Thanks to Altaf Bakshi and Gazala Pirzada for sharing this piece with us all. Some of you may have seen this post or news item before or elsewhere in the current proliferation of the posts and newspapers. i had taken a cursory glance at it before when my Cousin posted it. But, however, upon reading it at leisure today , I find it thought-provoking and fairly bold. One must complement B. R. Singh for being forthright and for calling spade a spade. Instances like these tell us that a process of candid self-reflection, and a self-assessment by, perhaps, all is not only required, but is also perfectly in order : It is the utmost need of the hour, whether we may like it or not !!. In clear terms, we are talking about the serious and critically-needed inquiries at different levels. These must include the Government-level inquiries, the general social (media included) , as well as academic inquiries in order to comprehensively cover the vast array of causes that led to the current tragedy and devastation of kashmir. Of essence, the process must not be limited to just the inquiries. It is feasible that we all , as Citizens, be fully wise, impartial and impactful. Theoretical inquiries , without practical outcomes involving fruitful action and results are mere emty slogans and a hoax. Such inquiries and probes may be of various types : informal, formal, research-based, popular narratives, personal experiences of the victims, interviews with first-hand witnesses, volunteers, relief organizations and others etc. In order to arrive at any substantial conclusions , there must essentially be a post-mortem of all the causes and the aftermath of the disaster. In the interests of total fairness and a deep-rooted self-assessment , if we say All, then we really must mean All . This is just so that we make no exceptions to that rule and consequently not let the effort fall through the age-old systemic loopholes and institutional breakdowns. We all know very well that our system has had plenty of such dysfunctional attributes and historical disadvantages.! Apparently, it is quite obvious that a peaceful, even though a poignant reflection over the causes and factors alone will be in our interests at this critical point of time and history. Nothing can be and must not be treated as random as we move ahead : In other words, there should not be any randomly applicable, or non-chalantly executed policies as has often been the case in the past. This includes the policies related to the funding of projects, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of Kashmir. As far as the adoption of the policies and projects goes - again, at the dire cost of appearing repetitive - we must find essential and mandatory ways and means for the citizens to be involved. Such fully participatory new structures, modes, institutions and forums or bodies can be formed and founded and formalized through mutual discussions, deliberations and consent of the general populace/Citizens. Take for example various forms of direct and indirect democracies of the world. Just to cite the example of Switzerland which is a direct form of Democracy, the popular will is tested and ascertained through the Cantonal assembly.(The country is divided into Cantons, not Counties as in some States in the Us, or, say, as districts in kashmir).There are the important popular institutions of Landsgemeinde and other important forms of referendum. No matter what the Country or society, Politics is not and ought not to be the playing field for the former or current Politicians . It is , to a great extent , as long as they are elected by the People and as long as they subsequently retain the essential confidence of the people. By dint of the same criteria , nor should the political activity be the exclusive domain of the elites and the doyens of bureaucracy. The advantages that flow out of a Democratic form of Government and political-institutional framework can not be copyrighted by the elites or priveleged classes alone . Willingly, or unwillingly, we all may have to reflect on the proposition that unless the common masses and disadvantaged are fully represented in our society, the system can not improve. In the absence of the popular trust and confidence, the true legitimacy of the elected officials and the institutions is not guaranteed, much less warranted permanently . By the sheer dint of the fact that the disadvantaged masses constitute a majority in Kashmir, the advantages and positive dividends of the social progress must definitely flow in a manner as to touch the grass-roots levels. It must ideally saturate the lives, opportunities , prospects and careers of the common folks in order to make any meaningful difference. Without such essential pre-requisite, the future society of our resolve and desire will never become the Heavenly Himalayan abode as we would wish it to be.! it would exist of course, but as a mere conjecture and an idyllic thought on our abstract mental terrain ; It would be a mere theoretical construct quite like Platos theory of the ideal forms whose real duplicates existed only in the Heaven. We need to be far more practical here, even in the face of the tragedy --simply because there arnt many choices left than to harness its mortality and destruction as the vital lessons for the future growth and development. We must also remain fully cognizant of the following important fact : The distribution or re-distribution of resources in terms of the aid, including the Centers aid to our State, or the aid by the Ex-Patriots or Washington Nationals living abroad , or by the international community (although its large-scale is questionable at this point, given Indias reservations and reluctance ) should all be strictly regulated to prevent possible embezzlement, bureaucratic diversions or misuse. If anything, this tragedy and disaster, should teach us something !. One of the important realizations, among other things, should be that complacency, reluctance and inaction arent and cannot be the prime national and historical virtues any more. A well-informed public , peaceful activism, compassionate volunteerism, enlightened reason, and a practical-realistic approach would become the hallmark and driving force of the future progress. These may be the virtues we all need to cultivate, uphold, implement and exercise. To reiterate at the dire cost of sounding repetitive, firstly, it is imperative that the makings of the current disaster need to be looked into. Then, quite in the manner of a Pheonix, we need to try and rise again in the light of those conclusions and lessons of the history and tragedy. Hard as it may be , watching hand-folded and regretting incessantly, - even though for all the right reasons - will not help or get us anywhere. It is true that nothing will immediately heal the emotional wounds of the loss of the lives, the loss of property and the impact of the shock. It is possible that the emotional catharsis and the psychological injuries will persist for a very long period to come. However, it is possible that if we try to better the system and prove that we are trying hard to put in place a just, equitable system, which is far more responsible and sensitive toward the peoples needs, -- we may kindle the hope again. We may re-ignite the interest and restore the lost faith. Obviously, we dont have much choice but to try embark on the path of a re-construction, rehabilitation, and reconstruction as a next step. All the people should be able to use and lend their given skill-levels, expertise, experience, and perspectives to do their bit. It is a plain fundamental civic right to ask questions. Just to cite one instance here : Already, we have been offered very useful information and perspectives on the unsupervised and unmonitered exploitation of the environment. Especially the crucial wetlands by many a Social media participants, news-media, and other channels have been mentioned in this regard. The erosion and abscence of the wetlands as the naturally absorbent sponges of the excess flood waters is being cited as an important reason why the flood water spilled overboard and into the city. Such and other views and information will keep pouring in steadily as we go. Right there, in this useful manner, we can catalog and compile all the sources of information not just on this one subject, but a host of others .The aforesaid and few other ecological/environmental deficiencies are being seen by many as a definite cause for the disaster that befell the paradise of the East. Expanding on such inquiries and simple questions is helpful in another vital manner: Doing so ensures the participation of the masses and creates qualitatively better societies and representative forms of Government. It accords the crucial Political and institutional legitimacy to the powers that be. Call them democratic or whatever, responsibility and accountability at all levels is the KEY - whether it be the Leaders or/and the Public. We all might have to do this together as we go forward from this point of apoclyptical devastation and experience. Again, we dont seem to have much choice left: Harsh as it may sound, in order to avoid the future perils, we must rid ourselves of the present evils. Thanks. B R Singh tells Omar: In the Name of God, Go There is a fixed drill for the Flood Department when the Jehlum rises.... KASHMIRMONITOR.IN LikeLike · · Share Tahira Shah, Meena Sehgal and Nisar Mir like this. Tasneem Rosner Thanks Nisar. Just trying to do my bit, in a small way. 13 hrs · Like Tasneem Rosner
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 19:41:25 +0000
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