Red Spring

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Rameez Makhdoomi

Spring is the season of optimism, freshness and seen everywhere a season that enthuses life in things after a long winter. Many have opined that spring is surely the best season of the year. Most of the people love this season and in Kashmir flowers blossoming, rainfall, snow melting, beautiful gardens represent Spring. It is the favorite season of poets.

Painfully enough, In Kashmir the Spring 2018 has started with death and pain.  As on Sunday night, 4th March the parents were over the moon with joy  that tomorrow their kids will get first day of schooling after long winter break, Kashmir got bruised by a sad news   that during a late night shootout at Shopian in south Kashmir resulted in the killing of two local militants and four civilians travelling in two vehicles. The Army stated  it retaliated after its check post was fired at from a car, in which the Militants and their associates were killed. Their families and local insist that killed civilians were innocents who had nothing to do with Militancy.

Amid versions and counter versions what was clear that Spring started in Kashmir on deadly note raising fears once again of an unpredictable summer.

 

Bilal Bashir Bhat, a young Journalist stated –

“ Spring is the season of hope and is seen as the season that gives life to everything. Unfortunately on a painful note the Spring in Kashmir has started on a disastrous tone with killings and pain writ large over the situation of Kashmir. Scores of young ones have lost their life at the onset of Spring in Kashmir on account of prevalent volatile situation. The grave nature of situation has ensured that summer season having a peaceful start hopes and vibes have received a setback . Kashmir political dispute should be amicably settled to give masses a healing balm and end this misery .”

Again the hopes were dashed, after the killing of three militants and two among them locals in South Kashmir Encounter on Sunday Night , 11 March , with one of them hailing from Buchpora Ahmednagar area, the soura and its adjoining areas observed shutdown for three days and Kashmir life was brought once again to grinding halt.

The bleak scenario calls on all the stakeholders to ensure that issues of Kashmir are solved in an amicable manner so that Kashmir does not see further pain and death, and all forms of destruction comes to an end.

I stand informed by the media first as a speculation then as a fact : Haseeb Drabu after sacking

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News Kashmir Desk

Former Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu this evening issued a statement to press as he was sacked for his statement calling Kashmir a social issue .

The complete details are as under:

 

“Even as I issue this statement, I have no formal or even personal communication either from the government or from the party about my being dropped from the Cabinet on 12th of March. I stand informed by the media first as a speculation then as a fact.

 

I deem it necessary to set the record straight.

 

On the PHDCCI Speech:

 

The speech I delivered on the 9th of March 2018 focussed on a thought that has been on my mind: the role of civil society in resolving the issue of Kashmir.

 

Speaking to a select gathering of Ambassadors and industrialists, who could be possible investors in peace in J&K, I tried to make the point that Kashmir was not only a political issue to be resolved by the nation state of India and the successive governments at the centre and the state, but that there is a social issue that needs to be resolved at the level of the civil society.

 

It was made in the larger context of how our society has been ravaged and has impaired real-life situations and sensibilities especially of the youth. As an example, relevant to the Ambassadors present, I quoted the case of the travel advisories of various countries, in this context, which may be politically induced but on ground are effectively acting as a social boycott of Kashmiris. This, I said, in turn engenders a political thinking that is isolationist.The need as such is for civil society institutions to get involved and make interventions in their areas of influence to resolve the social issues pervading our society.

 

There have been innuendoes that I said this or was made to say this with an ulterior motive. The fact is that it is a long-heldbelief and I have repeatedly said it that the engagement with Kashmir should be at various levels. When I was the Chairman of the J&K Bank, I used to lament the fact that while as around 40% of shareholding of the bank was with Foreign Institutional Investors, not a single Indian Institution was invested with the bank.

 

For the record, on 14thJune 2014, I delivered a keynote address in Srinagar along the same lines. An abridged version was published on 18th June, 2014 in Greater Kashmir. Only a few days back, I spoke at the Indian Econometric Conference and asked the researchers to show me a single research they would have done in J&K. I called it the “Apathy of the Academia”. The same is true for engagement at the levels of individuals, intelligentsiaand trade & commerce. Those who heard my speech or care to read it dispassionately will know that when I was talking about our aspirations and the efforts at self-discovery, I was in fact nuancing the very stand of the People’s Democratic Party before a very select audience

 

To the best of my understanding and knowledge, this in no way goes against the articulated and stated political position of PDP. Nor does it dent its image. It is, in fact, very much a part of the PDP’s political philosophy and agenda of reconciliation.

 

As for my understanding of the political ideology of PDP, it is based on my drafting of various election manifestoes, the aspirational agenda, and the all-important Self Rule document, which Mufti Sahib involved me in. Indeed, the terms and conditions based on which the current PDP-BJP alliance was formed, the Agenda of alliance, was drafted under his guidance.

 

On the Party statements and action:

 

The sequence of events that unfolded is as follows: I delivered the speech at the PHDCCI event on 9th of March in the evening.

 

On the 11th of March 2018on my return from Delhi, I saw a press statement of the Vice President, Mr Sartaj Madni, asserting that resolution of the political problem of J&K is the core agenda of the PDP and asking me to retract the statement I had reportedly made in Delhi.

 

By evening a letter from Mr.A R Veeri, Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee was delivered at my residence. It asked me to explain my statement which ‘has caused a serious dent to the image of the party.’ I called VeeriSbbut he was probably unable to take my call. He had later called back as I saw a missed call from his number.

 

Next day morning I spoke to Veeri Sahib and he suggested that I should talk to the Party President and the Chief Minister. I called the CM residence in New Delhi and was told that CM was busy and would call me back in 10 minutes. That call never came. By early afternoon I called up the CM residence and sought an appointment. Even as I was waiting for it, it was reported on the website of the Daily Greater Kashmir that the CM had decided to drop me from the council of ministers and had written to the Governor to this effect. I finally got a call to meet the CM at 7.15 pm.

 

The decision to drop me did come as a surprise but what was shocking was the manner and method of communicating it. While I understand and accept the decision of the Party, to take to media before talking to me, was painful. I was not accorded the opportunity to explain the context and the content of my speech.

 

Notwithstanding this, I am very grateful to Mufti Sahib and Mehboobaji to have been given the opportunity to contribute in whatever small way I could in accomplishing the Party Patron’s vision of addressing the distressing situation in and around Jammu and Kashmir which has jeopardized the security, peace and prosperity of the people of the state and imperilled stability in the subcontinent.

 

My association with PDP dates to those years when I wasn’t even formally into politics. The rapport I enjoyed with its late founder and patron is something that I would cherish all my life. The unflinching confidence that he always reposed in me and the relationship of trust that we shared is my source of strength to endure this situation.

 

Not for nothing did he entrust me with the task of negotiating with the BJP and make me the pointsman for thealliance which was later continued by Mehbooba ji. Every single meeting, discussion and negotiations were done with the knowledge and consent of the Patron and the President.

 

If there is one thing that I feel very proud of in my political stint in Kashmir till now, it is that I was Mufti Sahib’s Finance Minister. My association with Mufti Sahabdates back to 2003 when he appointed me as an Economic Adviser to the government headed by him. It was Mufti Sahab who inspired me and indeed persuaded me to join the politics as according to him politics provides the best instrument to serve the people and bring change in their lives.

 

When I was asked by the Party President to contest 2014 Assembly elections from Rajpora constituency, it was an honour and I was overwhelmed by the support extended by the people of the area to PDP’s inclusive and progressive policies resulting in my maiden election as an MLA from the area. I assure the people of the area that I will continue to work for them. I am very grateful to them for their love and affection.

 

I must thank Mehbooba ji for reposing trust in me which helpedthis Government to set offso many pioneering initiatives in the specific area of public expenditure management and generally in the fronts of economic development. I bear no ill will against anyone. That’s simply not my way of being.

 

I am committed to work for the welfare of the people of the state in whatever capacity I am in now. At a personal level, for me and my family, it is Dejavu! And since God has been kind to me there is no reason for me not to trust in his benevolence this time round. I stand by my choices, political or otherwise. And firmly believe that he knows best!”

 

JKYJA Observes 6th Anniversary

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Srinagar, 05 March: Jammu and Kashmir Young Journalists Association
(JKYJA) is observing its 6th anniversary today. It was on this day in
2012 that the working body of young journalists from the state was
constituted. JKYJA is the first association of young working
journalists.

The idea of forming an association that takes care of the young
journalists in the field came about as a result of difficult situation
that the young scribes face in conflict ridden Kashmir, said the
founding President  Ajaz Ahmad War.

“It is an extremely difficult job for young, unprotected journalists
to work in a conflict zone like Kashmir and their limb and life are at
risk,” said War. “While all the journalists are equally susceptible to
the vagaries of conflict, the younger generation is more prone to be
at the receiving end. So, it was mandatory for us to form a body of
young working journalists, so that their problems and grievances could
be addressed.”

JKYJA Vic President Bilal Furqani said that the formation of such an
organization was the need of the hour and it is meant to take care of
the requirements of young journos and address their problems.

General Secretary of the organization Rameez Makhdoomi said that JKYJA
is doing an exemplary job and raises various issues at different
platforms to address the grievances of young scribes.

At a function held at the head office, Organizer Majid Kapra impressed
upon the members to strengthen the body further, so as to guarantee a
better future for young journos.

Treasurer Bilal Bhat urged the need to make the association more
vibrant by organizing various activities across the state.

Moral Bankruptcy

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News Kashmir Analysis

Moral values are the core component of a healthy society and more stronger the moral fabric the more vibrant is a society. Unfortunately with the turmoil stretching for over three decades now in Kashmir the morality has taken a hit.

Moral Bankruptcy, Moral Degradation have achieved peak as a result crime rate has gone up and the crimes previously unheard in the valley of Kashmir are taking place with regularity. All this has left the voices of sanity rattled .

In the recent times, Newborns  left over by parents is another gruesome  crime defining our moral decay as very recently a new born was left  to dogs in Lal Ded Hospital garbage dumping site.

In a heart-wrenching incident recently , a newborn baby wrapped in a plastic bag was dumped at a garbage site at Srinagar’s Lal Ded Hospital. This was the third baby abandoned in the recent times in the valley of Kashmir .

Drug menace has been growing at an alarming pace in the valley of Kashmir. Increasing drug addiction among youth, browsing the  cyber world for negative things is another height of immorality that Kashmir is moving towards. On the other hand , the instances of domestic violence against women have increased and sexual crimes against children are also on rise.

 

Sheikh Sameer, a research scholar said –“ Moral Bankruptcy can have disastrous consequences on a society. The moral decay of the Kashmiri society is evident. Heinous crimes taking place on regular basis and surfacing of rancorous scams and scandals has come to define what one call the speedy moral decay of the society. We cannot just talk conflict and conflict or politics and ignore the burning issues hampering our society. Moral decay on overall paradigms is a very serious issue and concern that should be fought before it destroys the entire fabric of our society.”

One thing linked with the moral bankruptcy is the intellectual bankruptcy of the Kashmir .  The growing pulse among many  a common Kashmiris is that our intellectuals write and ponder over burning  issues not out of genuine concern, but to remain in limelight and collect awards and in realistic terms do in reality  nothing to address the burning issues.

 

Commenting on serious issues in cozy chambers under all the facilities  has become a habit of our intellectuals and no ground work on same is compounding matters .

The need of the hour is to weed out the vices and take it priority number one as society to fix moral bankruptcy.

Women on The Edge

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Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander

Recently I was invited to a two day national conference (16-17 February, 2018) titled, Interdisciplinary National Conference on Economics, Banking Finance and Social Sciences(INCEBS). It was organized by KES Shroff College of Arts and Commerce, Mumbai, run by Kandivili Education society. My paper titled Muslim Women in India: From Fatwas to Feminism was selected for presentation during the two day conference. I was also a panelist in a panel discussion themed Women on the Edge. Women have been on the receiving end and very few efforts have been made to mitigate the multi dimensional problems of women. I as a male cannot claim to have an indigenous experience of being a woman and how it is to feel like a woman. Also I cannot speak about all women because they certainly are not a monolith, thus my statements cannot be generalized. Even if I speak about Muslim women in India still I cannot claim to represent them all despite the fact that they are a miniscule minority as compared to majority Hindu women, as they too are not a monolith or homogenous. There can be varied strands of women even in a small area or section of population based on caste, class, education, income and other factors. But few issues that I deliberated and were general for all included education, economy, politics, modernity and new issues related to women.

Girls are mostly discriminated when it comes to education particularly viz a viz the choice of subjects is concerned. Some subjects and later on jobs too are considered taboo for women. Further the infrastructural problems like availability of schools, washrooms in schools etc do hamper the education process among girls. Many girls drop out of schools because the schools are located at long distances, the journey to schools is full of perils or the militarization of the terrain discourages girls from attending schools. In higher education too, we find very few women and then it is very rare to find women who are present in the positions of power or administration in education sector. Also when it comes to economy, the womenfolk are the discriminated lot. Women contribute most when it comes to domestic and agricultural work particularly in South Asia but this work is unaccounted and disorganized one. Also the money the women earn is mostly snatched from them by their husbands or in laws on different pretexts. They have the least freedom when it comes to spending the amount. Further very few properties are registered in the names of women. In many cases working women are preferred as brides because they serve two purposes one that they bring income to home while on other hand they are supposed to accomplish all the domestic chores. So in a way economic independence has not let the women become empowered entities.

The discourse that increase in number of women in decision making particularly politics will help improve the lot of womenfolk is flawed one as the experience has proved that women have done little for their compatriots even when they are elevated to the positions of power. We have experienced in the past and also in present that women including Indira Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto, Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina have held the reins of power in different countries of South Asia but that has not helped in any way to improve or empower the masses of women. We need gender just men and women, who can formulate gender just policies, instead of including women who are patriarchal and misogynist in their outlook and worldview as that will not help in anyway. Although we have less number of women participation in grassroot institutions. The increase in their number either on merit or reservation will help only when the women are inculcated with gender just values, only then the policies will favor the women. The women’s commission and other legislative measures have not helped improve the conditions of women. Also most women and gender rights activists belong to the elite sections of society who are quite disconnected with the grassroots, hence most of them fail to understand the problems of common women. This phenomenon of elites and creamy layer is again repeated as far as the reservations are concerned.

Another problem with the women of Third World or Global South is that they are caught between the dichotomy of tradition and modernity. This problem is witnessed even among the women who profess feminism. The traditional role of a lady and liberalism that feminism offers has left them in a predicament. The feminism as practiced in first world countries is quite different than the lived experiences of women existing and surviving in the third world. Plus feminism cannot be replicated in toto everywhere as the socio-economic-educational and cultural contexts are variegated. The dichotomy between tradition and modernity can be witnessed in this fact, that most feminist women want their partners, boyfriends and husbands play a traditional patriarchal role where they should pamper, exaggerate, show them green pastures and also take care of their needs whether it is paying off their bills, shouldering responsibilities and establishing a comfort zone where they can feel safe and secure. For this traditional outlook, men expect obedience and subservience but half baked feminist women are not ready for that. Hence the clashes initiate that result in estrangement, separation and even divorces. It sends a wrong message that feminist women are not good marriage material or make nice home makers. This problem needs to be overcome as feminist women need to be empowered in real sense rather than making a halo and wearing the tag of feminism on the sleeve in order to stand out in the crowd.

Gender Justice and feminism does not encompass the fact that men and women stand as antagonistic to each other but it empowers each to be the compatriots and complementary towards each other. Men and women complete each other and that value should be of outmost importance when it comes to the gender relations. Further none needs to prove that they stand better than the other one because the fight against patriarchy needs to be fought by both men and women together. The antonym of patriarchy is matriarchy that again needs to be resisted as justice is traversed there also.

Real gender justice comes through a continuous deep study, lived realities and years of accumulated experience that inculcates in one the values of justice, compassion, mercy, and fellow feeling. If these values are absent then one needs to have a look at the doctrine and stand of his/her feminism.

 

M.H.A.Sikander is Writer-Activist based in Srinagar, Kashmir and can be reached at sikandarmushtaq@gmail.com