Time to learn from Mistakes

When it comes to New Delhi all the agreements have been made only to break them.
 

The situation we have witnessed lately is not an emotional outburst as some would make us believe. I think it was volcanic in many respects. Accumulated anger, New Delhi’s continued political blunders, ignoring people’s democratic aspirations and presuming that putting the real issue under carpet, offering occasional doles or telling people that development and good governance were the answers all these and many more decisions taken in the name of restoring normalcy ultimately burst the dams of patience and you had almost a million people on the streets. An average Kashmiri youth felt insulted and humiliated when Azad called every Kashmiri corrupt or declared to a borrowed crowd from New Delhi that Tulip Garden was the ultimate that had brought peace and harmony to the State and that there was nothing like a Kashmir Issue and it was only in the minds of a vested interest! As one Kashmir watcher has said in an article that New Delhi never had a clear Kashmir policy today, yesterday or the day before. But it could not have been so bankrupt politically to send a political novice like Azad to our State who neither understood the sensitivity of the State nor could he govern effectively. There are only two assumptions – either he was too naïve to fall into the trap spread by the PDP or he was an accomplice in creating a situation that has resulted in forty graves, several hundred maimed young and old, brought a divided APHC together once again and created a permanent gulf between Jammu and Kashmir. I think both the PDP and Congress have to answer more questions than they can perhaps answer.
 Universally, it is believed that militancy has a certain age- twenty is the maximum, but this should make New Delhi mandarins sit up and take notice that out of the million people that we saw on the roads chanting “Hum Kya Chahte” more than 90% were from the 18-25 age group which means they must have been between 1-7 when the insurgency started and have been brought up seeing death, destruction, violence, physical abuse continuous oppression, scandals and political chicanery. With information super highway under their finger tips and the whole world opening before their eyes, there is both hate and anger about what they see around themselves. I have argued with many of my friends and many of their opinions have merit. For instance one of my friend asserts that the State had surrendered only Defense, foreign Affairs, transport and Communication to the Union and it has failed in all the three. First, they lost 1/3rd of the State in 1948 and could do nothing. Again when more than 40000 Kms of our territory were given away to China, New Delhi did not tell us sorry we could not defend your territory. Secondly, they gave a pledge in the UN that “The people’s wishes would be determined by an impartial plebiscite” that was never honored, and thirdly, that they could not even take measures all these sixty two years that would keep our supply line free from any obstruction. Tauntingly, he asks me, had there been an alternate route would you be worried today that Kashmir was without essential life saving drugs for one month or poor people had to survive only on the greens. I don’t have an answer.
 With information super highway open to all, it is amazing how news has been filtering through minute by minute. The internet is abuzz with discussions on the issue and people seem so well informed about the problem and its background. A guy from US while reacting to my blog, (http//: kashmirleader.blogspot.com) asks some pertinent questions that will perhaps never be answered. I quote him”Delhi has all along treated Kashmir as its colony or else why would they have toppled Sheikh Abdullah’s elected Government in 1953, killing 30,000 people? Why did they frame him and his associates in a false case for 14 years and then withdraw it only to enter into an Accord in 1975 that was broken within 24 hours? Why did Indira Gandhi dismiss Farooq Abdullah’s Government in 1984? Knowingly that Kashmir has been a very sensitive State, why did they appoint that infamous butcher of Turkman Gate as State’s Governor and facilitate the installation of a puppet regime that imposed curfew for months? And when people reacted to those machinations, much against the saner advice, he was again brought as Governor only to target leaders like Mirwaiz Farooq, Abdul Gani Lone, Moulana Masoodi and massacring thousands of innocent Kashmiris in cold blood. Should we not be asking WHO was behind all those negative decisions right through 1953? I again have no answers.
 Another fellow reminds me about that historical oledge by Jawaharlal Nehru in the Lok Sabha - “...Ultimately, I say this with all deference to this Parliament - the decision will be made in the hearts and minds of the men and women of Kashmir; neither in this Parliament, nor in the United Nations nor by anybody else”. The problem with the Indian rulers is that they have refused to accept the reality that Kashmir continues to be on the UN agenda and they are committed to ascertain the wishes of the people. Yes, an “out of the box solution” was possible had they been a little farsighted encouraged Musharraf and zeroed in on one of his various formulae. The way the ‘democratic Pakistan’ is shaping up now I wonder if any ruler will have time to even discuss Kashmir. There is not a single public man in the State belonging to any political hue who does not understand this reality.
 The erosion of autonomy has been a systematic process that was consciously started from August 1953 when Sheikh Abdullah was dismissed and arrested, Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed was installed and the trampling process started. When he resisted, he was fired and dumped and another willing incumbent G. M. Sadiq put on the saddle and “start the process of integration”. Some of the documents that have been made public lately suggest that New Delhi never meant what it said and at every level cheated on the people, cheated the leaders and in the process cheated themselves. Nehru’s several pronouncements in the Parliament, Sir B.N. Rao’s declaration in the UN, joint declarations between Nehru-Bogra, Nehro Choudhry, Nehru-Ayub, Shastri-Ayub, Indira Bhutto, Rajiv-Benazir,Musharaf Bajpai or Musharaf Manmohan have all been exercises in futility. The bottom line being - “Just drag it”. Yes, after the 1971 War people felt that Pakistan was disintegrating and the Indira Abdullah Accord gave some hope that New Delhi might relent and adopt a pro-federation policy. But the villains of peace acted swiftly to sabotage even that effort. The rest is history. We seem to have reached a stage where a Kashmiri wants India to hear what the truth is and not what suites her fancies. It is not the first time that people have reacted the way they have. We have come a long way from Advani dumping the Autonomy Report even without a cursory glance. Kashmiris have suddenly started digging up the archives and have too many arguments in their favour now than before. One should not be surprised if a large section insists on the grant of self-determination and on as promised on 24 January 1957 or another UN Resolution stating that any prior action by GOI would not constitute a final disposition of the State. Wasn’t it around that time that Govind Ballabh Pant paid a hurried visit to Srinagar and declared that the State of Jammu and Kashmir was an integral part of India and there could be no question of a plebiscite. This infuriated the Kashmiris to the large extent, and clashes started in Kashmir. It was the time India and China went to war on account of a border dispute in the Ladakh region. At the end of the war China occupied almost 40,000 kms of our land in the Aksai-chin and Demochok region. In December of the same year, another 5180 sq. kms were taken over by China at Shaksgam in the Northern Areas. It’s an irony that the country our Maharaja had surrendered our defense to under the Instrument of Accession did not blink even an eye lid- the territory they were supposed to defend! Another uprising we witnessed in 1965 when Sheikh Sahib was arrested on his return from Mecca. Enroute he had met with the Chinese Prime Minister, Mr Chou En Lai and the Algerian President Mr. Ben Bella. The arrest had angered people violently and the widespread protests erupted in the entire valley. The Plebiscite Front observed a sit-in for Sheikh Sahib’s release and many workers were arrested. New Delhi could not resist the international pressure and it culminated in the Kashmir Accord signed by G.Parthasarathy and Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beg on behalf of Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Sahib respectively. The Accord had unequivocally committed GOI for restoring autonomy. When it comes to New Delhi all the agreements have been made only to break them. 
 The next step India took was to alter the appointment of the Sadar-e-Riyasat, who till then was elected by the legislature. After 1965, the head of the J&K State became the appointee of the President of India; this was the time when the office of the Sadar-e-Riyasat was transformed to that of the Governor. Karan Singh was elected Sadar-e-Riyasat for the first time in 1951 , the reason that was put forth was that Karan Singh at that time was already the incumbent sovereign as his father, the King had left the State in mid-’49.. Although protest were held in Kashmir against Articles 356 and 357 of the Indian Constitution which was extended to the state, by virtue of this act Centre could assume the government of the State and exercise its legislative powers or giving emergency powers to the President in the event of the failure of the Constitutional machinery. This power has been exercised more than once since the application of Article 356—in 1986 and in 1990. This according to observers has been the basis of distrust of people of Kashmir towards Indian government. 
 The erosion continued, and in 1958 the jurisdiction of the Controller and Auditor General was applied in J&K when Articles 149 and 150 and Entry 76 of List 1 of Schedule Seven of the Indian constitution were extended to the State. After that the amalgamation of the State Customs Departments with Central Excise and Customs, the sharing of proceeds of taxes and other levies as laid down in Part Twelve of the Indian Constitution. As for officers of All-India services like the IAS and the IPS, who started getting inducted into J&K in the early sixties, no great benefit accrues to the state with their induction because officers from J&K were being side lined.
 And now finally, Kashmir is tense, the coming few days will make a lot of difference to an average Kashmiri. It can go either ways. Like they say, “A man’s country is not a certain area of land, of mountains, rivers, and woods, but it is a principle; and patriotism is loyalty to that principle. If you want to win the hearts and minds of the people than autonomy has to be granted, it is not something that we are begging for; it is something that has been stolen.
Daily Greater Kashmir . 

So shall you reap ?

Karma & Aemal

The recent events has left me in a very awkward position of defending my political views. As you must recall, I am a proponent of granting Kashmir full autonomy that it possessed prior to 1953. This view is interpreted as being pro-India by some Kashmiris; however I view it as pro-Kashmir more than anything else. I will be talking about Kashmir's autonomy in a separate post, but today I would like to talk about why the recent actions by security forces have made my political views very hard to defend and might alienate the people we have worked hard to win over.

I would not hold it against people to paint all politicians with a broad brush as being corrupt and self-centred. This sadly is the state of our current politics both in Kashmir as well as the rest of India. You must be wondering where I fit in all this mess; therefore, let me go back to the time when I decided to take the plunge into the sea of confusion called Kashmiri politics.

Like others I would have logged onto to one of the blogs about Kashmir and wrote a few lines calling for Kashmir's independence before going for my evening walk along a beach. Content that all is well in my life.

That is the difference between words and action. From the bottom of my heart I have a sincere desire to steer Kashmir out of this mess. I respect the wishes of the people who want Independence or who wish for Kashmir to merge with Pakistan. Similarly, I expect them to pause for a moment and respect my wishes as a Kashmiri to have a differing opinion about how I would like myself and my supporters, and fellow Kashmiris to get us out of this mess. I however have a problem with them somehow projecting that they represent the majority of the wishes of the Kashmiri people. Until Kashmir, Pakistan and the world community agree on holding a referendum or plebiscite in Kashmir to seek the wishes of the people, we have to still run a government here, build our infrastucture, and take care of our development - that is where I come in.

Granted, the actions of the security personnel are unforgivable and in some instances even makes me wonder whether I should be going ahead and defending my decision to stay in politics and being an advocate of autonomy within the framework of the agreed areas between Shere Kashmir, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, and the Indian National Assembly in 1952. But what keeps me serving my land is the desire to make a difference in the lives of Kashmiris by using my skills in every small way that I can contribute. Being a proud member of the Srinagar Municipal Council has given me the honour to help people and make their lives easier. It is in Kashmir where my presence is desired the most. Even though my contribution would seem trivial in comparison to what other big names in politics, but I am proud of my accomplishments and it is the love of the people of the constituency that I represent that keeps me going everyday.

I will not defend the actions of the security personnel neither will you find any other NC member do that. I am looking at the wider picture of what I want Kashmir to be like a decade from now or even 50 years hence. Just as many other Kashmiris must be thinking about the future, to figure out what would be the best option for us to follow; I personally am not convinced about the other options other than being a fully autonomous state. I do not see a prosperous indepndent Kashmir in the middle of the most volatile region of the world. The propenents of Independence or merger with Pakistan (as I mentioned, I respect their views, and expect the same from them for my opinions) have failed to convince me as a Kashmiri that my rights and those of my future children will have the same safety, security and chances of future development that we could have by being a fully automomous state .

As for the security personnel, all I have to say is that growing up in Kashmir, I had the good fortune of being taught by my dear tutor, a Kashmiri Pandit, Mr Pradeep Kumar Tikkoo, and I remember once visiting their home and his loving mother and some others were talking about 'Karma'. And that is so similar to the concept of 'Aemal' that I learnt in the Maktab lessons in childhood. These secuirty personnell who perpetrated these attrocities on innocent protestors will have to face their Karma one day or the other.

This article was published in todayz Kashmir times .

The Mughal Road That May Never Be

Regional interests coupled with communal considerations have weighed heavily against this ambitious project that many fear would bring Kashmiri Muslims nearer both politically and economically,

Tanvir Sadiq comments 

It was way back in 1989 that we decided to go by road to Jammu, the winter capital of J&K State. We had informed all our relatives of our proposed departure and despite the pouring rain and slush they all had kept the tradition of assembling at our home to give us the customary hugs and repeated kisses. Considering the undependability of the Highway, we had decided to leave at eight in the morning but by the time the rituals of tying Imam-Zamins and old aunts swirling bowls of uncooked rice with some coins over our heads or chanting of some prayers, it was almost noon. It was a wonderful feeling for us children to feel that every one cared for us. It included some uncles and aunts we had never seen before. All of them had some piece of advice- drive slowly, don’t eat at the wayside joints, don’t drink water from dhabas and all that blah blah blah. We were anxious to leave and everyone around, wanting to delay us for a little while longer as if this would be our last journey. Weather had started getting nasty and there were suggestions that we should postpone the journey. Dismissing all unsolicited advice the decision was taken- we shall be going. 

 Driving by road to Jammu is always an adventure and a treat to the eyes. Meandering narrow roads, the gorges, the deep slopes, sharp curves, scores of water falls, armies of monkeys, and a never ending mountain range - these are some of the precious incentives you get traveling by road. You are suddenly reminded of Suratul Rahman and all the blessings Allah has bestowed upon us ungratefuls. Peak after peak and scene after scene it is nature in its abundance for us to behold.
 My youngest uncle Manzoor has always been very protective of us and a little sensitive about his age. Lest someone would take him as our driver, whenever and wherever he would stop, we would address him as Pilot uncle. When on the steering he ensures that the car is under his total command. Although it is difficult to sift fiction from the fact, he has an uncanny gift of keeping you engrossed with humorous stories, describing how from a cart Road it became the Highway, how the Valley’s economy received a setback when Muzaffarabad Road was closed or why the State needs to concentrate on the Moghul Road and provide an alternate route so important for both the forlorn and landlocked areas of Poonch, Doda and Rajouri and the Valley itself. He would make us laugh at the wrongly written signboards on the National Highway like “Blind Cow(curve) Drive Carefully”, “SLOW Men at Work” and tell us that he really used to wonder why has a blind Cow been left unleashed on the Highway or why should they engage slow men.
 Coming back to the story, Nashri was a place that sent a chill down the spine of even the best men on the steering. It continues to be highly vulnerable and when we were about to reach the spot, the car stopped with a screeching sound and Pilot uncle terrified us with his army like command ,”Ya Ali Madad, Get down all, fast”. He took us to a safer spot and suddenly it looked as if hell had broken loose. It seemed as if the whole mountain was coming down. So many years have gone bye and yet we still remember vividly that fury of nature. While we as kids were fascinated with this splendor, all the elders were busy reciting all the prayers they could remember to please the Divine As young children it was an exciting experience for us little realizing that every year Nashri devoured human lives, old and young alike. The Border Roads personnel somehow cleared the road and we were lucky to proceed but by the time we reached our destination we learnt that heavy rains had been followed by a non stop snow fall. The Highway was closed for traffic and the Valley remained cut off from the rest of the world for almost two weeks.
 I am now in my late twenties and attained adulthood but the Highway is almost dying. We hear and read stories of her health every time it rains. The confusion and chaos it creates every winter and the pain it causes to stranded passengers is sickening. It has become an annual event for people selling their clothes or ladies their ornaments to feed themselves and their children or buying medicines for the old and sick. I still remember my Uncle buying half a dozen eggs for 50 rupees. The media was not so advanced and the Government controlled sources would try to cover up any incident that projected the administration black. When it comes to Kashmir, I wonder if there is any perceptible change at the developmental side. While Jammu presents a picture of affluence, economic prosperity and modernity, Kashmir continues to be sliding on the graph. For rulers it has become a compulsion to succumb to the political pressures from Jammu and Leh. If someone in Leh or Jammu sneezes our Chief Ministers go running to pacify them. They get the best of development and we continue to get death and detentions. The Highway stays open more because of defense needs. Isn’t it a fact that Jagmohan was toying with the idea of blasting the Tunnel and “teach Kashmiris a lesson”! We continue to be at their mercy.

 From time to time, many fictitious stories have been woven around the Mughal Road. First it was the “Defense Reasons”. It was followed by arguments like that it was not viable, it would not be an all-weather Highway, it will give a fillip to militancy, it will destroy the only compact forest cover, it will be like giving an open license to the forest smugglers etc. I haven’t heard anyone talking about the misery, isolation and economic depravity that this Hill Region has suffered or the suppression people were subjected to because they were the ones who rose against the Dogra tyrannical rule and sacrificed a thousand lives. Exploitation of any kind is against human spirit and the worst crimes against humanity yet the Jammu banyas have been exploiting their resource shamelessly. They get a pittance for their ghee, butter, cereals and other produce because Jammu is the only nearest market. When you have an economic interest you always invent stories. Americans saw WMDs in Iraq and the banya invented the “Defense” theory. It is the same underlying principle of self interest. Then at the political level, Jammuites feel that they will be reduced to one and a half districts and once the Muslim dominated hilly areas get closer to the Valley, their argument of population ratio, plan expenditure, geographical area and forest wealth will totally disappear from their political lexicon.
 It was easy to invent lies in the past. With media becoming more and more independent every day, it has become the most important pillar of our democratic system. There might have been a time when talking of human rights, economic and political exploitation would have been considered anti national. The information technology tools available now make it so easy even for small little children to go to the Google and find out how important it is to have an alternate Highway for the Valley as well as the Hill Region of Jammu. The essence of globalization is that it has made distances irrelevant. The Mughal Road stretches to around 84 Km, right from Shopian to Bafiliaz in poonch, while it will decrease the time from 24 hours to just 4 hrs, it will give a great boost to people trading in livestock, diary products, wool and woolen blankets, cereals, walnuts etc. While there is a large labour force from Bihar and UP involved in agriculture, brick laying, construction, etc this would open some opportunities for the idle unemployed and educational facilities to the boys and girls who can’t afford going to Jammu for higher education. The Mughal road will open up the entire area for the development of tourism. When I asked a senior functionary associated with the Mughal road about the tourist potential, pat came his reply, “Tanvir, People will forget Gulmarg, and I swear it will be among the best in Asia because it has some mesmerizing sites”. Then it has places of great historical importance like, Mughal Saria, Aliabad and Sokh Sarai, that could be developed and brought on the travel circuit. I am sure it will bring a revolutionary change in these backward areas. It is the constitutional obligation of the State to provide equal opportunities of development to all such areas that have remain neglected in the past.
 As I have explained above there is a politico-economic lobby that has consistently tried to subvert this project. Since all other arguments have not cut much ice, the latest is a PIL presented to the Supreme Court by someone who calls himself an environmentalist. He claims that it will be an environmental disaster if the Mughal Road is completed. And will destroy the National Park and affect our wild life. Other opponents of the project argue that places like Limber , Lachi-Pora and Naga-Nadi are near the LOC and if the Mughal Road passes through these areas it will compromise our security. It is a deliberate lie to create confusion because these areas are nowhere near the proposed Road. If one goes through the latest report of the Working Group for formulation of the 5-Year Forest Plan, it nails the lie that our forests are in danger. I ask this gentleman how come you don’t talk of vandalisation of the entire Trikuta Hill which has been transferred to the Shrine Board for development of a religious site. Why don’t you talk of the environmental disaster that the prolongation of Amarnath Yatra period has caused to the flora and fauna of the entire route or the construction of road via Baltal that has put to danger whatever remains of Hangul, Musk Deer, Black Bear and other innumerable plant species?
 It is high time that our higher courts took such PILs on merit and used a deterrent against people who are wasting precious time of our courts only to see their names in print. I ask this knowledgeable gentleman why did he remain silent about “danger to wildlife” when they were blasting mountains en route Chamba to Bhaderwah, Kishtawar to Pangay, or Leh to Manali, which stretches to around 400 Km,? How is Moghul Road different from the above? There is only one major difference, The Mughal road will remove the geographical barrier between the Muslim communities of the State and provide them some opportunity to better their living standards. By creating hurdles is like telling us “get lost. You are Muslims!” 
 Let me sum up some of the painful facts that are enough testimony to the fact that the Mughal Road has been a victim of political bankruptcy, lack of vision and a discriminatory attitude at every level: 
1. After the PIL was accepted the Hon. SC constituted a committee to look into the issue and submit a report. The Committee after prolonged deliberations drafted a report but it was never submitted. 
2. The SC has already cleared the bottlenecks but the project is being sabotaged by a vested interest. 
3. The proposed Highway once completed will connect three districts, Shopian, Pulwama and Rajouri and will provide easy access to other hilly areas of Jammu. 
4. Post 47, a survey was conducted to find out whether Markhor existed in this area, the habitat was found to be in the now PAK, and not in Lachipora or Limber. Yet people have been harping on the destruction of habitat. 
5.  Because of the change of Government the work was suspended and the most crucial stretch of 13 remains unattended. 
6. A vested interest in the wild life department is trying to subvert and sabotage the entire project. Why? They say the CM is not interested. If true, it is another testimony to the fact that all the Government in Delhi has an identical agenda when it comes to providing some space to the Valley and the Hill region.

 What is even more outrageous is the fact that the Bombay Based executing agency, HCC that was issued the tender continues to draw huge sums of money for the machinery they had brought for the constructing the Mughal Road. They have all the reasons to be happy as they are being paid for doing nothing. Some people know the art of making money out of thin air. This magic is visible in all the projects whether the project has already been delayed inordinately and the costs are escalating. Just imagine the kind of economic and social change it would have brought to the State had impediments not been created at every stage right through the 70s. It is an irony that Delhi’s faulty vision has only created losers, we in Kashmir, the Muslims in the Hill Region and ultimately Delhi itself. When I asked an important engineer about the effects of delay, his matter of fact reply was “Meter contractor ka Chal Raha Hai” whether the works starts or not, but in the same breath he added “ even if the project is started now, it needs a missionary zeal commitment we can achieve the impossible. I promise the first vehicle from Amira Kadal to Bafliaz can be flagged off next July!” Is he too optimistic? I don’t know. But given the human spirit nothing is unachievable, not even the Mughal Road.

This write of mine appeared in the Daily Greater Kashmir 

KASHMIR IS ON THE BRINK OF A DISASTER

THE LEAST WE CAN DO IS TO MINIMIZE THE DAMAGE ........

Many people must still be wondering whether to cry over the death and devastation that wrought havoc on both sides of the State or thank Allah that they are alive. The wrath and fury of nature is always selective. There is no answer why some lose their lives and some are spared. Those gory and gruesome pictures the idiot box exhibited day in and day out since October 8 , when earth quake struk both sides of kashmir has terrorized even the steel hearted persons and it is difficult to fathom or comprehend how the survivors will overcome the trauma. There were conflicting reports about the death toll and while the governmental agencies were busy accessing the figure, snow tsunami struck. Many things happened since then but the result was that we are where we started. I as Municipal Councilor of Srinagar had an opportunity to attend a training program about disaster management. I was so perplexed that for a week I couldn't sleep. It's not over, you, I and the world knows. It can happen any time and any where, Kashmir is an earth quake prone area we all know. The houses are built so adjacent to each other that if one falls, the others will follow. In Srinagar itself, Go towards the down town Srinagar and look at the houses built there. I do agree that the older houses are stronger then the new ones but we hardly are left with any traditional houses. And the new construction, thanks to the building authorities are so criminally constructed that you hardly have any scope for the fire gap , leave apart the earth quake . Habakadal , Zainakadal , Mahraj Gunj , Rainawari interiors , Zadibal and many such places where such construction are so rampant that god forbid if some thing unusual happens , It will be a catastrophe ! .
 How many times does any body check whether he has adhered to the rules or in that case how many times have the authorities checked? In my opinion, Never. For every tragedy and abnormal circumstances also arises opportunity to correct what has gone wrong before, and such a lesson should not be forgotten. Now is the time to manage crisis and disaster, Instead of putting blame on each other every one should voluntarily come forward to help who help the victims. No body should oppose others to score points. We have to be bacon of light for the people who have suffered immensely. Have we learnt a lesson from all this , I wonder? Because we are too preoccupied in our own backyard issues of survival we forget that there is a god up there who decides things and not we. We just can't live in a friendly atmosphere. As if the 19 years of tumult was not enough that we had to face even the natural calamity. Kashmir is not the place which was struck by the earthquake of 8/10 for the first time. We all know that the most of the areas have been disaster prone and in addition to the earth quake we have had floods, heavy rains and snow falls with regular intervals. One would have expected that the state would be ready with a comprehensive disastrous management apparatus in place to cope with any eventuality. But surprisingly we are always taken unawares and wake up when it's always very late. 
 Just to add, two very prominent seismologists warned that a major earth quake could rock Kashmir valley anytime in next 50 years. Roger Biham of University of Colorado, who has been studying Himalayan region for 20 years has made this observation, what's more important is that he states that the epicenter could be the Pir Panjal region and it could be 7.8 or above. Dr. Susuan Hough has also stated the same. I am suggesting certain things out of my little experience I had while interacting with officers and people who know about disaster and the ways we can minimize the outcome. 
 The Government of India has already enacted the National disaster management Act. 2005, which envisages the formulation of the national disaster management authority (NDMA) already in place under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. The ministry of Home affairs is the Nodal Ministry for the Disaster management at the national level. The state disaster management authorities are under the chairman ship of the respective Hon. Chief Minister and the district disaster management authorities (DDMA) are headed by the respective deputy commissioner. These authorities at various levels are supported and assisted by a number of institution agencies. Whiles the search, rescue and relief operations are to be carried out by the involvement of disinter response task force created already by raising specially trained 8 battalions of Para military forces at the national level. However the capacity building has been found as the most crucial aspect of disaster management. Keeping this in mind the national institute of disaster management has been set up under the disaster management ACT -2005 at the national level to guide and assist the central and the state government. As a supplementary initiative the state government have also been assisted right from the 8th fie year plan by inducting a faculty in all the state administrative training institutes including the IMPA Srinagar. However, in J&K state the scheme has not been adopted in full and has been launched with no permanent arrangement although IMPA has had a number of trainings programmes/workshops. 
 The present faculty head has some other assignment to look after and the disaster management training course are in addition to his routine activities. Earlier I am told that the GoI assistance was given to one faculty position now raised to four. However, this scheme has now been transferred to the national institute of Disaster management Delhi and will now be funded for the entire 11th five year plan taking care of both, programme component as well as the establishment cost . It has been decided that the govt. of India will continue supporting the programme beyond the 11th five year plan also. 
 As already stated above Jammu and Kashmir is one of the most vulnerable Multi Hazard prone states of India which faces most of all natural and man made disasters. If we haven't learnt a lesson or two from our own disasters but we have seen through out world that preparedness, awareness and a responsible administrative mechanism is the only way to minimize damage. I therefore once again suggest that a FULL FLEDGED disaster management Venture is operational while as I learnt that UNDP (GOI) has made a committee in which the Div. com is the chief for Urban earthquake vulnerability reduction project (UEVRP) but its tenure is coming to an end sometime in September , while as its role was limited to capacity building, trainings constitute ward level teams and above all awareness and vulnerability assessment , its shameful nothing has happened till date except a press briefing that no one can predict an earthquake so just chill, how irresponsible is that . It seems they are busy in other issues. 
 It is time to create a Full Fledged Disaster Management Agency for emergency, equipped with all necessary Gadgets, and with some Helicopters even if that means begging any one inside or outside the country . If the establishment proposed is shifted and put under a directorate of disaster management authority, which can be under the control of state disaster management Authority or any officer who can contribute. It will help  
 It should be a constant affair of the government to store Blankets, Fabricated Sheets, Fully Equipped Ambulances, Snow Clearing Machines, Motor Boats, Shikaras, Tinned food Stuffs, and Water Bottles .What’s more important is that the relief should be available within the shortest span of time. Department of housing must entrust the job to the department of R&D to prepare a building design that can withstand any future tremors .In this regard I suggest that we collect information from KOBE Japan, where they have devised low cost earth quake prone dwelling units . The governments must dis-courage settlements of singular units and instead encourage settlements of not less then 10-15 units at one place. For any relief distribution in future this can work out better and save lives. May be if we invest a little now, it may be help us save much more in future. 
 I am not an expert on disaster management, but as a responsible citizen I think it's high time we think and think fast. Opportunity knocks at the door once; we may not get a better chance next time. We still have time and we have to avail it! The message is clear, the conclusion is obvious.

This write up of mine had appeared first in the Daily Greater Kashmir .  

Kashmir vs Jammu

This is the time we keep our cool

It is a great show of unity when people come on roads to protest for their rights and in our part of the world, its even greater for genuinely rising against the land transfer, though it was painful to see innocent lives being lost but it conveyed the message that people’s power is the ultimate. No one, from the separatists to the mainstream could take the credit because it was the people who had wrested the initiative though every outfit was trying to find a little space for itself. It is ironical bordering absurdity that PDP should have been creating a hullabaloo for a situation that it created in the first place. It was like the accused pointing a finger towards the wronged and screaming “Ha Khudaya, Wa Khudaya”. Till date they have not answered a simple question, if the allotment was wrong, if creating the SASB was against the interests of the State, why didn’t PDP led Government dissolve the Board or reject the allotment when the file was brought to him”? As rightly said, “The accused was trying to attain the status of a Victim”. It is so infuriating when you get to read communal and biased stories written by people who don’t even have the remotest idea of the issue, they write as an expert, and then give the worst possible solution which will only aggravate the situation, read the contents of one such write up by a professor, that I gathered from the internet, “Bold policy options will have to be opted for. As such, first, it is necessary that subversive and anti-national elements like Hurriyat, and NC are banned permanently. Secondly, Governor´s rule must be immediately imposed in J&K for bringing about not only instantaneous normalcy but also longer lasting political stability, justice, peace and prosperity on a wider plain for the sake of the common people in particular. Thirdly, Governor´s rule must continue at least for next ten years in order to deal with six decades old saboteurs and anti-national elements in the State. Fourthly, an impartial judicial or gubernatorial inquiry commission must be established and set up to submit its report to the President of India on all above mentioned contexts and clandestine anti-national activities and happenings in the J&K State during the last sixty years. This, what he says can be a solution, Huh? Political bankruptcy personified! The very basis that has been the hallmark of our pride-the tolerance- has become a casualty and what we resisted in 1947 by not allowing the communal frenzy enter our polity seems to be starkly looking into our eyes. It will need a towering leader like Sheri Kashmir to inject an antidote to the virus that we see spreading in two regions. The harmony we had nurtured with our blood seems to have been sacrificed at the altar of petty political considerations. The PDP’s scheming leaders shall have to be answerable for the treason they have committed against the State, the Jammuites and the people of the Valley. If Kashmir kept aloft the banner of secularism in 1947 by protecting the minorities, Jammu did exactly the same after 1989 when a sizeable number of people had to leave behind their homes and hearth and take refuge in Jammu. If the communal frenzy has surfaced in two regions because of the dirty machinations of the coalition partners and their electoral politics both should be decimated in the forthcoming elections so that they don’t play games with people’s solidarity, their aspirations and their future. It is not difficult to identify the hidden handor the wolves in sheep-skin who have taken a sadistic pleasure in devouring our young. How would you explain this dichotomy! Kashmir shiva-ism propagating universal brotherhood and some shiva bakhts of Jammu trying to break the state in the name of lord shiva. We are once again on the cross roads of history and we need a leader who has the courage of conviction and who is genuinely interested to extricate the State from a point of disintegration. While the world is shrinking and boundaries are becoming irrelevant worldwide, it does not serve the larger interests of either Jammu or Kashmir to sacrifice their age old harmony just because some politicians see a possibility of securing his personal interests. My generation will not forgive the state leaders of whatever hue if they do not leave behind their differences and try to mend the chord that has reached a breaking point. They owe it to posterity and the new generation that wants to live in peace and harmony.

Please do it before it is too late!

This write up of mine appeared first in the Daily Greater Kashmir .