HIG stands for higher income Group

Rich and poor is a relative term. I believe rich is the one who despite modest living is in a position to lend articles of domestic use to those who are in wanting of the same. My maternal grandmother would often say ‘Bud dedh ghaie so yemisunz bud lokhra kheie’ ( Rich is the woman whose big amount of cooked rice others may eat)

Possession of three things in the family had given us the feel that we were from the HIG, a privileged class.  One of the three, I already mentioned was ‘My bicycle’. The other two were one pair of grinder called ‘Gretinie’ and half kg weight iron that had the capacity for 250gm of charcoal to work.

Because of its smaller size, the grinder looked very cute and assumed the female name ‘Gretinie’. It had maintained its weight like a damsel to around 5 kg. Heavier and bigger ones are called ‘Grutea’ and it is masculine in gender.

The Gretinie offered her free services to all our neighbours around at Zaindar Mohalla. Most of the beneficiaries were from nearby pujie Mohalla. Zoonae, Fatea, Rajea, Zohera and many others used to come to grind roasted broken rice. At times, they would carry the Gretinie to their home. For its light weight, it would often visit different household in the mohalla. While making mention of Zoonea, Fatea, Rajea and others, I remembered their mothers Aez Dedh, Rahat Dedh, Dolaut. They were always with a smile on their faces. Their laughter used to be thunderous. They were past masters in cutting jokes that would blush others. Most of the beneficiaries of the Gretinie were Muslims by faith.

The half Kg. wt iron was palm sized with broken sieve assembled together by binding wire. Its area of operation was within the radius of 1.25 kms. Main beneficiaries of the iron were from my community. It used to make a complete round of the area from the epicenter M Dass Swinging palace that used to swing whenever any cyclist would pass  by to Kathihal, Watalkhod, Dadikadal etc. From the first borrower, it would go ahead to the next and from the next to the other in the queue.   I believe its area of operation was unilateral in upstream direction. I don’t recall any in the downstream direction.

One of the two maternal uncles was relatively richer. Though he did possess neither bicycle nor Gretinie not to speak of the iron to press clothes, but the family possessed one carom board for the only son, one glittering kerosene stove and one heavily mended truck tube not worthy to fit even the spare wheel.

We often used to borrow the mended tube and enjoy floating ride from Kathleshwar ghat to Purshyar ghat with an air of a relation of the one from the privileged class. Maternal aunt was nice enough to lend us her kerosene stove to be special on a school excursion. She believed in Dr. Manmohan Singh policy of first come first served. Among all her relations from our school, it was the first aspirant who was obliged. For her benevolence I salute my Mami and pray her happy and an excellent life style free from any ailment and anxiety. I pray peaceful life to her.

Brijdass te Girdass chu   venan lasiv te basiv

Sadh Bhawna And Flag March

Quote:" The armed insurgency in Kashmir is gradually changing course to thrive on more homegrown militants, rather than foreign fighters, with social media as a rampant and virtually unchecked tool, an internal assessment of the army has said.

The 14-page analysis -- which HT has viewed -- also raises concerns that glaring policy failures now threaten to undo precious gains made against terror outfits in Kashmir.

Unquote: The 14-page analysis is only a facade. It is the brain child of those who advocate thinning of the Down Town Area by allotment of residential plots in favour of the stone pelters and job for them to eradicate the menace. I heard Bilal Khan (Name changed), Senior Superintendent of Police making fun of the proposal when he to his colleague on the other end said: “We ought to send our children for stone pelting rather than to impart quality education to them. As stone pelters job and plot worth lacs were assured to them when with Degree in hand their future was uncertain.
In the initial years of militancy one young Army Major mocked at his relation at Jammu for the scare of militancy. He boasted and claimed that Army is capable of restoring normalcy within days and not months or years. After a few months active combat in the valley, the two met again at Jammu. The Officer in uniform said: “You were right to predict that the menace is surmountable. The militant caught alive in the crack down or in the encounter is handed over to local police for legal action after preliminary investigation. Next time again the same militant is netted in the same action and in the same fashion handed to local police. The hide and seek continues unabated. The menace will never come to an end. Vested interests will never let it be over. It is a goldmine for many.”
Sadhbawna is no solution. Solution lies in ensuring protection to those who are loyal to India and to those who don’t favour militancy.
As rightly said by the late Zia-Ul-Haq, we all Kashmiris are the progeny of Brahmans. Brahman militant will always prove a round peg in a square hole. We still scare our children by saying: “Khokhea ha oie”. One name in Kashmir is enough to scare lacs. On the day Z A Bhutoo was assassinated, Hassea Pachie and one burqa clad lady chased lacs of people at Chotta Bazar Crossing. The two managed the show that the then D C Srinagar, Abdul Hamid Khan and SSP Kirmani along with a contingent of police force failed to do. Engaging Indian Army for the purpose that could be managed by police action or by counter insurgents or renegades is a wrong policy. Flag March is conducted to make show of the force. It becomes meaningless when it becomes a daily routine and substitutes or replaces Head constable Balji.
During the days of Sadiq regime, unprecedented fires were attributed to Jansangh. Some believed Jansangh was a ferocious bird that sucked blood of its prey. One farmer Subhana(Name changed) in Badgam rushed to his field to caution his wife to get indoor, lest like Ruhuet (name changed) she too fell prey to the ferocious bird Jansangh. He told her as an eyewitness that Jansangh came flying, placed its beak on Rahtees neck and sucked her blood to let her die.
S K Dhar dressed in overcoat and a hat with feather in it was on wheel. He stopped his ambassador car on the Humhama road to inspect the land we had purchased. The moment me, I K Raina and S K Dhar set foot on the road, the village girls collecting herbs left their baskets and sickles behind and ran crying :”Mojaie Jangsangh hi aave”

Kehrie Planners of Naya Kashmir & not Kehrie Khodie( Planners' not Khuda's disaster)

1960, Prof Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, professor of Economics delivered lecture on Malthusian theory on population. It says that the population is either controlled by preventive checks or by positive checks. Preventive checks, he explained are caesareans, vasectomy, etcetera.

Positive checks are when nature in absence of preventive checks intervenes and balances the population. He explained that when population overtakes the resources to sustain it, a big chunk of population is washed away by floods, epidemics, wars, earthquakes, fires, famines, droughts…..that we name as natural calamity. 

Before he concluded his lecture, he said “Sumjay”. Unlike the pin drop silence in his class, I responded “Sumjnay walay sumuj ghuiay-na sumjay woh anadee hai”. It broke all the records and the whole class including the Professor burst into thunderous laughter.

On the birth of his fifth child, I suggested Prof. Ali Bhat for planning his family. He said: “Allah talla chue  kunie tulkis kemis tie rizikh vatnavan”.

I said: “Your child is not an insect that needs only food. Your child is a human being. He needs proper care, education, health care and above all to be groomed as a civilized citizen full of virtues.”

1990 turmoil is a positive check. In view of Malthusian theory, I don’t accuse my Muslim brethren for my exodus. People of highest values looked for the evacuated houses. Stationery shops, vegetable sellers, cloth merchants, butchers were seen selling looted gas cylinders. From barber to beggar, labourer to laundry owner, government officials to business men turned to the profession of property dealers. Parents of many children supplied recruits for arms training across the border. Parents of the few preferred migration to safer zones. Parents of many contributed to the brigade of stone pelters.  Parents of the few controlled their children and let them not get astray or become fodder to the bullet in exchange of the pelted stone.

'Toleavoer'

Likewise, I believe it is sin to say September 2014 ferocious flood was ‘Kehrie Khodaie’ when it is the proof of Malthusian Theory of population and positive check. Until late fifties, Jawahar Nagar was farmland, Doodh Ganga, now shopping complex used to run water mill, Nalie Maer was a water channel with tiled basin, now a road to bear the extra ordinary load of vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Bemina Colony, Degree College Bemina was a water body until late sixties. Balgarden and Narsing  Garh were farm lands. Vegetable growers used to irrigate their fields by ‘Toleavoer’ and draw water from the then Doodh Ganga, now a shopping complex.

Drabiyar Temple after vandalized by militants

Rugh Nath Mandir Srinagar in ruins after vandalized by terrorists

M Dass House in ruins after it was set ablaze by terrorists twice in Aug.1990. Window and door frames looted by locals

This devastation due to ferocious flood is not kehrie Khodie, but kehrie planners of Naya Kashmir

This device is called 'Tolevoer' in Kashmiri language. It is the indigenous method to irrigate ones vegetable farm. One beam in horizontal position is hinged over the pole in vertical position. Appreciable weight is tied to the rear end of the beam in the horizontal position. Arm of portion of the beam towards the weight tied to it is shorter than the portion towards the source of water. Round bottom bucket (known as duel) is tied with a rope to the water source end. The farmer pulls down the rope until the duel is filled with water. Then with little upward force he pulls up the bucket. The weight tied on the other end and his application of minimum upward force draws the bucket to the surface of the land. The round bottom 'duel' tilts easily to irrigate the land. Without reading Archimedes three principles of lever, buoyancy, Statics and Dynamics in any professional College, they do practicals without the supervision of the late Prof. J N Dhar or Prof. T N Kilam. Cheers for their innovative scientific methods.

onal College, they do practicals without the supervision of the late Prof. J N Dhar or Prof. T N Kilam. Cheers for their innovative scientific methods.

All these floating houses vanished. The inmates occupied the evacuated houses of Kashmiri Pundits in exile.

Excursion in a doonga is dream of the past 

Water bodies once navigated have become roads

This was their floating house

Anchar Lake now residential colony

Beware! No Hanky-Panky with Nature.

Until late sixties it was the Anchar Lake

Nature is not to be blamed for the ferocious floods of September, 2014, that caused havoc. Let us see how bad we have been with the nature. To what an extent the nature is expected to tolerate our fiddling? For their commission from the so called ‘developmental works’, natural water ways and water resources have been buried and converted into roads and residential colonies. Nalie Maer, though changed into a road continues to have its name as Nalie Maer Road. Anchar Lake has been converted into a residential colony with the construction of inroads in the lake. Taj Hotel mounted on the Zabarvan Hill, overlooking the Dal Lake mocks at its saviour, the LAWDA (Lake and Water Ways Development Authority). The Santour Hotel is the first encroachment on the Dal Lake made by the Government that had to protect it against any encroachment. In my childhood, it was Bode Dal and Lokuet Dal. Now in my youth at 75, it is reduced and squeezed beyond recognition to a big pond. 1996, Farooq Abdullah had announced restoration of all ponds at Jammu that were functional until 1947 and did conserve rain water. All nallahs of Jammu and Kashmir have been usurped by colonizers. The forest land of monkeys and other forest animals has been encroached. If they come down to their own habitat, we raise hue and cry, little realizing that we encroached upon their land. Late forties, I used to accompany my grandmother for a dip into the Doodh Ganga on auspicious occasions of 'Sumree Mavus'. Today Doodh Ganga has been converted into a Shopping Complex by the authors of Naya Kashmir. Height of mockery is the existence of the signboard at Karan Nagar Crossing pointing towards Doodh Ganga Road.

Distributary  from the river Sindh that once supplemented  the Anchar lake

Until 1990, the year of my exodus, a big chunk of the population of the city used to live in their ‘Bahatch’ and ‘Doongas’ (Big floating boats housing the family and the goods they used to deal with) on either side of the river Jhelum and the river Keteakoel, Rainawari Waterways, besides, Chunthi koel and other rivers. Surprisingly, all ‘Bahatch’ and ‘Doongas’ vanished immediately after the start of the 1990 Tributturmoil in the valley. Boatmen that lived in ‘Bahatch’ and ‘Doongas’ occupied the evacuated houses on either bank of these rivers. The house of Pundit Amar Nath Mattoo, the then Headmaster Biscoe School at Zaindar Mohalla is under the ownership of Mohammad Ramzan, who used to anchor his ‘bahatch’ under the verandah beside the lawn of the house. The house of Pundit Amar Nath Saproo, the then Chief Manager SRTC at Zaindar Mohalla changed its ownership to Azim who used to ferry passengers across the river. The house of Tulsi Nath Misri the then Head Master Biscoe School, once abode of educationists turned into the infamous haunted brothel that once involved ministers, and bureaucrats.

Once Anchar Lake

At times of floods, this population that lived on water would never be liability of rescuers. They would provide ‘Khoech’ to the administration to rescue marooned ones. Haji Mohammad Jamal Haroon used to live in his ‘bahatch’ in my neighbourhood. He shifted to Mahjur Nagar flood prone area. To day to ferry him from the second storey of his house, boat from Mahrashtra had to be requisitioned.

Once Anchar Lake

30^th August, 2014 on Amar Singh College Alumni meet, Professor Mohammad Shafi Pundit IAS, retired Chief Secretary suggested to the Principal that Master Plan for the college should be prepared before rising of buildings here and there to cause eyesore. Professor Pundit’s sarcastic smile to the response that a team of Engineers formulated the master plan revealed volumes. Construction of Girls Hostel beside the compound wall of the Government Polytechnic Jammu in the premises of MAM College is one more catastrophe of the planners.

Department of Environment and Pollution Control Board along with Jehlum valley Medical college (submerged under flood waters of 2^nd September, 2014) stand on the land at Bemina that was water body until 1965.

The fourth Tawi Bridge at Bagwati Nagar Jammu designed by a team of engineers from IIT Delhi was reportedly redesigned to accommodate allotment of land in the name of Ministers and Bureacrats got washed away in the September 2014 flash flood.

Let all vow not to do any hanky-panky with the Nature hereafter.

Roads laid through the Anchar Lake is the Developmental work of our Government

Maej /Moej Kashir in distress. (Mother Kashmir in distress)

Well Begun is half done and so is its reciprocal.
I am invited by my facebook friend Hassan Bana from Batwara, Srinagar settled in POK to like the page 'Voice of Kashmir'.
Viewing the page ‘Voice of Kashmir’ causes pain. It bleeds the viewer equally as the victim. I preferred not to share the page lest my brethren are pained.To see the page and to like it is not my cup of tea.
Kashmir is bruised beyond recognition by both insiders as well as outsiders. Maej /Moej Kashir is in distress.
Pundit Ved Lal Vakil and Ram Chand Kak the then Prime Minister of J&K were condemned and abused by NC and the majority community for the same view point in 1947 for which gun was raised in 1990. People at Lalchowk as usual danced to the tune:"Asi kerav panie hakumut Rameakak cha mam soen". All Muslims in jail gave an apology letter or option for Pakistan in writing to the then govt. headed by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and were either released on apology letter or were sent to Pakistan as they opted for.
Pundit Vedh Lal Vakil from Zaindar Mohalla was the sole captive left behind in the jail. Pundit Ved Lal Vakil accompanied as courtesy demanded the last Muslim captive on his release up to the jail portal. His one foot was in and one foot out of the gate when he said to Pundit Ved lal:"Adhea mahra cha eijazat (May I beg your leave).
Pundit Ved Lal said:"Budiv khodaius hawalea, mughar zimni osuem areaz". The foot retreated back into jail and he said: "Keriv hukum (Please go ahead.) Pundit Vedh Lal said:"Ye khota venie Pakistan ti butsie nukhus (Has Pakistan too become responsibility of a Kashmiri Pundit?)
The last Muslim retraced his feet and asked his rescuer to manage release of Pundit Vedh Lal first and then he would come out. The late Aga Shoukat the elder brother of Aga Ashraf and Aga Nasir was in jail among others with Pundit Vedh Lal Vakil. He opted and got settled in Pakistan. On his visit, he used to call on Pundit Vedh Lal.

JKLF opted to enjoy the fruit of so called azadi without kashmiri Pundits and managed their exodus. Azadi is not selective on the basis of religion. Well begun is half done and its reciprocal is equally true.
How is it when a Pundit asked for buffer state status, he was condemned and imprisoned and when a local Muslim dies while fighting for the same, he is right and a martyr. Historical errors are not nikah nama that it can be declared null and void by seh-talaq. You people initiated sufferings for your Kashmiri brethren and we are suffering quietly without even whispering 'uef'.

Wristwatch The Machi Gher’

1960, I was a degree student at S P College. I requested my father to get a wristwatch for me. He promised to get me one. I reminded him a number of times. He never refused. He always said that he would get one for me. One day I said to him:" Look that coolie pulling that hand cart too has a wrist watch, Khazir watul cleaning the street too has a wrist watch, but not me."
Instantaneously my father said:” That is why I don't get a wristwatch for you. You are a Degree student and if I get a watch for you then what will be the difference between you and the coolie or that sweeper." I heaved a deep breath and lost all hopes of 'machie ghear'. After sometime one junk wrist watch came handy to me. It used to run slow . Despite my setting it right ,  it would run slow by half an hour  in a duration of two hours. Still I wore it and often turned my wrist to exhibit my wristwatch. Before  stepping of  the threshold of  the house of my pupil, I would again set it  right . Irregular as it was, I was always late to the next  and accused of irregularity.

In Zaindar mohalla, one Prem Nath had the privilege of having a wristwatch. He often used to come on road and look for the time to show off his wrist-watch. One eyed Mohammad Sidiq was notorious for calling names. He was named as Sidea Cone. He noticed the second nature of Prem Nath. He would as many times ask Prem Nath for time as many times as he  exhibited the watch . Finally he named Prem Nath as ‘Machie Ghaer’. Prem Nath had to change his route to escape being called ‘Machie Ghaer’.
Back to Degree student status:
Against the indigenous dressing table comprising of an irregular piece of mirror, hardly of the size of palm, plastered in mud plaster in the wall, I while combing my hair to prepare for college,  sheepishly said to my father: “I am summoned by Salam Saetch”. (Salam Saetch was our Mohalla President)
Father: “Why?”
“I am told that there was some complaint against me” said I.
Father: “Don’t go.”
I said: “In that case he may cause some harm to me.”
Father: “Don’t you know that you are a Degree student? Will you present yourself before a tailor? I will see him myself.  Don’t worry.
I heaved a sigh of relief and left for college with an air of a Degree student.
One day my eldest cousin said to me in private: “Look here. I am the only graduate among all relations from Tankipora to Dalhasanyar.”
I said: “Who denies? It is known to all from Tankipora to Fatehkadal”.
The cousin: “You give me your ‘kunea radio’. I will teach you Economics free.”
I said: “Not a good bargain. I will study Economics myself and not part with my ‘kunea radio’, the only source of recreation to me”.
‘kunea radio’ was the receiver part of a telephone. It was connected by a wire with its other end taken to roof of the house as an aerial. The next wire was attached with some piece of binding wire pointed to a piece of crystal to catch voice from the nearest radio station.     

Introduction Please!

Mid sixties, I told my maternal uncle Lalea at Tulmul, whether he knew the gentleman in my company. He said: “No. How should I know him unless introduced?”

I formally introduced Dr. P L Trakroo to his father-in-law, Lalea.  I took initiative only after Dr. Trakroo promised me that he would refuse to accept any money from him. I pointed to another person and asked my Mamaji if he knew him. He again replied in the negative. I introduced him as his grandson, the son of his eldest son.

One day Professor Surinder (name changed) called on me at my school office. He had strained relations with his wife. His daughter Komal (Name changed) was on the staff of the school. I called Komal and asked her if she knew the gentleman in the chair. She said that may be he is parent of some student. I asked Professor Surrender if he knew the lady. He said that obviously she must be on the staff of the school. I introduced both by their respective names. Komal was shocked to know that the stranger was none other than her father.

Mr. Matoo used to accompany his grandson to school like a shadow. One day my elder brother told me that Mr. Mattoo was a man of self prestige. He as an employee of Food Control department dared to take cudgels with the then Director Food & Supplies SAS Qadri, who was said to be of harsh temperament. Whose subordinates, for his  rough behaviour were said to be scared of him. They would prefer to maintain distance with him. Mattoo had to pay price for his self prestige. He was dismissed from the services. Mattoo sued the department and after suffering for many years he was finally reinstated under the orders of the court. The period of dismissal was treated as on duty under the orders of the court. Mr. Matto spent lavishly on the marriage of his son Ashok.

One day I told Ashok, that for many days I did not see his father. He said that he went to his second son at Habba kadal. I told him that my namaskar be conveyed to him. Ashok said that he did not know the address of his father. It was a surprise to me. For many days it had become my topic for the day. I shared the surprise with many of my friends, little knowing that one day I may not be an exception.

Early sixties, on our return from an evening walk, Lok Nath Matu of Zaindar Mohalla near National High School said to me that he may have to suffer expulsion from his Mohalla. I asked for the reason. He said that the dog that was following him was expelled by people in the area for its nuisance value as a street dog. The dog recognized his voice and smell and followed him. Now along with the dog he too may be expelled. With great difficulty Lok Nath dodged the dog and escaped expulsion until January 1990.

The hungry  lion in Rome bowed to its prey. The lion preferred to suffer with hunger rather than to make a meal of the person who had relieved him of pain due to a thorn that was stuck into its paw.

17^th August, 2014 I got happy Janam Ashtami greetings from a mobile number unknown to me.

I responded as: “Same to you sir. May I please know who is on the other end. Be blessed”

Response: “Namaskar. Biloo from Noida.”

B K Dass: “How strange. Once I introduced his son-in-law Dr. Trakroo and his grandson to Lalea my Mamaji. Once I told one gentleman to convey my regards to his father. He in response said that he did not know his address. I never knew that I too will fall in the same category. Yesterday I longed to talk to you.”

“Yinea sae cheshmuen shreh kuruekh

Sahlabh anea hum yavnus”

Life is an open book. We learn little from the open book. This is reality of life that travels unilaterally without looking back to its source like the river. One should not have regrets or complaint against the natural phenomenon. I would often tell my Muslim friends that Kafir is one who boasts and banks on one's youth, strength, energy, material wealth and one's sons. All is a mirage. I have seen one hotelier with his Bar and restaurant at Lal Chowk serving my friend I K Raina as a coolie. I was surprised when he said to IK: "Please give me four annas to have a cup of tea downstairs at wayside tea stall. Youth, energy, strength, wealth are not everlasting. We can bank only on the mercy and blessings of invisible, omnipotent, omnipresent God. The rest is myth and to bank upon myth is only optical illusion.