Prof Javed Mughal
“Don’t we figure on the map of this nation?” Haven’t we suffered for the administrative failures of our system and the oft-repeated errors of our system without even a slight murmur? Can’t we have even a single good classroom in our schools? Shouldn’t we have the comfort of road-connectivity with the nearby highway and how far have our children and old and ailing ones to continue walking a long distance to catch the bus to the instant town?” These are the questions raised by the forlorn students of a small historical hamlet namely Mahra of Tehsil Surankote, District Poonch (wading through the gravel paths pressed and done up under head-loads of daily provisions fetched from miles away) where even now, after stepping into the 21st century, people have to walk miles together for anti-fever pills and sometimes succumb to the slight head-ache for want of in-time treatment. Health Sub Center which was to be completed 17 years ago but unfortunately the money stands released and exhausted but till now there is no Health Sub Center’s building excepting a few crumbled side-walls. These are questions posed by the poor students of this tiny hamlet which dazzle everyone at the fate of this small village about 5 kilometers from Buffliaz, the Block Hqtr. History can’t bypass the fact that this small ignored village has, for a long time, remained the sojourning abode and permanent passage of Great Mughals from Akbar to Aurangzeb (who gave a proud and beautiful dimension to the history of India) and used to be the epicenter of attraction for the entire country. Apart from it, it has been the entrance of a big industrial town of ‘Tarni’ and ‘Rattan Shah’ which are now completely transformed into dense forest. But at one time a few hundred years back, this village Mahra used to be a sort of royal gate to this biggest city of Rajouri Poonch. Some of the plaques, with a beautiful calligraphy in a strange language conveying something meaningful, can still be found on the wayside in the village that speaking about the presence of civilisation even before the advent of Mughals. Also some earthen pots of typical and unique make-up, have many a time, been discovered in this far flung area of Poonch District. Village Mahra also serves as an ante-chamber to the seven famous lakes commonly known as Sars- the Nandan Sar, Suk Sar, Katori Sar, Dang Sar, Neel Sar and Kal Dachhni. After a long spell of slumber now the Department of tourism has shown some concern on the development of these natural lakes. And village Mahra is at the bottom of these lakes. The original inhabitants of this village are the only as pure descendants of the Great Mughals as are the off-spring of 24-carat Aryans at Batalik Sector in Ladakh division. The inhabitants of Mahra are original Mughals and their physical structure, their style of conversation, their royal bent of mind and their meticulous reactions and reflexes bear a testimony to the effect of their originality. But the great tragedy that has ever happened to this ill-fated village is its exploitation at the hands of local politics and routine negligence of the government. The area is intellectually fertile and agriculturally productive that is why it is still breathing otherwise long back it would have died an unnoticed death. Its intellectual productivity has ever been relegated to the backdrop due to the long pending indifference of leadership with the sectarian outlook. Despite having no facility of hospital, road connectivity, well equipped school, post office, telephone facility, electricity availability, employment, comfortable houses to live in-above all without all basic comforts, this village remained declared in ‘Privileged Category’ till the recent past bereft of all developmental schemes and special packages of the Govt. which used to be extended to the socially, economically and educationally backward areas of Jammu and Kashmir. The Panchayat Ghar that is normally a life-line of any village tantamount to a judicial court for the villagers has mercilessly been transformed into a Stable where the horses are kept now-a-days due to the oft-repeated negligence of the administration. The photo-graphic details of the village speak the heart-rending language of the hardships of the inhabitants of Mahra. No doubt this village has ever acted as one of the deciding factors in elections and that is why once in six years the political Contestants spare some time to remember them-nay to beguile and befool them for the time being. We have no answers to the questions raised by the home-spun students hereof, rather deplorable populace of this village that are genuine and heart-rending. Unfortunately, even though this region stands endowed with rich bounties of nature having preserved the centuries-old jungles, orchids, gushing springs and everything that nature has offered, it is surprising that the fruits of development have not yet reached here despite 64 years of Independence. The living conditions of the people here are far below expectations. The people seemed to be living in the ancient times. The mainstay of their survival is the little agricultural produce particularly maize crops supplemented with the wild vegetables which are also now an uphill task for them in view of the surrounding jungles being infested with the militants. During militancy this far-flung corner has been subjected to unremitting hardships at the hands of terrorists so much so that many of them were deprived of their body organs like ears, eyes and arms etc. for their open support to the Govt. but what they got in exchange was more hardships, privation, poverty without having single sigh of relief and respite. Whenever the underprivileged people of this village approach the concerned authorities, they are told that Govt. does not have adequate funds for their upliftment. It is highly surprising that despite the country primarily being the conglomeration of villages and thereby a rural nation, the villages are still smouldering on the pyre of multi-dimensional issues. Every table of our Government, from district level to the national platform, spends, on average basis, an amount of Rs 50,000/ on the celebration of the Republic and Independence Days in our country but the biggest chunk of Indian nationhood, that sacrificed its blood for freedom, is still suffering with an impractical hope of some Messiah to come and exonerate them from the shackles of their abject predicament. Though the residents of Mahra seem to feel helpless and have accepted their sufferings and exploitation as a way of life, the students are still pulsating with a difference and there seems to be spark of some divine mettle in them and that is why they not only feel but can express their feelings too . They appeal for their slice of cake as a matter of right and, if not fulfilled, they would turn violent. This streak of violence will, beyond all doubts, be suicidal for them because they will ultimately be pitted against the might of the State. The innocent faces of these small boys and girls are still in front of my eyes and always pain me whenever I am alone and compel me to write about the tale of their woe whenever I pick up the pen to drop a line. I noticed deep-down desperation and indignation in their eyes. When I followed them through and through and overpowered them, one of the students, quite natural and scared looking as innocent as a lamb retorted “Sir, Are you some CID’s informer? Have we committed some crime to have spoken of being neglected by the system? But however sufferings may be imposed on us, we shall bear with patience but will not be terrorists. It is better to die of hunger than being called the anti-nationals” These spontaneous utterances of these pastoral mealy-mouthed tiny scholars of Village Mahra sent a galvanic shock and surprise-shiver down my spine. Mahra needs to relieved of its pain and agony.
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