People in Jammu and Kashmir are in distress. It looks like the rain gods have let loose their ire in the state, giving its residents no quarter.
‘Why blame gods, son, it is largely your own doing.’ Kaga Bhushundiji said rather brusquely. I was appalled at his harshness. Here we are facing the worst ever disaster in our lives and this creature has the gall to tick us off collectively.
‘Kagaji,’ I retorted, ‘I know you are incapable of rendering any help to the victims, but decency demanded at least a few words of sympathy from you.’
‘What decency you expect of me when your own people are not decent to themselves?
‘How do you say that?’
Kaga Bhushundi SpeakEth
Suman K Sharma
‘Facts speak out. Not gods, but humans have brought upon themselves – and all other sentient beings besides – the bane of global warming and weather change. You people have obstructed free flow of the Jhelum by inhabiting the low lying areas in Srinagar. The state authorities have little by way of a flood control policy. Warnings of the ever-present danger have been ignored. Bharat sarkar have yet to evolve an effective water management strategy in cooperation with the neighbouring Pakistan. So you can’t build dams where required and partake of nature’s bounty by way of irrigation and power generation for benefit of the peoples on both the sides. Instead, now and then you suffer dry spells or, even worse, the wrath of rivers in spate.’
‘Kagaji, Kagaji, we are in the midst of a catastrophe. Spare us the details of what couldn’t be done. There will be time enough for that. Right now there are lakhs of people in dire need of help. Think of them.’
‘Thinking alone won’t help, son. Action will, and there are no moments to lose. By Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s own admission, the floods caught his government totally unprepared. The state authorities are still acting disjointedly like someone woken up abruptly from a deep slumber. In those early days of the deluge, if telephones went out of order and computers did not work, there surely could have been other means to organize quick relief. What are the village chowkidars, patwaris, and a host of other revenue personnel for? Where was the police? But why would the minions care if a raja and his fat-salaried representatives themselves run away from their posts? I rue such technological progress made by man that has rendered him so helpless and apathetic. For that matter, we crows come off much better – the din that we raise on finding another crow in duress!’
‘Kagaji, but the Indian Army, the Air Force and NDRF have done a superb job. Lakhs of people have been rescued by them. They have air-dropped food packets, water bottles and blankets to the affected people. I saw a picture in an English daily of the flood victims walking over the bodies of army jawans who lay supine like planks over a damaged bridge. That’s what disciplined and dedicated men are prepared to do for their countrymen….’
‘Only to be pelted with stones, son! Why don’t you also talk of the NDRF boats being slashed by some rapacious locals who wanted to capitalize on the rescue work? And worse even are those pseudo patriots who crowd the Facebook pages with their jingoistic postings and gloat over the misery of others. For all the brave words they type from the comfort of their homes and hearths, I doubt if any of them would be willing to donate a ten-rupee note towards the relief fund.
‘Kagaji, there will be always such despicable elements to rear their heads in such a situation. The restraint our boys have shown is admirable. We also saw the valour and generosity of the ordinary Kashmiris who organized rescue operations at the risk of their own lives and fed others from their depleted resources. The situation is changing now as the water recedes…’
‘Yes, the situation is changing. Things are falling in place. Bharat sarkar has sanctioned thousands of crores for the relief-work in the state and more may be in the offing. The Central government has given directions to the state government to put its act together for providing speedy relief to the victims. But along comes the risk of epidemics of water-borne diseases. And the dead. More gravely, I ponder how the authorities are going to deal with the angst of an already alienated people. Kashmir is in deep water indeed.’
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