~ Sentu Tikadar
In Saudi Arabia while I was travelling in a taxi and chatting with the driver. The driver told he was from Azad Kashmir. I asked what was 'azad'. He replied 'free' Kashmir. I asked agian what he meant by 'free'. He kept silent for a while. I again asked him what was the currency of his country. He told Pakistani currency. I told him -then you were not actually free. The driver kept mum.
The Kashmir controlled by India wants to become free and want to be a part of Pakistan.
Insurgency a lot there without any limit.
I read in my school geography that natural obstacles is the root cause of un-development in Kashmir. Some time- Why Kashmir is undeveloped ?- used to appear in examination paper in my school. That time Kasmir was not under tourmoil. Tourist used to visit Kasmir from all over India and from world. Also I read in books 'Kashmir is called the Switzerland of India.Hindi films were suited there a lot.Directors did not go to shoot their films to other countries. Only the cottage industries and Govt offices and some cultivation of crops and fruits are the sources of incomes except tourism. But now tourism is no more a source of income. Export of fruits also is reduced a lot due to the insurgency.The 'shikaras' are no more loaded with tourists.It all are carrying the lovely touch of tourists of the bygone days. I see in winter many Kashmiris are selling Shawl(Shal) in any parts of Eastern India specially West Bengal,Tripura and Assam. Some Kashmiris set up permanent shops there also.They even can speak in Bengali who have shops in Bengal.
Before the insurgency in Kashmir tourism was the main source of income in Kashmir.
There are no natural resources to set industries.Scarcity of plain land is a big problem for continuous cultivation of crops and grains. Some scattered cultivation is there on the plane slopes of the hills.
The climate is also adverse and a major hindrance to the cultivation of crops and grains.
Indian Govt.knew all these as the school students knew it at my time and know. Additionally the present day students know one more thing which we did not is 'insurgence' or 'turmoil' in Kashmir.
The Indian Govt. had taken up positive steps and initiatives to implicate various plans for the development Kashmir. I believe the natural and geographical situation of Kashmir is so adverse to its development. People of Kashmir day after day was suffering from this.The situation of Kashmir will never be changed until the people come for peace talk.
The economic condition of India has grown and developed very much and will reach to the top or at least near to top among all countries in South Asia. But the economic status of Kashmiris had not developed upto mark compared to the other parts of India.
The condition of pre-liberated East Pakistan and the condition of Indian Kashmir are not same.
There are geographical and natural hindrance to the development of Kasmir . But the Kshmir rulling Govt. is keeping the price of essential commodities , like rice, wheat and oil, etc. same as the other parts of India. There is no difference of price of medium quality essential commodities in Kerala and in Kashmir. But there were difference of prices of essential commodities in East Pakistan and West Pakistan.
As we know East Pakistan wanted to remain within Pakistan with the self administration in the hands of Bengalees which Pakistan denied. I used to hear that my elder brother and his school mate Chowdhury Ali Akbar after coming from S.M.Model High School of Gopalgange stat chanting " Chay dafa mante habe, mante habe…" .
Indian Govt. always thought about Kashmiris development but how far she had become successful that every one knows.
The Govt. could give them plenty of jobs by creating reservation in Govt. / Public / private sectors. The Govt. could do also tremendous development to the tourism industry in Kashmir when it was 'cooled' . The Govt. could infuse man-made-tourist spots into natural tourist spots in Kashmir instead of making the rule that the Kashmiris only can buy the land of Kashmiris as India made the rule that only the tribes of Jharkhand can buy the land of Jharkhandi tribes.
The minority Hindus were driven out from Kashmir and the driven-out- Hindu- Kashmiris are 'refugees' in their own country. Govt. was also not successful to return them back to their home town.
The people of Kashmir is now poorer than before.
The insurgency and turmoil now-a-days has another major factor helping Kashmir to retreat from the development. Pakistan is anti to India from the beginning. Pakistan is influencing Kashmir for not to stay within India. Pakistan's influenece to the Kashmiris is based not only on the basis of religion and but also to fight with India with greater ease.Pakistani can not forget the defeat and emergence of a new country from Pakistan with the help of India in 1971.
I think the economic situation of Kashmir will remain the same if it is included in the map of Pakistan some day. Rather the situation of Kashmir may worsen than that the situation of Kashmir before the insurgence.
India understands the ineqality between the development of Kashmir and other parts of India lately. As she understands now that her security measure is so loose. But it is all too late.India is not able to maintain her own security. She is now more concerned of the terror creating groups in Pakistan and in India. Side by side she is virtually ignoring the fundamentalists growth in multiples in Bangladesh.
Islamic Chattro Sibir in Bangladesh is becoming stronger day by day. Pakistan is becoming closer to Bangladesh day by day through the Bangaldesh Jamat e Islami. They are not only influencing the demolition of Lalan statue but also terrorizing secular people of Bangladesh.
BNP Govt. was supporting them in full fledge and if it comes to power this time it will double its support to Jamat e Islami undoubtedly . Most of the BNP supporters can not hear the name of India. They consider India is their arch enemy.
In nera future they will be principal point of balme by India for frequent bomb blasting in India.
Bangladeshi Jamat e Islami has a deep interlink with Pakistani and Indian Jamat e Islami and other groups. Jamat e Islami is a part and parcel of Bangladesh Administration. It was and it will be in future too. Any country who will be more fundamentalist will make their road to destruction soon.Now only one Afghanistan in world map. In near future there will be how many Afghanistan in world map no body knows if fundamentalism is given utmost priority.
Bangladesh is a poppet in the hand of the Bangladeshi 'Taleban'. Bangladesh will be another breeding ground of terrorists in near future. It will cross Pakistan in producing the Terrorists. They will kill Bangladeshi intellectuals, liberals, educationists and free thinkers as much as possible. They will kill the 'unbelievers' and rape their women as Taleban did to Buddhists in Afghanistan.
Terror creating and killer groups are on the right and left of India. Ironically also inside.
In the coming days India will suffer more bomb blasts if she does not develop her infrastructure security system and impliment the latest state of the art security in the country. Now the situation is going like as the following,
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| 13 May | JAIPUR |
| June | N/A |
| 26 July | AHMEDABAD |
| August | N/A |
| 13 September | DELHI |
| October | N/A |
| 26 November | MUMBAI |
| December | N/A (hopefully) |
| 13 January | Where next? |
Fortunately there is gaps among the above days.
(Please be careful in the week of January 13.
This might be some random observation of sequence dates of bomb blasts or terror attacks.)
The more the fundamentalists' oppression will increase, the more the above gap will be filled up (But I think it will be filled up even before). No months will be remaining left without bomb blast in India if the security system goes like before.
Experiencing bomb blast will be a routine habit for Indian. So Indian will not much worry about those who have come by 'boats'… Indian are now much worried about those who come through our 'votes'…Those are our no less than terrorists.
What a shame and disgrace to every citizen of India that the elite NSG Force was transported into ordinary BEST buses (public transport buses run in Bombay), whereas our cricketers are transported into state of the art luxury buses, the security personnel and Jawans lay down their lives to protect every Indian and these cricketers get paid even if they loose a match, we admire and worship these cricketers and forget the martyrdom of the brave Jawans.
The Jawans should be paid the salaries of the cricketers and the cricketers should be paid the salaries of the Jawans.
An ace shooter shoots and gets gold medal, govt gives 1cr, another shooter dies while shooting terrorist, govt gives 5 Lakh.
WHO DESERVES MORE? Huh.. This is India …. shame…..
No one can save India and Bangladesh and Pakistan from destruction if the common people are so timid to face the fundamentalist gruop. All the so called religious party like VHP, Jamat e Islami, etc. shall be banned. All the secular minded people of the world should come together on one platform and be obedient to each other irrerspective to religious faiths. If there is a pinch of fundamentalist thought remains inside the mind of secular people then never will come a peaceful South Asia to live without fear.
Only nonviolence and peaceful negotiation is the only way to coexist in peace and prosperity. I do not know whether this is just a case like 'ideal gas law' or 'real gas law'.
Shall this be left in the hand of time?
It may be hard for the hard-liners to follow the Sufis. Sufiism was originated in this subcontinent to make their religion soft and softer to others. Sufis understood the 'loopholes'. They understood the time, the need of the time, the basic requirement of the restless-minds of people.They assimilated the nectar of all religions.They had no feeling of discrimination among different faiths. Saudis do not keep faith in the Sufiism.Sufiism was a vital part in the subcontinent before the oil & gas production in Saudi Arabia and other oil producing mid east countries.The more and more Saudi and other mid east countries have become enriched with 'liquid gold' the more and more the Muslims of the subcontinent start forgetting Sufis.
The countries in the subcontinent need Sufis like Sai Baba , Nizamuddin Aulia, Sonnasi like Chaittanno Dev, Bhakt Kabir, Lalan Fakir.etc. They are no more alive. But their teachnigs are alive now .Their teachings should be included and should be compulsory in the school and college level. The madrasas which always teach how to be intolerant should be band or if banning not possible should be stopped from further growth.
Sentu Tikadar
- A Mechanical Engineer writes from Jakarta
- Can be reached at sentu92003 at yahoo dot com