Vijay Hashia
Fears of Taliban resurgence are widespread, their burgeoning attacks are impelling Afghans to seek asylum.  Fears also loom large over its impact on Kashmir and if freed from AFSPA, would again slip into the hands of Pak sponsored gunmen.  In the backdrop, Karzai’s irresolute ambivalent stance not to sign the agreement for retention of troops beyond 2014 whose hands, he says, are bound by the new government, presumably Taliban believed, with the support of Pakistan and ISI, will regain control.  Speculations are that, ISI may up ante against India by diverting terror groups to Kashmir.  Pak has a dubious game plan and strategic interest to create hegemony over Afghanistan’s new government and mineral wealth and in Kashmir to avenge Bangladesh, destabilize India despite knowing the fact that Kashmir can neither be won by direct war nor by ongoing proxy. Therefore, India has been strongly advocating against total withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. Only time will reveal what next?
While most of the foreign troops after more than a decade are at the verge of abandoning strife torn Afghanistan, the cultural devastation caused due to turmoil, is being restored & preserved back to impressive pomp by the international archaeologists.  The ancient monuments looted and statues destroyed by warlords are being re-assembled and rebuild.  The work towards restoration of antiquity and precious objects dating stone and bronze ages with the help of archaeologists and UNESCO has begun. Some of retrieved antiquity is a clay tablet with lines of cuneiform writing which is evidence of 6th century BC Persian Civilization of Cyrus the Great had reached that far East. The archaeologists have also retrieved and restored to its position precious ivories, stunningly intricate carved cross legged second and third century AD Bodhisatva Siddartha, King Kanishka from Kushan empire that ruled much of South Asia from its Afghan base through fourth century AD.  Other restored statues from centuries are Alexander the Great, giant Buddas sculpture carved from a cliff in Central Afghanistan 1400 years ago and considered one of the world’s artistic treasures.  All this is done to preserve ancient archaeological museum smashed by Taliban which has had great contribution to its neighbours, India, China, Persia and the world.
Will this change affect restoration of culture or what next for Kashmir, which has suffered the same collateral damage? Well, retrieving history, some Muslim rulers like Zain-ul-Abidin, (1418-1419 and 1420-1470) undoubtedly, the greatest religious tolerant had acquired a halo in popular imagination which still surrounds his name in spite of the lapse of nearly five hundred years. He was known by his subjects, and indeed still is, as Bud Shah (the Great King). He earned a name for abolishing jaziya on the Hindu majority, banned the cow slaughter, beef eating and extended liberal patronage to sanskrit language and literature. He called back Hindus who had left Kashmir during his father’s reign, allowed them reconstruct destroyed temples and dwellings.  Akbar also restored dignity and security of Hindus in Kashmir.
According to an estimate, more than 500 as against official figure of 208 temples have been damaged or destroyed during last two decades of militant activity; 95% as against official figure of 75 % dwellings have been gutted or damaged.  In Srinagar alone, 95% properties have been sold due to distress conditions. The administration is, however, reticent blaming any particular group for vandalizing temples and destroying dwellings. The Government officials claim to have protected properties of migrants under the J&K Migrant Immovable Property Preservation, Protection and Restrain on Distress Sale Act 1997, is a flaunted unique claim of hat like a cowboy’s floppy. The self complacent Act envisages ‘No’ compensation to the migrants who had to dispose properties and that too for throw away prices much below market rates.  Can CM repeat Zain-ul-Abidin’s and Akbar’s gratitude to rewrite a new leaf of history for the displaced?  Could the ancient temples destroyed be rebuild, premises encroached restored back, houses dismantled or sold under distress sales compensated  and above all  congenial atmosphere created so that the displaced return with honour and dignity.
In the recent interview with Mehr Tarar, Pak journalist, CM’s desultory reply to a question that atmosphere was not conducive for return and the responsibility of return is on displaced people. The bewildered reply sounds lack of will and determination to rehabilitate migrants in the valley.
Will peace return or elude is a million dollar question? The impact on Kashmir, however, will be watched with trepidation. Curiosity would be the outcome of election process and security beef up along the line of control which both are a challenge and litmus test for the mighty Indian forces.  Presently, withdrawal of AFSPA a strategic military deterrent would vitiate the security environment further.  As COAS recently in an interview said, that even partial withdrawal of AFSPA would prove detrimental to the counterterrorist campaign. The moot question, what next for displaced who had to shun everything twenty five years ago not because of economic distress or economic compulsion, not because of economic necessity or they did not want to return but because of lack of political, economic and social security on the part of politicians.?

D.R.Bhagat
Homi Jehangir Bhabha is known as the force behind India’s atomic power. With the active support of Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru who had also foreseen the India’s future in the advancement of science and technology, he created two premier institutions, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. He was the first chairman of India’s Atomic Energy Commission.
He was born on 30th October 1909 at Bombay in a rich Persian family. His father was a reputed advocate. Right from his childhood Bhabha gave a thought to every problem deeply. He slept very late. His parents were worried about his sleeplessness. They consulted a doctor about the cause of insomnia who told them that it was only due to his super active brain and continuous flow of thoughts that he sleeps late and that he was not suffering with any disease. After graduating from Elphinstone college and the Royal Institute Of Science Bombay he went to Cambridge for studying mechanical engineering as per the wishes of his father. His father wanted to make him an engineer and to work for the Tata Steel Plant. However he had much interest in physics and mathematics. Hence he continued his studies as research scholar in theoretical physics after completing his engineering. He received his doctorate in 1934. In this university he came in contact with some famous scientists like Rutherford, Neil Bohr, Paul Dirac and Heitler. In 1937 Bhabha along with Heitler presented the Theory of Electron Showers  in Cosmic Rays which are fast moving primary rays comprising of protons, electrons and gamma rays. This theory was known as Bhabha-Heitler Cascade Theory which explained the course of electron shower in cosmic rays. His work with Neil Bohr contributed to the development of Quantum Mechanics. He also discovered the electron-positron scattering which was as a result of scattering of positrons by electrons in a reaction. This was known as the Bhabha Scattering.  These works made Bhabha famous in the scientific community world wise.
He returned to India in 1939 due to outbreak of second world war which proved to be a landmark in his career and more for India in the development of science. In 1940 he joined the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore as reader in theoretical physics. He set up a separate cosmic rays department for research. He rose to the position of professor in the institute in 1942. He dreamt of building modern India with the promotion and application of science. At that time no sufficient facilities for research in nuclear physics were available in India. He therefore wrote a letter Dorabji Tata in March 1944 wherein he informed that India needed nuclear energy in years to come and hence it needed proper research facilities in atomic physics and requested him to help in opening a proper institute for exclusive research in this field. It was his farsightedness that he realised the importance of atomic energy at a time when it was just in infancy stage as the demonstration of the first reactor was done only two years back in 1942. As a result of this letter The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research was founded in 1945 which was also supported financially by Government of India. Bhabha was appointed its first director.    Atomic Energy Commission was established in 1948 and Bhabha was appointed its first chairman. The commission took the responsibility of constructing Atomic Reactors, purification of atomic materials and also conduct fundamental research. Now the atomic energy programme began to take a concrete shape and a new department of Atomic Energy was created by Government of India in 1954 which was under the direct control of Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru. With this development the atomic energy got special attention of the government. With the hard work of Bhabha as chairman of the Atomic Energy commission the first atomic reactor of Asia was put into operation at Trombay in 1956. He provided his pivotal support to Vikram Sairabhai in setting up Indian National Committee for Space Research. He was also elected as the president of Indian Science Congress in 1951.
JRD Tata and Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru gave support and encouraged Bhabha in his work. He was very close to Nehru and enjoyed his confidence. There was great synergy in the thoughts of Nehru and Bhabha with respect to industrialization and scientific research in the country. Two more reactors namely Apsara and Zerlina were also built by Indian scientists under his guidance. After the construction of these reactors Bhabha started his work in the direction of construction of power plants. Three power plants were set up at Tara Pur, Rana Pratap Sagar and Kalpakam. An Atomic Energy Establishment was also created for application of atomic energy for peaceful purposes and again Bhabha was appointed its director. All this enabled India to win new laurels in the study of atomic energy. Bhabha was also invited by Nehru to become the minister of atomic energy in his cabinet but Bhabha declined saying that he has great love for science than the charm of ministry. He also started a training centre to train young scientists in different fields of nuclear science.  He brought many scientists at one platform and arranged lectures. He became the chairman of the first United Nations conference on the peaceful uses of the atomic energy held in Geneva in 1955. He emphasised that there should be an international control on nuclear energy and a ban on atomic weapons. He also stressed the need for using atomic energy for alleviation of poverty and misery of the people.
For his love to science he never thought of marrying and remained a bachelor throughout his life. Once asked about his marriage he told ” I am married to creativity”. It was due to his excellent ground work done and right direction given in the field that India was able to perform its first atomic explosion in May 1974 at Pokhran in Rajsthan and join the galaxy of nuclear power nations becoming the sixth in the series. Sadly this great scientist of India who is also known as the father of nuclear power in India met a premature death at the age of 56 in a plane crash in Switzerland on 24th January 1966 while proceeding to attend an international conference. The Atomic Energy Establishment at Trombay was renamed as Bhabha Atomic Research Centre on 12th January 1967 in the honour of this great scientist of India. In the words of Sir C.V.Raman, Bhabha was a great lover of music, a gifted artist, a brilliant engineer and an outstanding scientist.