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EDITORIAL In the National Conference office in Srinagar the portraits of party leaders and workers killed by the terror machine have been put up on the walls of what appears to be the main room. This is the least that the State's premier political outfit can do to pay homage to the martyrs to the cause of pursuing its ideology. The latest to join this gallery of the organisation's heroes is Safdar Ali Beg who has been shot in Anantnag last week. He was the third top leader to have lost his life at the hands of the militants in the recent times. Ironically the other two belonged to the political spectrum a major part of which is exposed to the charge of patronising the cruel cult of the gun. Moulvi Mushtaq, one of the finest human beings and the uncle of Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq, was the first to have been gunned down while he was offering prayers in a mosque. This was followed by the assassination of Peer Hissamuddin, a top Jamaat-e-Islami (J&K) ideologue who was the key associate of firebrand Syed Ali Shah Geelani. The three of them were among the hundreds of eminent figures across the party lines ruthlessly removed from the local scenario after the eruption of the armed militancy in 1988...........more Not many will be happy with the heading of this editorial. We are also not. But there is no other way we can bring into focus the decline in efficiency over the centuries. It is not our intention that....more |
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Top issues: Dual
track By Joginder Singh Even the most die hard democracies like the USA, UK and France have been compelled to enact laws, for dealing effectively with the threats of terrorism. Having stringent anti-terrorism law to protect the integrity of the country is not inconsistent with the democratic values......more By Tukoji Pandit & Tushar Charan It is not surprising that the US 'offer' to India for investigating the bomb attacks in Nagaland and Assam with the help of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has raised the hackles in many quarters in the country. It has also sparked off a political debate because many think that the Government of India has not been firm in denouncing........more Montekspeak
for Dr Bharat Jhunjhunwala Montek Singh Ahluwalia had made his best efforts to include representatives of the World Bank in Consultative Groups to make a mid-term appraisal of the Tenth Plan. He had to retract under the pressure of the Left. But his thinking remains unchanged. Truly, Montek Singh is a strong proponent of the interests of the rich countries. He believes that rich countries have a right to interfere in the affairs of the poor countries through the IMF.....more |
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EDITORIAL In the National Conference office in Srinagar the portraits of party leaders and workers killed by the terror machine have been put up on the walls of what appears to be the main room. This is the least that the State's premier political outfit can do to pay homage to the martyrs to the cause of pursuing its ideology. The latest to join this gallery of the organisation's heroes is Safdar Ali Beg who has been shot in Anantnag last week. He was the third top leader to have lost his life at the hands of the militants in the recent times. Ironically the other two belonged to the political spectrum a major part of which is exposed to the charge of patronising the cruel cult of the gun. Moulvi Mushtaq, one of the finest human beings and the uncle of Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq, was the first to have been gunned down while he was offering prayers in a mosque. This was followed by the assassination of Peer Hissamuddin, a top Jamaat-e-Islami (J&K) ideologue who was the key associate of firebrand Syed Ali Shah Geelani. The three of them were among the hundreds of eminent figures across the party lines ruthlessly removed from the local scenario after the eruption of the armed militancy in 1988. What is extremely depressing is that this harmful trend continues. One can't get over an uneasy feeling that the gun is being used to settle mutual scores. While saying this one is not taking into account the encounters that often take place between the security forces and the militants. They can be easily understood in the kind of the situation that we have been witnessing during the last 15 years. What should be worrying us more is the presence of what look like what we describe as private armies in states like Bihar. In addition there are a number of mercenaries still floating around in the State after their to-and-fro movement has been affected by the fencing of the Line of Control and the International Border. Clearly, there is no gainer in this situation. Violence has seriously damaged our society as a whole. There is grim awareness about this. What is missing is the determination to take a unanimous stand against this evil. It is to be regretted that at least one section of the local leaders still regards it as a tool to achieve its ends; it is more than willing to extend its patronage to foreign mercenaries as well. Is it guided by weird thought that the ordinary citizens will gradually get tired of mourning the loss of their dear ones? Is this the view that the people will stop beating their chests and let the tears not flow down their cheeks even when they see mauled bodies around them? Only those bereft of genuine human emotions would think on these lines. The reality is that with each murder our foundation as a civil society is weakened and it may slowly crumble. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that political leaders regardless of their ideologies sit together and adopt a conscientious resolution to unitedly oppose the gun. Those flirting with this deadly instrument must openly renounce it. As is the experience of all militancy-affected societies the terrorism is a tiger that does not spare its riders too. All organisations must send a firm message that while they will pursue their different opinions they will be together in opposing and condemning the use of violence. Only then there is a chance that there will a breathing space for our society. Or else, they will be fated to witness one sob story after the other and possibly become a victim themselves in the end. Not many will be happy with the heading of this editorial. We are also not. But there is no other way we can bring into focus the decline in efficiency over the centuries. It is not our intention that Avantivarman's great engineer Suya should turn in his grave. He had rescued the Jhelum at a time when there was virtual absence of all machines: he achieved the feat with the assistance of a determined human force and cleared the artery of the Valley of its blockades. Since then there has been a marvellous engineering revolution. A difference is that we in this State are not its beneficiaries. How else can one explain that the employees of the Flood Mechanical Division (FMD) in Baramulla have been lying idle for nearly two decades and its machinery has decayed as a consequence? There are more than 200 employees and the cost of the machinery that is rusting is a whopping Rs 70 crores. The FMD can be described as the modern albeit mechanical version of Suya. It was assigned the important task of dredging of the Jhelum from Seer to Khadinayar in Baramulla. According to a disclosure in this newspaper, heavy machinery deployed for the purpose remained in use from 1962 to 1986 when the project was suddenly abandoned without any plausible explanation (it can't be because of the terrorism which was a later phenomenon). There are serious allegations that the work was stopped by a few vested interests in the irrigation department to carry out manual de-siltation and temper with the records in this behalf with the nefarious aim of exploiting public exchequer for personal ends. Given that the machines were in perfect shape such an alternative could not have been resorted to without a degree of collusion at a higher supervisory level. It is not known what precisely the FMD had achieved during its operations but there can be no denying the reality the river has to be attended to at a regular basis. The water bodies --- the Jhelum is no exception and, in fact, in some ways it may be worse affected because it is populated --- tend to get deposits of all sorts mainly because of inflow from varied sources, natural or otherwise, and they have to be purged constantly of these undesired elements. It is not surprising that since the river was not cleared of its undesired properties there have been continuous floods in the Valley during the last decade. In addition the State has been deprived of its revenue as it is estimated that if the FMD works in top gear it can earn Rs 10,000 for each working hour. The sand dug from the river-bed can be a big money spinner. Although belatedly, a plan has been worked out to revamp the FMD. The concerned department has sought a sum of Rs 5.82 crores for repairing the machines of which Rs 39.50 lakhs are needed for the first phase. It is to be hoped that it is not yet another half-hearted measure to cure a serious malady. Whatever decision is taken must be foolproof so that the public money is properly utilised in the best interests of all. It will be quite relevant to suggest that the FMD should be given a target to be achieved in terms of profitability once it is refurbished. If it fails again, the Government should consider handing its job over to private players. |
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