MUTI YET TOO FAR FROM A COMMON MAN !

Abid Gowhar
Srinagar/Dec.2003
OH…those promises and sweat perceptions still hanging, which were made by the Mufti, lead coalition government in Nov.2002. Crossing all seasons of the year and still there is no sigh of relief for a common man in the State. It looks like that the healing touch policy is much lengthy or too slow to beat the impatience of the dejected class. No doubt, Muti is trying to act differently and he may be putting pressures on various departments to act and react quickly but it seems that he like his ancestor had forgotten the priorities to win the confidence of a common man.
It really was a big fortune for PDP and Congress that they were able to beat deep and strong rooted NC in the State. The advantage they took was that people wanted the change in virtuality and it was hatred towards Farooq regime not any love for PDP or Congress the people voted for. The healing touch was a soft slogan in the beginning to make people attentive of, but when it had to be practical the answer from the Sayeed came that “ meray pass koi allh din ka chirag nahin” I have no Allah-Din’s candle to give everything the people may ask for.

As stated by the Planning Commission in their State Development Report recently, there is lack of good governance and fiscal mismanagement, which is responsible of all distortion in the state. The report had identified that besides militancy, low productivity in agriculture, poor industrial infrastructure and poor investment, the lack of suitable strategy and good governance coupled with fiscal mismanagement are the major factors responsible for the poor economic growth of the State. This is quite unfortunate that Mufti lead coalition government is never realizing these factors to win the confedence of a common man and in contast the same old strategy of adhocism is being adopted. The common minimum Programme about which the present government was shouting in its beginning, to provide clean, healthy, efficient, transparent, accountable and responsive government seems shattering in the world of dreams. It all seems like fantasies as the people of the State are suffering right from the word go and the problems have increased manifold.
Surcharge on electricity was the first touch Mr. Muti gave to the people and made confusing statements in its clarification. The government claims that it had detected more than one Lac illegal connections but the fact lies that it increased the number of illegal customers by sending those line-men and inspectors for their identification who are habitual of taking money in their folded palms. It is not any bribe but a cup of tea of those employees. Yes the power cuts were reduced by alarming shift staff for punctuality but the voltage is as low as never before particularly in rural areas. What a fun to abolish the state Electricity Board. The drinking water crises are there in the rural areas. An example of village Nowgam in tehsil Sumbal(district Baramulla ) where the women are fetching drinking water from three kilometer distance. Village having a population of around Ten thousand is just five kilometer away from tehsil headquarter Sumbal and is facing this major problem for years together now. The question remains there that what is the domocile of those 69 water supply schemes the government is claiming that it had augmented.
The people living below the poverty line in the state are crying for the shortage of essential commodities like rice, kerosine oil, sugar and flour in the food & supplies depots but their pleas are falling flat on the deaf ears. Corruption has never been crumbled as promised in big words by Mufti a year before and it has its presence at every corner. Privatization has added to the efficiency as proven outside the valley but in J & K State this has worked other way around.

Every mean of transport in the state is in a mess and the more alarming factor is that nobody is attentive or careful about the same. The public transport plying on the roads in the state has become so laborious and hectic that it tires a man more than it should have by travelling the destination by foot. The private operators in the state have forgotten the sense of humanity and responsibility and nobody seems answerable. Reduction of fair has not helped the people and instead it has added to the woes of commuters. Fact is that the tranport department is inactive as far as its professional capability is concerned. Improper training to these police personals is making already- involved system more rubbish.
Handicraft industry in the State has its image by not taking any note of the artisans who have been in complete dilema for last thirteen years. A paper machie artisan is claiming that he is being tortured by big dealers by saying that his craft have no market to sell hence giving ten rupees to an item on which eight is expended. I was earning two-hundered decade ago but today it is only fifty rupess per day income for me to make the both ends meet in sorry gesture. We were expecting from present government to make the culprits accountable, but it proved as the same story, says a Paper Machie artisan in gloom. It all seems that Mufti government is too far from a common man, giving big statements and making useless claims as everything starts from the heart of common man who has no good perceptions about the present government.
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A derailed education system in J&K State!

Abid Gowhar

Srinagar/May 2003

Few years back, educationists world over had revealed that by the year 2005, the world of education would be transformed. Today when we have stepped in to the New Year, the optimism of those education pundits seems guinuine. This transformation is also seen in our J&K State, but………. The present quality standard of education is just resulting in the growth of educational illeterates. “The true order of learning should be first, what is necessary; second what is useful; and third; what is ornamental” …says L.H. Signourney. Let us make counting, what our present generation is learning from the prevailing education system of the State. Perhaps none of the three factors in sequence find a place there. The present system of education has proved ineffective to meet the aspirations and needs of the people and reasons for could be many not to ignore these important aspects; It does not equipe with the skills of some vocations, absence of diversification of courses, incompletion of syllabus, lack of academic dedication in commitment among teachers and students, dilapidated condition of schools and insufficient accomodation facilities in schools and colleges, mashroom growth of private schools, fashion of tutors, mismanagement, red-tapism, wrong priorities and above all the lack of suffiecient attention from the state planners.
Historically we have been praised for being the most imaginative people in the world. Our treasures have been richly laid with masterpieces of art and culture such as writtings, paintings, handicrafts, music, caligraphic samples and what not. Temperamently, the State people have always been thinkers and promoters of new ideas, they have tried their hard virtually on everything. Amidist innumerable causes responsible for the deplorable quality of education in the state, the fourteen year long turmoil has been singularly taken responsible for blackwash of education in the state, particularly in the valley of Kashmir. No doubt, it suffered colossal loss during the period, but how long this execuse will defend the concerned authorities. If education is called an instrument for change, then what is the direction of the change we are adopting. Education itself needs serious changes and accordingly new roles are emerging for education to play.
It is rightly said, “If a doctor commits a mistake, it is buried; if an engineer commits a mistake it is cemented, if a lawyer commits a mistake it is files; but when if a teacher commits a mistake it is reflected on nation.” This offcourse speaks of vital role to be played by a teacher. There is a growing trend of commercialisation of education. This evil has eaten up the vitals of our socio-educational fabric, which needs to be eradicated. The vigillance and anticorruption agencies should be geared up to stop commercialisation of education. Education should result not only in material gains but also in intellectual, sprectual, and moral development of a person.Education is the great hope for survival of mankind and for the progress of civilization. That statement is very true and can be further amended by the avowal that" Education leads to upward evolution"
Not surprisingly, the French revolutionary Danton said more than two centuries ago, " After bread, education" , underlining the basic necessity after those that are vital to life viz. food, clothing, and shelter.
Education is critical because one's economic progress and character depend on it. Education is the essential ingredient for community development; its mission is to enable each of us, without exception, to develop all our talent to the full and to realize our creative potential. An individual's employment prospects and position depends on his/her educational attainments.
Human suffering stems from social injustice and inequality, which breed on illeteracy and ignorance. Founder fathers of this nation were cancious of their nation hence they emphasised the need to promote education. Accordingly, several communities and commissions constituted from time to time maintained that the quality of educations assumes crusial significance in the panaroma of education of system. However even after a lapse of long time the State of J&K is still pondering on the problem over the quality of education. Believe yourself, the system is not on the right track and we all must think over it that, has it not derailed?
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Kashmir valley calling its Pandits.

Abid Gowhar

Srinagar /Oct.2003

The recently developed friendly atmosphere between India and Pakistan with ceasefire at the borders and several steps of good-relation gesture has raised hopes that the issues related to the disturbed State might get resolved eventually. One big infront issue among is to decide the fate of migrated Kashmiri Pandits. When will the day come, when the Kashmiri Pandits will return to the valley? Infact Kashmiri Muslims are more anxiously waiting for, than the displaced Pandits. When this big issue will come across the table, there will be certain things for hot debate and it will always work that Pandits have to reshuffle to their motherland. However, it will be very hard and difficult to win the confidence of migrated families because the intra-conceptions among the people beyond the valley are not clear.
It will be crucial to examine why the community as a whole migrated. Yes of course, the overall environment of fear and terror made them insecure and consequently they decided to flee the Valley in the dark of night leaving behind their homes and hearths. Muslims of the valley feel like their body-parts gets detached from them. It was like Kashmiri Pandiths feel themselves on the Muslim-land particularly when the slogans shout like “yahan kiya chalega nizam-e- Mustafa” OH! Was not there every right for every human being to live under the shadow of Nizam-e- Mustafa? Pertinent to mention that the Teachings of Prophet Mohammad (s.a.w.) have no space for any communal war or religious hatredness. If it was the slogan of freedom, was not it everybody’s game to struggle for? If it was to decide the fate of disputed land on earth, then every State-subject holder should have been the part of struggle or if for that matter it was to mix this part with Pakistan then, are not minorities or non-muslims residing in Muslim majority Pakistan? These are the questions, which might have certain answers from different point of view, but still having a big question mark in front of the reality that persists there.
Truly said that “when going gets wrong, wrong gets going” During the last forteen years, J&K State had a tough passage through several changes which put havocfull effects on every resident of it. Hardly any corner remained uneffected during the termiol period. Why not so when the Incriminated State remained without any public government for atleast eight years and every public utility remained paralysed. All the three regions of the state suffered heavily nevertheless the smoke flew from the valley as the old undiganosed cyst of 1947 start pouring badly in 1989. A big calamity in the bloodshed battle was the migration of Kashmiri Pandiths. It was really a "tragic painful event". 14 years ago,
It was the most unfortunate part the turmoil period when Pandiths started to leave their homes and patriotic homeland by which valley went frozen and tears went bundled.
Kashmiri Pandits claim that more than 300,000 people left the Valley in the late 80's and early 90's.
The valley lost dedicated teachers and professors, a big vacuum arise in government hospitals. Several engineers, Specialist doctors, lawyers left their motherland, thousands of houses got empty and some remained to watch their affectionate neighbors tagging their holdings to leave.
“ We just became orphans after our sincere and affectionate brothers departed from our locality. Amarnathji was the lone Gazetted officer in the entire locality and we were proud of him”, said Gh. Hassan resident of Wakura village. In fact, government High School Dab-Wakura had nine Pandith teachers out of 14. The school is suffering and never regroups after their departure, he added. I lost one of my best friends to whom I had an hours-long chat every evening. Same is the story of all those, who were having mixed Pandith-Muslim culture in their localities.
Now that All party Hurriyat Conference leaders have issued a joint appeal to "welcome" the return of all migrated Kashmiri Pandits. "It is our sincere desire that the Kashmiri Pandits return to their homes and hearths with dignity and respect," said Hurriyat Chairman Moulvi Abbas Ansari, his colleagues Abdul Ghani Bhat, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Yasin Malik and Democratic Freedom Party leader Shabbir Shah.
The leaders said "Our hearts bleed at their plight in which they are leading a homeless life in Jammu, Delhi and other cities, deprived of even the basic facilities." The appeal said Kashmiri Pandits were "a part of ourselves and we are incomplete without them" and "they deserve our sympathy in every way. Not only our houses, but also our hearts are open for them always. "Our compatriots and appeal to them to welcome the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the valley."
No doubt that there occurred the instances when Pandiths were torchered and threatned, but like that other Kashmiri Muslims and non-Muslims became the victim also. A government conspiracy was involved and definitely the bad rumor spread among Pundits due to which they were forced to flew from their homeland .The situation worsen due to discourage and bad intelligence from government agencies. If anybody was held responsible for massacres, It was government machinery that put security forces forward in the battlefield with the conception that their duty is over. It is still perceived as part of an engineered campaign to displace the Pandits out of the valley.
One must not forget that The Jammu and Kashmir Human Right Commission, while submitting its report to state government on the Wandhama massacre, hold Government and serious security lapse responsible for the incident and in this perspective Hurriat from the beginning was also recommending security cover for the Kashmiri Pandits, who live in the Valley.
Had their been close tie ups with the local police and every Kashmiri Muslim not being treated a militant or gunman the situation would have been different. “We were taught to gun down security forces, create harass and kill those who will not support the Mujahideens. Nothing was like that we were taught or asked to pressurise non-muslims or force Pandiths to vacate or kill their religious emotions”, Said an ex-militant who had had left gun and his entire thought about militancy in 1996 and is now running has business.
What will be answer to Panun Kashmir (PK), a Kashmir Pandit organisation that has a separate homeland for Kashmiri Pandits in their demand. They also recommend statehood for Jammu and Union Territory status for Ladhakh. Hence it is time when All Party Hurriyat Conference and the Kashmiri Pandit community should sit together to have one more agenda to discuss the issue seriously in the next round of talks with the central government.

“Whenever there are communally motivated acts here, they are sponsored by outside elements” Says Prof C. L. Vishen, head of the Centre for Advanced Studies in Education and Technology (CASET), Srinagar. ‘‘In 1990,it was a sponsored wave; Pakistan’s games culminated in the migration of Pandits. The migration was not an outcome of a communal frenzy originating from Kashmiri Muslims. In the past 10 years of mayhem, Kashmiris have come to comprehend the dynamics; they know if there is communal violence, its players will never be indigenous.’’
Is Muslim-dominated Kashmir free of a communal backlash because there aren’t many Hindus left in the Valley? Vishen disagrees. ‘‘Communal violence is nothing but madness and when man turns mad, he manages to get targets. There are still more than 10,000 Hindus living in the Valley. There are hundreds of Hindu properties and places of worship. There is also a substantial Sikh population’’, he says. ‘‘Communal winds have always come from outside and then were restricted to the surface. The core of Kashmiri society has always been secular’’.
Like many others, well-known Kashmiri Pandit social activist Kumar Wanchoo believes there has been always vested interests behind communal violence. Incidentally, Wanchoo’s father H N Wanchoo, noted trade union leader and human rights activist, was murdered by militants during the turmoil period. Despite that, his son still lives in Srinagar. ‘‘In 1986, when Kashmir saw one of its few communal riots, there was a clear political motivation behind it. A few killings of Hindus, fear psychosis, communal slogans and then a chain reaction created the situation in which a majority of Kashmiri Hindus left the Valley in the early 1990s’’, he says.
Alas! It went wrong not only for Kashmiri Pandith who flew from Kashmir Valley but also for the Muslim residents. Can dishearted cumminity realise that their Kashmir is calling them back.
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Kashmir transportation in a complete mess!

Abid Gowhar

Srinagar/ May 2004
In the modern fast changing world, one can not believe on the tales of yesteryears narrated by our elder one’s. In every field of life, the global revolution has changed the fortunes of livelihood. It is said that the only thing constant in the world is “Change”. Nobody can escape from the going change but the important thing remains there that how good the change can persist. Gone are the days when people were traveling hundreds of kilometers by foot and nobody claiming for anything! Horse or horse carts were considered to be the richest mode of transportation in ancient times and in the J&K State it is only four or five decades back ago when we were having very poor modes of transportation. In fact, people were thinking of just entering in to the new world while traveling from one place to another. Today’s five-minute journey was the talk of five hours in ancient days and like that it would have been out of imagination that a man could fly through skies. As the scientific mode of transportation took over people became increasingly luxurious to travel from one place to another. Yes the hi-tech revolution has changed the entire fate of livelihood in every aspect, but….. Are we comfortable with the change?
The present mode of transportation in J&K State is at par with the rest of the world, no matter at the cost of big worries. Alas! We got the mode, but not the system; we took the front to adopt the high cost machinery, but not the concept of its utility. We have accepted the change, not the manners. To equip with the developed and modern facilities is one’s right, but the manner in which the change is adapted needs elucidation.
It is a well-established fact that transportation serves as the backbone of any developing state or the society. Alas! It does not hold good for this vital industry in the J & K State. Every mean of transport in the state is in a mess and the more alarming factor is that nobody is attentive or careful about the same. The public transport plying on the roads in the state has become so laborious and hectic that it tires a man more than it should have by traveling the destination by foot. The private operators in the state have forgotten the sense of humanity and responsibility and nobody seems answerable. There is not a single factor revolving round the whole mess but lot more things are responsible for. Whether we are driving our own vehicle or riding a passenger bus, it is both ways the same look. The concerned Government authorities are most responsible for not developing roads to any plan and giving excessive permissions for different kind of vehicles to ply on. Every class of people have big sufferings on the roads like a five minute journey takes half and hour to travel and if travel is made on a passenger bus it is most tiring all the way. The maintenance of roads has nobody to look after at proper time and a roadway is repaired only when it reaches at its last dying stage.
Private operators providing the passenger transport facility without any consideration of time and plight of a commuter. Masses time and again have tried to apprise authorities about the sluggish services provided by these operators, but their pleas have fallen flat on the deaf ears. Privatization has added to the efficiency as proven outside the valley but in J & K State this has worked other way around. Private buses plying within the city take commuters as hostages for hours together, the drivers move according the their own sweat will. Overloading, and conductor misbehaving has become a routine. Reduction of fair has not helped the people and instead it has added to the woes of commuters. These service providers stuff in as many as possible passengers on the pretext of making their shoulders a tight meet. Traffic people meant for regulating the traffic and mitigating the sufferings of commuters seems to the totally inactive and a distant dream. Fact is that the department is inactive so for as their professional capabilities is concerned. Improper training to these police personals is making the already involved system more rubbish. Adding the fact that they (traffic police personals) have tied a knot with the drivers by which they receive money through folded palms. This being the reason that these cops while seeing an over crowded vehicle, close their eyes and act as if they haven’t seen anything. Once these buses leave from the stands, drivers without bothering how much time they will take to reach their destination, carry on with a snail’s pace. Passengers keep on urging the drivers to move but they hardly pay heeds towards their plea’s.

There is no one whom they (operators/ drivers) are answerable and that is why they are taking every thing in their stride.
In the cities like Srinagar and Jammu, it is all vulgar noise at high pitch inside matadors, which makes one as tense and boring as anything. Long route buses make commuters to sleep, as it has become the driver’s choice to run the bus at his will. Who says time is precious in this unfortunate part of world. Is anybody listening that our transport system is in a total mess?
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Winter in Kashmir- A season of worries!

Abid Gowhar

Srinagar/ Jan. 2004

Snowfall an additional brand of beauty is cherished by many adventure lovers and perhaps this gift of nature has no longer been praised by Kashmir habitants now. “We see how others are facilitated, but sufferings are becoming our fate because nature bestowed this paradise on earth to us and we get birth on it”. Said one intellectual of Kashmir. “ You can’t believe, I am unable to send an e-mail message to a friend living in Chandigarh up 10 p.m. form my personal computer during the whole winter because it can’t run due to low power voltage, even a one-kilo watt Stablizer is attached with the system,” he said. This kind of misery is truly faced by all in the valley and deep pain get noticed by sufferer’s only, hence their crying should not be blamed of. As soon as, cold waves of winter starts here in the valley, problems to a common man seem to open doors through all corners and they gets manifolded, as the season progresses. One has to wait up to 10p.m. when electric lamps show their existence, that too in the Srinagar city, not to talk of far flung areas and villages where the situation is bad to worse. In villages, people glow candles every night during winter to take dinner, despite frequent power schedule already exist there. Concerned power department authorities too have few arguments and answers to their blame, but that all concludes at their mismanagement and fake estimate of daily power consumption. Electricity is the first and the foremost problem, the people in Kashmir face, not the only suffering of cumbersome people.
It is a sure good-bye for many things for many days when snow falls a bit heavier, be it electricity, water supply, transportation or daily-commodities. Several government departments get exposed in their performing potential and crises began to shower, when rain or snow make its appearance. Drainage system in towns and Srinagar city start crying due to inefficiency of the department as roads, streets and lanes get blocked.
The dilemma of Srinagar- Jammu National High Way always remain there in winters due to uncertain blockage of the road. Essential commodities coming by road to the valley stunt infiltration, resulting huge hike of prices on the available stock. No matter when an egg costs three rupee if available at any corner and onions costs 20-30 rupees per kg. leaving no reason to ask anybody. The story reveals its other side when Kashmir is detached from rest of the world, as both land and air roads jams. A big unemployment issue is already on the cards that had put educated youth of high percentage in to distress. In the season of worries, one has to compromise for hand to mouth earning and on the other-side meeting livelihood at high costs is very difficult. Extra arrangements of chilly cold weather, makes it harder for a common man, to buy warm clothing, woolen blankets, Kangris and bags of coal. Youth find no path of entertainment, as all-outdoor sports activities gets held up and the grooming talent had a long break of their passion against their will. Elder ones face several attacks of illness, bad cold, cough and headache become a common complaint in young ones. Blessings from God remain the only hope when village roads get blocked by snow and God forbid any exigency occurs among villagers.


It is all over here no matter bureaucrats change, political parties shuffle through, new ministers take over and their promises scatter fluently. All these responsibles carry the same myth to put cotton in their ears when somebody cries or any needy want some help. It is all the way a season of worries which kashmiri people are facing for long now.
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OTHERS ENVY, OWNERS PRIDE.

Abid Gowhar

Srinagar/ Dec.2003
“A person is known by the company he keeps”. The modern world has changed the concept of this age-old saying. With the transformation of thoughts everywhere, the Word "Company" is no more fit in the phrase and perhaps need a proper replacement. Some might say it should be replaced by "the ability" because Joint venture thoughts being seen no where and instead it changed in to "individuality of all " concept. Some believe that every company itself has hatreds in the form of rivalries and the people becoming jealous of each other's getting. Yes of course there is increasing trend of envy and jealousy against each other in every corner of human livelihood in the present day atmosphere.
A bundle of thoughts on this subject erupt from my mind, once a colleague of mine was compiling and rearranging to make a compact book form of his write-ups which had year-long weekly appearance in an English Daily. I really was appreciating his accomplishment, knowing that how much difficult it is to have consistency and zeal for writing articles under one roof theme. Meanwhile this friend told me that his job has become neighbors envy. I recall that TV Advertisement of Onida brand to complete the slogan as " neighbors envy, owners pride". The conversation between us stopped there but the subject shook my mind deeply. Is it like that an owner really suffer due to envy of its neighbors? Or is it like, one gets stimulated by the jealousy of others?
The two emotions "Envy" and "jealousy" are as silent as one can imagine, but so noisy and destructive to be treated great sins in every school of thought and belief.

Envy called an emotion of discontents or ill will over others advantages. An attitude easily stirred up in a competitive materialistic society. For any developing society, it is not healthy attitudes that are often showed envious of each other. It is very destructive and self-devaluing emotion. Why people waste their energy by making comparisons between themselves and others, comparisons that result in somebody feeling inferior. There is one good example on, "how one gets benefited from the hate and envy of others “
"The most and big inspiration in my life, I got from those, who had hate or envy towards me. Every time they showed me their hate or ill-will, I got more strength and energy to fight”. Says great Boxing legend, Mohammed Ali clay in his autobiography.
Envy negates you, and what you have accomplished. It leads to begrudging others their achievements, and builds barriers between you and them. Envying what others posses blocks you from caring about them as persons and also blocks you from caring about yourself.. “People exaggerate the value of things they haven’t got” said George Bernard Shaw, An idea may be to analyze yourself honestly and ask yourself if there is a deeper, more positive drive beneath the specific focus of your envy. It is a passive, cutout phase, it burns up energy just
Looking, not moving, doing or creating. Remember when we indulge in envy, we are abandoning ourselves.
Indolence is a diligence but distressing State” said Mahatma Gandhi.
Action is no less necessary than thought to the instinctive tendencies of human frame. One who says glass is empty has his own perception of thought but one who says "glass is half full" is also right from his point of view.

Envy is treated as twin problem to jealousy. When jealousy has the meaning, wanting what someone else has, envy means when you don’t want somebody else to have, what you don’t have. We get jealous when we fear that a rival is taking away from us someone we count on for love, affection or even friendship. Jealousy is an acute sense of loss, defeat or rejection in which we focus on the real or imagined superior as enemy, who is in the cause of our pain.

Like love, jealousy is very much involuntary. We can not say as if “ I am going to be jealous”. It can be frightening in its intensity, its closest emotional relation is probably anger but it has more staying power than anger. It can provoke a passion to strike out in revenge, only with the jealousy the revenge sought is usually emotional. More often, it causes the jealous person to sulk and involve in self-pity. Sometimes we complaint openly of the direct cause but more often it is carefully disguised while we lash out at a baffled spouse, lover or relative about a dozen petty things for removed from the real cause of irritation.
Jealousy, like envy and greed is destructive and self-negating. It is an emotional combination of anger, dependency, hurt and self-devaluation when we feel jealousy. We focus on what we are not and compare ourselves fearfully to what our rival is. We are convinced that we can not be happy if someone we depend on for love, loves also someone else.
Actually, we must be honest with ourselves. Jealousy is two-edged sword. It lives upon doubts, it becomes madness or ceases entirely as soon as we pass from doubt to certainty. Remember when we feel envy to others we actually give them chance to become proud and confident.
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Kashmir- we don’t know !

Abid Gowhar

Srinagar/ March 2005

Whole world is acquainted with the far framed beauty of Kashmir, still very few among the new generation know how Kashmir, once the heaven on earth, was in its past. Perhaps a few words of explanation may prove useful to upgrade the information about the land we listen so much, we read in bulks and we praise its beauty more than anything on the earth.
According to a popular legend which is mentioned in Kalhana's Rajtarangni Kashmir valley was a vast lake. Kashyap Rishi drained out the water and made it habitable. It is said that originally Yakshas, and Pisacas tribes inhabited the valley at the higher reaches and did not allow the inhabitants of the valley to live in peace. King Ashok brought Budhism to Kashmir which was strenthened by Kanishka. In 6th century Huns came to rule the valley and Mihirkul was one of the infamous Hun ruler. The area attained freedom in 530 AD which was short-lived. According to Sir Aurel Stein the famous interpretor of Kalhana the chronicler of Kashmir the city of Srinagar had big market and mansions made of wood touching the clouds. Hieun-tsang the famous Chinese traveler visited Srinagar and has described it his memoirs.
Various capitals were established by the latter kings but ultimately the city of Srinagar was destined to be the capital of the State. These capitals are now found only in ruins or history. Some of the famous capitals are Prvaerpora of Praversen, Prihaspora of Lalitaditya, Jayapida's Jayapora, Avantivarman's Avantipur and cities of Kanishkapura and Juskapura.
During muslim rule Sultan Sadar-ud-din founded Rinchenpur and Ala-ud-din founded Alauddinpura near Hariparbat Hill. ZainulAbideen founded Nowshera as the capital while Akbar founded Naagar Nagar and raised 28ft tall wall around it.
Coming closer the present status of Kashmir , let us undress its picture of early twentieth century.
On to the extreme north of India, up among the towering Himalayas: where three empires of Russia , China and India met, was feudatory state of Jammu and Kashmir ruled by Dogra clan of Jammu. Lying in among the high mountains, 5000 ft. above the see, was a flat-bottomed valley, about one hundred and sixty km long by sixty five km broad. This was the famed vale of Kashmir. A broad river, the river Jehlum meandered slowly through the length of valley, connecting up with numerous placid lakes; while all round the plain rose a ring of towering snowcapped peaks. Kashmir was an extraordinary mixture of Norfolk Broads and Switzerland.
The journey up to Kashmir from India was most marvelous contrast; for besides the scenery, the dresses , houses and boats were quite unlike anything a foreigner saw on the two-day train journey over plains of India, from Bombay(now a days called Mumbai) to Rawalpindi was the nearest railway station to Kashmir, and it was there necessary to hire a car and drive the 320 km in to Kashmir. The road wound through the most wonderful mountainous country: it climbed to 6000 feet, then it dropped down to about 2000 feet to join the gorge of River jhehlum. Thence it twisted and turned along sheer hillside, with Jhehlum foaming and roaring hundreds of feet below. Ever upwards went the road, till at last the gorge widened out into the broad smiling valley of Kashmir proper. The Jhehlum was now no longer a furious cauldron but became a placid river, the patient beast of burden for countless boats. For fifty km or so the road ran straight along magnificent avenues of popular trees, which still are standing there, passing picturesque Kashmiri villages, the thatched and sloping roofs of their houses peeping out among the clumps of Walnut and Chinar trees. At last , the long drive was over and one reached the Capital city of Srinagar, which was just about eighty km upstream from Baramulla, the town situated at the point where Jhehlum changed from peace to fury.
Srinagar as it is today, was the centre of the valley and its position could be located from many miles away by the Takh-I-Sulmiman hill or Shankaracharia hill as it is called today, when rose 1000 feet out the plain close to city. On top of the Takht, the ancient Hindu Temple, illuminated at night with floodlights so that even in darkness it was possible to guide one’s way to the city. Now although Kashmir such a marvelous paradise, this fact had been a curse to the inhabitants. Its far framed wonders had attracted conquerors from most of the neighbouring nations, who had ruthlessly harried and trampled upon the Kashmiris, till their sprits had been broken. Only with the spread of Brithish influence into the Punjab and Northern India, during the later part of 19th century, had the people of Kashmir had a respite. This no doubt accounts for the apathy with which the Kashmiris regarded the Home Rule Movement in India; the memory of terrible days of old was far too vivid even in the middle of twentieth century.

In order to try to raise up the hapless people of the vale, many church missionary societies opened their missions in the valley. The opposition of the Maharaja Government and its functionaries was excessive. The first missionary to Kashmir Rev. Robert Clark had face wrath at the hands of authorities. Apprehending the awakening of the people, every available means was used to stop him from educating people. Same was the case with other early missionaries. At first no European was allowed to stay in Kashmir during winters; then, when missionaries managed to get permission for permanent residence, the authorities prevented anyone from coming see them. With a great difficulty a plot of land was obtained, on which was built the beginnings of a hospital. The hospital grew with time and until today this hospital is working at Drugjan in Srinagar, with which the famous name of Neve brothers, the two missionaries will always be connected.
In 1880 educational work in Srinagar, with the foundation of a boy’s school by Rev. J.H. Knowels. It was of the growth and the development of this branch of the society’s work, for about a century that we see education flourishing here. To begin with the missionaries started a school in Srinagar and later opened four more branches to feed the central high school. At Anantnag fifty eight km away from Srinagar primary, middle and high schools were also opened, which functioned for a long time. Not only were the boys catered for, but a girl’s school was also started in Srinagar; by the untiring efforts of Miss. Voilet Firtz. Later under vigorous guidance of Miss. Mallinson , the school flourished, on whose name it is educating thousands of girls today. This school along with Tyndale Biscoe school are considered among the best schools in Srinagar, but one feels pained to notice the absence of the sprit of selfless service to humanity today, with which the missionaries had started them.####

An accompany to blind school Dehradhun.

Abid Gowhar

Srinagar/ Aug.2004
National Institute of Visually Handicapped (NIVH) in Dehradun , Utranchal is an institute for visually handicapped treated one of the biggest blind educational cum training institutes in Asia. In the recent past I have a visit from Kashmir to the institute accompanying one closely related blind girl Hena (name changed) of 12 years age, to get her admitted in, for studies over there. It proved a Herculean task to get her parents motivated for the same. Tested heavily by Almighty, her parents were not been aware of anything, they could do for their elder daughter, born blind by birth . Father of Hena, M.Amin said “Once somebody a year back visited my home and confirmed about Hena that if she is blind of below 16 years of age, he will help us for her counseling and basic education and schooling at Regional Rehabilitation Center (CRC) Bemina Srinagar”. Hena was sent to CRC for which to and fro transport facility was provided by an NGO namely Human Efforts for Love and Peace (HELP), to which the man was associated as a field worker (her parents later came to know about the man).
I was aware of the fact that such kind of disabled children carry bundle of talent inside, particularly those who suffer from blindness has an extra edge of the memory, feelings and quick power of understanding as compared to the normal people. Amin confirmed my assumptions by saying, “I remember number of times my blind daughter taught me what I was unable to understand. She carries critic sense of every thing and sometimes advises me like I being her child and she my grand mother, but after joining CRC we saw a definite change in Hena, she was looking confident of sharing her mother’s domestic work, speaking Urdu, writing English and Hindi in Braille , enthusiastic to learn more and more, and an willingly for preparing herself in morning for going to CRC punctually”

Parents of Hena, though well qualified must not have the clear idea of her schooling facility till she told them that she will go to Dehradun Model School for studies and training. She was having a dream in her sightless eyes which was out of the imagination of her sighted and literate parents.
The day actually came when Hena had to leave for Dehradun, all in a smiling and willing mood. Parents prepare her to leave with tearful eyes and heart in their hands. Actually I insisted hard to accompany Hena for the journey, because her father and mother were too emotional with their melted hearts to leave her for years together in a boarding school. “Uncle tell my mom and dad that they will not weep or dishearten themselves after my departure, because I am leaving my lovely home to brighten my future by learning every thing through schooling”. Hena said to me in heavy mood while we departed from Srinagar in July this year.
It took us 28 hours in reaching Dehradun after a continuos hectic journey by bus from Srinagar and then by a train from Jammu to Saharanpur. Local buses ply between Saharanpur and Dehradun, the destination between the two being 85 kms. The road all along was ascending, so gaining height with all green farms on either side of the road. Reaching Dehradun we had to hire an auto for reaching NIVH at 116, Rajpur Road. The road leading towards Masoori ( a famous tourist resort of Utranchal) took us to the institute , 5 kms away from from Dehradun main city. Picturesque location of the institute, a broad-based campus in the backdrop of the Shivalik ranges gave me a sigh of relief and an imagination that all blind children really have a chance to build up their future prospects by getting admission in the highly facilitated Institute. Entering in the school premises one can see the words written in bold letters on the wall of model school“ The principal goals of education defined as, To create men who are capable of doing new things. Not simply repeating what other generations have done. Men who are creative, inventive and discoverers…… JEAN PAIGET .”
Mr. D.M. Gullati, Principal of the Model School, also a blind man told us to have lunch as soon as he confirmed our purpose. On the same day afternoon Hena was interviewed and medically checked up. She was given admission in 5th class and so I got engaged in getting some needful items for her permanent stay in the institute.

Meanwhile I met certain authorities of the Institute to know about its history and functioning. The main source of information was Director of the institute Dr. S.R.Shukla, a very polite and humble man, who while briefing about NIVH, revealed that the institute is giving special priority to J&K State because of huge sufferings in the disturbed state.

The institute has a well equipped health care dispensary also headed by Dr. J.P.N. Mishra. The man showed keen interest in confirming about the present Kashmir situation from me, when I accompanied Hena for medical check up in the dispensary. In the recreation cum sports centre situated in school premises, there seems scope for blinds to take part in different games like chess, cricket and athletics M. L.Mishra the sports incharge was very willing to share his views about the blind sports. He had remained the coach of National Blind cricket team that played the blind cricket world cup in the year 2002. Talking to various NIVH employees I got the brief about the institute as:

The origin of the national Institute of Visually handicapped is traced back to January 1, 1950. It was on that date the Government of India took over the St. Dunstan’s Hostel for the war blinded and renamed it as the training Center for the Adult Blind (men). Later on the activities in the field were further expanded and were amalgamated into national Center for the Blind in 1967.
“The year 1979 was a historic achievement in the growth and development of the services for the blind welfare when National center for the blind was elevated to the status of National Institute for the Visually handicapped. After two and half years, Ministry of Welfare granted full autonomy to the institute on 21st October 1982. The Institute is an apex body in the field of blind welfare in India and is considered to be the largest institute in Asia”. Revealed Dr. S.R.Shukla, Director NIVH.
He further stated that, “the objectives of the institute are :
1. Development of model services for visually handicapped.
2. Man power Development training.
3. Research and development.
4. Provision of consultancy service.
5. Education, Vocational Training and rehabilitation services.
6. Production of Educational and recreational aids appliances. and
7. Production and supply of Braille books and audiocassettes.

The Institution carries a model school for children below eight years of age and level of education in the school is from pre-schooling to XII standard with free boarding and lodging facilities. It also has a training centre for adult blinds of 18 to 40 years of age where both technical and non-technical courses of one year duration are offered. The Technical courses include light engineering, Electronics, computer operation and telephone operations, whereas non-technical wing disabled adults are taught, recaning of chairs, weaving, knitting, typing and Braille stenography. The aids and appliances in the institute carry educational aids like, Braille slate, Arithmetic slate, geometry kit, Abacus, Pocket frame, Braille scale and short hand machines. The recreational aids contain DraughtBoard, playing card, pegboard, chessboard and different puzzles.
Knowing all about the institute in just three days I was ready to depart from Dehradhun, leaving Hena for turning her dreams in to virtuality.
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Flesh Trading, a moral Corruption in Kashmir

Abid Gowhar
Srinagar/ May 2005/

The moral values of Kashmiri society have impressed all across the world and every body knows this land enjoys the privilege of being traversed by the great Sufis. Sensitive to their religious values Kashmiri Muslims in particular are known for all nobility, simplicity and hospitality, but who knows the modern generation might put it all buried down to the earth, turning their age-old values, the stainless customs and the rich cultural ethos upside down. The pious land of this heaven could turn in to hell because this abode of saints is just going beyond the western race and people who have an eye on the history are sitting with their shoulders down and fingers crossed.
Least bothering about their culture and religious values, valley’s present generation is rapidly dipping in to extravagancy and vulgarity. Day to day reports of sex and flesh trading, copying western fashion and style and loosing the chaste of respecting their elders is hitting the headlines. Is it like immodesty ripping and catching momentum in a very high speed among the youth who barter their conscience and character for the reasons they best know ?. Here is an alarm, the bright envious past lulling us into being complacent with the present world. The people of the vale, known for culture, moral integrity and conscious purity haplessly facing another war of immorality after the diplomatic hung between India and Pakistan.

A philosophers view could be that when you pressurize and hold something tight forcefully, you will feel the red patches as soon as you loosen the grip. The change, one does not accept by heart and mind gets flattered and more worsened than good . There cannot be a single reason behind but the amalgamation of various hick-ups, those uncounted little little smelling things that are overlooked by the people of materialistic thought. Kashmiri teenage girls feeling the impact of westernization by ruthlessly watching cable channels. A deep conspiracy of different Govt. agencies cannot be ignored plus the parents not realizing the responsibility of educating their children about moral and religious lessons. If we talk of the generation that grew in the turmoil period, there can be many and different reasons also but the fact remains that modern day parents have forgotten to teach moral lessons to their children, totally getting derailed from the duties, they were bound to . Parents do not find time to be with their children for sharing experience, moral sayings and ideas.
“Mummy, don’t mask your face and head, as it has become an old fashion” says a fourteen year old Nuzhat ( name changed) to her mother. She will not accompany her mother to a shopping Bazzar if she (mother) wears Abaya or Burka because Nuzhat feels embarrassed before her hi-fi friends. 22 year old Tawfeeq Ahmad (name changed) is telling everybody to call him Taffi. He is a hard fan of Salman Khan, his hair style unique like ‘Radhe’, ooh-fast running his motorbike since he has seen the film “Tere Namm”. Doing all vulgar actions, teasing college girls is his new style and even feel proud of getting injured twice on a motorbike as his Radhe did. Taffi like boys always have a roadside discussion on HBO, an English cable TV channel. The disgusting TV programmes, the vulgar fashion shows, the highly erotic shows that the idiot box is beaming in to our secure bedrooms are bound to yield such a recalcitrant crop. The beginning is shameful and God forbid, the end could be disastrous and heaven will turn into hell.
Many people believe that there is a strong lobby working behind this immoral and illegal involvement of the Kashmiri youth and it seems a deliberate attempt from influential sections of the government with the patronage of police and some security agencies.
It is high time for intellectuals, sociologists, academicians, and religious scholars to join their hands and do a critical study of the case to come up with their suggestions to curb and eradicate this rotten menace. For any negligence on their part, they cannot escape from the blame tomorrow. Our society is slowly drifting towards moral corruption. Materialistic life with luxurious style has changed the complexion of our lives. While fighting a war we have unfortunately forgotten the small battle we need to fight with several menaces flourishing within the society. ##################

No Schooling for Highest-Blind-Ratio State

Abid Gowhar
Srinagar /July 2004
Let we Shut our eyes for a minute and try to observe the things which we see around by open eyes.OH!……. Nothing visionary except darkness of everything. Does your mind got a thrash and you get trashed and feel extremely anguish with heart turning wobble? One feels very afflicted, and heart gets shaken to see a blind person. Hardly any body could imagine the world of sightless people. How do we feel about the ill-fated blind persons? What a misery…. Why the Almighty is discriminated towards these eye-sightless human beings? The Creator of this universe can not be blamed of, except to put an extra attention and effort to bend before His greatness for being Almighty, the destiny choicer of the whole creature.
Really shocking that J&K State has got the highest blind prevalence in India. The estimated blind population of the J&K State is 2,16,124 out of 1,25,80,431,the India’s total blind presence. When among every 10,000 people 149 persons are blind in the whole country, J&K State carries the highest blind prevalence with 280 persons out of every 10,000 suffering from blindness by one cause or other. These figures are written on a hoarding hanging in the office chambers of National Institute for Visually Handicapped (NIVH), biggest institute for the blind aspirants run by ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India, situated in Dehradun Utranchal. The reasons for J&K State carrying the highest blind prevalence in India could be many i.e. The maximum population belong to remote areas, hence the women does not get proper medical care and counseling during their pregnancy period, resulting the born child suffer from blindness, teenagers not getting due and proper medical checkup, increasing trend of self medication, lack of quality ophthalmic facilities, State being the Muslim dominant area and as per the Muslim religious ethic, the marriages in inter blood relations are preferred, that the medical science, as per the latest research, turns wrong by claiming that there is the highest probability of disability in borne issues when marriages are made in blood relations. All these causes are imaginary and one can not be sure about the actual , but the fact lies there that the whole blind population of the State is suffering heavily due to government’s non realistic approach, improper care and dare of the guardians, lack of social Justice in the state and unrealisation of their potential and capability. Knowing that, a big number in the State prevail through total or partial blindness, the concerned government authorities have never shown any interest towards their rehabilitation, education or social obligation. The authorities might claim for one Abhinanda Home at Rambagh Srinagar, but the situation seems there bad to worse. “ The blind home run by social welfare department is a shameful gesture of this State, where the blinds are treated like animals. It was a home for adult blinds to learn different trades and get suitable education, but neither the infrastructure is available, nor the staff is committed to serve the purpose” Said Aijaz Ahmad resident of Sarai bala Srinagar, a 25 year old blind. “I left the Home after two months, because nobody was telling me how to do the chair canning, for which I was actually admitted, I was told that, you have no job to do at home, so your parents put you here, to keep themselves free of tension. What will we do, when government has not allotted / granted any fund to us to look after your worries.”
Surprisingly there is no school for blind girls or children below 18 years of age at present in Kashmir , as in other parts of the country. In early eighties there remained one such school, reportedly somewhere in Barbarshah area of Srinagar locality. The school voluntarily run by one Kashmiri Pandit, in which hundreds of boys and girls read in Braille System of education and all of them are reaping dividends of that schooling today like, Aijaz Ahmad Mir(blind) presently working as Senior X-ray technician in SKIMS Soura Srinagar, Shaheena Chesti (blind) working as music teacher in a Govt. school, Mohd. Shafi Kawoosa (blind) presently senior law officer in Government law department after doing LLB and LLM from Kashmir university and many more nowadays living a prosperous life.
Couple of years back Composite Rehabilitation Centre (CRC), a Govt. of India undertaking, came in to existence in Srinagar to rehabilitate the handicapped people of this destitute State, having a good location and premises at Bemina bye-pass near Govt. women Polytechnic Srinagar, but how come that could cater the need of a school, that too for the visually handicapped children. It can simply be a counseling centre for these sightless, never a school to learn. State Government among its priorities, should show a courtesies approach in this regard to establish a blind school in the valley, keeping in view the increasing trend of blindness in the region and willingness of these children to show their God- gifted and matured talent by way of basic schooling in valley. Quite alarming that these blind children of the state are seen emigrating from their homeland to other states of India for want of education and rehabilitation. As recently monitored, the dozens of boys and girls of the State tightening up with their parents to leave for Dehradun (Utranchal) for want of admission in NIVH.
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