‘Fun Activity Week’ Thrills Students, Teachers; Evokes Good Response

Ubeer Naqushbandi

SRINAGAR

The first day of “Fun Activity Week” announced earlier by Director School Education Dr Shah Faesal in schools started Tuesday with the beginning of new academic session. The thrill among the students was visible as schools opened after a two month long winter break.

“Today we had interaction with teachers and a light amount of study,” said Faisal Mehraj, 11^th grade student of SP higher secondary school. His friend echoing his views said that as already announced by the authorities about ‘fun week’, he said that it was a kind of regrouping after a long break.

Another student Jazib of Tyndale Biscoe School said, “It is a good step being taken by authorities as after a long winter vacation, it needs time for streamlining and getting into mould of studies.”

The teachers were duly enthusiastic to interact with students. Naila, a lecturer at higher secondary said, “We just had an interaction with the students. They, too, felt very enthusiastic about it.”

Sheemu another lecturer at valley’s oldest school SP higher secondary school said that this is not for the first time that they have been doing this in the past and by official confirmation it got a “punch” which she feels was necessary.

Senior lecturer G.N. Shakir said, “we conducted morning assemblies and from the word go started to interact with students in a very cordial atmosphere. He said that it was necessary not only from a teacher’s perspective but from student’s perspective as well. “Student’s viewpoints are essential and help us to formulate our teaching methodology accordingly. “This fun activity would continue for a week and would bring vibrancy among teachers,” he said.

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SVC Slams SMC Over Violations in Srinagar Master Plan

KL NEWS NETWORK

SRINAGAR

The State Vigilance Commission (SVC) Tuesday while taking strong note of alleged violations of Srinagar Master Plan by a beneficiary in connivance and conspiracy with officers/officials of different Government Departments particularly with the patronage of the officials of Srinagar Municipal Corporation, sought action taken report from the Commissioner, SMC in the light of allegations levelled.

“The SVC by taking cognizance, sought report after enquiring from the Commissioner, SMC Srinagar, over a complaint lodged by the residents of Shah Anwar Colony, Hyderpora Bypass, Srinagar,” the SVC said in a statement, “regarding construction of a multi-storeyed building at Hyderpora Bypass Srinagar adjacent to National Highway, opposite Classical Hospital in gross violation of Srinagar Master Plan Guidelines.”

The violations, the SVC said, took place in contravention of Municipal laws and rules governing thereto, in connivance and by hatching conspiracy with the officers/ officials of various Government Departments viz The Pollution Control Board, The Labour Department and SMC Srinagar “who instead of initiating any action against the violator remained mute spectators thereon, besides, the violator had illegally leased out the said building to a private Firm for running commercial activities in residential area”.

“The report received from the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, prima-facie reveals that a multi-storeyed building had been raised by the violator in contravention of Srinagar Master Plan and the provisions of The J&K Municipal Corporation Act, 2000. Besides, no concrete measures seem to have been taken by the Authorities of SMC in order to stop the violator from constructing the building who has taken refuge of an order passed by The J&K Special Tribunal, showing the negligent and non-serious approach adopted by the officers/officials of SMC Srinagar in the matter amounting to acts of omission and commission by the concerned public servants.”

The SVC while ensuring that strict action is taken against the officers/officials of SMC Srinagar in the matter which has lead to gross violation of the Srinagar Master Plan and Municipal laws, “has directed the Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation to submit action taken against all those involved by next date of hearing”.

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Fire Gutted a Complex in Gund Kangan

Riyaz Bhat

SRINAGAR

Representational Pic

Fire broke out in a shopping complex at Gund in Kangan area of central Kashmir Monday.

The fire completely damaged the second storey of the complex.

“The fire erupted due to the short circuit in wires and there is no loss of life or injury reported.

Fire was brought under control with the help of locals and firefighters, the official said.

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Firm of Liberty

As the situation crowded the jails across the state, not many could afford to arrange their court battles. It was then a legal firm chipped in aiding hundreds of incarcerated—especially youth booked under stone pelting and foreigners awaiting justice for years, reports Tabish Khan

Far from political din of Srinagar, the firm of an advocate Shafqat Hussain seems busy as the battery of seven lawyer volunteers are enrolling the cases of under trial foreign militants and native Public Safety Act (PSA) booked boys. Since last 25 years, Hussain has been handling the cases of under-trials without making much of it.

Hussain’s firm works on cases of young stone pelters of valley and foreigners booked under “lawless law” PSA. Some of the cases he handles involve prolonged detentions. But what sets Hussain and his battery apart—is the legal help, they provide, free of cost.

“We do it for humanity’s sake, as it is our job,” says advocate Hussain. “We do it on our own without getting help from any government agency or NGO.”

Since 2008, the firm claims to have pleaded the cases of more than 800 young boys involved in stone pelting. Hussain says the boys mostly belonged to the underprivileged families who didn’t afford court charges. “We did our bit to provide some sort of relief to such families,” he says.

Hussain while recounting the cases he handled especially after 2008 Amarnath Land Agitation talks about the several cases wherein mostly educated boys were booked under the draconian act. “This has been done only to prolong their trail and keep them under custody for long,” he says.

When he started pleading the cases of those young boys, he found an undue delay in them before reaching to courtroom. This was happening as within 60 mandatory days, police wouldn’t produce challan in the court, he says. “Besides prolonging the trail, the FIR would be kept pending.” The treatment was making boys’ and their parents’ lives a tormenting affair, Hussain says.

This is where the firm intervened. The idea was to provide maximum legal aid to the boys of all districts of Kashmir. But the battery of the lawyers didn’t stop there only. The next move was to help in repatriating many foreign prisoners who were languishing in jails under PSA for many years.

For Hussain, the foray into foreign cases wasn’t new—as since 1990s, he has been handling such cases. But now, it was the matter of rising above the individual’s level to make it his firm’s legal mission. His legal acumen greatly aided his battery of lawyers—some of whom were still fresh pass outs from universities.

As the firm acted, hundreds could return to their homes. Last year, three Bangladeshis and three Pakistanis facing illegal detentions were sent home by the firm. “Many ask us, why are you doing it without charging a penny from your clients,” says a lawyer in the firm. “But then, it is not always the question of money. We do it, as we know those persons don’t have any other to look after.”

Among the wrongfully implicated cases, Hussain recalls the case of Saleem Rehman of Pakistan. Rehman was detained under Arms Act and was facing six years of detention. “We took his case on humanitarian grounds,” Hussain says. With the result, Rehman walked out of the jail innocent.

There was another case of Zubair Mughal from Pakistan. He was facing trial in three cases—out of which, one was related to Hyderpora Highway attack on army. But once the firm pursued his case, it was found that at the time of attack, Mughal was already in custody facing trail in another two cases. “How was it possible for him to be the part of an attack when he was already in custody,” asks Hussain. With the result, the third case slapped on Mughal was dropped. “His case is a blunt misuse of PSA,” Hussain says. “Even his FIR was pending—only to deny his deportation.”

Rate of these false implications is high in JK, says advocate Wajid, a firm member. “Cases which we have pleaded were proven falsely implicated,” he says. “Whosoever is foreigner faces pathetic situation here. The course correction is needed to re-impose faith in judiciary.”

Advocate Hussain says during all these years, the firm came across certain strange cases like that of Rubina—arrested in Jammu in 2014 along with one month old baby girl.

“She is illiterate and does not even know the place in Pakistan she hails from,” Hussain says. “Pakistan Embassy is also failing in tracing her locality. We filed a petition on her behalf in High Court and it was ordered she should be deported within three weeks, but even Pakistan is denying her nationality.”

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Sunday Graduates

Over the years Srinagar’s Sunday market has evolved into more than a flea market. It has become an alternative source of income for educated and jobless youth. But the livelihood comes with a price. Saba Khan reports

For Jan Mohammad, 25, who hails from Alamgiri Bazaar in Srinagar, Sundays were never the same after he completed his graduation. During his college days, Sundays usually meant playing cricket with friends, visiting relatives, making outings with classmates etc. It was the day to relax. But, that did not last for long. Jan, after completing his studies applied for a number of positions in both government and private sector, but to no avail. “I couldn’t have waited forever,” says Jan. “I had to do something to feed my family.”

After deliberations, Jan finally started his “business” from Srinagar’s famous Sunday market. “I sell utensils at the Sunday Market,” says Jan, with a hint of self-pity in his voice.

Since then, luck has been unkind. At least that is what Jan believes now, as he is supposed to get up at 5 AM every Sunday to make his ends meet.

Since 1990, Sunday market, stretching to almost two kms length – from Radio Kashmir to Jehangir Chowk – is a permanent fixture of Srinagar’s life.

Started as an alternative source of income for those who “failed to secure a government job” for one reason or another, Sunday market has now evolved into a fully organized market place. “There is something available for everybody,” says Ghulam Hassan, who has been selling second hand clothes for the last 20 years.

In 1990, the market was started by a group of educated but unemployed youth, mostly from Srinagar’s downtown areas, after securing a loan of Rs 50 thousand each from two local banks. Those were the formative years of this peculiar market.

Since then, every Sunday, vendors like Jan erect stalls and spread out their merchandise: including pillows, cushion covers, curtains, clothing and handicrafts etc. on the folding bunks.

The striking thing about this market is that the vendors are mostly educated youth with impressive graduate and post graduate degrees.

For instance, Showkat Ahmad, 30, a resident of Pampore, who has done his graduation from SP College, Srinagar in 2012, sells clothes to make his ends meet.

A few meters from Showkat’s stall, young Ehsaan is using his lyrical voice to attract customers’ attention. Ehsaan, 24, who hails from Hazratbal, has done B.Com from Islamia College, Srinagar. He sells grocery items to scrape out a living. “I submitted a number of forms for government posts, but nothing happened. I only ended up paying fee for these forms,” says Ehsaan.

A few yards away, opposite Mughal Darbar eatery, Sabir, 27, is busy negotiating with customers. He is a post graduate from Kashmir University.  “In absence of any job and pressure from my family to work, I had to choose this business,” he says.

Unlike Sabir and others, many youth denied giving details about identity fearing “shame” as they had been vending groceries and cloths despite lofty education background.

“Educated youth suffer because of unemployment,” one of the vendors told Kashmir Life. “It has become business of government to extract revenue on the name collecting forms and other things. Posts are already appointed for those who bribe them.”

Irfan, 26, a fresh graduate from Kashmir University, sells clothes and other items for living on Sundays. For rest of the week, he works with a private company. “Most of the jobs are given to rural people because they have backward certificates,” claims Irfan, “While youth from Srinagar are forced to do menial jobs despite good educational background.”

Another pressing issue that these vendors face is of constant harassment from police and other authorities, alleges Irfan. “For them (police) we all are criminals,” he says. “They look every vendor with suspicion as if selling goods for survival is a crime.”

Sabir alleges that it’s the police and municipal authorities who are pushing jobless educated youth further down the social ladder. “We have already put everything on stake for sake of our families. If this harassment continues, I don’t know where we will land up next.”

A senior vendor, who sells household items for living, reveals that it initially police was supportive as they thought this will keep youngsters away from crime and other anti-social activities. “But I don’t know why all of a sudden they have changed their minds,” he asks.

Kabir, 23, a youngster from downtown, who sells second hand jackets from a stall for living, alleges that he is being constantly harassed by the police. “All they want is money. But how can I let them have what I earn so hard,” alleges Kabir. “We just want to work respectfully.”

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Dangerous Change

The last week of February usually marks the end of third and last phase of winters in Kashmir, but not the cold. But that seems to have changed. It was quite an unusual site when people flocked to famed Badam Wari to get glimpse of season’s first bloom. But wait a second. The first bloom normally comes at the end of March and not February! The rush of people at the Badam Wari is not out of enthusiasm, but pure surprise. First it was dry winter spell that kept people knocking at the hospital doors for most of last two months. Second, it is early onset of summers that is worrying people, mostly those who are into farming. They have been keeping their eyes fixed on the sky for most of the winters.

According to experts, the long dry spell of winters and unusual summer like feeling in February is sure to have its repercussion in coming days.

In plain words, less snowfall in the valley means water scarcity for the rest of the year. When there is no water in the rivers, there will be less energy generated by the hydropower plants. Less energy generation means energy crisis for most of the summers. In normal times, when it snows sufficiently, we generate enough energy to sell it outside the state when demand in less in Kashmir. And, when the demand is high, we barter the required amount of energy. But a long dry spell is sure to put the state out of balance, and most likely sink it into an energy crisis. The dependence on electricity from the non local sources is sure to shoot up. This means more loss to the state coffers.

The second big crisis that dry winters and early summers will throw is decline in food and other production. It will be quite a challenge to manage the crisis in absence of required precipitation. Horticulture being the main mover and shaker of economy will see a sharp decline in production because of climatic change. If there is further decline in horticulture produce, as has been pattern in last few years, it will affect livelihood of a large section of people living across the valley. This will push already aggrieved farmers into further finical chaos; something that cash starved state is not able to bail out.

Since last few years, due to erratic weather pattern, and shortfall in rainfall during crucial months, saffron production has declined drastically. Same is the case with other cash crops. If the same pattern continues then Kashmir is sure heading towards a bigger crisis.

With chances of rain or snow looking bleak in coming days and sun shining in its full glory, the promised brighter days are not in sight, at least for now.

Let’s hope that March comes with respite for everyone. As they say: let it rain please.

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Father’s Wait…

For last nine years he is selling corns at a particular spot in Rajbagh hoping that someday his missing son might come back. Saima Bhat sums up an ordinary man’s extraordinary quest to find his beloved son

For Mohammad Akram Bader, 72, who sells corn roasted on the embers from July to November, and works as labourer for rest of the year, life seems to have come to a standstill in Srinagar’s posh Rajbagh area. He starts his day at 7 AM, by searching for wood on the shoals of Jhelum. Since last eight years Bader is a regular fixture in Rajbagh. Despite high-and-lows of his salesman life, Bader never moves outside Rajbagh. He cannot in fact. Reason? He sticks around hoping to come across his missing son someday.

On May 09, 2007, Bader and his son Maqsood Ahmad Bader, 24, both labourers, were about to start their day at a construction site of a local hotel in Rajbagh, when somebody shouted from outside about an accident.

A shopkeeper selling ice-creams had lifted his shop shutter and an electric wire got stuck in that shutter. He got electrocuted and died on the spot. The Bader father-son duo also rushed to the spot and later participated in his funeral.

“That time everything came to a standstill in Rajbagh. We knew him well. After the funeral me and Maqsood returned to our rented accommodation straight away,” recalls Bader.  “But Maqsood went out after some time.”

By evening when Maqsood didn’t return, Bader got worried, as his son was ‘partially’ deaf and had ‘poor’ eyesight. Originally from Kokernag’s Zalangam village, Bader went to his home town to find out if Maqsood was home. But he was not.

With the dusk of May 09, Bader’s struggle started and is continuing till date. As per the daily dairy of police station Rajbagh, Maqsood’s missing report is listed at number 14, dated May 25, 2007. Maqsood was added to the list of thousands of people missing in Kashmir since 1990.

During his almost decade long struggle to find his son Bader has never approached any organization or NGO working in Kashmir to find missing persons. “I prefer to search for my son myself,” says Bader who has visited almost every single police station and jail in J&K with his youngest son. “I visited Uri and Tangdhar areas hoping that post 2005 earthquake there was lot of reconstruction work going on in these areas and Maqsood might have taken a job there as labourer.”

Back in his hometown Zalangam, Bader says, “After Maqsood went missing Army started visiting our home. They used to come every day, enquire about him and search our home. To stop that mental torture as I had wife, three unmarried daughters and two young sons at home, one friend suggested me to report in newspapers that my son was not mentally fit and I did the same. Automatically Army searches at home stopped.”

In order to continue his search for Maqsood, Bader sold off 2 kanals of paddy land for just Rs 2 lakh. The land now costs Rs 12 lakh a kanal. “I am just left with one kanal of paddy land now,” says Bader.

Bader used the money to visit jails in New Delhi, Kolkata, Ranchi and other places in India. “I needed money to travel,” says Bader. “I swear, for five months I literally didn’t take off my shoes. I was continuously on my toes,” says Bader.

Bader frequently visited local MLA for help, but he consoles himself saying that ‘he was not in power then otherwise he would have helped me’.

He has also met then member of the parliament, Mehbooba Mufti, who promised him to raise his missing son’s issue in the assembly. “But nothing happened.”

The documents available at District Commissioner office, Islamabad, mention that Maqsood, who cannot hear or see properly, stands ‘missing’ since 2007. “FIR was filed by his father who reported to police that time that his son is not mentally fit,” said an official at district office Islamabad.

The officer also adds that during last coalition government, the local MLA, who was a minister then, had demanded a CID investigation into the case, but CID refused to carry it saying, “Maqsood is missing.”

Since then Bader sticks around Rajbagh selling roasted maize cobs every year, hoping that one day he will come across his missing son. “I am hoping for a miracle,” says Bader.

Besides earning Bader respect from traders in Parimpora Mandi for his struggle to find his missing son, they also go soft on him viz-a-viz payments for stocks etc.

Bader recalls how he and his family were preparing for Maqsood’s marriage when he went missing. “He was engaged recently. We were getting clothes made for his marriage,” says Bader as he breaks down. “He used to weave carpets during winters and work as labourer with me in summers. He was my companion. My partner. I miss him.”

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