(Travelogue 2015 Part III )
https://youtu.be/WPAiDh8KrkQ
5thJuly, 2015 early
morning after bath and breakfast with our elder brother Girdhari Lal at
Zainakot rented house in front of our houses in debris, we; I and my younger
brother Ram Sarup executed the plan for trip to Sonamarg-Baltal, 100 kilometres
away from Srinagar. We took to Shadipor-Ganderbal bypass road through cluster
of villages like Vokuer, Nunaer, Vasuer,
Manigam etc. Until eruption of militancy
in 1990, these villages were inhabited by Kashmiri Pundits too. Great saints
like Nandh Bub and Kasheakak were from Nunear and Manigam respectively.
Belly of ‘The House on Wheels’ was
filled to its capacity at a petrol pump in the vicinity of Prang. At Kangan
market, we made a little of shopping of grocery and bakery items including bread,
packed pickles, edible oil, potatoes, onions, tomatoes etc. Far ahead of Prang
around 1 PM, we declared the hour for lunch break. The sumptuous lunch
consisted of two local breads with local packed pickles for each of us. It was enough
to let us drive further for our destination.
To avail of the benefit of the
stopover, we preferred to defuse the little pressure on our respective bladders.
I asked people around if they could guide us to any public or private
convenience point around. Being one of them for the last 76years and five
months, I was little surprised when they directed me to any secluded site on
the roadside as the most suitable place for urination. Conscious of the recent advertisements on ‘Swatch-Bharat’,
we made it doubly sure that none was around with a camera for any sting
operation. I recalled the caution that was given to me by my 2006 born grandson
Avigna Jalali a boy of 5 in the year 2011 at Dubai camp site when being a
Kashmiri, I behaved and availed of my
perfect freedom of urination in the interior of a bushy deserted area. I took his caution lightly. The next
day my hair bristled when I read one of the news in the News paper that read:
“One Taxi driver from Pakistan was apprehended while urinating among bushes
away from the roadside. He was fined, imprisoned and bundled back to Pakistan
with orders never to land in Dubai again”. Mid seventies, Pundit Zanardhan
Wali-‘Baitoth’ from Badiyar Srinagar visited his son Dr. Autar Krishan
Wali, a scientist of repute in Germany. One of the don’ts in the verbal
instructions given to father by his German national son was that before he
stepped out, he must ensure that he emptied his bladder at home. In case
anybody in Germany sits by the roadside to ease, he finds an ambulance behind him
on wait for him. He is taken to a nearby hospital and all sorts of tests are
made on him to ascertain the reason for untimely nature’s call to him at an odd
place.
‘Thank god, we in India or in any
part of India enjoy freedom to pollute the atmosphere to any extent.’ Restrictions imposed by the J&K State
Government on polythene are only on paper. In case of strictness, the
Government is scared of the reaction by those who fight for freedom to pollute
the peaceful atmosphere. The Government believes in let the sleeping dogs lie
asleep.
In absence of any public convenience
point from Lakhinpore, the entry point to J&K State right up to Baltal, Pahalgam
or other tourist spots apprehensions of pollution to Syed Ali Shah Geelani,
Mohammad Yasin Malik, Mirwaiz Dr. Omar Farooq, Shabir Shah and others in the
present scenario are justified. I suggest they better to awaken the respective
agencies to look for ways and means to ensure pollution free atmosphere around
rather than to restrict the yatra.
Seeing male and female, old and young
tourists helplessly sitting aside the road to ease is shame on the part of the
State / Central Government/Directorate of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism, and
respective Development Authorities including the Shri Amar Nath Ji Shrine
Board. Tourism is the backbone of the
State economy. A big chunk of our population survives on tourism. Entire tourist route, tourist spots, gardens
and parks must be punctuated with hygienic toilet outlets. Until the requisite
toilet points are constructed, our Chief Minister cum Minister for tourism
while luring outsiders for visit to Kashmir must provide each tourist with as
many diapers as the number of days he/she stays in Kashmir.
Sonamarg Development Authority seems to be
concerned with revenue collection with little concern for development. Not to
speak for the requisite toilet points, there is no dustbin in and around the
crowded area in front of the Fish Point Sonamarg or in the Rafting Area in
front of the Fish Point. At Gagangir-Sonamarg, the hoarding in capital letters
reads:
“WELCOME
Sonamarg Development Authority Welcomes You
At
the Enchanting And Picturesque Valley of Sonamarg”
The Tourist believes the hoarding and
alights from his vehicle. Soon he gets disgusted when he on spot finds:
(1)Broken water pipes with flowing water
without any vertical length fitted with tap to it.
(2) Guest house amidst the park with
no water connection and electric supply when private houses and hotels around
are electrified with proper electric and water connections.
(3) When in absence of any toilet point he/she has
no option but to cross the footbridge meant for locals and eases across the
river Sind in the forest area.
Same in ditto is true for THE ISLAND
RETREAT PARK, Sonamarg about three kilometres ahead of Gagangir Park. There is
no toilet point, no water connection and no electric connection when a huge
number of water pipes are piled up within the Park premises alongside an idle
transformer. Expenditure on idle material is in fractious and invites audit
objection.
Sonamarg 85 km away from Srinagar is
a nature’s marvel. By the sunset we reached Sonamarg. With thirst to look for
more, we went to Baltal fifteen kms ahead of Sonamarg. It was disgusting to
watch the neglected dusty area overcrowded with parked vehicles. The Police suspiciously
directed all vehicles including those that had to return to pass through the
parking slot. Though I sidelined the parking slot and did not cross the
barrier, yet the keepers despite their argument failed to get a payment of
forty rupees as parking charges from me.
Comparing Dubai administration with
J&K or Indian administration, it is
nothing short of comparing Parverdigar with Naidyar. Each park even those that
have free entry in Dubai is provided with a classic public convenience
enclosure with liquid soap, tissue paper and electric blower. Unlike India,
toll tax gets automatically debited to the account of the car owner and
likewise for any traffic violation, the owner of the car gets an instant SMS
regarding the fine debited to his/her account. Indian administrators close
their eyes to such type of foolproof system to let the pilferage continue on.
Parliamentarians in India and MLAs of State Assemblies do go on tour to different
countries but only to get tax free gifts for their near and dear ones. Mrs.
Prathiba Patil the then President of India obliged her far and near relations
with a tour abroad before she relinquished her office. ‘Leajie ti chuer te gujie ti chuer’ ‘yehan durvaishee bi ayaree
sultanee bi’
By dusk, our tent, with the help of
Vishal Sharma a taxi driver from Jammu was pitched on the bank of the roaring
branch of the River Sind. The roaring
musical sound of the river during the nights of 5th-6th
and 6th-7th July 2015 lulled us to sound sleep. Get-together
with strangers during the day was an additional bonus of the trip. 7th
July after lunch, the camp was closed only to be opened at Gagangir, 9+3 km
down the stream. At Gagangir, we sought help from three High School students
headed by Irfan. The trio sought permission from Dilbar Mir, Chowkidar of the
park and they carried the camp paraphernalia like our bedding, utensils,
handigas, dining table, ration etc down to the camp site. Besides, they pitched
the tent. 8th morning a new team of helpers arrived. They were
fascinated with our adventure. They were three years younger to the previous
group. Their team leader was Janhangir Chouhan assisted by Irfan Chouhan. Other
members of the team were Shamim-1, Shamim II, Nazakat. Parvez and
Mehraj-ul-din. They were all Chouhan living across the river Sind among the
Deodar trees in dense forest. 7th-8th; 8th-9th
nights at Gagangir Park and the day in the company of Chouhan boys are beyond
description. Thrice a day, they shifted our kitchen paraphernalia to shady
areas under shady tree and finally back to tent enclosure. Handigas filled in
2012, finally breathed its last on 9th July after it served us up to
last and was to get packed. 9th July Chouhan boys lead me to their
Gujar Bahaks in the forest. Their love for a stranger with no expectations was
a new experience for me at 76 and a half.
9th afternoon we parted with a heavy heart. (To be concluded)
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