RISING IMMORALITY- A MATTER OF CONCERN

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Malla Jameel  Ahmed

Kashmiri society derives its values and principles more often from the very religion they practice and scarcely to the culture that in its essence has seen a sharp decline due to the cultural invasion that usually in its initial stage seemed alien to us. The emergence of the foreign culture somehow becomes successful in finding a niche for its survival even after having a detrimental effect on the society. The families and the parents trying to instil the true values in a pursuit of organising their children’s to face the future challenges and overcome the problems is seen in every sphere of the society nowadays. The race of giving their children a world class education which primarily is argued with the notion of rise in competition level in the education sector but are reasonably driven with the societal competitions that has deep rooted their tendencies of being seen as a superior or equal if not inferior. This blind race has made a deep impact in our society as the childrens who are pure from all these things finds themselves entangled for none of their fault. Sparing the parents whom could not afford such level of education for their children does not reflect any sense of importance to others even if their contribution towards the society in other terms are highly admissible. If following the above narrative, one can deduce that the society has lost its level of understanding and reached to the point where it cannot differentiate between as to what is wrong and what is right. The point of immorality that is a hot topic nowadays with the advent of recent episodes that took place in this once called land of pirs and sufis or one may say land of pure. Immorality is seen by many people as a phenomenal approach by correlating it with the influence of cultures, poverty, westernization, lack of religious guidance and last but not the least the waning of fear of being punished or castigated for doing anything wrong. Immorality breeds declining of societal values or vice versa emulating into a societal collapse. The disintegration may be relatively abrupt or gradual but is doomed to happen until and unless necessary remedial and corrective measures are not taken into consideration with a systematic execution through various means. As far as our kashmiri society is concerned, we may attribute the rise of immorality to the following reasons:

 

  • Inefficacy of religious Institutions

 

 

The question of whether or not morality requires religions has been debated through the centuries from ancient times. Socrates has once said “ whether goodness is loved by the god because it is good or whether goodness is good because it is loved by the gods”. The religion is not the only precursor for the emergence of the morality but it is the most important reason for the inception of the morality in its true sense. Previously the religious institutions played a great role in imparting the knowledge on moral topics thereby inculcating a sense of respect and empathy for others, self control and moral discipline fostering fairness and opportunities for moral reasoning. However, in the recent times it has been seen that the grip of the religious Institutions have somehow diminished almost to the level of zero and have become devoid of the purpose for which they were supposed to be adhering. This diminutive status of religious Institution has transcended from their infighting  and internal tussles for power and control. The culture of debates in the religious Institutions were considered an offensive act thereby ruling out all the means of coming to any kind of conscience among the masses. Resultantly, nowadays the sermons given in the religious Institution are not paid heed to and are not taken seriously as the orators themselves are not well informed/versed with the reasons prompting the youths to resort to such immoral activities. The best way as is always pioneered is to identify the root cause of evil that is perpetuating within the society, only then you can eradicate it and the same thing is applicable to immorality which could be addressed only by striking the right cord and specifically targeting the reasons for its upsurge by correlating them with the real life day to day experiences substantiated with the scientific basis and its effect on the society.

 

 

  • Lack of parental guidance.

 

 

Most basic components of conscience which includes a sense of guilt, capability to be empathic , ability to distinguish between right and wrong are developed at the age of 5 or 6 among children and are flourished with the years to come. Parents act as most constant tool for appropriate character development. Parents also assist by exposure to examples of behaviours that negate their own views of positive values and virtues. However in todays times , the same has taken over by the new phenomenon of association of happiness of children with the material things . Intending to make their children happy, parents out of love and societal norms give them expensive gift, but one thing the parents forget that the children’s have a very curious mind and they usually don’t get amazed by the quality of the gift but by the quantity. They start a very peculiar learning of judging themselves and others based on the quantity and possessions of the gift. This material attachment in the coming years do more harm which can extend to the punishments. The urge for more and more leads them to the path of resorting to immoral activities. It is high time for parents to shun their ego and remove the dust from their eyes, only then they can see the faults in their parenting.

 

  • Exploitation of Unemployed youths

 

Unemployment is the situation of actively looking for employment but not being employed.  Unemployment can spur psychological spur such as anxiety, depression, lack of confidence, huge amount of stress. Unemployment is the major source of ill wills in the society. Unemployment brings a societal gap where an unemployed youth finds themselves lagging behind in every sphere of the life. This divide increases with every passing day and in a search of finding a suitable means of the livelihood, they end up on wrong end. There are many groups in the society that are always ready to exploit the vulnerabilities of unemployed youth for their own benefits and the innocent youths fell prey to these kind of traps which ultimately make their life miserable. Our Kashmir valley is no exception to this kind of curse, not only the limitation of jobs in government but the non-availability/existence of private sector has added more to our woes and has enhanced the miseries altogether. The need of an hour is to explore the means of facilitating the creation of jobs through which the already depressed youth can find a sustainable means of livelihood. Entrepreneurship is one great idea, but is only limited to papers and has lot of loopholes. The unemployed youth enthusiastically trying to set up a income generating means ends up with a great dissatisfaction and are left in lurch after getting dejected from every quarter.  To address the problem, single window system is to be created in every government Institution which will suffice the need of un-employed youths, thereby reducing the time required to get the clearances from the government organisations.

 

 

  • Poverty

 

 

Poverty in itself is immoral, unjust and oppressive as it is marauds the basic values of humanity and its continuation like wealth provides an avenue for certain temptations to come our way. Unequal distribution of wealth has created this menace and due to the policies created by the so called intellectual pygmies in the present dispensation “the rich is getting richer and the poor is getting poorer”. Poverty is one of the precincts of the rising immorality within our society as it is hard for the youths of present times to digest the thing that he is coming from a poor background and he should limit his desires. Instead, the generating of leverage from false proposition ultimately leads him to the disaster. The Claws of poverty are long and it is therefore no surprise that these problems are found among group who are in desperate struggle among poverty.

 

 

  • Un-controlled access to internet

 

 

The recent event that took place in this region can be set as a best example as to how this boon has emerged as a bane. The un-interrupted use of social networking sites has created a sense of delirium among the youths and are at the verge of getting addicted to such things. The use of social networking sites may seem unproblematic in its initial days but it attains a status of  inseparable part which becomes hard to take off. Further providing the internet services on cheap services has made the internet accessible to everyone and the service providers are providing the network facilities with internet features at quite lower rates that their previous fixed rates. No age bar is kept on the subscription/availing the services internet facilities. As such, the children’s are becoming the ultimate casualties for the irresponsible behaviour of the internet service providers.

 

In the end, if one try to draw inference, the rise of immoral activities is a coupled breakdown of economic, cultural and social Institution with a sole aim of destroying the societal fabric and need to be addressed as soon as possible.

 

As is rightly said by Salahudin Ayubi (Liberator of the Jerusalem)

“if you want to destroy any nation without war, make adultery and nudity common in the young generation”.

 

( The writer Malla Jameel  Ahmed , Government employee at Govt Dental College & Hospital, Srinagar.)

 

Glorious Oman to celebrate its national day on 18 November 18

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Rameez Makhdoomi

 

The glorious Arab Nation of Oman is in coming few days going to celebrate its  National Day. Oman’s National Day is celebrated every year on 18 November. This public holiday celebrates independence from Portugal control . This holiday is the start of a two day break, as 19 November is also a public holiday to mark the birthday of the popular , respected Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said al Said. Sultan Qaboos is the longest-serving current ruler in the Middle East, and third-longest current reigning monarch in the world.

 

Oman is a beautiful nation and virtually paradise on earth and is Holding a strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the country shares land borders with the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine borders with Iran and Pakistan. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The Madha and Musandam exclaves are surrounded by the UAE on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz (which it shares with Iran) and Gulf of Oman forming Musandam’s coastal boundaries.

As a matter of fact, The 48th National Day preparations are in full swing. A committee formed to look after preparations has stated that the lighting design will revolve around traditional jewellery, musical notes and flowers at select spots in the city.

Pertinently, The Supreme Committee for National Day Celebrations which is in charge of the programmes and decorations has decided to keep the National Day street decoration ‘simple and meaningful’. “This year too the celebration will be like the past three year

 

It is worth mentioning here that from the late 17th century, the Omani Sultanate was a powerful empire, vying with Portugal and Britain for influence in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence or control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to modern-day Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar. Historically, Muscat was the principal trading port of the Persian Gulf region. Muscat was also among the most important trading ports of the Indian Ocean.

Oman is known as among the safest destinations of the world and has emerged among the island of peace amid turbulent middle east staying away from violence and war . The glorious Oman with its charming diverse beauty is calling all the tourists of world into its lap.

 

Gandhi is so relevant …..

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Rameez Makhdoomi

Gandhi born on 2 october 1869 has remained a towering personality of human history. He not only lead the Indian freedom struggle to success but has had his positive influence all over humanity. Gandhism is a body of ideas that describes the inspiration, vision and the life work of Mohandas Gandhi. It is particularly associated with his contributions to the idea of nonviolent resistance, sometimes also called civil resistance. The two pillars of Gandhism are truth and non-violence.

A bullet from fascist silenced Gandhi in 1948 but it could not silence his great vision and positive  influence. Today when world is witness to hate between countries across continents , growing hate between societies, communal bigotry, ever rising crimes against women and minorities the ever refreshing  vision of  Gandhi that revenge, hate has only destruction as its product and only love, ethics  can heal are proving so correct .

In the Law of Our Species Gandhi writes these great words “ I am not a visionary. I claim to be a practical idealist. The religion of nonviolence is not meant merely for the rishis and saints. It is meant for the common people as well. Nonviolence is the law of our species as violence is the law of the brute. The spirit lies dormant in the brute and he knows no law but that of physical might. The dignity of man requires obedience to a higher law-to the strength of the spirit.

The rishis who discovered the law of nonviolence in the midst of violence were greater geniuses than Newton. They were themselves known the use of arms, they realized their uselessness, and taught a weary world that its salvation lay not through violence but through nonviolence.

Today humanity finds itself trapped in million issues of violent discourse , saga of hate, extremism  violence and thus echo the words of Gandhi “A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.

When world currently is witnessing ugly conflicts between India and Pakistan, North and Soutrh Korea, USA and Russia , Iran and Saudi Arabia thus destroying humanity with violence from Kashmir, Syria, Iraq to Yemen , Libya , Congo etc . Airstrikes. Militia wars  and mighty weapons are only consuming innocents in hundreds thus proving Gandhi ever so right that eye for eye and vision of hate is self destructive monster for us .

As a student who has studied Gandhi I am of firm opinion that Gandhi would have never approved the route of nationalism by barrel of gun being imposed by Indian state in Kashmir. India and Indians don’t have to be after west and its ideals they have Gandhi to set the things right.

Gandhi would rightly point out that we need to change ourselves to bring positive change but the way modern humans are trying to be demigods and seeing not their inner faults but just of others it is destroying world. Thus Gandhi would aptly state : “Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world; but to change ourselves”

The vision of Gandhi that power that speaks through barrel of gun will never win hearts is proving right , the argument that violence will only destroy us is proved so right by raised to ground cities and cultures in Middle East, South Asia and Africa . The power of Gandhian argument that hate, arrogance, lack of self introspection will lead us astray is always a righteous path .

Let us on the this Gandhijyanti pledge to shun hate . Gandhi Inspired and will continue to inspire while his killer Godse expired and vision vise too will always remain expired .

To conclude in the words of great man I appeal to larger humanity that It has always been a mystery to me how men can feel themselves honoured by the humiliation of their fellow beings and when we leave this tendency to win a argument rather a person’s heart world will be gorgeous place to exist .

(The writer is a freelance Journalist and can be contacted at rameezh3@gmail.com. The article will appear in multiple outlets.)

 

Ashura teaches us essence of Salat!

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By Javeed Ali

 

Today is the Ashura of Muharram-ul-Haram 1440 AH. Each one of us is commemorating the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussain (A.S) and his companions which they gave for the revival of the Islamic principles in the battlefield of Karbala in Iraq. The event which happened in the year 61 of the lunar calendar gave impetus to Islam and laid the foundation of effective movement against the falsehood, immorality, arrogance, injustice, tyranny and oppression happening across time and space.
To all the tribulations and brutalities which were inflicted on Imam Hussain (A.S) and his loyalists, they faced them bravely and courageously and set exemplary lessons for all of us. Every Islamic and moral task was beautifully illustrated in Karbala by the martyrs due their steadfastness and commitment to their cause. These lessons of Karbala have created a treasure of sublime ethics and values for the whole humanity. There are many lessons which we can imbibe from Karbala, one such lesson is the importance of Salat (Namaz).
There is no doubt that Yazid and his soldiers crossed all limits in unleashing oppression and tyranny on Imam Hussain (A.S.) and his companions and brutally massacred them but couldn’t succeed in breaking their resolve and faith. Karbala martyrs stood firm to their noble cause and never deviated from their righteous path.
A day before Ashura (10th Muharram), Imam Hussain (A.S) pleaded for one night so that he and his companions could spend the last night in the worship and supplication. They spent the whole night in prayers, reciting Holy Quran and remembrance of Allah Almighty. Even the enemies acknowledged that the voices from the tent of Imam Hussain (A.S) on the night of Ashura were like the murmur of bees in the beehive.
Soon after morning prayers were offered, the enemy attacked and the battle started. All the atrocities and barbarism were thrown upon on Karbala martyrs. Despite all the cruelty and savagery of the enemies of Islam, Imam Hussain (A.S) set up for the Zuhar prayers with his nears and dears soaked in blood. Two of his companions shielded Imam Hussain (A.S) from the arrows and spears while he offered Salat. This is the clear indication that Salat is so important that two loyal followers of Imam Hussain (A.S) attained martyrdom while defending it.
There is a famous saying that friend of friend is a friend so if we claim that we love Imam Hussain (A.S) then we should love and follow everything whatever he loved and followed. Imam Hussain (A.S) loved Salat and the remembrance of Allah Almighty. If we assert that we love Imam Hussain (A.S) then how can we remain careless about performing our Salat. The honorable Imam even prostrated for the Asr prayers on Ashura with his body riddled with arrows, daggers and spears so how can we neglect Salat on the pretext of petty issues. A true follower and lover of Imam Hussain (A.S) whether he is Shia or Sunni will never abandon Salat whatever athe circumstances. As is being said anything beloved to a lover is to be venerated and idolized. Salat was very close to the heart of Imam Hussain (A.S) so it should also be close to our heart.
Commemorating the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussain (A.S) should renew our faith and belief. Participating in Muharram processions and congregations should rekindle our soul and it should make us more pious and devout. As Salat is of higher rank among the various acts of worship, therefore it should not be missed. Salat is a pillar of Islam and its being considered as the ascent (Meraj) of a believer.
Whatever deeds we perform for Islam and humanity will only be accepted in the court of Allah Almighty if our Salat gets acceptance. So, our remembrance and mourning for the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (A.S) and his companions in the battlefields of Karbala will only be rewarded if we offer our daily Salat punctually and religiously. Karbala occurred for the revival of Islam , so it should revive our faith and belief; if not then we have not yet understood the true significance of Karbala.
Allah Almighty says in Surah Taha, Surah No. 20, Verse No. 132:
“And enjoin prayer upon your family and adhere thou steadily unto it”
This verse clearly reveals that we should be punctual in our Salat and also we should persuade others for it.(Al Quran)
Let’s make a firm resolution this Muharam-ul-Haram that we will not skip any of our obligatory prayers and we will influence others to do the same. Inshallah!

 

-The author is a freelance writer and can be reached at javeedaliofkashmir@gmail.com

 

How I learnt to speak Kashmiri

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Mahaq Tahir Tromboo

I was born and raised in Karnataka. My parents are from Kashmir and I have always fancied the Kashmiri language and wished my Kashmiri was as good as theirs.

 

At the age of five, I could speak English, Hindi, a little bit of Kannada but I could hardly understand a word or two in Kashmiri. Being the only person at home who didn’t know Kashmiri, I missed out on a lot of family conversations. That’s when I knew that I NEED to learn the language soon!

 

The story of how I learnt Kashmiri is quiet funny and a story that my mother has told  literally everybody she knows!

 

I picked up random phrases from Kashmiri daily soaps on the Doordarshan channel and used to repeat those dialogues all day long. In fact, I still remember some of those dialogues! So, I decided to keep my self learning a secret and surprise them the day I could speak perfect Kashmiri.

 

During my initial days of learning, I picked a catchy dialogue from the TV soap. My heart was filled with joy when I could repeat it correctly and I spent the entire afternoon practising this phrase. With great pride over my accomplishment, I walked to my mother and said- “mama, che payyi thratth!”. The reaction I got from her was completely different from what I had expected. She was shocked, confused and angry, all at the same time! She asked where I learnt this from. It was a Kashmiri curse and definitely not something she wanted her baby girl to hear, say or even know!

 

My mother had realised that I was adamant on learning Kashmiri so, she decided to teach me herself and monitored the words that I picked up. I seemed to pick up the language pretty fast. My grandfather also helped me by correcting the errors I made and encouraging me to talk in Kashmiri.

 

Fast forward to 2014, when I moved to Kashmir, I was shocked to see that most Kashmiris around my age chose not to speak in their own language. In Karnataka, Kannadigas love and promote their mother tongue, I was expecting to see the same in Srinagar but that wasn’t the case here. I was extremely disappointed to see that Kashmiris who chose to speak in their mother tongue were looked down upon. In fact many parents didn’t even teach their children Kashmiri for this reason. I failed to understand this behaviour of the Kashmiri society.

 

The best way to kill a community, is by killing its language. Kashmiris need to realise the importance of learning their mother tongue and preserving their language. Youngsters in Kashmir must be encouraged to speak in their mother tongue. It’s high time for us to realise that if our language dies, then so will the essence of Kashmir.

Courtesy : inblackandpink.wordpress.com

 

Book Review Gender and Education in Jammu & Kashmir: Cross Sectional Trends

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Gender and Education in Jammu & Kashmir: Cross Sectional Trends

Author: Dr Waqar Ul Nisa

Publisher: Jay Kay Books, Srinagar, Kashmir

Year of Publication: 2018

Pages: 192                                                Price: Rs 995

Reviewed By Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander

Education and Gender both are relative yet interdependent terms. A lot of ambiguity prevails about the use of these terms because education is confused with literacy and gender with biological differences. Is Gender related to Education or can Education influence the construct of  Gender in a society need deeper understanding and critical engagement both with the institutions of education and those that reinforce the concept of gender in social realms. The present book under review written by a young scholar Dr Waqar tries to engage with the pertinent question of gender and education.

The book is divided into two sections comprising of seven chapters and a conclusion. The first chapter provides a history of women education in Kashmir from ancient to our contemporary times. The chapter is textually rich but the engagement with religion and its attitude towards women education has not been dealt properly. The autobiography of Shamla Mufti, Chilman Sey Chaman would have served as a reference point in this context, because in her story the intersection between caste, religion and gender become evident. But that source has not been consulted so has been the case with other references that are available in vernacular languages like Urdu that includes autobiographies of educationists like Agha Ashraf Ali, Kuch Tou Likyey Ki Log Kehtey Hain! Critical engagements with texts in vernacular languages would have rendered the analysis quite sound.

An important chapter of the book Literacy and Education deliberates with the distinction between the same, but again fails to make a relationship between them. It leaves other important questions like Education and Patriarchy for the reader to brood over. In what aspect the textbooks, pedagogical practices and educational institutions are failing to produce better, productive, socially engaged and gender just human beings is also not discussed. Although the legal and term specific definitions of education versus literacy are provided but the critical question of failure of educational institutions to produce better human beings is avoided. This crisis of our education is one of the grave threats facing humanity where education, research, pedagogy is being used to contain, denigrate, demean and neo-colonize the humans. Those who invest more on knowledge production are more powerful and this soft power is retrograded to realistic power. The realistic power is used subsequently to fuel wars, violence and destroy nations and people. We all are a witness to such a misuse of our education. With the spread of education gender relations have become skewed, asymmetrical and biased. The more literacy levels increase the more epidemic increase is witnessed in gender related crimes all over the world. The patriarchal religious theocracy, cultural norms and misogyny is becoming more aggressive in its manifestations. Education has long been left out to fight these social evils that are prevalent in our societies. Instead misinterpretation of religion, culture and social norms is used to justify these imbalanced gender relations. Our educational institutions particularly the women led are failing to play its social role, as Waqar very well states, “Ironically, women in the valley have not yet found niches in the upper echelons of decision making bodies- political, religious or social. Had it been any western society, a mass women’s movement would have evolved against these atrocities which would have shaken the entire sub continent. And the women’s college, given its role in Kashmir’s social development in the past, would have been a source and inspiration for such a movement. But nothing of that sort has happened. Rising against oppression is its past and producing flocks of students unable to rise for the genuine rights seems to be its present and immediate future”. (P-81).

Armed conflict and its impact on women education is analyzed in another chapter. Despite the raging violence all around it needs to be acknowledged that enrollment ratio did not show a regressive trend in Kashmir. Education continued in the midst of violent conflict. During the initial years of armed insurgency and brutal state response it did have a negative impact on education particularly women education but Kashmir overcame its ill impact quite quickly. But our educational institutions have yet failed to devise a model of education and conflict resolution that can provide an alternative to violence, gender discrimination and politically contested claims.

In the second section of the book Dr Waqar has provided the content analysis of enrollment data about girl education from school to university levels during a decade (2000-2010). She has described her ordeal while analyzing the data because there is unavailability of statistical data and other such issues that created obstacles for the quantitative research. She has critically analyzed the data but has failed to make out the facts about girls opting for more science or humanities subjects? Dr Waqar in the conclusion has summarized her analysis while offering some suggestions about improving the education and literacy among girls in Srinagar district.

Overall the book is a nice attempt at understanding the education trends among females. Some areas that need improvement for the next edition of the book include its shortcomings with use of data of just one university whereas there are various universities operating in the state and confining her research just to one district whose trend certainly cannot be generalized. Overall Dr Waqar and the publisher both need to be applauded for their efforts, as they have made the research available to the masses and future researchers.

 

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

 

 

Feminism, Misandry and Male Helplessness

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Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander

The relations between men and women in most societies is skewed, unequal and favoring a certain sex through gender construction. Women have been mostly on the receiving end because of misogyny and patriarchy. But patriarchy has not only undermined women but men are victim too. The victimhood of men is least talked about and even they too do not dare to speak up about the abuses or restrictions they face regularly because of the patriarchy. The initial bruising happens in childhood when boys are taught to pent up their emotions and not wear them on their sleeves and sobbing is a taboo for boys. As they grow up their parents, teachers and environment teaches men to be strong using the cliché Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (Men don’t feel the pain). They as usual feel pain but are debarred to express it. The teacher in the classroom also reinforces the belief when they segregate boys from girls. If any boy sits close to a girl classmate or shares a bench, he is rebuked for the same. This concept is driven home that boys and girls are different so they should be segregated. So if any child out of sheer innocence tries to cross the line he is strongly condemned and made to adhere to the set norms. This enforced segregation evolves to gender during adolescence when boys and girls enter into a relationship, with these preconceived notions. It is also an unwritten rule that a boy is supposed to bear the expenses of his girlfriend whether be it mobile bills, picnic outings, long drives, expensive gifts and restaurant bills. Further being a male should not be construed synonymous to being a credit card. The reverse can also be true, because many vulnerable girls also incur financial burden while spending on their boyfriends. It is no problem to spend on each other if love exists, but issue starts when one exploits the other or break up happens and there are claims and counters claims.

To add insult to injury the girls are supposed to be pampered. This culture of pampering girls particularly by boys mostly with evil intentions of exploiting them, have resulted in development of false self identity and consciousness among girls in relationship. Further most boys are aware about such vulnerabilities of women so they use it for their own benefit. On the other hand if such girls are not pampered they became irritated, abusive and rude as earlier men have shown them false illusions and green pastures while others who uphold mirrors to them are the male patriarchs who need to be condemned because they do not treat their partners as “Queens” despite the fact they themselves are paupers. Add to it the notion of beauty, that every lady and girl is possessed about. Though beauty is relative but if girls are not praised for their beauty they get offended. “Beauty” has been reduced as a hallmark for judging a girl and lady. The women themselves are responsible in perpetuating this belief and beauty pageants like Miss World have further developed this belief. This retrogradation of womanhood to just beauty is one of the gross injustices rendered by the contemporary age to the agency of being a woman.

On the other hand features like being handsome are rendered as yardsticks for men and if they lack them they are made to feel inferior. The stout tummy, well toned muscles, trimmed beard and well built height are the features that men are supposed to possess. When it comes to domestic chores, men are supposed to stay away from the kitchen. Even if they are involved in providing a helping hand in domestic affairs, they and the women make sure that it does not become public. Even when men do laundry, they are not supposed to put the clothes for drying in sunshine lest the neighbors witness. These men who even are gender just try to veil up this aspect of their lives lest they be known as Joru Ka Ghulam (slave of wife). In most cases wives and mothers too do not let their husbands and sons venture in the kitchen as they consider it a breach of trust. They too are not ready to delegate or share their power that they have over kitchen to their men.

When it comes to relationships men too do suffer from abuse, physical, mental or psychological. The abuse mostly goes unnoticed because men are supposed not to reveal or share it. Men get cheated on, deceived or traumatized in relationships but they pretend to put a strong face because if they display emotions they are tagged as being cheeky, girlish and too effeminate who recount their ordeals just to gain sympathy. If there is fallout in relationship man is without any trail, evidence or justice process declared as guilty. Even if a woman falsely accuses a man of domestic violence or misconduct, he is being held guilty by most people. They are ready to virtually lynch and do him to death without even listening to his version of story. By default in patriarchal societies it is being held that women are victims, but in many cases opposite is the truth. Women too particularly pseudo feminists are ready to jump the bandwagon when some lady declares herself a victim. Feminism does not give few people right to hound males and indulge in travesty of justice.

These factual realties are yet to be analyzed properly. Misandry and patriarchy together make it possible that women of the household of an accused male be portrayed as bad, because they too are painted in a similar color. I remember case of a person who was accused of domestic abuse by his wife who later on carried a vilification campaign against him that it becomes next to impossible to marry off his younger sister. So domestic violence, accusing males unjustly do create a demonic image of males who in reality may not be really guilty. A real checks and balances system should be incorporated that do not let foul play while one spouse accuses the other of violence or unjust treatment.

Men and women now have belated egos that are not able to co-exist but clash with each other and it is resulting in the break down of family system. The antagonistic spousal relations have diverse ramifications particularly on children. To conclude, marriage should be based on egalitarian values but those values first need to be inculcated among men and women only then they can be invoked and implemented in a marriage. The skewed gender relations make one of the partners a victim in any marriage. To avoid such flaws a lot of mental and psychological preparation should be undertaken while entering into any serious relationship particularly the one which forms the building units and blocks of any society.

 

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

 

Voices in Kashmir calling to follow Ramadan’s Message of peace and humanity

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The holy month of Ramadan has started in the entire Islamic world. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, it is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims desist from eating, drinking and sexual needs  from dawn until sunset.

As compared to the solar calendar, the dates of Ramadan vary, moving backwards about ten days each year depending on the moon. Pertinently, Ramadan was the month in which the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

With the recent ceasefire announcement by the Government during month of Ramadan the masses are hopeful that this Ramadan passes on peacefully and becomes a foundation for achieving lasting peace and prosperity in Kashmir.

As a matter of fact, the Valley of Kashmir being predominantly a “Muslim” dominated area, so this holy month has special significance for the masses of Kashmir. The people of Kashmir are hopeful that peace and prosperity would return to Kashmir as virtue of this holy month.

We at the Kashmir News Bureau talked to diverse eminent, common voices to understand the basic crux of message of Ramadhan for global peace and humanity .

Eminent Scholar Professor .(Dr.)Hamid Naseem Rafiabadi, Senior Faculty Member at Kashmir University’s Islamic Study Department , while talking to the Kashmir News Bureau stated – “Holy month of Ramadan is the month of blessing . The essence of fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility and spirituality and is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of Allah. Every good deed in this life has its roots in the self control and Ramadhan teaches in best way us the self control. Self control is the best way to learn patience, develop abhorrence towards violent behavior and have control over greed. Ramadan Message via self control for us the humans is to develop the passion towards harbingering global peace and humanity . Values of mercy, self control , tolerance learned via fasting should be followed throughout the year so that we strengthen the roots of global peace and humanity . Ramadan fast should enrich our self control, tolerance towards opposite world views , the passion towards following right path in life and if right lessons are learnt Ramadhan would for sure be a significant path builder in promoting global peace and humanity.”

Moulana Khurshid Ahmad Qunango, eminent religious scholar stated – “Ramadan teaches us to have control over bodily desires and I am of firm belief that if we transmit the very ideals into reality we would via message of Ramadhan usher global peace and harmony throughout the world. Holy Quran was revealed in Ramadhan and its teachings are clear and apt : Whoever kills a person [unjustly]…it is as though he has killed all mankind. And whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all mankind.” (Qur’an, 5:32. ) . The world of ours including Kashmir which is full of bloodshed and misfortunes can move towards a better times if we really follow the message of tolerance, human brotherhood and humanity learnt in Ramadan. In our part of world,  it is not just health, wealth and luxury for which the Muslims in Kashmir would toil during Ramadan, dignified peace is also at the top of their prayers . “

Irshad Ahmad, a commoner stated – “Ramadan is the holiest month of year for the Muslims throughout the world. We need to bear in mind that the essence of fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility and spirituality and is a time for Muslims to fast for the sake of God and to offer more prayer than usual. During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. If we take the overall teachings of Ramadan in real perspective then it should help us in becoming better human beings and believe in leading a life of peace and compassion. It should also makes us tolerant towards others religions and make us real humanity lover. I hope that our younger generation entangled in so many troubles would take correct lessons and usher in a peaceful way of life via teachings of Ramadan.”

The pulse from expert voices to masses is that the great message of Peace, Humanity should be followed in letter and spirit by the Muslims of Kashmir and Muslims of entire world.  With Ramadan ceasefire in effect the hopes and optimism of seeing a peaceful and prosperous Kashmir remain all time high. (KNB)

 

BLOODSHED PAINING KASHMIR

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The escalating bloodshed in the valley has rapidly become the center of attention for news headlines and analysis throughout the world. Bloodshed and violence has destroyed mental peace of common Kashmiris and also destroyed him or her on emotional levels, as loss of near and dear one means life-long trauma.

It is known to one and all Peace is a product of a positive mental attitude, while violence is the result of negative thinking. Peace is the natural state of society; violence is an unnatural state. Peace is as much in accordance with nature’s plan as violence is against it.

 

The pulse on the ground zero in Kashmir is that steps have to be taken to stem the monstrous cycle of never ending bloodshed in Kashmir. We talk to cross section of the society to understand the disastrous impacts of the continued bloodshed in the valley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lawyer and Political activist, Advocate Nazir Ahmad Malik, while talking to the Kashmir News Bureau on this serious issue stated – “Bloodshed has disastrous impacts on every Society. The loss of near and dear ones impacts the whole eco system of the society. India and Pakistan should initiate meaningful talks to end this ugly cycle of bloodshed. The whole fabric of Kashmiri society is disturbed as educated and highly professional youth are getting consumed.

 

As the former CM Omar Abdullah held the current govt responsible largely for pushing youth to wall and I agree with his assertions. The government should introspect and brainstorm with civil society to end this bloodshed. Both as a parent and lawyer, activist my heart bleeds due to this bloodshed.”

 

Many are also hopeful that if North and South Korea can have peace achieved why not in Kashmir.

 

Affan Yesvi, prominent Youth activist and columnist from Kashmir states – “Killing innocents in the name of different political or religious ideologies is wrong. When North Korea and South Korea can settle their decades old bilateral dispute and choose peace and mutual economic growth as the way forward, why can’t our region follow suit to end tragedies inflicted by violence.

 

Guns and bloodshed have never yielded positive, meaningful outcomes. Uninterrupted and uninterruptible dialogue is the only way stakeholders can resolve disputes, by coming to the table. One hopes that day comes soon for our region, before more bloodshed, before more loss of young, blossoming lives.”

 

On April 6, 2018 the State Chief Minister stressed the need to end the bloodshed. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti appealed to the country’s political leadership, cutting across party lines, to listen to the voices of pain from Jammu and Kashmir and help the people of the state get out of the vicious cycle of killings.

Syed Ilyas , social activist from Ganderbal district stated – “Bloodshed has an enormous impact on all the walks and streams of life . Younger generation when it becomes resistant to bloodshed becomes hardcore and overall pain caused due to it creates havoc. Its impacts on education field to all other fields are disastrous. Younger generation should be given direction through proper, calmer thoughts and vision .Stakeholders should take all the needed steps to ensure end to this bloodshed, as this is not solution to any problem. Muslim societies have suffered especially worst in past few decades due to bloodshed; dialogue and pen are way forward to ensure peace in societies. A common Kashmiri on ground zero feels disturbed due to this huge bloodshed.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

The voices of sanity in unison are stressing the need to end the gory scale of bloodshed in the Kashmir valley so that happiness once again returns on sad faces. (courtesy: KNB)

Kashmir: An ill-fated Paradise in Search of Freedom (Thoughts initiated by Khadija Motorwala. Written by Farhaan Sheikh)

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Beauty is often considered to be one of the greatest gifts of Almighty. However, the mesmerizing visual appeal of this precious aspect can often overshadow the dark layers binding the creation in pain and poignancy. As a writer I have this habit of finding inspiration in sources present all around me and create something of my own, characters. Recently I was sketching this unique character in my mind- an extremely beautiful girl having a heart filled with purity, molded with the passion of embracing every aspect of life and destiny. Sounds like a nearly perfect individual we always wish to be around. This girl enchanted my mind as I kept crafting the positive traits like eloquence, empathy, patience and liveliness to build her startling personality, neglecting the agonizing suffering within her physical body. My character was not really simple and perfect as it was struggling with oppression within her body. The heart though pure, is filled with blue blood flowing through the polluted veins, a kidney jeopardized in its functions to support health and legs nearly paralyzed in turn causing severe physical disability. After coming up with the final creation I glimpsed at it with inexplicable grief expressed in a single pretentious smile. While understanding the pain of this bright young life, I wondered that all this suppression is due to its internal system rather than any external accident or cause. No other living soul ever harmed the girl but they never cared about her livelihood as well, rather kept admiring her immense beauty. The world for this young girl is flat; there is no sense of acceptance awaiting her because the internal organs themselves have caused enough damage.

In India, every year we celebrate festivals and show pride in coexistence of the diverse cultures and communities inhabiting this mother land for centuries. Observe the country map closely, and you see the majestic starting point of this distinct territory of South east Asia, the evergreen Kashmir. This northern state covered in serene body of snow is unarguably a testament to the wonders of nature far beyond the human imagination. I recently visited Kashmir as a part of an interactive workshop for the communities residing there. My experience takes us a step closer to the psychology of people living in the midst of political and social conflicts.I observed how each day people turn up by 10:40am when the workshop is always scheduled at 9am, crossing several hurdles on their way to reach every step closer to the destination. I was not surprised with the late arrival of the residents but how, for all kinds of unfinished work, they put the blame on the situation they live in. Every undone action is attributed to the excuse of living in uncertainty. The aftermath of political interests has resulted in people devoid of integrity and work ethics. On the brighter side,I was thoroughly mesmerized by theexceptional hospitality of the Kashmiri residents which will enrich your tourist experience and keep you away from any form of military interference throughout. Although great with treating guests, these people surprisingly have no interaction within their own societies in fear of meeting a dangerous terrorist or rebellion of another group disguised as local stranger. A dispute initiated in 1947 followed by a long term war between countries to acquire this state has left civilians stranded around the vast ocean of fear and inhibitions. Compare this situation with one of the most dreadful accidents in your life and its long lasting impact on your behavior, and possibly you will realize the negative aura diminishing their hope in dewdrops of sudden tragedies.

Scroll through newspapers, social media posts, tweets and all forms of communication media, dozens of opinions fall everywhere. It involves condemning the actions of China and Pakistan, some blaming it all on political forces, some paying respect to the brave soldiers and some proudly praising the extraordinary appeal of the Kashmir’s nature. However, despite witnessing the severe problems disrupting and displacing families, there would be few or no voices demanding independence of Kashmir. When I say independence, it does not mean establishing a yet another border to India and Pakistan but instead it demands freedom of civilians from the regressive ideologies existing there. Here I bring back the context of my recently written character, the disabled beautiful girl entangled in affliction of her own body and the remorseful sympathy of the world around. The paramount need of my character was not beauty and empathy but freedom from the current ambience in a form liberating her innermost desires and goals. Kashmir is my dear girl, asking for freedom from not only the surroundings outside but the communities inside its realm. In his popular poetry, Rabindranath Tagore described the dystopia “where the mind is with fear” in verses addressing the rising domination of intolerance and injustice. The heavenly Kashmir is in a need of mental freedom of thoughts and expression within the minds of its inhabitants, to breathe healthy elements of liberty in the shrouded walls of despair. Women and children restrict their movements and voices in front of long bearded strangers, students wander around after government have shut down all the coaching classes due to problem of stoning and thousands of companions get detached in the wake of hostile actions all over. “Why it was not me but my dear friend, does even God trade lives?” is a response from the young minds, as they lose their closest allies in matter of few seconds as uncertain causes surround them everywhere. At the dawn of world’s largest democracy we can witness the gradual deterioration of independence in this vulnerable state crushed under the sole desire of acquisitions and atonement.

A powerful movement few years back by a group of students and innovator SonamWangchukled to the formation of Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL). This NGO proved to be an inspiring initiative to bring suitable educational reforms in Ladakh as a motive to build the poor learning system existing in the state. The founders not only changed the educational landscape considerably but built schools which could harness the best form of quality education to cater the confused minds of children. Although impactful, the change in Kashmir is still far away. There is a need of nourishment of ideologies; the broken parts require healing from within and acceptance from outside. As an Indian I always rejoiced the fact that this unique state called Kashmir is a part of my mother land, however, my inner conscience now urge me to believe that the best decision for all of us will be to rebuild it with a new hope and purpose.

 

Together the collective action of a whole new governing body, the educational reformist, the innovative engineers, the resilient sportsmen, the enthusiastic artists and the individual leaders will be the sole pioneer in the plausible resurrection of this overlooked treasure of nature known to be a symbol of God’s splendid creation. It is important for the nations to stop its usage as a battlefield and cooperate for the salvation of innocent lives. The societal norms and military conflicts have captivated the hopes making it essential for power and people to unite and act against the injustice.Tourism to Kashmir over the years has declined due to beliefs about the negative effect it can cause to travellers with its current situation. I must say after visiting Kashmir I have realized this is a myth which needs to be dispelled in order to promote active tourism it requires for development. The solution lies in experiencing the problem closely and forming a network of talent supported by sufficient manpower to show people the righteous path.The fate of my beautifully written character is now in hands of our own personal decisions; it does not imply the incapability of rising out of its own disability but a simple humane need from other souls to overcome the identity of cursed paradise she is known to be.