impossible to locate a charismatic leader. But for political expediency or other considerations some little fingers do tend to invent one. It is like making Kashur zafarani Kahwa out of Russian poplar leaves. Let me conclude by reproducing here some excerpts of my “poem” on the subject:
Charisma the great;
It is too late;
To lessen the hate;
Flourishing in tiny hearts;
Oh! Charisma;
For God’s sake;
Let you designate;
A leader who can truly eradicate;
The harsh memories:
Of infamous torture centers (Papa-2);
Where youth was scarred;
And incapacitated for life;
Of brutal rapes of old and young women;
Of disgraceful crack-downs;
Frequently conducted to humiliate people;
Of those goriest nights;
When elderly were dishonored;
Toddlers orphaned;
Adolescents whisked away;
Never to return to their hearths;
Is this not an unvarying, unrelenting Agony?
Will the Ghost of Bloody Dispute ever cease to haunt Kashmir?


What Makes A Charismatic Leader?
(Exploring the elements that constitute leadership)

“Instrumental Leadership” is a well-written article which has kicked off an important debate on issues of charismatic leadership. The debate is more relevant and vital in the context of Kashmir situation. Whether or not Kashmiri leaders fulfill the criteria historically recognized as prerequisite for becoming cream of the crop--a visionary, creative and energizing leader-- seems to be the main endeavor of the debate to discern. It revolves round the premise that a charismatic leader is one who personifies all those merits that have been identified by David A Nadler and Michael L Tushan in their book: “Beyond the Charismatic Leader”. A product of painstaking research that speaks high of scholarly exertions of these political scientists, the book is in no way the first of its kind on the subject. As a matter of fact it is a laudable and meaningful attempt to recapitulate systematically what the great scholars have already contemplated and marked out, long, long ago, as main components of unadulterated, stimulating and genuine leadership.

The interest in understanding the issue of leadership—which they have rather rekindled now-- was awakened by the intellectuals of yore centuries before the emergence of Nation States; actually at a time when the human Civilization hadn’t yet made many strides and was still in its embryonic form on its way forward struggling hard to reach the acme of excellence. The foremost among them were Aristotle and Plato who delved deep into the subject and subsequently gave the world the model of a flawless leader who possessed tremendous potential to lead people through thick and thin and represented a wonderful combination of self-discipline, hard-work and honesty and foresight. The model was, subsequently, elaborated and perfected by their successors; more distinctively by Ibn-Khaldun and Arnold Toynbee. The conclusions which these scholars of stature have drawn after studying various Civilizations, especially the five major civilizations of the world, are now making rounds in Western and Asiatic Societies, of course in an adapted form, through the publications of contemporary social scientists.

The picture of an ideal leader in his charismatic form is equally obtainable in Nilamatpurana; the earliest available source of historical information on Kashmir; a unique treatise that clearly sketches the picture of an ‘envisioning, energizing and ennobling’ iconic leader who was none other than NILA NAGA, the founder of Jhelum Valley Civilization that flourished on the banks of Veth or Vitasta. He was the first and foremost Kashmiri Patriarch of great consequences who with his unusual blend of intelligence, determination and character drove out of Valley’s womb the most dreaded people; the pretenders and imposters; the enemies of natives; and, thereby, laid the foundation of a safe and peaceful heaven on earth for human settlement. His moral substance and qualities of head and heart were so powerful, convincing, meticulous and ennobling that they inspired a galaxy of historical personalities like Avantiverman, Laltaditya, Budshah etc; to follow his footsteps and touch the peaks of glory, popularity and esteem. Thus by drinking deep of the intellectual ambience, furnished by this classic work on Kashmir, these leaders envisioned a prosperous, strong and peaceful Kashmir which they realized finally to lure a huge number of Central Asian Sufis and Scholars who settled here and enriched its ethos profoundly.

Alongside Nilmatapurana, Kalhana’s Rajatarangni , Vakhs of Lal Ded, Nund Rishi’s expositions and Shah-i-Hamdan’s Zakhirat-ul-Malook deserve to be equally credited for having widened the contours of the discourse on the qualities of leadership. The authors of these monumental works were the most innovative social engineers who had a strong urge to transform Kashmir by changing the outlook of its leadership. Their main thrust was on enlightenment which they believed is possible through the pursuit of knowledge; the attainment of moral ascendancy and; the rejection of arrogance: the qualities which the present “leadership” lacks so conspicuously and despises so amply and abhorrently. The watchword of their philosophy is an amalgam of: Vision, Virtue and Wisdom which is evidently absent among the contemporary “leaders”.

Lal Ded and Shiekh Noor-ud-din were prefect embodiment of these virtues that enabled them to become the genuine mass leaders; the legitimate people’s priests; the real harbingers of a great social change. The personal Charisma of these leaders continues to inspire every Kashmiri even after the passage of so many centuries. The quantum of esteem they are held in can only be gauged at Cherar-i-Sharief where an ocean of people is seen present to pay their homage. There is hardly anything that hasn’t received their attention: their repertoire encompasses everything from economics, politics, science, medicine, philosophy to environment; they have ably dealt with whatever came their way for rectification, renovation, restoration and innovation.

The insightful personality of these highly thought of leaders of bygone day’s immensely strengthened people’s faith in a bright tomorrow which they had envisioned for Medieval Kashmir. But after them no leader worth the name has so far appeared in the firmament of Kashmir to lead the people to their cherished goal.

Kashmir has yet to throw a leader who can deliver the way charismatic leaders have done to achieve their objectives. Not to talk of leaders like Gandhi—who is worth emulating and justifies the appellation of charismatic leader for his contributions and intrinsic merit that resonate even today to impact Indians to adopt Gandhi giri as a tool to fight injustice—even the likes of BAL Thakrey are unlikely to locate in its milieu. There is none to equal him in his traits: determination, dedication, allegiance to his motherland and anxiety for his people. Our environment is awfully weak to encourage the rise of such leadership. It is increasingly disposed towards cheering up a huge platoon of “leaders” who are easily comparable to proverbial Saed Makars. Their deceptive stratagems, dare devil stunts and dishonest dealings, which initially boost and botch us up with illusionary elixir of life ultimately make us disconsolate for our whole life. They are always on hunting spree to befool the common masses through their pretentions which quickly burst like bubbles or balloons within no time. Their motive is nothing but wealth, weapon and women.

Kashmir “leaders” are thriving on the agonies bequeathed to the masses of Kashmir by the partition for which both Nehru and Jinnah were responsible. Kashmiris are paying too heavily for their obstinacy, stubbornness and fierce political rivalries that struck a fatal blow to historic Indus Valley Civilization; fragmenting it to degenerate into an unprecedented bloodbath of innocent killings that finally gave birth to India, Pakistan, two Kashmir’s and Bangladesh-- how many more pieces are likely to emerge on the map of the world God alone knows. Their unwise policies have trapped them in the quandary of Dispute that has practically besieged the entire South Asia with an intense existential angst. To escape the repercussions of this colossal historical wrong is not possible till it is amicably and justly rectified.

Only Deedawars with enormous foresight and moral substance can lead the masses to throw off the shackles of servitude that is fortified, day in and day out, by none other than their own kiths and kin; the Local Sentries who uphold the tradition of guarding the colonial Cage religiously for their personal aggrandizement.

Such Deedawars do not come out of vacuum; they appear on the scene when the masses cease to listen to fakers; when they give up saying one thing and doing another; when they learn to shift the white from the black; when they shun their well-known receptiveness to fluctuations.

The people of Kashmir have to remake themselves to change their lumpish image that impels objective historians to portray them as big historical frauds; Soum Badzat Kashmiri.

Their inconsistencies, unsteady and ever-wavering attitude, disinclination to mend their ways, despite the multitude of tragedies they have gone through, are chief causes of their historical misfortunes, aberrations and humiliations. They need a dose of sweet nectar to defy their routine behavior.

The New Killing machines

Arjimand describes the pathetic condition of roads in the valley

(Mr. Arjimand Hussain Talib, 34, was born in Srinagar. He 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 and has worked with UNESCO, Oxfam and ActionAid International in some seven countries in Asia and Africa. 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. He is presently an advisor in international development and based in Beijing.)


Of our Roads, R&B Department, Contractors and Aesthetics

Monotony of a chief minister’s life is not easy to cope with. Omar Abdullah is known to be an adventurer. He seems good at extracting acts of thrill from a life beset with a testing routine.

For quite a while now, Omar has often been seen driving from his Gupkar residence to Srinagar airport and other places. Lately, he has been doing something more exciting: darting from Jammu to Srinagar and from Srinagar to Bafliaz and Baltal in car rally styles.

It sounds good to see a CM driving himself, and, by default, get a feel of the ground. But the problem with such drives is that they happen in laboratory conditions. When the police and the traffic guys clear the roads of everything else (Cars, trucks, humans, animals, etc.), to get the real taste of a common man’s travel experiences is not possible. Omar’s driving times on these roads have set records.

J&K’s roads for a common man today are killing machines. The number of daily road accidents, the casualties, the abysmal road quality and dismal traffic management make us look uncivilized. Forget the advanced societies and the developing ones, today even sub-Saharan Africa’s roads are much better than ours. I can bet that.

Despite some good makeover of a few roads, Srinagar looks particularly pathetic. Of course, the new Galandar-Narbal By-pass sounds a good idea, but when will we fix the shabby and incomplete state of the critical Ali Jan Road, the Srinagar By-Pass, Hyderpora Flyover and numerous residential colonies? Do we have any plans to broaden up the inter-district roads, and improve them technically? Srinagar – the state’s face - gets peanuts for its roads. In 2009-10, it got a mere Rs. 389.60 crores in the district sector. Bandipora, Ganderbal and Islamabad (Anantnag) districts with much smaller populations and vehicular use got Rs 458 crore, Rs 360 crore and Rs 511 crore respectively.

For a ride towards civility, we need some real good spending on roads in the state. We need capacity building of R&B and Traffic Departments. R&B Department also needs a performance appraisal.

What we also lack is R&B’s interest in greenery and aesthetics. Engineers are known to love capital intensive works because it involves good money. Small works involving tree plantation, maintenance of landscapes and safety signs just don’t appeal. But doesn’t it require some questioning?

R&B Department also needs to apply some common sense in its working. It is unimaginable it doesn’t maintain a untied contingency fund with standby equipment and material to fix potholes on the roads. Our potholes normally wait for one year for funds to be released from the centre!

Our private contractors need some attention too. We need a system of their capacity evaluation and ranking them up accordingly. Most of them do not seem to have the professional project management systems. Their work quality needs on-spot monitoring.

The Traffic Department needs manpower, technical expertise, better equipment and training. It has since long been conditioned to primarily serve the sahabs of every kind. Pushing public transport into narrow lanes to keep the main roads clear for the VIPs in Srinagar is a big moral wrong. For a common man, VIP is more of a Very Interrupting/Intruding Person rather than what this acronym is traditionally known as.

Srinagar also needs the much-delayed traffic signals. It is well known that some of our VIPs hate the idea of traffic signals in Srinagar because they would be treated like anyone else at traffic crossings. But can they be allowed to veto this idea?

The spending on our roads is not good enough too. The district and state sector funds are paltry. Central Road Fund (CRF) money is fine, but it is limited, and mostly used on roads serving a strategic interest. Then we borrow massively from NABARD. For rural roads we love PM’s Gram Sadak Yojana money. But none of these help deliver quality roads.

The roads we are thought not to be efficient and resourceful enough to maintain go to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The latest one to go to them is the Handwara-Bangus road. But are these roads any better? Aren’t the Kupwara-Karnah, Bandipora-Gurez and other such roads maintained by BRO primitive?

Permanently Temporary?

Iqbal addresses conflicting parameters of the strike by contractual college teachers which is by no means over, even though public demonstrations have ended

(Dr. Javid Iqbal, 64, was born in Srinagar. He attended the D.A.V. School, Srinagar, and graduated in Medicine from the Government Medical College (GMC). His professional service in medicine includes work in the Middle East for three decades. During his days at the GMC, he captained the cricket team. Dr. Iqbal is the Vice Principal, Controller and the head of department - Operation Theater Technology at Tahira Khanam's Paramedical Sciences Institute, Lawaypora, Srinagar. He enjoys writing and staying close to his children in far away lands.)


Fiddling With Education

For quite sometime now, reportedly more or less 700 contractual college teachers are on strike in Press Enclave in Srinagar and lately there are fast-unto-death stories filed in the press. Irrespective of the fact whether their demands are genuine or not, there is enough to support the contention that J&K state is fiddling with education. And this seems, on the face of it, a process fraught with undesirable consequences.

The demands of college teachers include a change in the nomenclature-meaning they may no more be termed and treated as contractual, entailing permanency of the job, monthly wages equivalent to the basic salary of the post they are holding-which means basic salary of the permanent employee in their position. Besides they demand one time exemption in National Entrance Test/State Entrance Test [NET/SLET] a test they have to get through to qualify as college teachers, and end to the new norm of six classes per day.

NET/SLET might be tough, however, there is no reason that a college teacher in job for quite a time, contractual or otherwise should fail to clear it. The test is a requirement for Public Service Commission [PSC] clearance for appointment as a college teacher on a permanent basis and acquiring all benefits of permanency. Besides clearing NET entitles cashing University Grants Commission [UGC] benefits.

State funding thus finds a relief, as UGC steps in with grants. Otherwise state pays the bill. UGC scales are quite a windfall. The clearance of these tests might be the stumbling block, and were they to get through the tests the government might be genuinely accused of coming in the way of a teacher who is otherwise armed with all that is needed to claim permanency. As such there are vacant slots, financial hurdles, the state often pleads for failure to fill the vacancies may not come in way, as NET clearance means UGC funding.

The question remains, whether the government has the right to one time waiver of a set procedure without coming into conflict with the established norms and the law. There might be others in line waiting to fill in their slots, who might be tempted to seek a legal verdict. However there has been a waiver in 90’s, on the plea of prevailing militancy in the state. It is questionable whether the government could be moved to repeat the act. If repeated one time waivers become a norm, the norm may lose its sanctity. Against this one has to weigh the non-availability of enough college teachers with NET/SET clearance to man the vacant slots. In case of non-availability of such teachers, the government might have no option but to accede to their demand, partly though.

The way out could be continuing with contractual appointments, but conceding their monetary demands, that is providing basic salary of a permanent employee. Estimated, it amounts to a 50% rise, reportedly from present Rs. 8000 to Rs. 12,000 or wherever it entails. However the very idea of dispensing with their services and appointing freshers is the least of the likable. And that is exactly what the government has hinted of doing. There is another demand, which may be taken as genuinely acceptable, concerning six classes a day. The idea of a college teacher with six classes a day is unacceptable. A class on an average of 40 minutes duration entails 240 minutes [4 hours] of teaching a day. It is highly doubtful whether a teacher can retain his mental poise and physical endurance to such a demanding task!

As per press reports, chairing a high level meeting to asses the situation arising out of strike of academic arrangement teachers, Minister for Higher Education, Labour and Employment, Abdul Gani Malik said, “Steps are afoot to redress the grievances of students whose syllabus has not been completed till date by providing them dedicated and enthusiastic teachers shortly.” The minister may note, in fact he should be well aware of the fact if he is worth his salt as Minister of Higher Education that it takes time to make a teacher. You simply cannot have them overnight. Teachers have to be groomed over a period of time. Teaching is not instant coffee making. One has to get through a process of learning over a period of time, in order to impart to others, what he/she has learnt. Discharging experienced teachers may not be thought of unless you have an equal number who fit the norms-that is with NET/SLET and PSC clearance.

There have been allegations of students suffering in some of the colleges due to the present strike by academic arrangement teachers. The minister has refuted the allegations by providing information that 70 to 85% syllabuses have been completed by the students of Degree Colleges across the Valley. That might be true, but then minister ought to know and appreciate that the syllabi stand completed to the tune of 70-85% mostly due to efforts of these very teachers, whom he has accused of neglecting their duties. The minister’s directive to Principals of degree colleges to ensure completion of syllabi by September 15, 2011 is nevertheless a deed well done. However there cannot be any word of support for impressing alternate arrangement of teachers for degree colleges in consultation with concerned nodal principals, if necessary so that the remaining part of the syllabus is completed well in time. This runs counter to his projected policy in the pipeline for streamlining higher education in the state which emphasizes on quality education without compromising on the standards. By the very act of seeking alternate arrangements, the minister is compromising on the standards.

There is no alternative to experience, though one would feel tempted to support his directive not to allow such teachers in the college who fail to deliver the goods in respect of attending their regular classes. The minister by implication might have charged the striking teachers with high handedness, though of a section of teachers who obstruct others in doing their routine duty. The minister has said that such elements shall be dealt with sternly under law. Demanding rights in democratic polity may not be called high handedness. However if the striking teachers are in fact coercing some to join the strike, that could be objectionable. An early end to the tangle is widely awaited-sooner, the better!

Yaar Zinda Sohbat Baqi
[Reunion is subordinate to survival]

"I am a Dreamer"

Nida returns briefly from Dubai to her hometown (Srinagar) and makes a statement with poetic grace and eloquence


(Ms. Nida Rafiq Shiekh, 24, was born in Srinagar. She passed her Matriculation from the Presentation Convent High School and completed her 12th grade from the Mallinson Girls High School, both with distinction. She graduated from the Women's College, Srinagar, and completed a Master's degree in mass communications from the Media Education Research Centre (MERC) of the University of Kashmir. She is a free lance writer who likes writing about the Kashmir issue and other topics like communal violence that have torn apart the Kashmiri society with tragic consequences. She also loves reading, and plans to make serious documentary films some day. She presently lives in Dubai.)


I am a little girl and
I am a dreamer
I dream of barbies
I dream of candies
I dream of no homeworks
I dream of fun.

I am a teenager and
I am a dreamer
I dream of choclates
I dream of flowers
I dream of rain
I dream of love.

I am a spinster and
I am a dreamer
I dream of wealth
I dream of fame
I dream of wedding
I dream of success.

I am married and
I am a dreamer
I dream of peace
I dream of affection
I dream of family
I dream of happiness.

I am old now but
I am still a dreamer
I dream of childhood
I dream of adolescence
I dream of spinsterhood
I dream of life.

The Practice of Double Dipping

Mushtaq shares his perspective on the raging debate about government salaried doctors in Kashmir who pursue private practice on the side

(Dr. Syed Mushtaq Ahmad, 61, was born in Seer Hamdan, Anantnag. He went to Higher Secondary School in Anantnag, before finishing his higher secondary education from the Government Degree College, Anantnag. He received his medical degree (M.B.B.S.) from the Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, and subsequently earned M.S. (Anatomy) from the GMC, and Ph.D. in Nuclear Medicine from the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS). He complete diplomas related to radiation medicine from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai. He rose through the ranks as a faculty member in the SKIMS, and at retirement held the position of Professor and the Head of Nuclear Medicine in SKIMS. Presently, he serves as a senior consultant and head of the nuclear medicine at the Capital Medical Research Centre in Srinagar.)

SKIMS: Eaten Away by the Bug of Private Practice

The Sheri-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) is the outcome of a cherished dream of great visionary like Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah. It is the fruit of love and labour of some great professionals like Dr. Ali Muhammad Jan and others.
Are we losing it to commercialism of healthcare?

SKIMS, as the name implies has been conceived as a tertiary health care medical institution with an objective of providing patient care of high standard, as well as to create high quality medical professionals for the state and country. To achieve this goal SKIMS was linked to AIIMS, New Delhi and PGI Chandigarh for purpose of rules and regulations governing SKIMS doctors to promote the academic caliber and maintain the standards of curriculum and research. To further this cause SKIMS was given a status of deemed university by legislature, to enable it to award degrees in the field of medical and related health sciences ( undergraduate, post graduate, postdoctoral and medical technology courses). The job specification of the faculty of all such medical institutions is three fold viz , i) To deliver specialty and super specialty patient care, ii) To impart high standard teaching and training to undergraduates, post graduates, post doctoral and technical students , and iii) To develop a high quality research in the field of medicine and allied specialties.

Any professional choosing to serve in an academic institute of this nature very well aware of the status of the institution and the nature of services he/she is supposed to provide.

PRIVATE PRACTICE

The impression that Non-practicing allowance ( NPA) is given to the faculty is the only reason why they should not indulge in private practice is false and misplaced. It is the status /position of a particular medical institution which determines whether doctors are allowed /banned for private practice, while as NPA is only an incentive. This status is granted on the basis of the very basic functional concept of the institution. As per SKIMS is concerned following facts are to noted.

1) The governing body (GB) of SKIMS in its 5th meeting held in the year 1979 approved that “All the posts of the institute shall be non-plasticizing and the scale of the pay for each category shall be inclusive of non-practicing allowance”. There is no choice of private practice irrespective of drawing NPA.
2) Subsequently, sanction was accorded to the grant of performance allowance to consultants and resident staff of the institute vide govt; order no. 19-IMS of 1981 Dated 31-01-1981.
3) Vide SRO No :358 dated 1st Dec. 1988, SKIMS faculty members (pay) rules of 1988 provided non-practicing allowance (NPA) for faculty members of SKIMS in lieu of performance allowance ,at revised rates.
4) Thereafter under and in term of SRO 378 of SKIMS, faculty members ( revised pay ) rules 2000 were promulgated. As per rule 8 of rules 2000, it was instructed that “ It shall be ensured by the institute that doctors of the institute don’t take up any kind of private practice.” In addition, NPA rates were revised to 25% of basic pay .
5)Vide a cabinet decision No 171/45 dated 4th oct 2000 and the govt; order no. 195-F of 2000 dt. 18th oct. 2000., it was ordered that the doctors and the paramedical staff of SKIMS shall; not indulge in any kind of private practice.
6) The criminal law ( amendment) ordinance no II of 2001 dated 10th july2001 was followed by the criminal law ( amendment) act, no. XXVI of 2002 dated 23rd April 2002, passed by an unanimous vote of J&K legislature. The act provided amendment of provision of 5(1-a) and 5(2-b) of prevention of corruption act , Sam vat 2006.It provided that any medical and paramedical staff of SKIMS shall be deemed to have committed the offence of criminal misconduct if he/ she resorts to private practice in any form or manner. It also provided that whosoever, abets or aids in commission of this criminal misconduct or allows his premises or nursing home to be used for private practice shall be punishable with imprisonment of up to 3 years and shall also be liable to a fine of up to Rs 10,000.
7) Vide SRO 283 dated 23rd September 2009 issued for implementation of 6th pay commission recommendations to faculty of SKIMS, it was clearly instructed in rule 7 that “ It shall be ensured by the institute that doctors of the institute do not take up any kind of private practice.
8) In every appointment / promotion order of any faculty member , it is clearly mentioned that appointee /promotee is banned to indulge in any kind of private practice. At the time of joining, an affidavit is submitted, stating that the appointee will not indulge in private practice in any form.
9) It is obligatory on part of every faculty members to certify every month that he/ she is not indulging in any kind of private practice.
10) From time to time , SKIMS faculty members have been reminded through circulars from administration that they should refrain from doing any kind of private practice.
11) Most recently, Hon’ble Chief Minister of J&K, who also is the chairman of the Governing Body of SKIMS, many a times publicly advised the faculty of SKIMS to desist from indulging in private practice which is a criminal misconduct.

INCENTIVES GIVEN TO SKIMS FACULTY

I. Superannuation: Age of superannuation for the faculty was fixed as 60 years as compared to the super-annuation age of other doctors and other Govt; employees i.e.55 years which was later raised to 58 years.
II. Pay Scales of SKIMS doctors were always linked to the pay scales at AIIMS and PGI which were always much higher than their counterparts in medical colleges. Right from the year 1979, the SKIMS doctors would draw their salary, DA/ ADA on the same rates as where in vogue at AIIMS and PGI. Accordingly, subsequent pay revisions of 1983, 1988, 2000 and 2009 were implemented for the faculty of SKIMS , in line with the pay revisions at AIIMS and PGI faculty. A senior professor at SKIMS draws a gross monthly salary of around one lac and twenty thousand rupees.
III. NPA: The incentive was given to the consultants and resident staff since 1981 in the form of performance allowance and then non-practicing allowance. The present rate of NPA is 25% of the basic pay. SKIMS is the only medical institute in the country, where non-medical faculty members are given NPA. This has been done to ensure that even the non medicos don’t indulge in any kind of private practice such as in the form of labs etc.
IV. Clinical Research Allowance (CRA) at a fixed rate of Rs-2500 is paid to every faculty member.
V. Other allowances like HRA or fully furnished residential accommodation.
VI. Re-imbursement of telephone bills and transport facility at nominal charges.
VII. Paid conferences: Every faculty member is allowed to attend two academic conferences anywhere in the country and one international conference (anywhere in the world) once in two years with re-imbursement of registration fee, air fare and DA.
VIII. Sabbatical leave/ Ex India Leave: Every faculty member is entitled to one years leave (Ex- India leave) for monetary benefits, after putting in 5 years of service at SKIMS. Invariably, the overstay period getting regularized.
IX. Academic leave: SKIMS is the only medical institute in the country where a faculty member undergoes postdoctoral courses like DM; MCh. and Phd; while they continue to draw all the benefits of being faculty member. In past many doctors were sponsored for such courses outside the state.
X. Re-designation of posts: The faculty positions of lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor and professors were re-designated as assistant professor, associate professor, additional professor and professor respectively, in line with the nomenclature at AIIMS and PGI. This gives the benefit of early qualification as examiners and as experts to other institutions.
XI. Assessment Merit Promotion Scheme(AMPS): In line with policy at AIIMS and PGI, the faculty of SKIMS is entitled for promotion through AMPS. This benefit is exclusively for SKIMS faculty. This scheme provides that an assistant professor (entry post) gets promoted to associate professor; an associate professor gets promoted to additional professor after putting in 4 years of service in each position. Same way, an additional professor gets promoted to professor post after putting in 7 years on the post. These promotions are not subject to the availability of vacancies at these levels. This prevents stagnation at one position and ensures time bound promotion to higher positions even in absence of vacancies.

SPECIAL STATUS OF SKIMS

1) SKIMS is a semi-autonomous Govt; department with its own high powered Governing Body (GB), Standing Academic Committee(SAC), Apical Selection Committee (ASC), Senior Selection Committee(SSC), Junior Selection Committee(JSC), Purchase Committee(PC) and Standing Finance Committee(SFC).
2) The Chief Minister of J&K is the chairman of the SKIMS governing body (GB); Chief Secretary as chairman of ASC; Financial Commissioner as chairman of SFC and Director SKIMS as chairman of the SSC and JSC.
3) The Director of the institute is designated as Ex-Officio Secretary to Govt; of J&K for matters related to SKIMS and Joint Director as Ex-Officio Additional Secretary to Govt; of J&K for matters related to SKIMS.
4) All policy matters are looked after by GB;while as SAC looks after academic policies; ASC looks after appointment /promotion of faculty; SSC and JSC looks after appointment / promotion of Gazetted and non-Gezetted staff; Purchase Committee looks after purchases and SFC looks into financial matters.
5) Unlike other medical colleges, all the decisions regarding institute matters are taken by these committees. This makes SKIMS free from the shackles of PSC;SSRB; and other institutional authorities, so that it should deliver on all fronts without any hassles.
6) SKIMS was declared as a teaching institute vide Govt; order no:112-ME of 1978 Dated 13/ 03/ 1978 and has the status of a deemed university by an act of legislature of J&K so that it can award degrees in medical and allied specialties. It has its own Registrar, Controller examinations, Deputy Registrars and other related staff.
7) Summer & Winter Breaks :Faculty is entitled to 2weeks summer and 4weeks winter vacations.
8) Pay scales of the resident staff are also higher than their counterparts in other medical colleges.
9) Pay scale and promotional avenues of the paramedical staff are also higher at SKIMS.

EFFECTS:

1) Bad name to whole fraternity:

Despite certain shortcomings, it is a fact that Doctors of SKIMS have been rendering invaluable service to the sick, particularly during disturbances in the state. Amongst the SKIMS doctors, it is only a group who are involved in this unlawful activity. It is this group of doctors who are bringing disrepute to whole fraternity and are as impediment to overcome the shortcomings as well as an obstacle to bring required improvement in the work culture of the institute. These are the people who have always exploited every situation for their petty gains. If this menace is not stopped, the dream of raising the status of tertiary patient care, teaching /research somewhere near to that of AIIMS and PGI will remain distant dream.

2) Patient Care:

Patient care is one of the greatest causality. Official working hours at SKIMS are 10am to 4pm which otherwise are lower as compared to working hours at sister institutions of country. Private practice makes these hours even fewer because it invariably results in late arrival to and early departure from the hospital. If a doctor entertains a huge number of patients both morning and evening at his private clinic, with his tired mind what justice he can deliver to patients at hospital.

3) Teaching & Research:

Probably the most hazardous effect in the long term is in the field of teaching and research. The basic concept of creating an institution like SKIMS is imparting teaching / Training to young doctors in various specialties and undertake research in medical and allied sciences which form the back bone of day to day growth of a well knit health care delivery system . When a teacher can spare only few hours, every day in a medical institution, the results are there for every body to see. A glaring example in this regard is very low attendance of faculty and resident staff in every Saturday morning clinical meetings (academic meets) at SKIMS auditorium.

4) Misuse of Hospital Resources:

What sort of healthcare a super specialist like Cardio vascular surgeon, Neurosurgeon, Plastic surgeon, Urologist, Radiotherapist, Pediatric surgeon, Neo-natologist etc. deliver at a shop or so called private clinic or nursing home. Net result is that these patients ultimately land in the institute and minimize the chances of any procedure of an already listed patient who has no resources to attend a private clinic. One can imagine how this opens doors for many more irregularities and corruption. In fact , private practice of many of these doctors is hospital dependent. The facilities provided at SKIMS by tax payers money are being misused by these people to further their income through illegal practice.

5) Growth of hospitals in Private Sector :

The private practice by specialists and super specialists of Govt; institutions has become the biggest obstacle in the growth of standard medical facilities in private sector. The Govt; institutions like AIIMS and PGI are feeding grounds of specialists for private hospitals. With the result world class private hospitals have come up in the country. A specialist doctor after serving in these Govt; medical institutions for number of years moves out to private sector, rather than indulging in illegal private practice. This way the doctor contributes in the Govt; sector and also earns according to his capability. He also paves way for his juniors to grow in Government sector institutions. However, a group of SKIMS doctors consciously indulge in an act which has been declared as criminal misconduct and at the same time occupy seats of respectability in the institute. It is high time that such elements choose between legal and illegal and if they have trust in their ability they should go for full time private practice.

6) Generation of Black Money:

Private practice being illegal, so even if some private practitioner wants to declare his income, he can not do it, resulting in generation of huge amounts of black money. The disastrous effects of black money are well known such as benami properties and extravagant customs, eating into roots of our society.

TRUTH SHOULD PREVAIL

The issue of private practice has been settled once for all, right at the time of inception of this institute and the same policy decision has been upheld from time to time till date. No argument can defend something un defendable. The only issue remaining is the implementation of the genuine ban on illegal private practice , by a group of law breakers. It is worthwhile to mention here that in none of the sister institutions like AIIMS, PIGMER, SGPGI the private practice is allowed and the doctors working in these institutions follow the law in letter and spirit.

1.) An argument on the basis of alleged victimization of SKIMS doctors is being floated, as if they are unaware of the service rules and regulations. Fact of the matter is that every doctor right at the time of applying for recruitment/ promotion in SKIMS knows that private practice is not allowed, as the same is reflected in the advertisement notice itself, as well as in the appointment /promotion order of every appointee .There being no confusion on this account, anybody irrespective of his /her position has to face the consequences of breaking the law and can not allege victimization. Respect can not be demanded but has to be commanded.
2.) Another argument in favour of private practice is that SKIMS doctors are working on meager emoluments. However, the truth is that they are the best paid lot in the public sector of J&K state. These doctors have every right to argue that they are worth more & can always discuss the issue with state administration, but they cannot indulge in illegal private practice as they have joined the institute by choice and after being aware of the rules and regulations. All these doctors also know that they had to use all means to get an entry into the faculty of SKIMS and that the competition for these posts is getting tougher.
3.) An attempt is being to create an impression, as if these doctors are forced to work at SKIMS. The fact remains that a doctor can quit his job at any time or opt for voluntary retirement. A doctor has to make a choice between academic career at the institute or a medical practice career in private sector. There are plenty of examples when doctors like Prof. S.Z. Ahmad, Prof.M .S. Khuroo. Prof. Nazir A. Wani etc. left the lucrative private practice to have an academic position at SKIMS and resumed their private medical practice only after their superannuation. There are also examples of young faculty members like Dr. Shabir Iqbal who after serving in SKIMS for number of years opted out for going into full time private practice. Such professionals are commanding enormous respect in the society.
4.) Another argument to justify the private practice is the lack of medical facilities in the periphery and the lack of equipment in the Govt; hospitals in Srinagar city, is totally misplaced and irrelevant. How can a private practitioner , providing medical consultation in a private clinic, help in overcoming these so called difficulties.
5.) Another argument made is that due to rush in OPD at SKIMS, the specialists have to see more number of patients than is allowed under rules, hence they are entitled to provide paid consultations to patients in private clinics. If the number of patients to be seen by a consultant is restricted under rules, how can a practitioner justify to see much higher number of patients in private clinic. Providing consultation to 50-100 patients in a matter of 2-3 hours, whether in a hospital OPD or private clinic is not justified. A specialist can always insist that he can / will see only 20-25 patients each day in OPD, so that patients can undergo proper medical examination. However, a sufficient number of specialists have to attend OPD each day. Let us take an example of specialists of medicine department at SKIMS, where we have 10 specialists. If every day 5-6 specialists attend morning OPD each day, about 200 patients will receive specialist consultation which will be in addition to the patients who will receive specialist consultation from senior residents & senior post graduate trainees. This is true about other specialisties also. With this arrangement all the patients will return satisfied from the OPD.
6.) Another argument put forward is that by providing consultation in private clinics, a great service is being rendered to the society & that a patient has a chance to have consultation of specialists of his choice. In broader sense it is true but why provide this service through illegal practice & why not become a full time private practitioner and be available to these patients for more number of hours every day in private clinics. This will go a long way in the development of standard medical facilities in the private sector.
7.) Another argument put forward is the corruption in other fields. There is no doubt that illegal activities and corruption are rampant in our society but two wrongs can not make a right. If one has made a choice to be a member of a highly respected profession of medicine, he cannot equate/ compare himself with corrupt professionals.

SOLUTION

1) One time decision to equate SKIMS doctors to doctors working at AIIMS & PGI as far as rules regulations and perks are concerned and whenever any change occurs at these institutions it should automatically apply at SKIMS.
2) Isolate the group of private practitioners and implement the ban on the private practice.
3) Any attempt to degrade this institution to the level of a district hospital should be foiled by all possible means.

The Eternal Debate

When Geelani begins to quote Mahabharat, Ajaz is amused

(Mr. Ajaz ul Haque, 40, was born in Srinagar. He completed his school and college education in South Kashmir. He is presently on the faculty as Producer in the University of Kashmir Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMRC), and a columnist and opinion page editor for the Greater Kashmir. In leisure time he enjoys reading.)


Kashmir Mahabharata

Kashmir, says Syed Ali Shah Geelani, is a Mahabharata. Kashmir Saga, like this old Sanskrit epic of ancient India, also throws some immortal characters and unforgettable lessons. This Krishna-Arjuna trope has been excessively and quite naively discussed in the Kashmir context. Our analysts interpret it as a neat and clean battle between the good and the evil. Our leaders locate two kinds of people in the whole story. Those who fight and those who succumb. In the process, we forget Mahabharata is about incomplete lives where nothing is final, none infallible.
From poetry to scriptures to legends, we are always into the habit of extracting our own conclusions from everything we lay our hands at. In the battle between Kaurvas and Pandvas, Arjun (the Pandav), as we are being exhorted to believe, was incited by Krishna to fight. Krishna, we are told believed in principles and advised Arjuna not to worry about the results and continue fighting. So far, so good. Moving a little ahead with the text of this dialogue between these two characters would have opened up a broader and a maturer chapter for us. When Krishna motivates Arjuna, how does Arjuna respond to this act of motivation. The words explain the whole story. Arjuna, while expressing his reservations to fight, replies.

It’s better in this world to beg for scraps for food
Than to eat meals smeared with the blood of elders
I shall not fight

This response has generated a huge debate in the philosophy of justice. Arjuna's answer sounds profounder in import and appeal than Karishna's incitement. One is rooted in spirituality and the other in practice. One's source is supernatural, the other's natural. One is bothered about obligation, the other about consequences. Amartya Sen, a noted Economist places this conversation as a classic case of deontology versus consequentialism. He calls Krishna’s order a consequence independent deontology and Arjuna reservation to fight as consequence sensitive assessment.

We don't want to complicate a simple point by philosophizing it needlessly. Ideologies that divide people either into brave hearts who don't relent or corrupt souls who sell their conscience are potentially violent. Kashmir can't be divided into Kouravs and Pandavs where one group fights for principles and the other surrenders the claim. A dispassionate and emotion-neutral sense of consequentialism can present things differently before us. Doing an Arjuna may lead us to a dangerous commitment unmindful of results however disastrous they may be. Legends are not for certifying people fighters and sitters. Legends carry a message far beyond the obvious. We can serve better as Arjunas by sheathing our sword than as Krishnas by brandishing it. There is a lot of space to be explored between fighting or not fighting. Mahabharata is about exploring that space.

Dysfunctional Education System

Javaid pitches for hapless contractual teachers

(Mr. Javaid Malik, 37, was born in Srinagar. He did his schooling from the Burn Hall High School, and completed his 11th and 12th grades from the Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. After his graduation from the Madras University, he completed his Master's degree in Mass Communication from the Manipal University. Javaid has worked for various Srinagar based English language dailies since 2001. He joined the Greater Kashmir staff in 2005, and is now the Editor of the on-line edition.)

Waiting for a Messiah

Contractual teachers have been camping in the Press Enclave in Srinagar for nearly a week. They still believe that their fast unto death would have some impact on those who enjoy power. Let us hope that their belief comes true and someone listens to them.

So far no one seems to be moved by their plight. Those who matter seem to be of the opinion that “wait and watch policy” would help them and teachers would call off their agitation. They don’t want to take the bull by its horns rather they seem to be in mood of locking horns with the bull. Cursory look at the demands of teachers makes one believe that they are not asking for moon. Their demands are simple and genuine. Their number is not more than 800 and they could have been easily dealt with. It is strange that some people in the present dispensation have made a habit of making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Protesting teachers are demanding a change in the nomenclature; monthly wages equivalent to the basic salary of the post they are holding, one time exemption in NET/SET and end to the new norm of six classes per day. Even if one calculates the economics related to their demands. It won’t have much impact on the state exchequer. But concerned ministers have no time to look into what exactly these unfortunate souls, who have been given the responsibility to shape the future of the nation, want.

When legislators were given a pay hike they ensured that the weight of their pay packet increases manifolds. Anyway why should they bother about the people whom they claim to represent and whose votes at the end ensure that they enjoy all the privileges. They know it very well that it is only once in six-years they have to face the people and seek their votes. Presently they can sit and enjoy. It will hardly matter if one or two teachers die of hunger or dehydration in the holy month of Ramadan. They can sit and relax as 2011 is far better than 2010 only a few teachers are staging a sit-in whereas last year entire Kashmir was on streets. Anyway summer is peaceful and calm. They can take credit for it and relax.

One fails to understand that why government has adopted a cold approach towards the demands of contractual teachers. They are neither seeking Azadi nor are they advocating the cause of separatists. They are just demanding that they be given enough salaries for their survival and their services be given proper weightage. It is strange that on one hand state Government keeps on claiming that reconciliation is the only way to overcome the trust deficit but when it comes to delivering such statements remain confined to papers only.

Media reports suggest that contractual teachers outnumber the permanent lecturers in the colleges. If it is true then that means that future of hundreds of students is at stake. If the strike continues many students may end up losing one academic year. When colleges were closed during 2010 agitation government left no stone unturned to blame separatists for ruining the career of students. This time Government seems to be following the footsteps of separatists.

Going on strike is not the way but those who matter need to realize why these teachers were forced to go on strike and agitate. Had they been content with their jobs they would have never taken such an extreme step. At the first place they don’t enjoy all the benefits which regular Government employees do and secondly the threat of their job being insecure keeps on looming large over their minds. These factors need to be given a due consideration.

It is a simple administrative issue and it could have been resolved amicably. Teachers on strike allege that Government has failed to fulfill its previous promises so how can they call off their strike on mere assurances.

Those who are in power argue that if they keep on fulfilling each and every demand of the people they govern it would become very difficult for them to run the Government. They say that they have their own constraints. By not paying any heed to the strike of the contractual teachers Government wants to establish its writ.

Those who rule need to realize that power comes with responsibility. Smaller issues can turn into big problems if left unattended. Someone from the Government should take a call and listen to these teachers, who are braving all odds to ensure that someone comes to them and asks them what they want?

No one is asking the Government to fulfill their irrational demands at least their legitimate demands should be met.

Addicted to Corruption

Where corruption is seen as a "political dividend" by all sections of the society, it is easy to comprehend why J&K convenientaly overlooks various legal and institutional instruments ensuring good governance


A Little More Governance

Riyaz Ahmad

Like the rest of India, Kashmir is reeling under a steep price hike. The cost of petrol, diesel, LPG together with other essential commodities has gone through the roof. The common man in Valley as such finds himself hardpressed to manage two square meals a day. But this is not what per se is the cause of concern here – inflation remains a fact of life – what is shocking is that the price rise is not the part of political discourse in the state. One doesn’t hear the state government speak on the issue, nor does opposition pretend to agitate the matter.

Leave price rise aside. Take, for example, corruption. While Comptroller and Auditor General’s report on the corruption in Common Wealth Games roils central government, the official auditors’ annual revelations about sleaze in the functioning of the state government invite little notice, let alone a debate. In fact, for us in Kashmir the possibility that a mere CAG report can threaten the Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s job has come as a shocker. More so, after the report for a good measure has even put questions marks on the otherwise undisputed integrity of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. PM looks so unenviably vulnerable. And despite Congress’ best efforts to fend off the allegations, Singh is far from being in the clear.

What is more, the current furore on corruption has come in the immediate wake of the resignation of Karnataka Chief Minister Yeddyurappa over Lokayukta report which revealed his hand in the illegal mining in the state. And before this, Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan lost his job over a Housing Society scam where he was accused of alloting to his kin the flats of the Adarsh highrise otherwise meant for the kin of defence personnel who lost their lives in Kargil war.

All these developments have come to pass in the charged climate of the civil society agitation over the Lokpal Bill. The initiative led by the social activist Anna Hazare wants Prime Minister and the judiciary within the ambit of the bill. Government is jostling with the rise of a new socially conscious constituency demanding accountability and better governance.

But not even the whiff of these extraordinary events has reached Kashmir. Nor is the state government here perturbed over this emerging new public pressure on the central government to perform. And for the obvious reason. Kashmir operates in a bubble. The state is a self-contained world which for the most part remains untouched by the normal developments beyond its borders – even those on the west – except those that fuel the existing political conflict. This has rendered Kashmir a place where successive governments believe their primary job is the management of peace and little beyond that. The present government seems to have taken this philosophy deep to the heart. One can’t help getting a recurrent sense, that this government feels its fundamental duty is to save this year from lapsing into now familiar strife of past three years. And it takes its measure from the degree of success in achieving this. This is why, there is preponderance of a sterile security related activity and little sign of a vibrant political discourse, political vision or a development plan in works. It springs proactively to action at the hint of a protest, even over as legitimate a reason as a custody death of a youth but withdraws back into shell as the normalcy returns. The government just on as a matter of course.

Kashmir this year has haltingly plodded through the summer, with all the government attention riveted on managing peace. But in the process government itself has got caught in the rut. Governance has not risen beyond routine. What is hard to miss is the sheer adhocism about the government work.

What is more, the poor governance neither becomes an issue nor provokes any protest even though it might indirectly stoke popular unrest which soon morphs into Azadi groundswell. This in turn has contributed to the growth of a polity that finds in this situation an escape from accountability. No state government feels itself obliged to perform. And corruption which is so rife doesn’t get anything beyond a lip service. Though some governments like the previous coalition headed by Ghulam Nabi Azad pretended some resolve and even passed a harsh anti-corruption law, the campaign fell through after netting a fair number of corrupt bureaucrats.

True, despite the widespread perception that the corruption is brazen in the state - J&K remains the second most corrupt state in the country - there is hardly any big scam that has come to light. But a cursory look at the corruption cases filed by the State Vigilance Organization against bureaucrats and politicians leaves one in no doubt about the extent of rot in the state. What is troubling, however, is that this has never been an issue in the state. Why will it be so. No, CM, minister or bureaucrat – unless, of course, he has abused a legislator – will lose his job for corruption or for involvement in a scandal where morality rather than money is involved. People, already rendered marginal to this unedifying play of democracy also do not complain and feel sufficiently pampered when granted some sense of security. And as things stand in Valley, there hardly appears to be a foreseeable way out of this vicious cycle.

Facing Dogs

Srinagarites are feeling insecure with 100,000 stray and uncared dogs loose in the city

Dog Scare Forces Musalees to Walk in Groups, With Lathis

M. Hyderi (Greater Kashmir)

Srinagar: Parvaiz Khan, Bilal Khan, Farooq Ahmed and engineer Arjumand –neighbors in Barbarshah locality make it a point that they go to Masjid for Tarawi and Fajr prayers together. Also, they don’t forget carrying a stick or two along. This is their latest strategy to keep the stray dogs away, in the City, which has an alarming population of over one lakh and growing canines while humans find it difficult to walk alone, particularly in the dark.

THE LATHI FACTOR

Given the recent reports of surge in stray dog attacks on humans coupled with government’s failure to check it, Musalees in this Muslim majority capital find it inconvenient to go to Masjid for Tarawih and Fajr prayers. Helpless to keep the canines away, many like the Barbarshah friends have evolved the strategy of walking in group but not without the primitive tool of self-defence: the Lathi.

Carrying Lathi along has evolved as a preferred way of protection from the stray dogs, dozens of whom can be seen prowling at almost every nook and corner of Srinagar.

“Given the huge number of dogs in our area, we prefer to walk in groups alone,” said Arshad Khan of Soura.

He said given the big number of dogs in the area, one couldn’t dare to walk alone even if he carries a stick along.

“What can a person alone do if 20-30 dogs come to attack him? And what about children for that matter?” he argued.

ALL NOT LUCKY

While some have been taking preventive measures, many others weren’t lucky.

Residents of Hawal and adjoining Nowhatta said in the past few days many people were bitten by the canines while venturing out of their houses.

Pertinently the dog attacks have been on surge for the past few months while in a latest the canines ate away nose of a young girl in Bemina. The doctors, as per the locals, have advised her to go for plastic surgery. Last month a mother was bitted by canines at Rajbagh when she tried to save her child from them.

Incidents like these aren’t rare. As per medicos, 10 to 20 dog bites cases are reported almost everyday.

THE CONCERN FOR DOGS

Pertinently despite huge public agitation that dogs be eliminated, the National Conference led government seemingly remained more concerned towards the canines pleading that their sterilization, a Rs multi crore time consuming project, was the only viable solution to the problem.

Not a single dog was reportedly killed by any government organization, particularly the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, even though this year alone, at-least three persons including a 10-year-old Shahr-e-Khaas boy died of the canine attacks.

THE HIGH COURT INTERVENTION

Pertinently some three months back, an NGO moved court seeking end to dog menace.

While the petitioner Advocate Nadeem Qadri pleaded that “humans need a respite from dog menace,” prominent lawyer Mir Syed Lateef while fighting on behalf of “dog lovers” insisted that the stray packs couldn’t be killed.

The state High Court bench headed by Chief Justice Ibraheem Kalifullah directed the state to establish dog ponds on the outskirts of the City. The dogs were to be collected from the entire City and put to the pond, for sterilization. But till now the ponds are nowhere. Officials said they have started work on one in Ganderbal district.

Interestingly on the day of hearing, Chief Justice had posed a million dollar question at the full courtroom: “Will a dog stop biting once sterilized?”

It is a Kashmiri Thing

Tajamul speaks of a fear that lurks in hearts of those visiting Muslim Kashmiri religious sites, but it is no different at Pandit religious sites either - proof that DNA trumps over parochialism

(Mr. Tajamul Hussain, 53, was born in Srinagar. He went to the Government Higher Secondary School in Nawakadal, Srinagar, and the S.P. College, Srinagar. He attended the College of Engineering, Andhra University, Waltair, the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi, and the Forest Research Institute. He is a freelance writer.)


Fear of Losing Shoes

For anyone who goes to masjid and knows about leaving his shoes in the little wooden cubby-holes, this is enough to strike fear into the heart. As and when I visit masjid, believe me, the hangover of shoe-being-stolen would annoy me all through my nimaz.

Although I should not, but this is a mere fact that while praying I keep wondering whether I will find my shoes where I left them. I for one also make sure I cast frequent glances back at my shoes. Imagine you have lost expensive pairs of shoes that you had purchased only a day before and you had to come out of the masjid to walk bare foot either to rush home to wear another pair of shoes or else walk wearing a pair of old, used, torn chappals to the nearby market place to buy a new pair of shoes. Like any other person I would also normally visit local masjid in a pair of cheap, old shoes/chappals.

Shoe stealing is relatively common during Friday prayers when the congregations are huge. It’s a kind of treasure trove for shoe stealers to make choice from a huge collection of shoes. A person who usually leaves for Friday prayers as a happy man finds his post-Juma happiness streak abruptly ended when his shoes go missing. Someone, who has had a sentimental attachment to his Reebok Pumps, which he found to be ‘cool’, after the same go missing, he panics and runs home in his socks in the rain, something that is the most excruciating thing he has ever done in his entire life. But then once in coon’s age, for a shoe victim that doesn’t mind it when people take his shoes because he just steals another pair from someone else, the prize find is certainly better than the one he lost. Way back in 1980s a couple of us friends visiting Delhi were on a shopping spree when I invited my friend to join me for Friday prayers at a masjid in Connaught Place. I was wonderstruck at the panoply of copouts posited by him. ‘I will lose my shoes if I offer Juma nimaz’. I jeered at the scuzzbag for the bogey conjured by him and dug heals. He soon threw in his towels to join me in the nimaz. I finished with nimaz and came out of the masjid to be shell-shocked to learn that the shoes of my refusnik friend had actually been stolen.

Because nobody takes the trouble to report stolen shoes to police, people make all attempts to ensure safety of their footwear while attending prayers in the masjid. Some of the visitors would keep them at two different places in the cubby hole. They who keep casting frequent glances back at their shoes won’t hesitate to catch the thief red handed while they are still reading their nimaz. Some would claim to bring their non-Muslim friends in the shoe area to keep an eye on their shoes during the prayer. A section of faithful on pilgrimage to Masjid-e-Nabvi won’t hesitate to carry shoes while standing in front of Rozatul-aqdas.

Visiting a shrine could also be the cause of losing your best shoes, when they are left outside. Footwear is stolen from all the known shrines, including the dargah of Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, Shirdi, Siddhivinayak and Ganesh temple in Titwala. Shoe stealing does take place at mourning places, marriage ceremonies and the like. The major shoe bazaars in India are in Kurla or Dedh Gulli. The bazaars teem with bargain hunters as they search through the stolen wares of more than 20 hawkers, in Kurla alone. The thriving stolen shoe-markets flourish under the nose of police, because people in India do not take the trouble to report stolen shoes. With no complaints, the police merely fine the hawkers of the boot bazaar under Bombay Police Act for creating chaos in the area. This is in spite of legal shoe-shop owners doing everything they can to get the hawkers closed down. The hawkers work in partnership with tour operators running long distance luxury buses, which are used to smuggle the stolen shoes from around the country. Every agent manages to steal five to ten chappals and shoes a day from the shrines he visits. Every Wednesday, the stolen shoes and chappals are dispatched to the bazaars via luxury buses.

Shoe stealing in South Korea is practiced in mourning ceremonies. People take advantage of the custom to remove shoes when entering mourning rooms. An immense number of shoes would be stolen at the Al-Azhar despite innumerable notices posted on the walls round the court announcing the loss of a pair of shoes and calling upon the person who had got hold of them to return them to their owner with the promise of a reward and threats of expulsion to anyone who kept them unlawfully. More and more Dubai's well-heeled Muslim men, when they exit after finishing with prayers, discover that their shoes have been stolen. The problem is spread in the emirate of Sharjah too. Imams in both emirates stand instructed to arrange closets with locks at mosque entrances and to advise worshippers not to wear expensive shoes when coming to pray.

Why do people steal shoes and that too in the holy place like masjid (zalaan deydi tal charas)? May be for commercial interests or for some kind of thrill or enjoyment or to give one a feeling of something been achieved without much effort. Or else merely to reunite them to their rightful owner, the obsessive, strong, illogical desires don’t allow one to think that items are stolen but belong to him in some way. Monkeys and toddlers always seem to want what someone else has; it makes it more attractive if someone else has it. The feelings of jealousy and envy don’t let them know that they can't just walk up taking something from another. Monkeys may never learn the rule that we humans learn as in their worlds, the strongest get what they want. The biggest monkey gets all the bananas, and that's just how it is in their world. Our caveman ancestors, like monkeys fought for food and stole it from others with zero remorse for doing so. It’s the society and religion that must prompt us to defy our instincts and thus not to steal, particularly in holy places.