Its indeed heartening to see that the government machinery, particularly the armed forces (I mean the military), are TRYING WELL to rescue the flood affected people of Kashmir, despite a significant death toll due to the natural calamity. And the media coverage is in full swing in this regard, not unexpected though. Mind that any army in any civilized country is supposed to have two major duties, as far as I understand, and I put them in simple terms: (i) protection of the PEOPLE of the country against external disturbances, and (ii) acting on war-footing during peaceful times as a part of governmental disaster management team, and as a productive force. So the task they are doing is definitely good, but not something exceptional or extraordinary beyond their jurisdiction to go gaga about it. As if a child is able to stand on his/her feat for the first time. Or as if a path breaking discovery has been made. Also mind that when a dog bites a man, it not a news or you dont hear a news that a plane did not crash or for that matter a famous personality is living under normal circumstances; in other words when something unusual happens, when something extraordinary happens, when something happens that the media think should create sensation, it becomes a news, a great news. Over the last 10 years whenever MMS spoke out including the thik hai, it became a news. So the news in the present context is a news because of its unusual nature. And/or there is another aspect in it. Its a part of a much needed propaganda on the part of the state machinery to build an image of a state organization that has over the years been maligned someway or the other (to make a long story short) leading to near defacement of its image. [And state machinery has always to take care of its image, using all sorts of masks, and fair and lovely or fair and handsome creams, if need be.] As somebody told me today only, and as many intelligent people feel, that its a nice opportunity on the part of the government to win the hearts and trust of the people of the region, implying a rarely acknowledged (with empathy) fact that the hearts and trust of the people are really needed to be own, something they have long lost. But isnt it a great pity then that a government and its machinery have to rely on natural calamities, and actions there of, to win the confidence of the people they represent (officially) and/or rule (practically)!! It is heartening nevertheless that at least on such occasions they have acted the way sensible and humanitarian beings are expected to. Its heartening indeed that some orders from the top to be executed without question are still humanitarian, compulsion or no compulsion. And a basic rule of rule is that at times even a Hitler has to fall in love with someone belonging to a community against whom he fought, that at times rulers have to come down to the level of the ruled as a temporary phase. Its heartening indeed. As many will then automatically (naturally !!) bring in the Kashmiri militants and the JKLF and the Hurriyat Conference and others, and their present role in the rescue operations, let me point out two basic things to be noted there: (i) these organizations are not as well equipped and trained and funded as the armed forces are, and one cant expect it either; and (ii) that the media is reporting only the acts of the military organization does not necessarily imply that the others are sitting idle with folded hands and praying for a military help. Moreover, you cant expect the militants to claim loudly for media coverage of their operations. They, after all, dont have a media cell as the armed forces have. All said and done, people like Geelani and others should start acting (not the filmy way, of course) immediately, if they have not. And I really find it surprising that on the issue of a natural calamity and disaster management by the armed forces, arguments smoothly go over to militancy!! Nature after all acts a militant way! :)
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 07:09:34 +0000
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