More than just a boycott!

The happenings during the present election of Parliament members in Kashmir seem to be more than a simple boycott. The violent resistance does not bode well for the forthcoming assembly elections!

Election boycott has been in vogue in Kashmir for a pretty long time. In the past, there have been occasions when the boycott was quite effective and sometimes almost total. All the parties leading Kashmir’s popular movement have been giving calls for boycotting the elections under the Indian Constitution. In spite of such calls, on some occasions, people in large numbers have come out to vote while as at some other times there has been almost total boycott. The plea of the people giving calls for boycott has been that these elections are used for propaganda by the Indian Government to show to the world that the majority of Kashmiris respect and favour Indian Constitution and are with India. It is only a minority instigated by Pakistan which is against the association of Kashmir with India. It is also alleged that on many an occasion, people have been forced to come out for voting and allegedly sometimes the security forces have been used for this purpose which action has been described as “escorting” the voters for voting! No such report was made this time.
During the last election when a considerable number of people came out for voting, the general impression given by the mainstream political parties was that these elections are only for good governance. It was emphasized by one and all that these are not going to affect the overall political problem regarding the final solution to the future dispensation of Kashmir. The most common slogan was that the elections are for “Bijli, Pani, aur Sadak!” (Power, Water, and Roads!”) People really believed in this gimmickry of the mainstream political parties. However, even though the people overlooked their long term aspirations and ambitions of total emancipation to get some sort of effective and good governance, they were completely disappointed and disgusted by the results of last five years. Had there been good governance, people might have thought of coming out to vote to at least improve their living conditions. Such a possibility seems remote in view of the most corrupt political and administrative set up patronised by Delhi all the time in Kashmir. The people in general and the youth in particular seem to be convinced that these elections will neither help in improving the living conditions nor will these lead to a political solution.
However, the most marked difference in the previous boycotts and the present one is the vehemence with which the youth have been enforcing the boycott. In both the phases of the election held so far there was not only violence including attacks on the polling booths and the polling staff but there were also clashes between the youth and the police. The youth seemed bent upon preventing polling in many places. Earlier boycotts were demonstrative of the lack of faith the people had in the process and they used to very quietly stay away. However, this time there was resistance in allowing the voting to take place. People were being forcibly prevented from voting by the restive youth. Even if the government figures of about 27% polling are taken to be correct, what were the other 73% of the people thinking about the whole process? Sham elections for propaganda only! What do they really want? As reported by some journalists the reasons given by the youth for the boycott reveal that they have no faith in the elections under Indian supervision. The youth have stated that they cannot forget their brethren martyred in previous years. They want final solution of the basic political problem rather than improvement in living conditions and the development!
The violence and resistance still took place in spite of the arrest of almost 600 to 1000 young men in the valley and detaining and house arresting almost all the “Azadi” leaders. This effective enforced boycott must have given a positive feeling of achievement to the youth and there may be much more serious trouble during the assembly elections in November next. The killing of the youth in firing at the close of the election in Srinagar and the subsequent imposition of curfew indicate the possible violence in future elections. There seems to be a major change in perception about the elections. Instead of an exercise to elect the same coterie of mainstream leaders usually boycotted quietly by the people it is turning into another avenue of resistance. This clearly shows the extent of alienation as well as the impatience of the youth in getting the basic problem resolved at the earliest. Thus the present election has seen much more than a simple boycott. A grim warning to all concerned interested in getting the basic political problem resolved peacefully that the time is running out and we may soon face an eruption more virulent than the earlier ones!

Amarnath to Tosamaidan!

The Kashmiris’ anger in regard to the land transfer or lease in both the cases should be an eye opener to all claiming Kashmiris’ reconciliation to the status quo!

The two instances of popular outburst involving the transfer of land/ extension in the lease of the land already transferred amply demonstrate the peoples’ sentiments in regard to the future dispensation of Kashmir. In fact, in a recent article in the Citizen titled, “Tosamaidan is a Trigger in Election Year”, General Hasnain, the former Commander of the Indian Army’s Srinagar based 15th Corps has stated that the case of the extension of lease in case of the Tosamaidan firing range could result in another agitation on the pattern of the Amarnath land transfer upheaval of 2008. No doubt the possession of land in Kashmir is the most volatile issue especially because of the revolutionary legislation giving the land to the tiller enacted during the first tenure of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah. The Kashmiri peasant had gained total control of the land he had been tilling for ages with this law, the only one of its kind in the entire sub-continent. Till that time the land had been snatched from the tillers by the landlords and the tillers could hardly get a small portion of the produce resulting from their blood and sweat to keep their body and soul together. Having regained the possession of the land and all rights over it, it is the most painful thing for a Kashmiri if someone even just talks of taking this land away from him. The possession of the land is deeply embedded in the sub-conscious of a Kashmiri. Anything in this regard is sure to trigger deep emotions as has already been seen during the Amarnath land agitation.
However, the land in question in both agitations, the Amarnath and Tosamaidan was/is not the land of a tiller. In case of Amarnath it was the land at the start of the pilgrimage and en route for creating permanent facilities. In case of Tosamaidan it is a high-altitude meadow surrounded by forests. In both cases, the main problem is the damage to bio-diversity and total environmental degradation. It has been the general sentiment and the feeling that the outsiders are planning to take possession of the land which belongs to a Kashmiri. Here, it may be pointed out that there are already thousands of acres of land with the Army and paramilitary forces all over the state. There are dozens of cantonments, ammunition dumps, and a number of various other facilities of the security forces in all parts of the state. There has never been a popular movement or an agitation to get all these lands vacated. The State Government itself has been trying to get some areas freed within the city like the Tattoo Ground. However, there has been a continuous demand in the recent past to get the security presence deep inside the civilian areas vacated along with the revocation of the notorious legislation AFSPA giving unbridled powers with total immunity to these forces.
There has been a marked change in perception about the Army and other security forces after the decade of nineties. The Army came to Kashmir in 1947 supposedly as saviours and in spite of some earlier instances like the 1965 infiltration of Azad Kashmir forces and the subsequent war, they continued to be very close to the civilian population with the least security hassles. However, the upheaval of nineties changed everything. The Army came to be looked upon as an occupation force after the brutalities of this decade. Kashmiris developed an inside hatred which all the Sadbhavana programmes have not been able to remove. It is an extreme alienation especially in the generation which came up through the turmoil and the brutalities of the nineties. The continued highest level of security and the refusal of the security forces to face the accountability have been deepening this alienation especially among the new generation.  
General Hasnain has correctly pointed out that the extension in the Tosamaidan lease would be providing a trigger in the election year. However, it needs to be stated in explicit terms as to what the trigger is going to unleash?  Another mass upheaval? If so, why? The plain and simple truth is that the Kashmiri refuses to accept the status quo. He uses every excuse to demonstrate his discontentment. Incidentally, the discontent with the oppressive security has been coupled with the worst kind of mis-governance by the most corrupt political and administrative set up the Kashmiris have seen since 1947. All these are the consequences of a situation of perennial uncertainty about the basic political problem. These are only the symptoms and not the real disease or malaise. The real problem is the unsettled future of Kashmir. At the present moment the Kashmiris do not see any light at the end of the tunnel. They have neither got good governance for a reasonably good day to day living nor is there any visible movement to the final solution of the basic political problem. Their boat appears to be adrift and is being tossed from side to side by winds coming from different directions. In fact it is a boat without any oarsman being tossed by the waves! Shifting of a firing range or any other similar action will not solve the basic problem. Both the Amarnath agitation and the Tosamaidan upheaval should open the eyes of the authorities who instead of taking the firefighting measures for temporary management should honestly and sincerely try to address the basic political problem to usher in real peace. Otherwise we will continue to see many more Amarnaths and Tosamaidans in a more virulent form!

The Lotus Eaters

Kashmiris have an uncanny resemblance to the mythological “Lotus Eaters” of the famous Greek tragedy, “Ulysses”

It is a well-known fact that Kashmiris are very fond of eating the lotus roots (Nadroo) and lotus seeds (Pambach). It would be interesting to recapitulate the story of the lotus eaters as given in the Greek tragedy Ulysses.  Interestingly, the behaviour of Kashmiris very much resembles the people living in the land of lotus eaters as described in the Greek mythology. As per the account in Wikipedia, “In Greek mythology the lotus-eaters also referred to as the lotophagi or lotophaguses were a race of people living on an island near North Africa (possibly Djerba) dominated by lotus plants. The lotus fruits and flowers were the primary food of the island and were narcotic, causing the people to sleep in peaceful apathy.”
According to the account in the Greek tragedy, the hero Odysseus on his return journey from the Trojan War encounters many strange creatures like Cyclops and Sirens. He also comes to an Island called the land of the “Lotus Eaters”. He sends some of his sailors to explore the land. They discover there people very fond of eating lotus plants. They too eat these and fall into a stupor and are unable to move till Odysseus rescues them. These sailors are crying but they do not want to leave the island. Odysseus has to tie these sailors with chains to the benches to prevent them from running back to the island.
In ancient Egypt, there are legends about the Blue Lotus. The Egyptian high priests used these in their ceremonies. The petals of the Blue Lotus were scattered on the tomb of Tutankhamen and the flower has been featured in the ancient Egyptian art.                                         
 It is reported that the preparations from the root of the Blue Lotus which very much resembles the Nadroo of Kashmir possess certain psychedelic properties. It is a fact that Kashmiris too are supposed to be somewhat lethargic and full of apathy. However, there are also bouts of awakening which surprise many. Generally people remain in a very stoic state unmoved by events around them. During last decade or so there have been a couple of mass upheavals. One was about the Amarnath land transfer and the other about the killing of innocent boys. Entire Kashmir was under siege. Millions had taken to roads. It appeared the anger of the people would be impossible to suppress. However, with a large number of killings of youth, continuous declared and undeclared curfew, the upheaval was contained. Anyone who had visited Kashmir during the upheaval and after would not believe these were the same people!
During the entire history of Kashmir’s movement for “Azadi” which generally means total emancipation, there have been many ups and downs. Many times between the upheavals the people appear to resemble the “Lotus Eaters” of the Ulysses. However, at some other times they behave like true revolutionaries who would be impossible to suppress. That may be the major difference in the two categories of “Lotus Eaters”, the ones depicted in Ulysses and the other living in this serene and calm mystic valley of saints. May be the reason for this strange swinging behaviour is the fact that we do not eat Nadroos and Pambach all the time? We only occasionally eat the lotus roots and the seeds while as the in the Island of lotus eaters in Ulysses they only ate the lotus and its other off shoots and it was their main and probably the only diet. It would be worthwhile for our scientists to conduct some research in regard to the eating of lotus roots and the behaviour of Kashmiris!

Hypocrisy of the Freedom of expression

The principle has been battered in Kashmir during the recent times

The recent incident involving threats to Kashmir based columnists has raised many questions about the most cherished human right of the freedom of expression. In fact any talk about this right is becoming hypocritical. One of the most fundamental pillars in a democratic set up is the right of a person to express freely without any fear his views on any subject including the functioning of the state itself through any medium he desires to use. Constitutions of all free and democratic countries guarantee this right to their citizens. Wikipedia gives an interesting detail including the history of the right of freedom of speech and expression. It would be useful to quote some of the passages in original:
“Concepts of freedom of speech can be found in early human rights documents. England’s Bill of Rights 1689 granted 'freedom of speech in Parliament' and is still in effect. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, adopted during the French Revolution in 1789, specifically affirmed freedom of speech as an inalienable right. The Declaration provides for freedom of expression in Article 11, which states that: “The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law." Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, states that: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."
Today freedom of speech, or the freedom of expression, is recognized in international and regional human rights law. The right is enshrined in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 13 of the American Convention on Human Rights and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights.”
The height of hypocrisy is the way India treats this right in Kashmir. Article 19. 1 (a) and (b) of the Constitution of India states that “All citizens shall have a right to freedom of speech and expression and to assemble peacefully without arms.” These expressions seem to have disappeared from the copies of the Constitution of India which cross into Jammu & Kashmir from the Indian mainland. For last couple of decades every attempt at free assembly and expression has been curtailed by the authorities by employing various overt and covert means. This fact has been repeatedly commented upon and vehemently opposed by the International Watch Dog Organisations of the fundamental human rights. However, in view of the violence from all sides, the major concern in this part of the world has been regarding the right to life which too remains suspended due to certain draconian legislations giving total and absolute immunity to the security forces for all their alleged acts of killings. The major concern of one and all at the moment is to make the security forces accountable for all their actions. Incidentally, the exercise of the right to write does not seem to bother the authorities so much. One can see many writings criticising the authorities in all spheres incisively in most of the print media.
On the contrary, it has been observed that the people who claim to struggle for these very fundamental rights sometimes go to the height of hypocrisy by showing intolerance even for objective and unbiased reporting of facts. Of course, they have every right to question any writing belittling or denigrating a person. Nor does the freedom of expression itself allow abuse or denigration. There are legal as well as moral safeguards for that in every society. In any case, neither the state nor any individual citizen or his supporters have any right whatsoever to threaten a writer for his writings especially if these do not have any denigrating or abusive content and are just objectively reported facts. Normally one would expect people aspiring for ultimate freedom to be more open to even constructive criticism to enlighten them about various possible pitfalls and risks involved in such movements. It sometimes happens that there is an abundance of certain followers who try to be more loyal than the king and by their actions cause more harm than good! However, it is incumbent upon a king to rope in and keep in check such overenthusiastic followers in the interests of the overall movement for its ultimate success. That is the only way to escape the label of hypocrisy. It is a universal truth that often wrong means result in a wrong end and people professing high ideals end up as hypocrites!

The downside of Kashmir Tourism

Because of various adverse effects on environment, commerce and prices of travel as well as commodities, Tourism is proving to be bane rather than boon for common Kashmiris

As usual there is an outcry among tourism players because of sky high airfares raised by various airlines for travel to Srinagar from various destinations both within the state and outside. The travel trade has been accusing some quarters for sabotaging travel to Kashmir by raising these airfares. However, the raised airfares do not affect the tourists as much as the local Kashmiris traveling to and fro for various reasons including medical treatment, studies, and trade etc. The most affected is the short notice travel. The tourists decide their programmes well in advance and most of the travel houses make block bookings well in advance for the group travel. Because of so called free market economy the airlines allow the market forces to determine the price without any reasonable upper limit. Normally, the airfare regulatory authority of the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) is supposed to cap the fares. Every airline is supposed to file the upper and lower limit of fares to various destinations with the authority in the start of the season and the authority is expected to keep a continuous check on these fares by regular monitoring. International Airlines have to follow the rules and regulations fixed by the IATA (International Air Transport Association). Last September DGCA fixed the upper and lower limits of fares between Delhi and Mumbai to prevent various airlines going berserk in regard to the upper limit of the fares. In regard to Kashmir, there does not seem to be any upper limit fixed by the DGCA for various airlines and there is a free fall all in this regard especially during summer season.
Almost every politician including the rulers mounts every pulpit to proclaim that the tourism is a big boon for Kashmir although the trade does not constitute even 7% of the State’s GDP. The most adverse effect felt by the common people is on prices including the airfare. All other things do also get adversely affected. The first to be struck is the fragile environment. Be it the water bodies like Dal Lake or the lush green meadows and forests which have been virtually turned into concrete jungles. Every activity is most unfortunately weighed by one and all in terms of its impact on tourism. One of the major factors in the pollution of Dal Lake has been the mushroom growth of hotels on the banks of the Lake and the house boats inside it. The three most scenic and natural meadows of Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg have been virtually turned into concrete urban centres by uncontrolled growth of hotels and other facilities. In fact, some of the newer spots are being destroyed by the Tourism Department itself by constructing unnecessary infrastructure by spending hundreds of crores which according to latest CAG report has remained completely unutilised thereby turning the expenditure infructuous. One would not mind the loss of crores pocketed by the constructing agencies in league with local politicians and concerned engineers but the destruction of environment is totally irreversible. The so called Tourism Development Authorities are proving to be money minting rackets at the cost of local environment. In real terms the State has no business to set up the infrastructure. It should have been left to the private sector with government only being a watch dog authority for regulation to ensure sustainable tourism as per carrying capacity of each area.
It is a tragedy that while as the so called tourism promoters are spending hundreds of crores for the illusive tourists, the basic civic facilities have remained unattended due to lack of funds. The recent snow fall resulting in inundating of the most parts of the city is a typical example of the lack of interest and drive in improving civic facilities for the local population. We can find hundreds of crores for Golf Courses and Cable Cars but not for basic civic amenities because of a “Tourism Mania”! Incidentally, even till date the State has to formulate a “Tourism Policy” and a “Perspective Plan” for Tourism Development. The worldwide emphasis on “Sustainable Tourism” does not form part of the lexicon of our local Tourism developers. Money regardless of its colour is the only consideration. Tourism Department instead of going in for “Sustainable Tourism” and preservation of environment is allegedly making plans for an event like the notorious Zubin Mehta concert. Few crores are alleged to be earmarked for participation in a “Film Awards” show in Florida to sell Kashmir to the people whose countries have prohibited them from coming here.
The worst part of the “Tourism Mania” is the tendency among all the mainstream politicians in Delhi and Srinagar to consider tourism as a barometer of political normalcy. Tourists visiting Kashmir are used as propaganda tool worldwide to project peace in Kashmir. No doubt tourism being a service oriented industry provides a large number of seasonal jobs to the local people but the basic requirement for tourism is real and genuine peace. No one wants to go for a holiday to a place of uncertainty. One never knows when the deceptive peace in Kashmir will blow up. At the moment the bulk of traffic is budgeted tourism. The high end travellers are still avoiding Kashmir. With the increased airfares, they would be better off to travel to Europe or South East Asia in the same price. In the ultimate analysis, Tourism has been creating more problems than benefits for the common Kashmiris. The Cambridge dictionary defines boon as “something that is very helpful and improves the quality of life”. In contrast, bane is defined as, “a cause of continuous trouble or unhappiness”. It is for the people to judge whether Tourism is a boon or bane for Kashmir!

Gulkand Wari Manz Balgum!

A Kashmiri proverb which aptly describes Kashmir’s present situation.

Kashmir has been traditionally called the “Resh Weur” or the “Pir Weur” meaning a bowl of saints or spiritual persons. The valley has been abode of mystics for a long time.  In the sphere of very tolerant religious thought and human values it can be compared to a bowl containing the nectar of flowers especially the roses which is called “Gulkand”. A bowl containing the “Gulkand”, the nectar of peace, tolerance, brotherhood and humanity is a pious thing. This is a description of the highest piety for which the valley of Kashmir had been famous throughout the world. Now imagine the fate of the bowl if someone throws phlegm into it instead of the nectar! This is precisely what has happened during last few decades because of the deeds of what are known as the Kashmir’s mainstream leaders.
Corruption both material and moral has become the order of the day. Truth has been completely banished from Kashmir. Discipline and accountability do not exist in the lexicon of the Kashmir’s present rulers. There is no sphere of the society which is not tainted one way or the other. Scandals involving fake drugs, fake degrees, leaked examination papers,  adulterated milk and other food stuffs and even sexual misdemeanour get exposed every second day. How has “Gulkand” turned into phlegm? It has happened because the very foundation of these rulers is based on falsehood. All these leaders right from 1947 have been lying about the true feelings of the common people. With the dawn of freedom in the sub-continent Kashmiris too had seen a ray of hope for their emancipation. They had dreamt that the bowl of nectar which had been snatched from them would be restored. However, instead of the bowl of nectar they were drowned in a bowl full of phlegm! Every bit of nectar was squeezed out of Kashmir and the bowl has been filled with all kinds of muck and rubbish.
The desecration of this pious bowl cannot be blamed only on the outsiders and their henchmen. There is a saying that the people get the rulers they deserve. The fault also lies with the people who inhabit the bowl. They consider themselves to be the followers of the most emancipated faith. However, even though they adhere strictly to the rituals yet they have no faith in its basic spirit and have gone astray. The first thing the faith teaches is to speak the truth regardless of the consequences. Unfortunately, the truth has been the first casualty in Kashmir. Some people say that it is the misfortune of Kashmiris that they face all these miseries. On the contrary, the people appear to be deviated and not unfortunate. Material greed has eaten away all the finer qualities of life. Honesty, sincerity, affection, love, friendship and above all the truth seem to have vanished from this valley of the saints. People have become selfish and callous. Most of the social interactions have vanished. People meet each other only at funerals or marriages. Immorality and waywardness have assumed alarming proportions. The so called mainstream leaders by their own examples have been acting as catalysts to further all these deviant qualities. In a metaphoric sense they are the phlegm which has eaten away the nectar of the roses!
What can one do to cleanse the nectar of the dirty phlegm? Whatever one may do, the phlegm can never be converted into the nectar. It would need throwing out the phlegm and cleaning the bowl before the new nectar grows in it. This has to be done in such a way that the bowl itself does not get damaged. This can only be done when the new generation which is the new nectar for the bowl follows principles and convictions rather than blindly trails the so called leaders. Every member of the new generation should be a leader in himself. He or she should follow the ideology, convictions and stand by the truth regardless of the consequences.  If the personality cult, sycophancy, and nepotism ceases, the phlegm will get thrown out itself. The time for gourd and aubergine (Alle Te Wangan) is long past. There is a strong hope that the new generation by their sacrifices will not only cleanse the bowl of Kashmir of the dirty phlegm but will fill it with new nectar of peace, tolerance, brotherhood and humanity. God Almighty will definitely guide and protect them if they follow the straight path! 

Disastrous Management!

Disaster Management does not mean only to give succour after a disaster strikes but it involves preparedness to face any disaster, natural or man-made

There is no defence against natural calamities which usually happen unannounced. One has to be prepared to face these. There are sometimes ways and means which can prevent accidents in times of natural disasters. Such as avalanche prevention on dangerous mountain slopes. Landslides on mountain slopes during rain or even earthquakes and so on. With certain preventive measures, it is possible to avert serious damage. Also one can even avoid panic which accompanies disasters, if one has been prepared mentally and physically to face these natural calamities. It is also possible to lessen the after effects of a disaster through advance preparations and proper management. However, in our case, quite a few disasters are manmade resulting from what one can call, the “Disastrous Management!”
There are three major natural calamities which need disaster management both as a preventive measure before occurrence and rendering succour after the event. The first is the earthquake. Kashmir has faced many severe ones in the past. Being in the most dangerous seismic zone, there are apprehensions that a big one may strike any time in future. Many experts have advised that all building construction in Kashmir should follow strictly measures prescribed for such seismic zones. In fact, an American expert has written a book on this subject stating that the traditional brick and timber structure is most ideal for Kashmir. These structures are more flexible compared to cement concrete and are thus safer in earthquakes. With the onset of modern reinforced cement concrete constructions, hardly anyone is following these norms. The cement concrete structures can be made safe by taking earthquake safety measures. Column-beam structures need expansion joints. Similarly, concrete slabs on brick and timber walls become death traps in an earthquake as happened in 2005 in Muzaffrabad. Government needs to issue mandatory guidelines before a building permission is given for incorporating earthquake safety measures.
Next in the line of natural disasters are the floods. Kashmir is prone to severe floods and there have been many devastating ones in the past. For last decade or so we have not had a major flood. This has made us neglect both the flood prevention measures and the subsequent control/relief measures. The most important prevention measure is the dredging of River Jhelum, the main channel traversing the whole valley. During Maharaja’s time the river used to be regularly dredged right from Khadanyar to Khannabal. However, during the modern progressive development oriented regimes we have seen not only the river bed filled up by sedimentation but even the basins have been encroached and filled up. Wular was a huge basin which could take a lot of water but it has been now reduced to miniscule size by willow plantation and paddy fields all around. To save Srinagar city during floods the river embankment at Kandizaal used to be breached and the water would spread in a large area by- passing the city. All these basins of wetlands and paddy fields have been turned into residential colonies. There are also flood channels to by-pass Srinagar. These too have got filled up or encroached. So we are waiting for a disaster due to our greed, negligence and above all the disastrous management.  
The third calamity is a very heavy snowfall during winter. This calamity has already struck us during the current winter. The only positive side was an early warning given by Mr. Sonam Lotus (becoming a household name these days). However, he too can improve by monitoring the weather continuously and updating it to all concerned. Even though the snow falls we are witnessing now are nothing compared to the ones we had in the earlier times yet these completely disrupt the life throughout the valley. In our childhood one would witness snow up to almost first floor windows but now a days we only get a couple of feet in the city. In the Kashmir of the good old days even though people were mostly confined to their homes, yet they were fully prepared to face the rigours of the winter. From dried vegetables to firewood for bukharis, and the charcoal for kangris used to be stocked in advance by every household. Then came the modern revolution and we were shown the proverbial light, the electric power! Everything changed. We forgot all the old ways of heating, cooking and washing. Hot and cold air-conditioners, microwave ovens, washing machines and what not? Everything running on electric power. Unfortunately, the power started playing hide and seek and we were left in the lurch. We can neither go ahead nor move backwards. Stuck in a time machine with frozen speedo-meter! That is simply known as the “Disastrous Management”! Firstly, the fault lies with the archaic distribution system. Had we a state of the art distribution system with underground cables, the power authorities would not be forced to switch off power with the start of the snowfall or even in a strong wind. Ours must be the most fragile system in the world!  In spite of all these difficulties the ground level workers did an excellent job of restoration in the most trying conditions and deserve appreciation. The major sore point has been water-logging caused by choked drains and failure of dewatering pumps. This did not happen because of the negligence of the staff involved but due to mismanagement of the schemes meant for installing a fool-proof drainage system.
There are two lessons from the recent winter disaster. These calamities do not occur often and come unannounced. However, all departments need to have contingency plans to face these and these have to be refreshed every now and then even though nothing may strike. Secondly, the basic causes of disruption such as archaic power distribution system, defective and lopsided drainage and standby arrangements in case of drainage failure need to be revamped. The disaster management would be much easier if we pay attention to set right our basic disastrous management!