Pray to God

Nasrun Mir

Srinagar is a curious place. On Thursday when water levels of the river Jhelum were bulging, and the murky waters again threatened to engulf the city, a known phenomenon took place around its banks – the ministerial and official visits.

The state run Doordarshan television and the Reliance industries owned ETV Urdu, broadcast these visits in their daily 7 PM news in some detail.  Normally, I don’t have to watch this streaming of misinformation, but on Thursday, thanks to my mother, I did up consuming some of this so called news. For anyone, who doesn’t understand how Kashmir functions or doesn’t function as a state, do watch these news bulletins. They may change your belief towards the God or any other supernatural power that you did not previously believe in.

Sorry, my dear readers, I do not remember the name of the politician who was visiting the Gade Koche area of Srinagar on Thursday afternoon, and was taking – “stock of the situation”.  This phrase, “stock of the situation” appears in almost every state press release issued by the government about the works its ministers and elected members of the legislature carry out every day. Anyways, coming back to the works the MLA was performing on the banks of river Jhelum and what he said to camera makes it clear that Jammu and Kashmir is not a secular state, but a religious republic, run by God Almighty so mysteriously under the Article 370.

In the news story broadcast on ETV-Urdu-Kashmir, the elected member of state legislature with his small entourage was accessing the situation and the worried locals were hanging around him with closed shoulders and deep uncertainty. Last year’s floods had a devastating effect on the valley. The politician was raising his arms towards the river and making some gestures. I have no idea what he meant by them because the news anchor was speaking about the area and was giving some background about his visit.  There was a cut, and next, the politician was in front of the camera and speaking. I will quote him here, and he said: “I have taken stock of the situation, and now…we will pray to the God.”

Problem solved for Kashmir. We are the only state in the world, where elected ministers report directly to the God after taking the “stock of the situation.”

All the atheists and communists, who previously did not believe in the existence of the God, please contact the state legislatures of Jammu and Kashmir and chances are they may put you directly in touch.

Such is the state of affairs in the Jammu and Kashmir and such is the pedigree of our politicians. By bringing God into picture, the state absolves itself from all of its shortcomings and mis-governance that happens on daily basis in Kashmir.

In a working democracy and in a normal state, government ensures the safety of its subjects. It will also talk about the future plans and will hold accountable the officials that are responsible for all the bad planning. Scientific answers will be sought for the deteriorating environment and what are the ways forward. The works on basics like, dredging and clearing the banks from encroachment will start on war footing. Cases of corruption will be booked against all the incumbent and now retired officials, and politicians, which allowed constructions in the flood channels and on the banks of rivers, but in Kashmir the ruling elite is a part of the problem. In reality, only God can save us.

 Author can be reached at nasrun.mir@gmail.com

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