A curse called domestic violence!

It was almost midnight that I received a call from a party activist Shahid who wanted to meet me. I was surprised and while looking at the watch I told him to come in the morning and before I could hang up he told me that he was outside my house. I asked the guard to let him in sensing something was majorly not right. As soon as I walked inside the meeting room I saw around a dozen men and women totally distressed with tears in their eyes. One of the male members started the horrifying tale of yet another victim of domestic violence. The story was so extremely shocking that it sends shivers down my spine even today. It was with a sense of dismay that I heard the story about Muzaffar Ahmed the husband and Syed Dua the wife (names changed). The narration by the family of Syed Dua took around one hour as they unfolded the series of events one after another. I could see those grim faces as one of the members from the group was narrating this tale. It really was painful and sad. I consoled them a bit and made them comfortable before listening to them again.
It started a day earlier before Syed Dua was brutally murdered by her husband. Muzzafar had come to collect his wife who had been at her maternal home for a few weeks. The whole family was surprised to see him wanting to take her back. After continuous pestering the family agreed to send the girl with the husband as he insisted that he wanted to take her to attend a marriage function of a relative. After leaving the house Muzzafar took his wife to his own house instead to the wedding with an excuse that he had some work. The whole house was empty and Muzzafar choose the timing very cleverly. According to Syed Dua’s family, Muzaffar took her inside the room and started beating her ruthlessly; I am told that a young girl who was playing on the road went inside the house after hearing the cries of Dua for help. Muzzafar took the young girl inside and put her in one of the corners before again beating his wife. The gruesome murder that followed is beyond my comprehension. To be precise, Muzzafar took a knife slit her both wrists first, as she screamed in agony he stabbed her twice. According to that young girl the victim was still alive and begging for mercy. Muzzafar did not relent and hit the final blow into her chest. I’m told that the knife pierced through her heart had come out from the other side. What is more shocking is when Muzaffar tried to take out the murder weapon out of her chest it was so deeply penetrated that the wooden handle just popped out instead of the knife . I was stunned to listen to all this and believe you me I stood up from my chair and couldn’t just react.
The murderer was finally arrested after a couple of weeks from outside the state and I was told that he didn’t have any remorse. Like me, many of the readers may wonder why did he kill her and maybe we would never know the real truth but whatever may be the reason, as they say, when a human dies so dies the humanity. This is one such incident of domestic violence among thousands of them happening without any reasons even while I write.
I feel, if any man hits his wife even once, the marriage is over. The misrepresentation of the Quran to validate spousal abuse is itself a crime. The famous ayah using the term daraba means to travel, to get out, to strike, to set up, to give examples, to take away/ignore, to condemn, to seal, to cover, to explain, to turn away as the last of three measures to take against one’s wife, most likely for some heinous crime resulting in a divorce. In the Qur'an, it has a diverse connotation depending on the context. For example, it means to ‘strike out’ on a journey, and in the phrase ‘daraba Allah mathalan, it means ‘Allah gives or sets as an example.’ I believe the translation "set an example" could certainly apply to this verse. It’s the husband who sets the examples to his wife on how she should behave. I don't think the right translation for daraba is 'hit', since the Qur'an does not encourage domestic violence. On the contrary, there are quite a few verses that command a respectful and kind treatment towards women.
Unfortunately, domestic violence is very much alive and thriving in our society. Usually by the time the physical abuse starts in a relationship, the emotional and psychological abuse has already destroyed all the dignity of the victim. Even today, there are still groups of people who have the mindset that women are not equal to men and are just sexual objects.
This week’s headlines was way too encouraging when I heard that the Omar lead Government has notified that Provisions of J&K Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act shall come into force immediately. Before even the act is enforced we have to change our mindset and agree upon that Domestic violence does exist and is a major problem in our society. It knows no racial, religious, gender, or educational boundaries. I believe as responsible citizens we do have the power and the ability to build a society in which we honour women. I know it’s easier said than done, but we can try it. We can start by educating the new generations. We need Intellectuals and prominent citizens who are willing to contribute. We need trained policemen who know that "domestic violence" victims have to be dealt with carefully. We need agencies that will address homelessness and poverty. We need legislators who understand that such a thing needs funding and stringent laws.
And finally, when you next look towards your daughter, sister mother or wife think about someone out there who is or has been a victim of domestic violence and needs help, It’s a challenge for all of us to break the silence, turn disbelief into anger, change defencelessness into encouragement and convert resignation into educated action. If nothing else, after reading this piece kiss the forehead of your mother, sister, daughter or wife, and thank them for all they have done or have been doing all along against all odds. Do this to reiterate that they are Allah’s Rehmat to the mankind.

MAKE SRINAGAR CITY A FREE WIFI ZONE

It was a windy forenoon and I decided to drive upto Dachigam, the more I visit that place the more it mesmerizes me. As usual I took some pictures and wanted to upload them on Internet but the slow connection somehow didn’t allow me to do so. At that moment an Idea of turning Srinagar City into a Wifi- Zone just struck me. In the modern world people eat, drink and sleep internet, this could turn out to be a wonderful facility not only for the locals but also for the tourists. Public Wi-Fi hotspots are nothing new; of course they have been at the Airports, coffee houses, and tourist destination for several years. The concept of free wi-fi is growing faster than ever in this contemporary world and news of new cities planning such a facility pour in every day. In perhaps the most trouble torn state in the world, where tourism has shown a very positive sign its significance is hard to miss.
It was wonderful to know that Gulmarg has been turned into such a zone and if I am not incorrect its free as well. If such a facility is provided to the Srinagar City it will mean that the City people will be able to connect to the Web anywhere and at any time. They will be able to send an e-mail while traveling in a bus, chat while taking a Shikara Ride or conduct a free internet-based Skype phone call to anyone in the world. I know it’s difficult but not impossible, there will be security issues, cyber crime issues and a whole lot of fingers pointing towards such a proposal including the opposition from the very influential lobby of 3G providers but as they say what should be done must be done. Everyone in order to avail this facility would have to register either individually or in a group. Say a Shikara Wala, a House Boat owner or a Hotelier will be authorized and on their unique code provided by the service provider the tourists will be able to enjoy the web access on nominal rates, Similarly, the general public will have to show some kind of identity to register individually. The rates could be a matter of debate and it could be seen how far the government goes to subsidize the web access. Should users be charged according to connection speed or according to usage? These are some of the questions that could be decided later .We could certainly learn a lesson or two from scores of cities that are now offering – or planning to offer - citywide wireless access to the web.
These networks will not come cheap. Apart from technological failures the cost could be high but eventually it could turn out to be a high revenue generating proposition. I understand it would not be a cake walk for our IT department but it wouldn’t be a complex issue either. They will have to join a network of hundreds of wifi Hot Spots which could be scattered across the city and hard wired into a digital network. The city’s major attraction could be taken up in a phased manner, say Mughal Gardens, the whole of DAL lake , Hazratbal Mosque, the Boulevard Road and off course the Lal Chowk area could be taken up first. My own experience has been very successful, I have installed a WI-FI system at my home and believe me it’s such a relief, I could take my Ipad anywhere in the house or the garden and very leisurely enjoy surfing the net. On a lighter note whenever my Brother Tabir calls me on Skype from America I even show him the road outside my house. I can’t complain because honestly since the day I have installed the Wi-fi system it has really been helpful.
A techie friend of mine who lives in US had told me once about this and I laughed at him saying why the city municipality would provide such a service, But in San Fransico they did it and now almost half of European cities have followed later. If I had my way I would suggest our IT department or the government to follow the San Francisco pattern, with their proposal the city not only owns all the equipment, network but also controls the same. There may be issues of Cyber Criminals who could carry out an attack but since it’s based on radio signals they can be easily detected and shown when an unauthorised user tunes into the same frequency , Even in India the Cyber city of Pune I am told is a free Wifi Zone . We could always solicit ideas from all the people, organisation, corporate houses, people related with tourism and take their valuable suggestion about how the networks would be built, who could use them and who would pay for them.
And finally, It’s a very win win combination when we have a young IT Minister and a Chief Minister who wants to turn this state into an IT hub. Such an Idea will not only boost the tourism Industry but also give a helping hand to our police department by way of remote surveillance. Haven’t we heard on the Idiot Box, that an Idea can change our lives? Here, I hope it changes for the betterment of our beloved city. The Srinagar City.

Save this for posterity

SAVE DAL LAKE

FOR GOD's GREEN EARTH DON’T LET THE DAL LAKE BE ONLY ON THE POSTCARD SOON,

I don’t know how it is with the youth of my age in the rest of the World. I think it is a universal phenomenon

that when you start growing up, looking at something all the time, it becomes a part of that process of growth. Then at one stage you start identifying yourself with it as if it were a part of your existence. It could be tulips in Holland( and now in botanical garden), the freezing winters in Russia, The night life in Las Vegas, The Chimes of Big Ben, The Statute of Liberty, the Taj Mahal, the Times Square in Manhattan or the Pyramids.

It could be anything anywhere. A child around suddenly recognizes the smiling face of his mother, becomes aware of his surroundings, his tender feet start enjoying the tickling sensation of green grass, the warmth of mother earth and then the joy of walking and running. It is the time to explore and see Nature and try to blend with it. One no more needs his mother to hold him back on the bank of a river or his dad nervously telling him not to climb a tree. His legs take him everywhere and everywhere and his mind starts registering nature.

I still remember how fearful I was when I first jumped into the bosom of Dal Lake. Will I get drowned? Will the weeds entangle me and someone will find my body floating next day. There were all kinds of apprehensions and thoughts, but Dal turned out to be like a mother. Cool and loving. Always offering something to please me and never asking for anything in return. It became a ritual. Whenever I would come home for a vacation, I would hire a boat and peddle upto Char Chinari. Buy cucumbers, radish or Pambacch (the lotus seeds in season) or take a bite of raw crisp nadroo. It was the time when people had started complaining that Dal was being vandalized and that it was gradually dying because of the greed of the people and apathy of the Government.

I returned to Srinagar in 1996. I was warned not to go for swimming alone. Everything was weird. Everything smelt of corpuses and gunpowder. Occasionally people would fish dead bodies from the lake, but nothing deterred me from not visiting Dal, not swimming and not riding a boat but when I came home, there was a sense of pain and anguish, dismay and anger. Dal was choked. Greenish-blue water had turned murky, weeds had taken over and encroachments and unplanned construction activity had ruined the entire coastline. Why is the Government so callous? Why isn’t someone doing something to save it. Why aren’t the people raising their voices against this slow death inflicted on this water body? Too many questions, but no answers.

We are repeatedly told that the water body has shrunken from 21 square KM to just 11 Sq. Kilometers. The State takes pride that it has already spent several hundred crores since the Dal Project was envisaged in the 70s. What has this enormous sum been spent on? Well, on dismembering all the limbs and arteries of the Lake. No body asks why did they have to construct the foreshore Road and further decrease the lake area by several kilometers. Was it to please the land Mafia who bought the entire land overnight outside the foreshore demarcated area with the hope that someday they will be allowed to turn it into another boulevard. They would construct more hotels, more guest houses and tall structures and get richer. Nobody talks of the original lay out where no building was to hinder the view of the Shankar Acharaya Hill. My father used to tell me that the autocratic Maharaja is on record having instructed his planners that the moment you turn towards the Boulevard, one should get an uninterrupted view right upto Chashma Shahi. Our democratic rulers plunder ecology and environment with impunity. Bureaucratic vultures do the rest. Convention Complex, Centaur Hotel, commercialization of Boulevard are all instances of a deliberate destruction process of the lake. Hundreds of new house boats were allowed to be constructed despite a ban on. They claim to have spent enormous sums on saving the lake but how much has really gone into the development or preservation of the lake nobody knows. The main sources of pollution are the HouseBoats within the lake body. During the past 28 years, nobody has come up with a solution about dealing with this menace. Multi storey buildings and hotels are another nuisance. Nobody dare raise a finger against their clout. The norm should have been that you pay for the damage you are causing to the lake. Boat owners have a strong lobby but the majority of people living in the lake is dumb and meek. It is a pathetic situation and neither our so-called Human Rights activists nor the champions of environment have shown any concern for them..

We have committed sacrilege of nature by destroying the entire catchment area, I am told the entire sewage and sewerage of the Centaur and the SKICC flows into the Lake body because the treatment plant constructed at a cost of several crores is not functional for want of funds. The siltation continues un-abated and so does the inflow of harmful nutrients and chemicals. My father as chairman of the house committee for Dal Lake used to shout from the mountaintops about the impending disaster. Nobody was prepared to listen. Deafness is total.

I hope all my apprehension are proved wrong and I’m told that I’m not updated about the present status of Dal Lake otherwise why would a team come all the way from Rajastan to emulate our conservation plan? Our fore fathers gifted Kashmir to us in pristine condition, would it not be selfish of us not to pass it along so future generations can have their chance to enjoy it as well? If we don't make hard decisions now, the answer is very obvious that we are not interested. I don’t doubt the sincerity of the present dispensation but If you want to see what Dal is all about find a Postcard printed by our own Department of Tourism in the 70s and see my point! But for god green earth don’t let The Dal Lake be only on the postcard soon.