EPILOGUE JUNE 2009 by Epilogue Press

Jammu and Kashmir’s Monthly Magazine

RNI : JKENG/2007/26070

ISSN 0974-5653

Now Telling The J&K Stories

Epilogue because there is more to know

Jammu, June 1, 2009 / Vol 3 / Issue 6 || Price Rs. 30 || Postal Registration No. JK-350/2009-11 || www.epilogue.in

FINANCE MINISTER ABDUL RAHIM RATHER

Meet J&K’s Men In New Delhi

ELECTIONS - 2009 Reports and Analysis

Political Scientist

EXPLAINS JAMMU & KASHMIR’S STATE OF ECONOMY TRACING

REVOLUTION

Rekha Chowdhary comments on Regional perception of polls Issues that shapes campaign Rise of NC-Congress, decline of PDP & BJP The difference Sajjad Lne made UPA and prospects of peace process

A special feature on

Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University

Economic Reconstruction Agency under the financial assistance of Asian Development Bank has launched several schemes to augment the water supply in Srinagar city. The various schemes with a cumulative storage capacity of 39 MGD include Rangil water supply scheme, Nishat-Doodhganga water supply scheme and Nishat-Dalbund water supply scheme which will cater to the drinking water needs of the population of about 10,93,995 souls of Srinagar city. Scope of Works Rangil water supply Scheme

Total Storage Capacity 10MGD

Population to be benefitted (souls) 294000

Areas to be benefitted Khulmulla, Zakura, Owantabavan, Bakshipora,Tengpora, Muj-Gund, Parimpora, Lawayopora, Shalteng, Colonies on Right and Left side. National Highway, Left side of National highway Bypass (Bemina, Muminabad, Firdousabad, Tengpora(left), Right side of National highway Bypass(Hamdania colony, Khumani colony (partly), Nundreshi Colony, JVC) Nishat Doodhganga water supply Scheme 21.5 MGD 614132 Areas to be benefitted Jawahar Nagar, Kralpora, Natipora, Rambagh, Nowgam, Rajbagh, Gulshan Nagar, Gogji Bagh, Solina, Chanapora Colony, Budshah Nagar, Allochi Bagh Part, Bagh-e-Mehtab, Tulsi Bagh, Wazir Bagh, Lal Mandi, Hazuri Bagh, Amira Kadal, Shivpora, Rajbagh and Magarmal Bagh, Lal Chowk, Maisuma, Abiguzar, Kral Sangri, Karapora, Brein, Patnta Chowk, Sonwar, Buchwara, Gupkar Road, Ram Munshi Bagh, Athwajan, Mahraja Bazar, Sari Payeen, Lal Mandi, Jawaharnagar (partly), Basant Bagh, Bar Bar Shah. Nishat Dalbund water supply Scheme 7.5MGD 185863 Areas to be benefitted Saida Kadal Bridge, Zinsha Masjid, Rainawari Chowk, Soorateng Chowk, Shiraz Chowk, Nowhatta, Naidyaar, Hasibhat, Chowdary Bagh.

B R I D G I N G

T H E

I N F O R M A T I O N

D I V I D E

Taking J&K Closer to World Bringing World Closer to J&K

Epilogue because there is more to know

30 Volume : 3, Number : 6 ISSN : 0974-5653

RNI : JKENG/2007/26070 www.epilogue.in F O R

T H E

M O N T H

O F

J U N E

2 0 0 9

Every election in Jammu and Kashmir is linked by establishment with resolution of Kashmir issue, such attempt is resisted by separatists; Lok Sabha elections offer an interesting study as local issues are not involved here. Present issue offers an insight into the exercise that concluded in middle of May

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 1Ă&#x2014; June 2009

HUNG ASSEMBLY

n the middle of elections our small team of staffers along with some 30 volunteers traveled across the length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir to gauge the public mood. The conclusion was that there will be a hung assembly with NC as largest party, PDP second and Congress third. Looking at the pages of our December issue one can see all parties have come up with same number of seats as we had predicted except the BJP. Dec. 2008

MANDATE :

collectors issue, the special number on our second anniversary came as fastest possible, yet professionally correct work, on J&K elections. Result were declare on December 28 and our issue carrying complete elections analysis and elections trends at constituency level was out before the government was sworn I.

Jan. 2009

AGENDA FOR OMAR GOVERNMENT :

A R E Y O U M I S S I N G O U R PA S T S T O R I E S

he coalition government of National Conference and the Congress headed by Omar Abdullah Omar Abdullah took over on January 5 but it did not declare a shared agenda. Epilogue's February issue put together opinions of well meaning people from across the country setting out an agenda for Omar Abdullah government

Feb. 2009

CONNECTING J&K onnectivity is a major issue in J&K and people in many areas taunt the government saying that roads were laid in remote areas only because they close to borders. Our March issue looked at the connectivity via roads, rail and air to bring to the fore the missing links.

Mar. 2009

TREADING FAILURE s world watches keenly the new unfolding developments in Pakistan, our Consulting Editor D Suba Chandran travelled to the troubled country to bring fresh perspectives for our readers in April Issue.

Apr. 2009

J&K MOVING FORWARD ay issue was one of the rare collections of ideas where 12 natives from both sides of Jammu and Kashmir poured their ideas out of the heart on how boundaries can be blurred and relations can be strengthened.

May 2009

A limited number of unbound back volumes is available in our stocks. For booking your copies call us at 9797599365

Epilogue because there is more to know

www.epilogue.in Editor Zafar Iqbal Choudhary Consulting Editor D. Suba Chandran

ELECTIONS - 2009

Political Scientist

EXPLAINS JAMMU & KASHMIR’S STATE OF ECONOMY

Art Editor Keshav Sharma

Edited, Printed, Published and Owned by Zafar Iqbal Choudhary. Published from : Ibadat House, Madrasa Lane, Near Graveyard, Bathindi Top, Jammu, J&K 180012 and Printed at : DEE DEE Reprographix, 3 Aikta Ashram, New Rehari Jammu (J&K) Disputes, if any, subject to jurisdiction of courts and competitive tribunals in Jammu only. RNI : JKENJ/2007/26070 ISN : 00974-5653 Price : Rs 30

Rekha Chowdhary comments on Regional perception of polls Issues that shapes campaign Rise of NC-Congress, decline of PDP & BJP The difference Sajjad Lne made UPA and prospects of peace process

IN FOCUS Lok Sabha Elections

Research Officer Raman Sharma

Phones & email Office : +91 191 2493136 Editorial: +91 94191 80762 Administration: +91 94190 00123 editor@epilogue.in editor.epilogue@gmail.com subscription@epilogue.in

Prologue Letters

5 6

Note Book 11 Essential Entries

Interview J&K Finance Minister

Reports and Analysis

Associate Editors Irm Amin Baig Tsewang Rigzin

Mailing Address PO Box 50, HO Gandhi Nagar, Jammu

CONTENTS

Meet J&K’s Men In New Delhi

FINANCE MINISTER ABDUL RAHIM RATHER

Zafar Choudhary & Dipanker Sengupta

Review Beyond Elections in India’s Democracy

Bidyut Chakrabarty

Column 5000 years of Kashmir

Balraj Puri

NC-Congress gain grounds, PDP, BJP pushed to margins Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

Answers to Essential Questions Prof. Rekha Chowdhary comments on significant aspects of Lok Sabha Elections 2009 Why Congress Won and Why BJP Lost? M Shamsur Rabb Khan

Prominent Faces

Under the stars and searchlights of Doda...

Manisha Sobhrajani

Gulabname : A Persian Window to J&K History

Prof. Jigar Mohammad

Build a Bigger, Rainy Day Fund

Balraj Puri

Ladakh Special Wildlife in Ladakh Trans-Himalayas

Tahir Shawl

Report J&K Registers Strong Presence at UPSC

Epilogue Desk

Study Boosting hill economy Kalari can show the way

Sreya Sarkar

SPECIAL FEATURE

59 63 68 28 73 82

BGSB UNIVERSITY

Ruminations Tracing a Revolution

D Suba Chandran

The War Against Illiteracy Knowing is not the same as understanding him

MY Taing

Empowering Women in Neighbourhood

Dr. Ashfaq Zarri

What they said to us Epilogue Ø 3× June 2009

30 ISSUES OF CHANGE

P R O L O G U E

From the Editor

Time for Omar to Deliver

Zafar Choudhary

fter a protracted yet

voters,

mighty

Chief Minister and his cabinet

exciting campaign trail

politicians and voted for those in

colleagues were enjoying a grace

spanning over nearly

whom they had faith. Voters thought

period –the government had to take

three

months,

discarded

the

that those should be voted who are

some time for settling down, then

government with new

capable of doing something for the

there elections to the Rajya Sabha and

mandate is in place in New Delhi. Now

people. Hence neither Omar Abdullah

State Legislative Council and then the

is the time for Jammu and Kashmir

nor those belonging to the Congress

General Elections. Nothing is now left

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to

can show complacency. Public interest

which should offer the government

withdraw himself from the politics of

issues have to be tackled on a war

an excuse for non-performance. It is

maneuvering for party and coalition

footing. So far the NC-Congress

to the advantage of Omar that the

and get back to work on his mandate.

Government has been able to take only

Congress led UPA government has

The Chief Minister must sit down with

two major steps. One relates to the

returned to power in New Delhi. The

his cabinet colleagues to evolve a

amendment to the Jail manual for the

Congress

comprehensive strategy for delivering

purpose of providing better treatment

Conference are partners in the

and

the

National

on the promises his party National

to women prisoners and their kids.

ruling alliance both at State and the

Conference and the alliance partner

Second important decision pertains to

Center. This has come as huge

Congress made with the people of

curbs imposed on officers earning good

advantage for the Chief Minister

Jammu and Kashmir during Assembly

amount of money by inflating the TA

who can use this power axis on two

elections. Taking over as youngest

and DA bills. Beyond these two

fronts –ensuring smooth funds of flow

Chief Minister in January this year,

decisions there is nothing visible on

from Center to State and facilitating

Omar had said that the single biggest

the ground. While the Chief Minister's

dialogue between Kashmiri separatists

challenge before him meeting public

development and work culture

and New Delhi. Omar's government is

expectations which are too high.

promises are yet to show any results,

about to complete six months and

Leave aside the high expectations,

the incidents of the violations of

therefore by June 30, the Chief

even the modest one have not been

human rights in the Kashmir Valley are

Minister must come up with a

met as Omar completes five months in

on unusual rise. These issues need

comprehensive and time-bound

office. People want results and not

immediate attention. Unfortunately

programme to address the issue he

mere promises. Omar and the Congress

the hands of the Government have

promised to in poll campaign.

leadership in the state need to

remained tethered because of election

examine the implications of the recent

model code of conduct but now is the

LoK Sabha election. People, rather

time to deliver. Past five months, the

Epilogue Ø 5× June 2009

Feedback : zafarchoudhary@epilogue.in

L E T T E R S

Readers Write Cabinet Expansion

Attacks on Indians in Australia

Cabinet expansion is on the cards. The vacancy in the council of ministers is 15 after 10-member cabinet was sworn in January last. More important than filling the vacant seats is who is going to get berth in the ministry which is going to have a two-tier formation..Reports indicate that Omar Abdullah plans to add five more faces in the cabinet and the remaining ten may be sworn in as ministers of state Since the constitutional amendment of 2005 provides for restrictions on the size of the ministry Omar's hands are tight as he cannot afford to take more than 25 members in the council of ministers. Under the constitutional provision the size of ministry should be 20 per cent of the strength of the state legislature. The constitutional amendment received the Governor's assent in January 2006.As such the NC-Congress leadership may not be able to please majority of legislators. When Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was the Chief Minister between 2002 and 2005 he had no restrictions in inducting ministers in the cabinet. At the time Mufti hung the boots the council of ministers headed by him had 39 members. It was he who could accommodate more faces from the PDP and the Congress besides those from the Peoples' Democratic Front and the Panthers Party. If one takes into account the numerical strength of the PDP-Congress alliance the two had 44 MLAs and this time the Congress-NC has the same number of MLAs. In case the NC bagged the Hazratbal seat, for which the election will be held on June 3,the strength may go up to 45.During the time of the Mufti's chief Ministership not more than eight MLAs, belonging to the Congress and the PDP, could not be accommodated in the council of ministers.If Omar Abdullah decides to fill all the 15 vacant seats he may have to keep more than 19 MLA's, belonging to the Congress and the National Conference, out of the cabinet. He may try to keep more legislators happy by appointing them heads of Boards and corporations. Well, Omar has six years tenure. He can have the council of ministers on a rotational basis. In all he may have 25 faces in the council of ministers. Let him retain these faces for three years and after that bring in another set of legislators for another three years. He may retain about a dozen senior legislators in the cabinet for full six years. This can give a chance to others also to enjoy power. If it is done it may leave no scope for dissensions and heart burns. Let Omar test this experiment. SUBASH MALIK, via email

The kind of recent attacks on Indian students studying in Australia has left many in state of shock, where visual shows how mercilessly they are beaten up in public, left some battling their lives in hospital, outraged everybody both at home and abroad. This is not new, it happens earlier many times in other parts of the globe where people from this community are living for years, studying or earning their live hoods. Only the difference is this time almost all leading journalists both from electronic and print media has joined hands to address the issue at the highest level in diplomatic and political corridors of the country. Because of its size and ill political will the Indian life does not carry much value to worth engage other mighty nation where the governments as well as the locals don't treat their guests at par, reasons only well known to them. Recently an Indian student was killed in a racial attack in St. Petersburg in Russia. Earlier during my stay in that country I came to know about such incidents quite often, where on some occasion there were loss of lives too. The matter reported to police but results are the same even Embassy staff didn't pay much attention to that treated it as routine job. Our voice was either suppressed or went unnoticed. Now thanks to the media who at least keep an eye on these sensitive issues of great public concern. Force our diplomats accountable to do their job more effectively rather enjoying cocktails parties there. This is a very grave situation and the govt. of India as well as concerned ministries must go tough to produce some landmark results which make us proud as an Indian. Doesn't matter our nation is a nuclear power or one of the largest and fastest growing economy in the world. Sorry to say being an Indian is not a matter of proud………until and unless we don't care for an Indian pride and help restore dignity and safeguard the interests of our countrymen who represent us in millions at every corner of this mother earth. DR. VIKAS JAMWAL, ASCOMS & Hospital, Jammu.

Epilogue Ø 6× June 2009

NO T E

BOOK

11 Essential Stories TERRORISM

Kashmir not in 26/11 final charges

he capture of Kashmir, touted as one of the motives behind the November 26 Mumbai terror attacks, finds no mention in the final charges framed in the case. A copy of the charges, framed on May 6, was made available to the media. The charges proposed by the prosecution against Mohammad Ajmal Amir 'Kasab' and the other accused had listed the motive of capturing Kashmir by attacking major cities in India. In his opening address when the trial began, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam contended that the capture of Kashmir was a definite object of the criminal conspiracy. While the final charges include motives such as destabilising the government of India, an attempt to create instability, terrorising people and weakening India's economic might, there is no reference to Kashmir. Indian Penal Code sections 121A (conspiracy to wage war, abet in or attempt to wage war against the government of India) and 122 (collecting arms with the intention of waging war) are part of the charges framed. Kashmir figures prominently in Ajmal's confessional statement. He said the Mujahideen were told to fight to free Kashmir. In the statement, Lashkar leader Zaki-urRahman Lakhvi is reported to have said: “Now we have

to wage a war with India and conquer Kashmir.” Ajmal later retracted his statement in court. Dr. Shailesh Mohite, who performed the post-mortem examination on the deceased accused, Abu Ismail, was grilled for nearly two hours by defence lawyer Shahid Azmi. When he asked whether external injuries could have led to profuse bleeding, the doctor replied in the negative. Mr. Azmi, who represents accused Fahim Ansari, tried to probe whether there were bloodstains on the trousers.

TOURISM

Blessing in disguise : Recession redirecting tourists to Kashmir

lobal recession has failed to affect Kashmir's tourism industry as more and more tourists continue to throng the valley. According to the players in the tourism industry, many domestic tourists have already cancelled their tours to European countries and are coming to Kashmir valley. This has helped to increase the number of footfalls in Kashmir. Even Farooq Shah, director of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir agrees that recession has failed to affect tourism industry in the valley. "Till now, we have received good response and recession doesn't have a major impact on tourism. Recession has an affect throughout the world and high spending people naturally, they don't move out. But, we are receiving a good response. This good response will continue in future too with no affect of recession on our state," said Farooq Shah. In a situation when global recession has forced many tourists to cancel their trips, affordable hotels and transportation in Kashmir compared to other destination have increased the number of tourists visiting the valley. "There is a lot of global recession which is going in other countries. But Jammu and Kashmir as such is very economical. We have been able to find out good economical hotels with good service in Jammu and Kashmir," said Shashank Kumar, a tourist. Kashmir tourism had received a severe blow last year with the Amarnath land agitation bringing down the number of tourists.

Epilogue Ø 7× June 2009

NO T E

BOOK

11 Essential Stories

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

CONFLICT - PERCEPTION

This bank for women only Enterprising women in Jammu and Kashmir have ventured to open a women's only bank to provide basic banking facilities and timely loans. After witnessing various cases where major banks turned down needy women's loan applications, the founding members of Kashmir Women's Cooperative Bank were motivated to open their own venture. The opening of Kashmir Women's Cooperative Bank is expected to supplement the empowerment of womenfolk in the valley. "Firstly it's an exclusive bank for women. Secondly, we have opened this bank to help women belonging to weaker sections and who are working or want to start their own business. Since their requirement is less, we have started providing loans starting from rupees 20,000," said Ashiya Saleem, Manager of Kashmir Women's Cooperative Bank. Apart from enabling several women to become self-reliant, the bank also counsels the account holders in managing their earnings and other assets. The hassle free format to open a savings account is attracting many Kashmiri women. "I save all my savings in my account here. And whenever there is requirement of loan we can easily consult the bank and easily get loan from there," said Parveena Akhtar, a customer of Kashmir Women's Cooperative Bank. This bank offers loans to the needy among the 'have-nots'. So far the Kashmir Women's Cooperative Bank has provided loans to nearly 30 women.

Guinness Book of World Records names Kashmir as the largest dispute in the world

he Kashmir dispute has been registered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest militarized territorial dispute in the world. The Guinness Book of World Records used the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) world fact book to name the Kashmir issue, the longest dispute between two countries. In the latest edition of the Guinness Book of World Records, page no. 137 of the 'wars' section reads states : "According to the CIA fact book, the dispute between China, India and Pakistan for Kashmir region is the largest and most militarised dispute." India and Pakistan have fought three wars over Kashmir: in 1947, 1965, and 1999. India and China have clashed once, in 1962 over Aksai Chin Since the 1990s, the Indian administered Jammu and Kashmir has been hit by confrontation between Kashmiri separatists, including militants who India alleges are supported by Pakistan and the Pakistan Armed Forces, and Indian Armed Forces which has resulted in thousands of deaths in the Valley.

DEVELOPMENT

Gurez villagers yet to see electricity

ven after more than six decades of independence and introduction of central-sponsored Rural Electrification, people of dozens of villages of this border town are still living in stone age as they are using 'Mashal' (flame) for lighting up their houses in the evening. ''Yes, it is true that people living in dozens of villages, particularly on upper reaches, still use mashal (flame) to light up their homes in the evening,'' the ruling National Conference (NC) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Gurez

constituency Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi says. He said during electioneering in recent Lok Sahba polls, he entered a house in a village late in the evening where the inmates were sitting under mashal (flame) light. ''Though I feel very bad, but there was no alternative I could suggest to them,'' he said. When asked why he could not get electricity to every village of his constituency, represented by him for the second consecutive time in 2009, Mr Gurezi said it needed huge funds.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 8Ă&#x2014; June 2009

NO T E

BOOK

11 Essential Stories

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

'US wants India, Pakistan talk about Kashmir'

he Barack Obama administration would love to see India and Pakistan re-engage in confidencebuilding measures and talk about Kashmir and other areas of difference, according to a top defence department official. "There is a lot they can do to lower tensions, and they had done a lot before the Mumbai attacks," Michele Flournoy, undersecretary of defence for policy said in an interview with the Defence Writers' Group posted on the department website. Part of the problem in Pakistan, Flournoy said, is that the country still is too focused on a perceived threat from India. India and Pakistan have fought three wars since the Pakistan was born in the 1947 partition of India, and the two countries still maintain forces facing each other in Kashmir. The Pakistani military is a conventional force trained for conventional warfare. “It's now being used to conduct counterinsurgency operations,” Flournoy said. “To their credit, they have asked for help.” "We would like to see that process restarted. That could go a long way to allowing the Pakistani military and the Pakistani government to focus on the most urgent existential threat they face, and that's from within," she said. Part of the problem in Pakistan,

Flournoy said, is that the country still is too focused on a perceived threat from India. The Pakistani military is a conventional force trained for conventional warfare. "It's now being used to conduct counterinsurgency operations," Flournoy said. "To their credit, they have asked for help." The Pakistani military has asked for help in counterinsurgency training and different equipment, but it is going to take time to reorient the military, she said. The Pakistanis also realise the fight they are in against the Taliban in the northwestern provinces and the federally administered tribal areas doesn't have a "military only" solution. "The real issue is allowing the Pakistani government to be able to provide for the needs of the population in this area," the official said. The people too understand the threat. The attacks against cricketers and others in Lahore "brought home the danger to the Pakistani people and Pakistani government like nothing before," she said. "There is greater willingness to deal with this than ever before." The biggest growth in American

The proper Gurez town witnessed about 15 feet of snowfall during this winter while in the villages on upper reaches it was more than 20 feet, he said. Promising to take up the issue with the government in and outside the state assembly, he

assistance in Pakistan is on the nonmilitary side. "What we're trying to do is assist them where we are able to because the stakes are so great for us," Flournoy said. The new US strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan treats the area as an integrated theatre of operations, Flournoy said. "We have to regard Pakistan and Afghanistan together, because each affects the other so profoundly." "When I say an integrated strategy, I mean the enemy doesn't respect the border between the two nations," she said. The Taliban and their allies travel back and forth across the border constantly, she noted, and problems on one side of the border affect the other side.

said, the members from far-flung and remote areas, irrespective of their party affiliation, should be given proper time in the House to highlight the problems of their areas. Mr Gurezi said, ''There are about 100 villages in the constituency. Majority of them are on upper reaches, which are deep in the forest.'' Local residents say that people in several villages use mashal (flames) and Kerosene oil lumps for light in the evening. These villages have not been connected by electric wire so far even after 62 years of independence.

Epilogue Ø 9× June 2009

NO T E

BOOK

11 Essential Stories

SEPARATIST POLITICS

Mirwaiz vows to carry on struggle till Kashmir’s ‘freedom’

n occasion of 19th anniversary of Mirwaiz Maulvi Mohammad Farooq's assassination on May 21, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq-led faction of the separatist Hurriyat Conference organized a mass congregation and called it “Election Rejection Rally”. Mirwaiz was keen to tell the world that majority of the people in Jammu & Kashmir, according to him, had observed boycott to the lately concluded process of Lok Sabha elections. Even as all parts of Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir valley had witnessed moderate turnout of 25% to 65%, Srinagar, Baramulla and Sopore towns in the Valley had largely rejected the Indian democratic exercise with few people exercising their right of franchise. In a significant development, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had directed the authorities to allow the separatist rally with whatever the speeches and slogans. Sources, however, insisted that the Government permitted the rally only after men of consequence in the Mirwaiz Hurriyat had conveyed to the authorities that there would be no law and order problem and the separatists would not clash with Police or paramilitary

wounded. Mirwaiz followers were heard shouting that the same men had been “planted” in the rally and, according to them, they were the people striking on Police in downtown Srinagar with continual stone pelting since the beginning of this year. Authorities are understood to have received a list of 50 of such 'urchins' and raids were being planned to detain them all. Immediately after performing his afternoon prayers in assembly at Jamia Masjid, Mirwaiz led a rally of more than 5,000 of his followers to Iddgah. It took him over two hours to reach the venue. There was thin

Senior separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has threatened to revive “2008-type mass movement” in case New Delhi failed to take substantive measures in the direction of resolving the six-decade-long Kashmir dispute in the next two months. Buoyed with Omar Abdullah government's permission to Hurriyat's Iddgah rally on May 21, Mirwaiz issued a call for “Lalchowk Chalo” on July 13th and his followers enjoyed a field day in the capital city while shouting pro-Azadi slogans, patrolling with green flags on motorcycles and, in the evening, burning gunny bags in front of CRPF pillboxes in the downtown. forces. Thus, it was for the first time since August 22 last year that the government allowed such kind of a mass demonstration in the Valley. While Police maintained that it was a 15,000-strong rally, independent estimates put the number of participants between 16,000 and 20,000. Since yesterday itself, Mirwaiz followers had begun patrolling of streets from downtown to uptown, while carrying green colour Islamic flags on motorcycles and vehicles and shouting pro-freedom slogans. There was a pandemonium at Iddgah when a group of over 50 youth shouted slogans in favour of Mirwaiz Umar's arch rival in the separatist camp, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and yelled that nobody but the Hurriyat (G) chief would represent the Kashmiris at any forum to settle the Kashmir dispute. The Awami Action Committee supporters shot back with proMirwaiz slogans and thrashed over a dozen of the Geelani followers. Police reports and independent sources said that at least eight persons were beaten up mercilessly and left

presence of Police and CRPF had been directed by the highest authorities to remain invisible inside their bunkers. Mirwaiz offered Fatiha at the tombs of his slain father, Mirwaiz Maulvi Mohammad Farooq, late Abdul Gani Lone and scores of militants and civilians killed by government forces and suspected anti-terrorism cadres in Kashmir valley in the last 19 years of armed insurgency. In his key address to the gathering, Mirwaiz asserted that the people of Jammu & Kashmir had “rejected” the Indian democratic exercise. He claimed that very few people had participated in the elections and, as such, members of J&K Legislative Assembly and those of the Indian Parliament had no right to call themselves as representatives of the people. “I challenge them to hold a rally at Iddgah and thereafter call themselves as the peoples' representatives”, 38-year-old cleric-politician said. Mirwaiz vowed to carry on the struggle until the day of the Kashmiris winning “freedom” from India. He asserted that the

Epilogue Ø 10 × June 2009

NO T E

BOOK

11 Essential Stories

SEPARATIST POLITICS blood of “thousands of our martyrs” would not go waste. He stressed on reunification of all factions of the separatist amalgam and declared that he would work hard to recreate “1994-type unity” among the separatist outfits in Kashmir. He said it was high time for the Government of India to take necessary steps in the direction of resolving the Kashmir dispute by way of holding “meaningful negotiations” with the state's separatist leadership and Islamabad. Mirwaiz asserted that assuming power or become members of Assembly or Parliament was not Hurriyat's agenda. He sought to make it clear that Hurriyat's goal was “complete freedom” from India and the elections for legislative bodies could be contested only after settlement of the Kashmir dispute. “Should India fail to take substantive measures in the next two months, we would be left with no option but to create a “2008-type mass movement”. Buoyed with the controlled success of today's rally, Mirwaiz issued a call of mass march to Lalchowk on the Martyrs Day of July 13 next. Proponent of boycott to elections, Mirwaiz said that Hurriyat would not allow anybody to make a bargaining of “our martyrs' blood” with New Delhi. He wished the upcoming UPA Government to restore the process of dialogue with the Kashmiris and also take Islamabad on board as a primary party to the dispute. Even as the rally continued to be peaceful till late in the afternoon, flocks of Mirwaiz Umar's spiritual and political followers amplified their anti-India and pro-Azadi slogans while passing through the CRPF bunkers on Nallah Maar Road on their return to home. Eyewitnesses and official sources said that groups of the participants set on fire empty gunny bags at CRPF pillboxes at Kawdara. Thereafter, there were intermittent clashes between the Mirwaiz supporters and Police. It was after months that groups of youth were seen yelling “Ragda Ragda NC to Ragda, PDP Ko Ragda”. They were also heard shouting anti-India and pro-Azadi slogans. Some of their slogans were explicitly directed on senior NC leader and Minister in Omar Abdullah's government, Ali Mohammad Sagar, who is now representing people of Khanyar constituency for the 5th consecutive term in the Assembly. While the Hurriyat supporters were beating the retreat with antiNC, anti-PDP and anti-Government slogans in downtown Srinagar in the evening, groups of NC supporters took to the streets at district headquarters of Budgam. Led by NC's Budgam MLA, Aga Syed Ruhullah, they shouted anti-PDP slogans and yelled that they would not allow the PDP leaders to enter Budgam township on Friday. Reports said that senior PDP leaders, including Shia clericpoliticians, Malvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari and Aga Syed Mehmood, were scheduled to hold a public meeting at Budgam tomorrow. Sources said that the NC supporters burnt rubber-tyres and conveyed to the authorities that they would strike on the PDP leaders should they enter the township on Friday.

Shah out of jail after nine months

enior Separatist leader and president of Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) Shabir Ahmad Shah was on May 23 released after being detained for nine months in connection with the mass agitation for the Amarnath land row. Shah, executive member of Moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference headed by Mirwaiz Moulvi Umer Farooq, was released from Srinagar Central Jail. Shah was arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA) on August 22 last year during mass agitation triggered by the Amarnath land row. Soon after his release Mr. Shah was received by dozens of party activists who straightway drove to Martyrs' graveyard at Eidgah to pay homage to those who lost their lives since the eruption of militancy in the state over two decades back. "I will not be cowed down by the detention. I will continue to work for the unity of the separatist camp and freedom of Kashmir," Mr. Shah told his supporters. Among various charges, Mr. Shah was slapped with PSA. "Martyrdom and detention are part of the ongoing freedom struggle. Till the achievement of our goal, we will continue the struggle," he said. He appealed to Chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik to support his efforts.

Epilogue Ø 11 × June 2009

NO T E

BOOK

11 Essential Stories

COST OF CONFLICT

Three-year-old girl killed while fiddling with bomb

three-year old girl was killed and her 10 year old brother were critically injured in a powerful explosion in Kashmir on May 22. A top police official said that sister-brother duo were playing in a field at Hamla Pati, Rajwar in North Kashmir.. "During playing they found an abandoned explosive shell and started fiddling with it. During this process, the explosive device went off, critically injuring the two," he said. The police officer said that the duo were taken to the hospital, where the 3-year old girl identified as Rashida Bano expired while her brother Mohammad Saleem is stated to be in critical condition. Police have launched investigations. Scores of such incidents have taken place in Kashmir after the eruption of militancy in 1989.

GOVERNMENT

Power Center shifts to Srinagar

he civil secretariat, seat of Jammu and Kashmir Government, reopened in Srinagar on May 4 amid tight security arrangements today as part of the bi-annual "Durbar move", under which Government functions for six months each in two capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar. All offices, including that of the Chief Minister and his ministerial colleagues, were closed in winter capital Jammu on April 24. Around 7,000 employees and truckloads of office records were shifted as part of the more than a century old bi-annual exercise. The practice of shifting state secretariat from one city to another has been going on since 1872, the era of Maharaja Gulab Singh and devours crores of rupees from state exchequer. Elaborate security arrangements were made for reopening of the offices as police deployed quick reaction teams, increased number of flying squads and covered highrise buildings in the vicinity of the vital installations, including the secretariat.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Experts: Dig J&K fields for oil, hydrocarbons

xperts have strongly advocated undertaking petroleum exploration in Jammu and Kashmir, and asked the Oil And Natural Gas Corporation to resume its operations in the state which it had suspended twenty two years ago due to insurgency. The state is considered to have potentially rich rocks of two petroleum systems and geo-thermal energy which needed to be tapped, but were subject to focused research, they said. Dr. Bindra Thusu, professor, Maghreb Petroleum Group at the University College London, and Professor G. M. Bhat, Geology Department, University of Jammu, conceded security concerns in the state, but pointed out that exploration activities and drilling were on in other violence-hit areas like Assam and other regions of the north-east. Delivering a presentation on “Hydrocarbon Exploration Activity in Jammu and Kashmir State: Current Status” at a three-day international workshop on "Energy Challenges in Jammu and Kashmir State: A case study for the Energy Research Institute" being organized jointly by University of Kashmir, University of Jammu and Maghreb Petroleum Research Group, University College London at University of Kashmir, the two geo-scientists said that it was also a high time to formulate an oil exploration policy for the J&K state. Strongly recommending the ONGC to resume its activity in J&K, Prof Thusu and Prof Bhat backed by the other geoscientists attending the conference suggested that the Directorate of Geology and Mining be re-organized as the Directorate of Energy, Geo-science and Mining and the proposed Directorate should initiate research for hydrocarbons on the model of Gujarat Sate Oil Corporation and ONGC should provide the data on the exploration activity done by them. Regarding hydrocarbon prospectivity in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the geoscientists said that to prove an area to be potentially prospective a period of 3-5 years of research was required. J&K, they said, was already on the hydrocarbon prospective map of India, and to find leads and prospects would take another 5-8 years of research. Given these time constrains, they said, it was high time to formulate an oil exploration policy for the J&K state. In this regard a modest beginning has been made in the Geology Department of Jammu University in collaboration with University College London and University of Lille, they said.

Epilogue Ø 12 × June 2009

I N T E R V I EW

J&K Finance Minister

Enhancing own resources, controlling non-productive expenditure are our top priorities : Rather J&K’s annual budget for financial year 200910 was deferred earlier this year for July for a range of reasons - the new government had taken over in January and there was hardly anytime available for exercise and most importantly there was no idea of the plan size. In this exclusive interview to ZAFAR CHOUDHARY and DIPANKAR SENGUPTA, the Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather offers an insight into the prevailing state of the state’s economy.

In the political discourse Jammu and Kashmir is always described as a poor state. But if we look at the overall profile, our state is one of the richest in resources. How to you explain the economic strengths and weaknesses of the state. Our State may not be one of the. richest in natural resources. Yet it is endowed with rich forests, good deposits of minerals and some unique agricultural, horticulture and forest products. Commercial exploitation of these resources is hampered by our State's long distance from the main markets and absence of railway link with the rest of the country. The biggest economic weakness of our State is its near total dependence, for most of its consumer goods/capital goods requirements, on markets from outside. Thus a very large chunk of our States GSDP annually flows out side for meeting these requirements. Between 1996 and 2002 your party leader and then Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah would often say that any government in Jammu and Kashmir always needs to have cordial relations with the Central government for free flow of funds. Even NC's brief alliance with the NDA was also justified on this pretext. How much the Jammu and Kashmir state has actually to depend on the Center for timely and proper

Epilogue Ø 13 × June 2009

flow of funds? The financial relations of the Centre and the States are defined in the Indian Constitution. The share of the States in the income of the Centre is determined by the successive Finance Commissions appointed by the President of India at intervals of five years. Their Award determines how much share would be received by each state during the next five years period. The successive Finance Commissions have been guided by the considerations to provide the bare minimum to the States for maintenance, larger chunks should be kept at the disposal of the Centre. From out of this chunk, the Centre meets its own requirements and also allocates sums to the individual states for meeting their development needs through the mechanism of Planning Commission. Though the plan assistance flows to the States from the Planning Commission on the basis of pre-determined formulae, some political discretion is occasionally exercised by the Centre while supplementing these allocations outside the prescribed formulae. For smaller States like that of ours, tapping of such discretionary assistance from the Centre assumes lot of importance and some times becomes crucial. Hence the need of good working relations with the Centre cannot be under estimated.

I N T E R V I EW J&K Finance Minister

Please compare and contrast the backgrounds faced by you today and Mr Muzaffar Hussian Beig in 2002 when he assumed the finance ministry after the PDP-Congress Coalition assumed office. What is the state of the government finances today as compared to 2002 when NC left office? What was the state of J&K's economy in 2002 as compared to today? It may not be of any use to dig out the past. It may suffice to say that the financial position inherited by us is precarious. The last year's (2008-09) plan was largely funded out of the discretionary support from the Centre and the adverse impact of the financial policies followed earlier cannot be braked all of a sudden. All the currently available resources, including the Central devolutions-both plan and non plan- are fully committed to meet only the maintenance expenditure. Practically nil resources are available for plan efforts. In other words, we have become fully dependant on the out of way discretionary support from the Centre for funding our Plan. Obviously, we cannot continue like this. The non productive expenditure which has been allowed to grow uncontrolled during the last few years will have to be controlled, our own resources will have to be enhanced and the Thirteenth Finance Commission will have to be impressed by us to take stock of these realities and give a special deal to our state for their Award period. . J&K is naturally bestowed with rich hydel resources. But this is one such

area (electricity generation and distribution) which is responsible for putting state's finances in complete disarray. Does the government the

Exploitation of the available hydel resources involves massive investments. For tapping the identified hydel potential we require about 1,50,000 to 2,00,000 crores of investment at current costs. We have to also keep in view that due to the restrictions imposed on construction of dams on our rivers imposed under the Indus Waters Treaty (1960) signed by the Government of India with the G o v e r n m e n t o f Pa k i s t a n , o u r hydelpower generation goes down as low as 25% of the installed capacity. This not only causes massive loss of energy but also increases per unit cost of generation. We have to grapple with this ground reality. We have planned for tapping the hydel potential in the following manner: Keeping a chunk of our plan money for installation of hydel stations by our own Po w e r D e v e l o p m e n t Corporation. Going in partnership with the NHPC as also with private players for taking up identified hydro electrical project under Private Public Participation (PPP) mode.

government have any well drawn out policy on harnessing the hydroelectric potential? What does your government intend to do on using the hydro-electric potential to push the economic growth of the state.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 14 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

Allowing the private players to take up execution of some of the identified projects under IPP (Independent Power Producer) mode. Impressing upon the NHPC and Government of India to expedite execution of the projects already transferred to them by the State.

I N T E R V I EW J&K Finance Minister

Is there any way in which the government can raise resources (other than the current manner put in place by the previous government)?

take correcting and balancing measures. This is also necessary to create a more disciplined financial order in governance.

The government generally does not intend to burden the people with taxes. However, I feel that the rates should be rationalized periodically to take care of the inflation. New taxes may be added in the areas where a common man is not hit. None the less, we would like to educate the people to put the right value on the services which they avail of from various government departments as efficient maintenance of these services is dependant upon the revenue realized by way of fee or service charges.

The Central Government has several flagship schemes like NREGA to tackle rural unemployment? Is there any need in J & K to have similar schemes? If so do you have any plans for such schemes?

The state expenditure can be classified broadly into the following six categories: Repayment of loans and internal borrowings/debts Payment of interest on such borrowings. Expenditure incurred on salaries of the establishment. Expenditure on pensions Cost of electricity purchased Where are the areas in the budget where expenditures (non-plan expenditure) can be reduced? Other over heads of the Government each of the aforementioned items have to be continuously kept under watch. Unfortunately, in the last few years borrowings have been resorted to for funding the non plan expenditure. Expenditure on purchase of electricity has been over stretched. Swelling of establishment in the non productivity sectors has also added to the wasteful expenditure. I see my roll in all these areas as a perpetual regulator ready to

NREGA is a. central scheme which can be utilized to generate employment amongst the rural poor in a much better manner. I intend to initiate immediate corrective measures to take full advantage of this scheme. A parallel State scheme may not be~ necessary. Do you think it is possible to turn around the massive losses suffered by the power sector in this State? If so, How? It is possible to make a turn around in the revenue administration of the p o w e r s e c t o r. S o m e t e c h n i c a l improvements in T&D sector are necessary and we have already initiated action in this direction. This includes installation of some major receiving stations. Energy accounting is being introduced right from the point of generation/receiving station to the distributors and the points of consumption. Theft of electrical energy will have to be curbed. These measures, combined with a user friendly mechanism of revenue collection, I am sure, will make vast improvements. One of the biggest public expectations from your government is job creation. But the situation prevailing in the state is unique. The proportion of government employees to total population in Jammu and

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 15 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

Kashmir is one of the highest in the country but still from political class to the common man the unemployment is being described by all as 'alarming'. Do you have any plans to tackle this problem of overstaffing and creating a public awareness that the government should not be seen as a sole employer in the state? If so elaborate We are conscious of the expectations of our youth, particularly the educated unemployed seeking opportunities within the government as a career. Additionally, we have initiated measures for opening job opportunities in the private sector. We are going to create right environment and infrastructure and take other facilitating measures to expand industrial base of the state at a faster rate. We also intend to give thrust to the areas in which unexploited potential for self employment exists. Hoping that the global recessionary trends shall subside soon, we are also initiating measures to facilitate the movement of our youth into the national and global economic scenario. The concessions given to industry in J&K have not brought in significant investment. Is it because these concessions are insufficient or because they are unnecessary? Does the actual solution lie elsewhere? Apart from the concessions which we may extend, the industry also takes into account the relative advantages of a particular location for taking investment decisions. In a globally competitive environment, the location of any industry is guided by availability of raw materials and cheap skilled manpower as also distance from the main markets. Another important relevant

Toward Cleaner Greener

Nodal Agency for clean Development Mechanism in J&K

Future

SFRI Putting Jammu & Kashmir on National carbon map for tapping CDM potential

t Carbon Cell being

established at Janipur Campus in Jammu. Two brainstorming t sessions held on CDM, carbon mapping. Two state level t workshops held under National Bamboo Mission. MOU with SMVD University t and BGSB University for Joint Collaboration in Research

J&K State Forest Research Institute Janipura, Jammu (J&K) - 180007

Epilogue because there is more to know

Classified Mart REACH OUT TO DECISION MAKERS

I N T E R V I EW J&K Finance Minister

factor is sufficiency of the infrastructure such as telecommunication net work, air and railway connections and also to some extent health and educational facilities. Therefore, apart from the concessions which we may decide to give in future, our strategy shall be based on the available raw materials and skills and improvement of infrastructure. Prime Minister's Task Force on Economic Recovery of Jammu and Kashmir headed by former Reserve Bank of India Governor C Rangarajan had said in its report that Article 370 is one of the several impediments in attracting investments from other parts of country in Jammu and Kashmir. How do you look at this scenario? The Rangarajan Committee made a reference to Article 370 in the context of the non permanent residents not being in a position to purchase land and immoveable properties within the state. The impediment referred to by you flows not from article 370, as you know, but from the special provisions in the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir based on the old orders from the rulers of Jammu and Kashmir State meant for protecting the rights and interests of the Permanent Residents of the state. Such protection is available to many other states in the country including the states in the north east region. Our government, during the time of the great visionary Late Jenab Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah had already removed such impediment in a major way, by amending the relevant laws to provide for long term lease of land to non permanent residents of the state for setting of the industry. I do not think that ever since then any such

impediment has come in the way of setting up of any industrial venture within Jammu and Kashmir. Are there concrete plans raise profitability in agriculture in the State? Agriculture is going to be our prime focus for-the economic development of Jammu and Kashmir. The pressure on our agriculture land is already very heavy. In fact the agricultural area has been shrinking faster than it should have. We intend to put a curb on such tendency. The irrigated area shall have to be increased by taking recourse to construction of new canals and tube wells and remodeling and renovating of the old canals. Multiple cropping shall be encouraged and increase in the productivity measured in terms of yield per hectare of land shall be the ultimate focus of our agriculture policy. It is reported that Democratic Decentralization is on the cards (vide the 73rd Amendment). How do you plan to devolve finances to these grass root bodies given the precarious financial condition of the state? The local bodies are very important in the scheme of local self governance. They may not frame laws but have equal rights to participate in the development, and to some extent regulatory measures within their territories. Our government is fully committed to empower the panchayati raj institutions and the urban local bodies. We are seriously examining the ways to devolve financial support to these bodies under a formal mechanism and allow them to take their own decisions in the manner of spending their provisions as also to generate local resources which

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 18 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

they can own and community welfare.

utilize

for

The previous government was often unable to spend large amounts of allocated funds in time (which led to the lapsing of grants). How do you plan to tackle this problem? Plan spending is a function of timely sanctions, communication of out lays, preparing the departments in advance for execution of schemes, timely preparation of estimates and their technical, administrative and financial approval; and top of all, regular monitoring of expenditure for removing bottlenecks, if any. All these activities have to go on continuously in a cycle. The movement this cycle is broken; it creates a serious un-settling effect in the entire process. We intend to restore this cycle and accelerate its speed. All the concerned officers shall be made accountable towards their assigned responsibilities for this purpose. Do you have any plans to attract service economy firms like tourism, BPO firms to this state with budgetary concessions? Are such concessions required? Each type of industry or business requires a proper environment. Many of the modern, vibrant business do not seek budgetary concessions from the local governments. As such, our emphasis shall be mainly on providing right environment and proper infrastructural support to them. Does cross-LOC trade have any potential to beneficially impact the economy of the state? Cross LOC trade is in its infancy. It is difficult to draw any conclusions at such

I N T E R V I EW J&K Finance Minister

an early stage. However, we shall continue to make all possible efforts for development of cross LOC trade as it is also very important from psychological and emotional considerations. The parties to the trade are operating from the two sides of an artificial line which has been now dismantled, at least for purpose of cross LOC trade. Questions are often raised on regional disparities. Besides 'political participation' and 'decision making', some people in Jammu have

always complained of lopsided funding of the region as compared to Kashmir. As Finance Minister what would you like to do to end the disparities, if any, and put the finding patterns in a transparent manner so that nobody shoots the discrimination arrows in the dark? Without naming any regions or sub regions of the state at this stage, concerning their comparative backwardness, I would like to clarify that the present government is fully

committed to do everything possible to remove regional and sub regional imbalances as early as possible. While a lot of action is dependant on the report of the State Finance Commission which is being awaited by our government, we intend to initiate corrective measures through the budgetary mechanism in the meanwhile. The exercise for identifying such measures and the manner in which they should be introduced into the budget is presently on.

MAKE YOUR CONNECTION TODAY

www.epilogue.in

JAMMU & KASHMIR POLITICS BUSINESS VIEWS & NEWS

CULTURE STRATEGIC AFFAIRS Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 19 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

FOCUS

Lok Sabha Elections

NC-Congress gain grounds, PDP, BJP pushed to margins

Though Kashmir's grand old party, the National Conference, returned to power earlier this year after a gap of six years, but the parties which made real gains in the assembly elections of November-December 2008 were the Peoples Democratic Party in Kashmir and Bhartiya Janta Party in Jammu region. Five months after their resounding performance, the PDP and BJP now stand marginalized after their humiliating defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The bonhomie between National Conference and the Congress –the two ruling coalition partners in the state has paid off. Congress secured two of three seats its contested and the National Conference three all. Sixth seats went to a National Conference rebel in Ladakh who returned to the party a day after results were announced on May 16. Next assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are more than five years away and it clearly appears difficult for the PDP to survive the challenges of keeping their flock together.

AHMED ALI FAYYAZ Author is a senior journalist. He works with Jammu based English Daily, Early Times.

n total decimation of Mufti Moha mma d Sayeed's Pe oples Democratic Party (PDP) and Sajjad Gani Lone's Peoples Conference (PC) in Kashmir and the BJP in Jammu, the ruling National Conference (NC) made a clean sweep on all the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir valley and the Congress won two seats in Jammu region. While NC's Dr Farooq Abdullah, Dr Mehboob Beg and Sharief-ud-din Shariq turned out to be the winners in Valley, NC's clandestinely supported independent candidate, Ghulam Hassan Khan, registered his victory over the senior Congress leader and the ruling coalition's official candidate, P Namgyal, in Ladakh. Losers in Valley include PDP's Maulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, same party's former Ministers Pir Mohammad Hussain and Mohammad Dilawar Mir, PC Chairman Sajjad Lone as also the Awami National Conference (ANC) chief and Dr Abdullah's sister, Khalida Shah. In Jammu, the sitting Members of Parliament of the Congress –Madan Lal Sharma and Choudhary Lal Singh –defeated the BJP candidates in

Epilogue Ø 20× June 2009

an intensely contested election. The defeat of BJP candidate Leela Karan Sharma –who spearheaded the twomonth long Amarnath land agitation –by a margin over 1.2 lakh votes was a significant aspect of results in the region. SRINAGAR-BADGAM In the Central Kashmir Lok Sabha constituency of Srinagar-Budgam, NC's Dr Farooq Abdullah defeated PDP's Maulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari with a substantial margin of 30,242 votes. Of the 2,82,761 votes polled in 15 Assembly

FOCUS

Lok Sabha Elections

segments of Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts, Dr Abdullah bagged 1,47,035 and his nearest rival Mr Ansari secured 1,16,793. An independent, Mohammad Illyas Kumhar, got third position with his 4,540 votes and the ANC President, Khalida Shah, stood 4th with just 2,855 votes. There were 15 candidates in the fray and 11.06 Lakh citizens were entitled to exercise their franchise in the polling that was conducted in 15 Assembly segments of Central Kashmir with modest turnout of 25.5% on May 7th. The coalition-sponsored, Dr Abdullah, and PDP's high-profile cleric-politician, Ansari, were the key contestants ANANTNAG-PULWAMA In the South Kashmir Lok S a b h a constituency of AnantnagPulwama, NC's Dr Mehboob Beg defeated PDP's Pir Mohammad Hussain with a margin of 5,224 votes. Of the 3,18,697 votes polled in 16 Assembly segments of Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts, Dr Beg got 1,48,317. He was followed by PDP's Pir Hussain, who secured 1,43,093 votes. The third position went to an independent, Nazir Ahmed Bhat, who polled 5,981 votes. With total electorate of 11.66 Lakh in 16 Assembly segments of South Kashmir, there were 13 candidates in the fray in South Kashmir where polling was held on April 30th with modest turnout of 27.3%. The ruling coalition-sponsored, Dr Beg, was in a neck-and-neck fight with PDP's Pir Hussain. BARAMULLA-KUPWARA In the North Kashmir Lok Sabha

Yasin Shah defeated PDP's Mohammad Ashraf Mir with a thin margin of 50 votes. While Shah polled 9,306 votes, Mir followed him closely with 9,256. ANC's Muzaffar Shah got just 1,115 votes. In fact, the day's most dramatic result came from Sonwar where the PDP candidate maintained minor lead until the penultimate 10th round. It was in the final round that the NC candidate got decisive 48 out of the migrant votes polled which took his final lead to 50.

constituency of Baramulla-Kupwara, NC's Sharief-ud-din Shariq defeated his nearest rival, PDP's Mohammad Dilawar Mir, with a massive margin of 64,814 votes. Of the 4,41,234 votes polled in 15 Assembly segments of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipore districts, the coalition-sponsored Shariq bagged 2,03,022. PDP's Dilawar Mir stood second with 1,38,208 votes in his favour. Separatist-turned-mainstream political leader, Sajjad Lone of PC, had to be content with the third position while getting 65,403 votes. There were 13 candidates in the fray in North Kashmir which recorded turnout of 41.9% in the polling conducted on May 13th in 15 segments of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipore districts. Nearly 10.53 Lakh voters were entitled to exercise their right of franchise. NC's Shariq, PDP's Dilawar and PC's Sajjad Lone were the key contestants. While making a total sweep on all the three Parliamentary seats in Valley, NC did not spare even the Assembly segment of Sonwar in Srinagar for which by-election took place alongside the polling for Lok Sabha seat of SrinagarBudgam on May 7th. Election authorities said that NC's Mohammad

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 21 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

In the main Assembly elections too, Sonwar had proved to be a high drama battleground between the NC and PDP in December 2008. NC's Dr Abdullah had won this seat with a tiny margin of 94 votes. Beneficiary of about a hundred migrant votes, Dr Abdullah had polled 7,018 against then PDP candidate, Sheikh Ghulam Qadir Pardesi's 6,924 votes. Given the fact that Pardesi had thereafter defected to NC and the Congress candidate, Khem Latta Wakhloo, who polled 6,301 votes, was also today on the coalition candidate's side, PDP has put up a tough fight in Sonwar. PDP's debutante, Ashraf Mir, who has been twice NC's MLA from Hazratbal (1987) and Sonwar (2002) was pipped at the post, falling just 51 votes short of the magic figure. LEH-KARGIL In the Lok Sabha constituency of LehKargil, in Ladakh regions, an independent candidate, Ghulam Hassan Khan, defeated the ruling coalition's official candidate and senior Congress leader, P Namgyal, with a margin of 3,684 votes. While Khan polled 32,701 votes and Namgyal stumbled on 29,017 votes. Both the potential contestants were closely followed by former chief of Hill Development Council, Kargil, Asgar Ali Karbalayi and another independent Ms Thinley Angmo. Official said that Karbalayi got 24,498 and Ango 22,717.

FOCUS

Lok Sabha Elections

With total electorate of 1,52,391, four segments of the Lok Sabha constituency of Ladakh---comprising two each segments in Leh and Kargil districts--went for the polling with huge turnout of 71.9% on May 13th. There were five candidates in the fray. While Khan and Namgyal were considered to be the top candidates, Karbalyi and Angmo had jumped into the fray and disturbed all calculations of the major political parties.

THE LADAKH CONSPIRACY After NC failed to get the coalition's ticket for the influential Islamia School and Khomeni Trust-supported Ghulam Hassan Khan, he jumped into the fray as an independent against the Congress leader and the coalition candidate, P Namgyal. While Khan had joined NC after his retirement as DIG in J&K Police and successfully contested Lok Sabha election from Leh-Kargil in 1999, Namgyal has been a member of Parliament, Union Minister of State for Tourism as also a member of the J&K Legislative Council.

With result going in Mr Khan's favour, initially the ruling coalition's safest seat of Ladakh has ultimately proved to be a paradox for Congress party. In the seat sharing between NC and Congress, the former had claimed Leh-Kargil for it had won three of the four segments in the Assembly elections of 2008. Even as Congress had bagged one-odd segment of Leh proper, Congress had forced NC to surrender Ladakh and left all three of the Valley's seats---including the PDP's stronghold of Anantnag-Pulwama, for Dr Abdullah's party. With the combination of hard work, strategy and luck, NC today captured the coalition's weakest seat in South Kashmir seat but Congress lost the coalition's safest seat in Ladakh.

History has repeated itself in Ladakh. In 1989, during the seat sharing for Lok Sabha elections, NC had got Leh-Kargil and given its ticket to Hassan Commander. However, the power partner, Congress had clandestinely fielded and supported Namgyal. Namgyal defeated the NC candidate and formally joined Congress in a few days. In 2009 elections, Khan too deserted his party (NC) and contested as an independent while reportedly enjoying NC's clandestine support. Consequently, he succeeded in defeating the senior Congress leader. Like, Namgyal's act in 1989, Khan too is expected to join back NC but much would depend on the coalition partner's reaction.

Another independent, Ghulam Murtaza, polled just 642 votes.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 22 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

Considering Khan as an NC proxy, the ruling coalition has won all the six Lok Sabha seats in the results declared today. In Valley, PDP's Maulvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, who is believed to have got a major chunk of the Shia vote, had posed a considerable threat to Dr Farooq Abdullah in the NC's impregnable bastion of Srinagar-Budgam. However, thanks to less impact of the Hurriyatsponsored boycott in the rural districts of Budgam and Ganderbal, NC maintained an impressive lead and finally won this seat with a margin of over 30,000 votes. NC's main vote came from Kangan, Ganderbal, Chrar-eSharief, Beerwah and few other segments. However, NC's most remarkable achievements came from the PDP stronghold of Anantnag-Pulwama in South Kashmir as also from North Kashmir where, PC's Sajjad Lone, was believed to be enjoying superiority over both NC and PDP in Kupwara district. The PC chief was in for a shock for he failed to establish lead even in his twin home segments of Handwara and Kupwara, where NC maintained margin of two to three thousand votes each. Again, it was neither PC nor NC but the incumbent PDP that maintained lead in Lolab segment. With the support of independent MLA, Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer, NC scored lead of over 4,000 in Kupwara's Langet segment. Still, Sajjad Lone, who made his debut in contesting the elections, got 65,000 votes. NC, however, has been perceptibly disappointed over turnout as well as its share of the vote polled in Uri where its candidate, Shafi Uri, and the winner Congress nominee, Taj Mohiuddin, had polled over 46,000 votes in the Assembly elections of 2008. Vi c t o r y i n t h e S o u t h K a s h m i r constituency of Anantnag-Pulwama has

FOCUS

Lok Sabha Elections

indisputably come as NC's biggest achievement as the party, now in power, had won only Noorabad segment out of 16 in the Assembly elections. PDP had bagged 12 segments. Besides, NC had failed to get number two position in as many as seven segments. Previously, in Assembly elections of 2002, NC had won just two seats against PDP's 10. Earlier, in Lok Sabha elections of 2004, PDP's Mehbooba Mufti had defeated NC's Dr Mehboob Beg with a good margin, though in very poor turnout polling. In Lok Sabha elections of 1999, NC's Ali Mohammad Naik had defeated PDP's Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who contested as an Independent but in 1998 Lok Sabha elections, then Congress party's candidate, Mufti Sayeed, had defeated NC's Mohammad Yousuf Taing in South Kashmir. Thus, it is after seven years that NC has managed to uproot PDP on its home turf in Valley, though with the advantage of support from Congress and CPI (M) coupled with largely successful Hurriyat-sponsored boycott. UDHAMPUR-DODA In Udhampur-Doda constituency, four Singhs were in a close contest among the 14 candidates for the but it was Choudhary Lal Singh who retained the

seat by beating his close rival by a margin of over 13,000 votes. Lal Singh and Dr Nirmal Singh of Bhartiya Jhanta Party, Professor Bhim Singh president of National Panther Party and Balbir Singh from the People's Democratic Party were vied against each other. With this victory, Choudhary Lal Singh has completed victory for second term as he won in 2004 by defeating Professor Chaman Lal Gupta of BJP. The other candidates in fray included Adrees Ahmad of CPI, Rakesh Wazir of BSP, Rajesh Manchanda of Rashtriya Krantikari Samajwadi Party, Master William Gill of All India Forward Bloc and the remaining Atul Sharma, Dr Bodh Raj, Kanchan Sharma, Dev Raj, Mohammad Yousuf and Naresh Dogra were contesting as independents. In 1967 elections, Udhampur constituency was represented by Congress candidate Brg. Ghansara Singh while as in 1971 midterm polls, the constituency was represented by Dr. Karan Singh again on a Congress ticket, In 1977 Lok Sabha elections, the seat was again won by Dr. Karan Singh as INC candidate. In the midterm 1980 Parliamentary elections, the seat was yet again won by Dr. Karan Singh, however, this time on INC (U) ticket. In 1984, the seat was won by G. L. Dogra as INC candidate while as in 1989 General Election, Udhampur seat was won by Dharam Chand of INC, in 1996 the seat was won by Janak Raj Gupta on a BJP ticket. In 1998 and 1999 elections, Professor Chaman Lal Gupta of BJP represented the constituency. JAMMU-POONCH Even though there were 21 candidates in fray for the Jammu-Poonch parliamentary segment, the contest was eventually won by ruling congress's

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 23 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

old stalwart and sitting Member Parliament Madan Lal Sharma. Sharma beat his close rival and Bhartiya Janta Party's Leela Karan Sharma, former convener of the Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti that spearheaded the land row in summer last year, by a huge margin of nearly 120,000 votes. Congress won it in 1967, 1971, 1984, 1989, 1996 and 2004 while BJP, candidate Vaid Visho Dutt won the seat in 1998, and 1999. Congress leader Inderjeet Malhotra had won the election for two successive terms in 1967 and 1971 while Janata Party leader Thakur Baldev Singh was elected from the seat in 1977 as an Independent candidate. In 1980, Congress again wrested the seat with Girdhari Lal Dogra getting elected. In 1984 and 1989, Congress candidate Janak Raj Gupta represented the seat while Lok Sabha election was not held in the State in 1990 due to security reasons. In 1996, Congress leader Mangat Ram Sharma was elected from the Jammu-Poonch segment. In 2002 by-election held after the death of BJP's Dutt, National Conference had won the seat for the first time with Choudhary Talib Hussain emerging victorious. During the last elections in 2004, Madan Lal Sharma wrested the seat against defeating 25 candidates including his nearest rival Dr. Nirmal Singh of BJP.

FOCUS

Lok Sabha Elections

ANSWERS TO ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

Prof. Rekha Chowdhary comments on significant aspects of Lok Sabha Elections 2009 REGIONAL PERCEPTIONS Elections come with a different ground perception in three regions of J a m m u a n d K a s h m i r. P l e a s e comment, separately, on regional response to Lok Sabha elections in Jammu, Kashmir Valley and Ladakh.

lections, like any other political activity in Jammu and Kashmir reflects the internal divergence in the state. This is how the divergence was reflected during the time of Lok Sabha elections: In Jammu, the Lok Sabha elections were seen almost in the similar manner as anywhere else in India. The stakes here were between the BJP and the Congress, although the National Conference was also an important player. Since these elections followed the J&K Assembly elections in which BJP had been able to win as many as 11 seats, its expectations were heightened. The Congress had taken lot of beating during the Assembly elections, but having formed the government in alliance with the National Conference, it wanted to retrieve the ground that it had lost to the BJP during the State elections. In Jammu region, the question which provided the major context of the Lok Sabha elections was related to the impact of the Amarnath agitation. The

BJP expected that it could translate the mobilization of the Hindu/Jammu sentiments raised during the agitation in terms of its victory in both the seats of Jammu-Poonch and Doda-Udhampur constituencies. However, there were other factors which were operating at the same time. Firstly, people in Jammu were making their own assessment about the agitation and the communal and divisive direction that it had taken at certain points. They were also making assessment about their personal material gains and losses, The decision of the BJP to nominate Leela Karan for the Jammu-

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 24 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

Poonch constituency had made people rethink both about the role of the Sangharsh Samiti as well as the of BJP during the agitation. Mood in Kashmir was altogether different. After the massive participation of people during the Assembly elections, the separatists had started mobilizing people for the boycott politics. Boycott politics had a better chance this time since people in Kashmir were not similarly positioned towards the Parliamentary elections as they were towards the Assembly elections. The stake of the separatists

FOCUS

Lok Sabha Elections

in the boycott politics had increased after Sajad Gani Lone, a prominent separatist, decided to contest the elections. There was therefore greater intensity of the boycott politics as well as greater response.

of reasons can be attributed for this. Firstly, people had a sense of proximity with Assembly elections as these were seen to be closely related to their dayto-day lives. This sense of proximity was missing during the Lok Sabha elections.

Ladakh was more located in its local issues. Generally, the Parliamentary elections in Ladakh bring to the focus the Leh-Kargil divide on the one hand and the Buddhist-Muslim divide on the other. However, the inner difference within the Muslim politics of Ladakh is also assuming importance. The competition is therefore between the Islamia School and Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust. Knowing its strength in Ladakh, the NC was keen on contesting this seat while conceding the Anantnag seat to Congress. But Congress insisted on contesting from Ladakh. Though officially the NC agreed for P Namgiyal as the joint candidate of alliance, however it did not work for his victory. Hasan Khan, the candidate of the party filled in the nomination paper as an independent candidate and won the election with the implicit support of NC. The fact that Hasan Khan was supported by Islamia School made all the difference.

The votes cast during the Assembly elections are directly related to the formation of government and the voters have a direct stake in the government that is formed after the elections – more so since 2002 Assembly elections. The 2002 Assembly elections not only ended the era of one party dominance and ushered in coalition politics but also brought about the factor of unpredictability of the outcome. There are a number of possibilities as to which party will form the government, or which alliance will be formed after the elections. Hence the competition level has increased and therefore the intensity of electoral process has also increased. All the political parties mobilize voters to the maximum level and the voters also respond by coming out in large numbers to vote. It matters

IN COMPARISON WITH LAST YEAR’S ASSEMBLY POLLS Assembly elections in NovemberDecember 2008 saw a huge public enthusiasm in all parts of state. In Lok Sabha elections not only was there a sharp decline in voter percentage but also an absence of enthusiasm. Why this change in scenario in a short span of time.

he enthusiasm that was shown in the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir was missing during the Parliamentary elections. A number

Epilogue Ø 25 × June 2009

to voters a lot as to who is going to be elected from his/her constituency and also who is going to form the government. However, there is no similar response of voters during the Pa r l i a m e n t a r y e l e c t i o n s . T h e constituencies are large and the MP may not be accessible to the voter, the way the MLA can be. Moreover, there is not that much stake for the voters in the formation of national government. Secondly, the Assembly election took place immediately after the Amarnath agitation which had mobilized people politically within the state. That mobilization was reflected to some extent during the Assembly elections. In Jammu specifically there was unprecedented mobilization of men and women during the agitation. People had been highly politicized and this seems to have a definite effect in their level of electoral participation during the Assembly elections. The Parliamentary election in contrast took place in a situation when there was a sense of political withdrawal. With the

FOCUS

Lok Sabha Elections

emotions raised during the agitations getting subsided, there is a general mood of introspection and rethinking about the nature and the outcome of the agitation and the gains that people had and the losses that they had to suffer. There is also a rethinking about the role of political parties during the agitation. This has led to a sense of political withdrawal which has been reflected during the Parliamentary elections. The enthusiasm that the people in Kashmir had during the Assembly elections was not reflected during the Parliamentary. Governance is becoming important to people and therefore their choice as to Which party forms the government and which MLA is elected is important irrespective of the fact that he/she supports separatists. People therefore showed their determination to come out and vote during the Assembly elections, even ignoring the separatists' call for boycott. The Parliamentary elections do not matter that much and hence people are not that enthusiastic to vote. The boycott call of the separatists therefore could become quite effective. Not voting in Parliamentary elections was also a message that many Kashmiri voters might have wanted to give to the Centre - that their participation in Assembly elections in huge numbers should not be construed as their complete rejection of the separatist politics. A CAMPAIGN REVOLVING AROUND BJP Even a cursory scan of the statements and speeches made by the Peoples Democratic Party and the National Conference leaders across Kashmir Valley reveals that both parties used alleged linkages with BJP and Sangh

Parivar to prove each other's communal character. Was BJP a major poll agenda in Kashmir?

o r e t h a n B J P, i t w a s communalism which seemed to be the major issue of the Parliamentary elections. This is the logical consequence of the Amarnath agitation which brought the state to the brink of inter-regional and intercommunity tension. Throughout the period of agitation, there was a communal basis of political mobilization both in Kashmir as well as in Jammu. Interestingly though the leaders of agitation both in Kashmir as well as Jammu denied communal orientation on their part and blamed the leadership of the other side for being communal. However, in the end the agitation did leave the bad taste of communalism and generated an anxiety among the people about the future intercommunity and inter-regional relations. Being a mixed society, communal response cannot be openly owned by the political actors here and the politically correct position remains in favour of secular politics. It is in this context that one can see the response of the political parties seeking to assert their secular credentials by blaming the other of having linkages with the communal parties and politics. FALL OF PDP & BJP Seen in comparison to the 2002 assembly elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (in Kashmir) and the BJP (in Jammu) emerged as major gainers of the 2008 assembly elections. PDP improved from 16 to 21 assembly seats and BJP from 1 to 11 seats. Four months later both parties have suffered humiliating defeats, in Lok Sabha elections, even in their

Epilogue Ø 26 × June 2009

traditional strongholds. Please comment on rout of these parties.

irstly, it was the strategy of the coalition partners – NC and Congress to contest in alliance that benefited them. This helped them to gain in the Valley vis-à-vis the PDP and in Jammu region vis-à-vis the BJP. During the Assembly elections the Congress and the NC had contested against each other and hence the vote was split. The nature of competition was certainly different in the Parliamentary elections. It was almost a straight fight of the NC-Congress combine with PDP in the Valley and with BJP in Jammu. During the Assembly elections, it was a more in the nature of a multi-cornered contest with not only NC, Congress, PDP and BJP fighting against each other but with others also joining the fray. However, the way the NC could sweep the three seats in the Valley and the Congress could take both the seats in Jammu – reflects a definite change of mood since the Assembly elections. The buoyancy of the BJP, which could register its victory in 11 Assembly seats, had raised the hopes of this party for the Parliamentary elections. Though both the seats of Jammu have remained the traditional strongholds of the Congress, the BJP could gain from the communal polarization during the peak of militancy and win both the seats during the 1998 and 1999 Parliamentary elections. However during the 2004 elections it lost both the seats, its expectations in the post-Amarnath agitation were quite high and it assumed its victory this time as well – given the intensified mobilization by this party in the Hindu dominated areas of the region and the consequent polarization between the communities

FOCUS

Lok Sabha Elections

that was reflected during the period of agitation. However, the effect of the mobilization by the BJP does not seem to be lasting. Though the it could get a large number of votes from Hindus (exceeding its hold from 11 Assembly segments to 13), yet it failed to get the advantage of winning the seats like it did in 1998 and 1999. It could not get all the Hindu votes of the region. The Congress could get a substantial number of Hindu votes. (The NCCongress combine also gained in the region – with lead in 21 Assembly segments as compared to victory in 19 seats during 2008 Assembly elections).

entire Jammu region. “His samiti described that agitation as agitation of aspirations of the people of Jammu”. The BJP as a whole and many leaders in Congress, at that moment, behaved as followers of Leela Karan, apparently to protect their electoral constituencies under his patronage. Such results were evident in the Assembly elections. But the same man contesting elections on BJP ticket suffered an embarrassing defeat with a margin of 1.2 lakh votes. How do you look at the Jammu agitation of 2008 a year later?

The PDP faced similar situation in Kashmir. Unlike its earlier performance during the 2008 Assembly elections, it could not make a mark in the Valley. It had not only to face defeat in all the three seats of the Valley, but what is worse – it lost in its stronghold of South Kashmir. Interestingly, during the 2008 elections the NC could register its victory only in one Assembly seat in this Parliamentary constituency and it was not even in second position in many of the Assembly constituencies. Since the PDP was very sure about its victory in the Anantnag Parliamentary constituency, its defeat on the contrary has been very embarrassing for the party. More embarrassing is the fact that in the two Assembly segments represented by Mehbooba Mufti and Mufti Syed, the NC has performed very well. WHAT HAPPENED TO AGITATION ICON At one point of time, Leela Karan Sharma, the convener of Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti (that spearheaded two-month long aggressive agitation in Jammu in summer 2008) claimed to represent

ne definite message that is given by the voters during the Parliamentary elections in Jammu region is that politics here cannot be controlled by the rightist forces for a long time. People might have been temporarily swayed by the emotions raised during the Amarnath agitation, but that is not the normal political mood of the region. In defeating Leela Karan Sharma by such a big margin of votes, the people have distanced themselves not only from the politics of Amarnath agitation but from the communal politics per se. in very certain terms people have shown their antipathy towards the forces that aim

Epilogue Ø 27 × June 2009

at mobilizing them on religious basis, polarizing them on communal grounds and generating tensions within the region. Seeing Jammu agitation a year later, one can make four broad conclusions: firstly, there is a standing regional discontent which not finding a secular basis of political articulation can easily be used by the Rightist parties and politics. Though manifested in religious terms, the major reason for the mass mobilization was regional rather than religious. The communal elements which generally remain at the margins of Jammu's politics, seek to appropriate the regional discontent at any time they can and change the very direction of popular responses. S e c o n d l y, t h e n a t u r a l direction of politics of Jammu is quite secular and is manifested in secular manner in a variety of ways. The plurality of Jammu as well as its multi-layered social and political dynamics compels the regional politics to take a secular shape. Thirdly, however, in the absence of a secular regional politics that takes into consideration not only the sensitivities of the Hindu-heartland of Jammu region but also carries within itself the political concerns of the backward subregions at the periphery, the politics has all the possibilities of becoming communally divisive. Fourthly, the communally divisive politics is not only dangerous for the Jammu region but for the whole state. As the agitation showed, this has implications of shifting the ethnic and regional identity politics to a religion-based politics and redefining it on the communal basis.

FOCUS

Lok Sabha Elections

THE DIFFERENCE SAJJAD LONE MADE Sajjad Lone is certainly not the first separatist to have contested elections in Kashmir. While Imran Rahi was also fighting in same constituency and Engineer Rashid, Bilal Lodhi, Kukka Parray and Usman Majid etc are some of the earlier examples. He has not performed so well in the constituency, hitherto believed as his pocket-borough. There is an important question here. In the battle between separatists and mainstream leaders/parties for appropriation of role in Kashmir, what is significance of Sajjad's participation in elections? here is a significant difference between those separatists and ex-militants who participated in mainstream politics and Sajjad Lone's participation in the recent elections.

Lone has been a prominent separatist whose People's Conference (PC) has been one of the constituent of the Hurriyat. A G Lone, the father of Sajad Lone and the founder of the People's Conference was one of the key member of the Hurriyat. As a high-profile

separatist, Sajad Lone, even after being expelled from the Hurriyat Conference (after the participation of a few proxy candidates of PC in 2002 assembly elections) continued to be operating within the separatist fold and not only presented his own vision of 'Achievable Nation' for the resolution of Kashmir but also had a meeting with PM Manmohan Singh in 2005 (when he was meeting other leading separatists including the Mirwaiz led Hurriyat leaders and Yasin Malik). So unlike other militants and separatists, Lone was a much more high profile separatist leader in whose decision to contest election, one can see a crack within the separatist politics per se. The crack may be very small – not seeming to affect the separatists overtly but in reality it has had a great psychological effect on them. More so since Lone's decision to contest election came in the wake of the massive participation of Kashmiris in the Assembly elections. The idea of electoral participation is not new to the PC. During the life time of A G Lone, the idea was associated with A G Lone. Much before the 2002 Assembly elections, there was speculation that he was considering participation in elections. However, he was assassinated before the elections. During the 2002 Assembly elections a few proxy candidates of the People's Conference had contested elections. Similarly during the 2008 Assembly elections also a few members earlier associated with the PC had jumped the fray, even when Sajad Lone had disassociated himself from these contestants. Sajad Lone's sister had also contested the 2008 elections. In understanding the impact of Sajad Lone's participation in the Lok Sabha elections, it is important to

Epilogue Ø 28 × June 2009

understand the fact that Sajad is leading a political party which has its organizational base, cadre and a support structure. Even when he has lost the election, the role of the PC remains important. With Sajad choosing to join the electoral fray, the PC has once again undergone a transformation – from a separatist to a mainstream party which has the major purpose of expanding its base and sphere of influence so as to determine the nature of power politics. This makes the regional politics of Kashmir more competitive – with PC entering the electoral arena which is already quite competitive between the NC and PDP. Percentage of J&K Congress

24.67%

JKPDP

20.05%

JKNC

19.11%

BJP

18.61%

BSP

3.10%

JKNPP

2.81%

CPI

0.64%

LJP

0.32%

AIFB

0.27%

0.08%

Other/Ind.

10.34%

UPA & PEACE PROCESS What significance does UPA's return to power at Center holds for the peace process in Jammu and Kashmir and dialogue with Islamabad?

ow that UPA has returned to power at the Centre, it is expected that it will accelerate the peace process which has been stalled for past few years. As regards the dialogue with Pakistan, the UPA would be in a position to continue the process without much pressure from

FOCUS

Lok Sabha Elections

Percentage of All India Congress

28.52%

BJP

18.83%

BSP

6.18%

CPM

5.34%

NCP

2.04%

CPI

1.43%

RJD

1.27%

Other

36.40%

the opposition. Though the impact of Mumbai is still felt on the peace process, yet UPA would be interested in continuing the process. Already the UPA has shown its inclination to deal sternly with Pakistan around the issue of militants responsible for Mumbai attacks and at the same time appreciate the ground level situation in Pakistan and the internal security crisis that it is facing. What it needs to do now is to resume the peace process that was stalled in the wake of Mumbai attack. Internally, the UPA has to build upon the success that it had in holding a participatory and legitimized Assembly election during 2008. The fact that the Congress is sharing power with the NC in the state makes it all the more imperative for the Central government to take some visible measures in re-starting the internal peace process. Already there is lot of impatience in Kashmir about the stalled peace process. One of the reason as to why there was so much of mass mobilization during the first phase of Amarnath agitation in Kashmir – was due to the accumulated feeling among people that in the context of heightened electoral activities (much before the elections, the political parties had started organizing huge electoral rallies), Kashmir issue is being sidelined and there is no movement forward in the peace process. The feeling continues to be manifested in numerous ways in the Valley.

The UPA however has to define the direction of its policy vis-à-vis internal dialogue. During the last phase of its governance, it shifted the direction of dialogue from direct talk with the separatists to the Round Table Conferences. Though Round Table Conferences succeeded in bringing to the table divergent political groups across the ideological lines, and later in the constitution of the Working Groups most of which have given very valuable suggestions in their Re p o r t s , h o w e v e r s i n c e the separatists opted out of the Round Table Conferences, the process remained ineffective. In order to address the separatist sentiment in Kashmir (which despite the massive participation of people in Assembly Elections, remain alive and kicking) the separatist leadership needs to be engaged in a dialogue. There are enough indications that UPA would be paying attention to Kashmir. The existing relationship between the Central and the State government also makes it imperative for the Centre government to pay special attention to Kashmir. Since NC has a post-poll alliance with the Congress in the State and it is a part of the UPA government – there is a smooth relationship between the two governments. Omar Abdullah has a very cordial relationship with the Central leadership and now Farooq Abdullah has taken the charge of Minister with a cabinet rank, In the light of

Epilogue Ø 29 × June 2009

this it is expected that the UPA would be initiating steps which will not only send positive signals to the people of this state but will also take interest in restoring the internal dialogue. For the NC to get a positive feed back from the people, it is important that the ground level situation be changed. There are two important things where the State government would be interested that Centre should pay attention – firstly engaging the separatists in dialogue ( both CM and Farooq Abdullah have been showing hope that it would take place now) and secondly, improving the Human Rights situation in Kashmir.

FOCUS

Lok Sabha Elections

Why Congress Won and Why BJP Lost?

M SHAMSUR RABB KHAN Author is Editor with the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies

irst the winner. The unexpected victory for the Congress party led UPA in the Lok Sabha elections might be a baffling experience for many political analysts and commentators, it has certainly given stability to the country. But why did the people give mandate to the Congress party? There is no doubt about the policies and programmes that the UPA followed prior to the elections that people endorsed, and in spite of all the hard hitting criticism by the BJP, Manmohan Singh's initiatives have been accepted. Among the core issues on which the UPA government was tested and tried were focus on development, Indo-US nuclear

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 30 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

deal, stand on terrorism and diplomatic victory over Pakistan. As I travelled more than a dozen cities and villages across Bihar just after the elections and asked people why they preferred Congress led UPA, the common reply from the villagers was: National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) that benefitted the poor. Well, in Bihar, along with UPA, the credit also goes to Nitish Kumar. In Manmohan, people saw serious business and development of the country, rather than hollow shouts and cries that the BJP was indulged in all through the election campaign. Programmes like

FOCUS

Lok Sabha Elections

NREGS have really helped the poor. Whatever be the expert opinion on IndoUS nuclear deal, people viewed it as no less than a landmark event. They believed Manmohan Singh is very genuine a person in making this country strong, prosperous and peaceful. Mumbai attack could have proved waterloo for the UPA. It did not. Since the way Manmohan Singh acted made it possible for the first time that Pakistan had to accede its role, and that was a big diplomatic victory. So, without going in for military intervention, Manmohan Singh scored points in India's fight against terror. His reticent style, his gentleman image and his scholarship have had the appealing effect on voters. Above all, the constructive politics of Manmohan Singh, rather than destructive politics of Advani proved decisive. While UPA kept itself busy in highlighting its work, BJP had no agenda but to find fault in everything the Congress did. Rahul and Sonia added valuable contribution in reaching out to the people and conveying the right message. Now, the loser. A few core issues proved disastrous for the BJP: election campaign strategy, one-man brand for PM post, double standard on terrorism and internal dissent. And in spite of gargantuan and aggressive media campaigns, BJP's performance in the election 2009 falls surprisingly short of expectations. The party will, as is the wont, surely evaluate the possible reasons, but perhaps not those that are discussed here. First, take up election campaign strategy. Not many people notices when I pointed out faults in the BJP's election campaign before the voting started, especially the advertisements that the

party put up and the speeches the top leaders delivered throughout the length and breadth of constituencies. 'Strong Leader, Decisive Government' was the most hyperbolic deception and highly uncalled for advertisement: neither Advai has been strong-willed leader albeit he has been falsely labelled as iron man nor the BJP has been a decisive government ever – at least on issues like Babri Masjid/Ramjanabhoomi dispute, or prosecution to the culprits of Gujarat riots. Via this widely publicised advertisement, the BJP tried to give a macho image of 81-yearl Advani, not knowing that people have enough proof of the weaknesses of this veteran BJP Prime Ministerial candidate – from his failure to fulfill the promise of constructing a grand Ram Temple at Ayodhya when he was at the helm of affairs, or his inaction to stop the pogrom of Muslims in Gujarat or his consent during the Kandhar hijack issue, or his stand on terrorism. If Advani's physical health (in comparison to Singh's ailments and operations) what the advertisement means, then the BJP has so many younger and stronger leaders. Another populist promise, in order to woo young voters, the BJP via Advani made was to provide loan to student community at 4 per cent that seemed as if the strong leader of the BJP was asking favour in a sophisticated style in lieu of a favour. The desperate sense of urgency mixed with far-fetched promises got exposed to the people, as Advani tried to do impossible possible. When I saw a few youth at Lajpat Nagar bus stop laughing at the advertisement with a picture of Vijay Goel 'Soch Hai Nai, Kaam Kiye Kai (We have a new idea this time, we have done some great works), I was surprised as well as

Epilogue Ø 31 × June 2009

saddened; surprised at the minds who produced and directed such advertisements for the BJP and sad because how BJP leaders were to trying to befool the nation, especially the citizens of Delhi. Behind the poetic rhyme of Goel, there was no content except false sense of achievement and far-fetched imagery that could hardly impress anyone. As a result, the party is whitewashed 7-0 in Delhi. Next strategy of the election campaign was the tricks and tactics based on which countless speeches were fired by the BJP leaders with a single focus: post-mortem of the UPA (read Congress party), personal attacks on its leaders including the Prime Minister and baseless criticism of developmental works under the UPA regime. Rather than going positive by counting its own accomplishments, the BJP harped on ad hominem (attacking the person than the subject) or finding faults on the opposition from every dais and forum. And while along with educated Indians, illiterates like to love positive aspects, the BJP showed the electorates the darker picture of the UPA regime in order to justify their claims that BJP is good because Congress is bad. That is a defeatist strategy. Or raking issues like dynasty rule of Nehru family, foreign origin of Sonia Gandhi and Muslim appeasement, the BJP sounded very lowly while trying to convince the people that everything was wrong with the Congress. Interestingly, voter studied the contributions of Advani and Singh after the latter inquired about the former's role in national development, in response to the former's accusation that the latter was the weakest Prime Minister, and the rivalry between the

FOCUS

Lok Sabha Elections

two got momentum when the former challenged the latter to have a man-toman TV talk. But the aggressive posture of Advani to outwit the reticent Singh proved fatal as the idea boomeranged badly. Silence of Singh prevailed over loud oratory of Advani. Even some political analysts favoured such a live talk between the two, as in the US and elsewhere. Advani as Prime Ministerial candidate was the biggest mistake that the BJP made at the outset since a great majority of the people in this country didn't approve him to assume the PMO. The verdict is very much in this line. Even in his party open dissent and disapproval were heard loudly, sometime from Arun Shourie, sometimes from others, as Adavni was pitched against Modi in the midst of Advani versus Singh campaign. Like what it did to Sirajudollah in the battle of Plassey, internal clash and conspiracy worked as the last nail in the BJP's coffin. And for those Shouries and Jaitleys, it is time to learn and think the role of Modi as well. He may be succeeding in Gujarat, and that is because he has to show some good work to get rid of the stigma on his person that he been carrying since 2002 postGodhara riots, people on all India level will surely not going accept a diehard Hindu Modi but a secular Indian Modi. Like Lalu Yadav used to crack jokes in his unique rustic style and the spectators burst into bouts of laughter, Modi, with a sense of pride for his oratorial skill, did the same thing while finding faults with Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka. And as Lalu failed to translate all the laughs into votes this time, Modi is also going to witness this the next time.

No less culprit has been the BJP's stand on terrorism: not only it exposed its intention to prosecute Muslims via tougher laws but also it revealed its double standard when the party openly supported Malegaon accused, who happened to be Hindus. More precisely, the BJP came strongly against any sort of probe into the Batla House encounter, and came down heavily on the Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia University for announcing legal help for those who were arrested, while it asked for CBI enquiry into the Malegaon accused case and

Like what it did to Sirajudollah in the battle of Plassey, internal clash and conspiracy worked as the last nail in the BJP's coffin. And for those Shouries and Jaitleys, it is time to learn and think the role of Modi as well.

that only this party, along with its leaders, is true nationalist and saviour of the nation. Even worse has been linking nationalism with aggressive Hindutva, which leaves no room for other parties and groups to display such a claim. Moreover, this is a strategy to garner Hindu votes via cornering disgruntled groups like Muslims and Christians. For example, the threatening speech of Modi about teaching a lesson to those who killed Swami Luxmanand in Orissa and keeping mum over those killed in Kandhamal riots showed the exclusive focus of the BJP while handling conflicts though he never visited the state during the elections and apologized to the audience for this. Had Modi been a just person and an able administrator, as some claim, he would have pointed out both the issues in the same vein. He did not. Like the Congress, as the BJP accuses, the party had been busy in appeasing Hindus throughout the campaign. Meanwhile, Kalyan factor came as an embarrassing setback.

demanded immediate sacking of Hemant Karkare (even called him deshdrohi) for a job well done. It conveyed to the citizens that it does not have a definite stand on a serious issue like terrorism. Educated voters and concerned citizens watched and weighed all this and taught the party a big lesson that constructive, not destructive, politics will only work in this country. The BJP's performance might well have been more disastrous had there been no pre-poll rift between the Congress and the RJD and the SP.

Work alone, the political must wins hearts that bestow power upon leaders to rule. Sheila Dixit, Nitish Kumar, Shiv Raj Singh Chauhan and Y Reddy are the examples for the moment. They have done some good work and the people rewarded them to rule. They don't indulge in false rhetoric and divisive politics, and therefore, people put faith on them. In contrast, no one should think that Lalu Yadav will have Muslim votes forever. Modi will not have Hindu votes forever either. People have greater sense to pick parties and candidates for voting.

And lastly, the very tone and tenacity of the BJP leaders gave the impression

Will the BJP leaders talk sense next time?

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 32 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

FOCUS

Prominent Faces

SONIA GANDHI, Rae Bareli The lady who lived upto the hype

ongress president Sonia Gandhi got elected from Rae Bareli seat defeating her nearest rival R S Kushwaha of BSP by a margin of 3.72 lakh votes. In 2004, Sonia Gandhi, was third most powerful women in the world and in 2006 she was sixth, according to respected Forbes magazine. While congress-led UPA government was ruling, Sonia was named by Time magazine as one among 100 most influential people in the world in 2007 and 2008. She was first elected as MP from Gandhi fiefdom Amethi in UP in 1999 which is now seen over by her Rahul Gandhi. Sonia is also sitting MP from nearby Rae Bareily Constituency. A widow of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who was assassinated by Tamil Tigers in 1991, Sonia is Italian born but since her marriage to Rajiv in 1968, she lived in India and became the fifth person from Gandhi family to be the president of Congress party in 1999. Under her leadership, the party turned in its worst performance since independence in the 1999 general elections. Sonia was reported to have an aversion to politics for long and even opposed Rajiv entering it by threatening to divorce him. She now holds the record of having served as Congress chief for 10 straight years!. Sonia's foreign birth has also sparked intense debate in 2004.Sonia famously turned down the Prime Minister's post in 2004 and earned a name Saint Sonia. National Rural Employment Generation scheme, a food-for-work scheme is widely considered as Sonia's idea as also the Right to Information Act. Sonia and her children Rahul and Priyanka, are also estranged from Maneka Gandhi, the widow of Rajiv's younger brother Sanjay Gandhi, and her son Varun Gandhi, who are with opposition BJP.

LK ADVANI, Gandhi Nagar Last pilgrimage of the yatri

K Advani is the leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and BJP's prime ministerial candidate for 2009 General Elections. One of the most controversial, yet the most enduring figures in Indian polity, Advani has been in the limelight for his public advocacy of Hindutva. Born in Karachi (before Partition), he joined the RSS in 1942.From a two-MP party in 1984, Advani, as president, took BJP to power in less than 15 years! He was the Home Minister in the Vajpayee government and served as the Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004 In 1990 he undertook a nation-wide rath yatra which led to the fall of Babri Majid in 1992 even though rivals still accuse Advani for dividing the country on communal lines which is against India's principled stand of a secular nation. Advani's rath yatra campaign roused a whole new generation and drew crores of middle class supporters to the BJP. Controversies aside, Advani is perhaps the only Indian politician to have leveraged the Obama-style of new media campaigning. He has his website and runs a blog that's regularly updated.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 33 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

FOCUS Prominent Faces

MAMATA BANERJEE, Kolkata South Fiery, firebrand Bengali

rinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee defeated CPI(M) candidate Robin Deb by a margin of 2,12,362 votes in Kolkata (south) Lok Sabha constituency. Mamata Banerjee is a firebrand leader from West Bengal. She is a harsh opponent of the CPM in West Bengal. She started her political career with Congress(I), and as a young woman in the 1970s, she quickly rose in the ranks of the local Congress group. In 1984, she became one of India's youngest parliamentarians ever, beating veteran Communist politician Somnath Chatterjee. In the Rao government formed in 1991, Mamata Banerjee was made the Union Minister of State for Human Resources Development. In 1997, Mamata parted ways with the Congress, alleging that Congress was behaving as a stooge of the CPI-M in West Bengal and established the All India Trinamool Congress. It quickly became the primary opposition to the long-standing Communist government in the state. She became the Railway Minster in the NDA government in 1999. In early 2001, after making allegations against the BJP, she walked out of the NDA cabinet and allied with the Congress Party for West Bengal's 2001 elections, amidst speculation that the move could unseat the Communist government. She returned to the cabinet in January 2004, holding the Coal and Mines ministry until the 2004 Elections. In the 2009 elections, she forged an alliance with the Congress to take on the CPM.

M.SINGH YADAV, Manipuri King of caste politics

hree time Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party founder president Mulayam Singh Yadav wield the image of a `king maker' in Indian politics. Like most other regional party leaders, Mulayam always chased power, be it in Centre or his home turf, UP. Born in 1939, Yadav excel in caste politics and often labeled as a political opportunist by his friends and foes alike. He became UP chief minister for the first time in 1989 and continued till 1991 and then founded the Samajwadi Party in 1992. He got a second chance as UP chief minister from 1993-95 and also held the post from 2003 to 2007. He won his first Lok Sabha elections in 1996 and became the Union Defence Minister. He was reelected to the Lok Sabha in 1998, 1999 and 2004 but did not resign as Uttar Pradesh chief minister. In 1980, he became the president of the Lok Dal. Later the Lok Dal became a part of the Janata Dal. He then joined Chandra Shekhar's Janata Dal (Socialist) party. On October 7, 1992, he founded Samajwadi Party. During the course, he changed his allies from BJP. Congress and BSP. His stand on movement for demanding separate statehood for Uttarakhand was as much controversial as his stand on Ayodhya movement in 1990 was. A staunch supporter of Hindi, Mulayam is also known for his anti-English stance. Mulayan is facing CBI inquiry on charges of amassing wealth disproportionate to his known income. This includes misuse of government funds for personal use.

MURALI M. JOSHI, Varanasi Physicist of RSS ilk

urali Manohar Joshi, a hardliner in BJP, is more in sync with the RSS objectives than most other leaders in the party. Murli too had prime ministerial ambitions which the present BJP's official Prime Minsiterial candidate L.K. Advani effectively negated through shrewd moves. BJP-led National Democratic Alliance was in two minds about Murli who was the Human Resources minister in Vajpayee cabinet as he was seen supporting the RSS agenda and others found him as an embarrassment. A PhD holder, Murali, was a Physics teacher in Allahabad University and while in Delhi came in close contact with RSS. During Emergency period in 1975-77, Murali was jailed and took a plunge into politics soon after by joining Janata Party. In 1980, Janata Party split and BJP was formed and Murali is a tall leader ever since.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 34 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

FOCUS Prominent Faces

DEVA GOWDA, Hassan Silicon valley’s rural face

anata Dal (S) leader Haradanahalli Doddegowda Deve Gowda, better known as H D Deve Gowda began his political career as a Congress worker in Karnataka in early 50's. With the pro-farmer plank, Deve Gowda was intrumental in forming the third front alliance in 1996 and served as the country's Prime Minister for barely 10 months. He is the president of the Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S) political party in India and currently a member of Parliament (MP) representing his home town Hassan district in Karnataka. The JD-S had formed a coalition with the Congress party government led by Dharam Singh. There are allegations of nepotism owing to his two children H.D. Revanna and H.D. Kumaraswamy being powerful in this government. Revanna had served as a minister in that government. A Civil Engineering Diploma holder, Shri Deve Gowda plunged into active politics at the early age of 20 when, after completing his education, he joined the Congress Party in 1953 and remained a member till 1962. Coming from a middle class agrarian background and exposed to the hardships of farmer's life, young Gowda vowed to become a fighter who would take up the cause of poor farmers, under privileged and oppressed sections of society.

VARUN GANDHI, Pilibhit Icon of hate politics

arun Gandhi is the son of late Sanjay Gandhi and Maneka Gandhi, the son and daughter-in-law of the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. In August 1999, at the age of 19, Varun Gandhi was introduced to the political arena by his mother, Maneka, when she was campaigning in her constituency, Pilibhit. In February 2004, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party along with his mother after being convinced to do so by BJP general secretary late Pramod Mahajan. His joining the BJP was hyped by Mahajan claiming that "With Varun joining BJP, half the Congress will be with us..." Varun was used as a star campaigner by the BJP in the 2004 elections. In November 2004, he was inducted into the BJP national

Epilogue Ø 35 × June 2009

executive. BJP decided to field Varun Gandhi from the Pilibhit Lok sabha seat for general election 2009. He hogged limelight after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati detained him under National Security Act, which was later revoked by the Supreme Court.

FOCUS Prominent Faces

RAJNATH SINGH, Ghaziabad Driver of hindutva ideologies

ajnath Singh is a prominent Indian politician and the current President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is the largest Opposition party in India. He was initially a Physics lecturer, but soon used his long-term connections with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to get involved with the Bhartiya Janata Party, which led him to numerous positions within Uttar Pradesh. Rajnath Singh has entered the BJP while it was in a crisis of sorts, after Atal Bihari Vajpayee lost power in the 2004 general elections, forcing the BJP to sit in the Opposition. On December 24, 2005, following the resignation of Lal Krishna Advani, the BJP and the RSS made him the party president. After the resignation of Advani and the murder of party strategist Pramod Mahajan, he sought to rebuild the party by focusing on the most basic Hindutva ideologies. He has announced his position of "no compromise" in relation to the building of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

RAHUL GANDHI, Amethi Heir apparent emerges hero

he heir apparent of Gandhi family, Rahul is considered as prime minister in waiting not in 2009 but in near future. Since 2007 Rahul is the general secretary of Congress and looks after youth wing of the party - the Youth Congress. He is studiously building up an image and working hard to come of his famous parents - late Rajiv Gandhi and present Congress president Sonia Gandhi. He became an MP for the first time from Gandhi family's pocket burrow Amethi in 2004, a decision which surprised many. A shy, Rahul too was considered as a reluctant entrant to politics who loves to watch cricket. But the party elders thought he can win over new and young voters. His sister Priyanka was touted to enter politics earlier. He is also known as party's backroom operator. It was through Rahul's efforts that Congress could forge an alliance with Jammu and Kashmir's National Conference and the Abdullahs.

YASHWANT SINHA, Hazaribagh The man who presented budget at 5 PM

former IAS officer and a lecturer in Political Science at Patna University, Yashwant joined Janata Party in 1984. He was the Finance Minister in Chandra Sekhar cabinet for a few months and in Vajpayee's cabinet he also served as Foreign Minister later. While as IAS officer, Yashwant served as Sub-Divisional Magistrate and District Magistrate; Under Secretary and Deputy Secretary in the Finance Department of the Bihar state government; Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Commerce in New Delhi and was also First Secretary (Commercial) in the Indian Embassy in Germany and also was Consul General in Frankfurt. He held various other important positions in both Bihar and Union governments before quitting civil service in 1984. After a brief stint with Janata Dal, he joined BJP in mid 1990s. Sinha is better known for being the first Finance Minister to break the 53 year tradition of presenting the national budget at 5pm.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 36 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

FOCUS Prominent Faces

SHARAD PAWAR, Madha Maratha who transcends barriers

harad Pawar is more than just the head of the Nationalist Congress Party. He is one of the few politicians to enjoy support from parties across regions and ideologies. A powerful farm minister in the Manmohan Singh government, he derives much power from his post as India's cricket chief, and his sugar-exporting constituency in Maharashtra. He has held the posts of Defence Minister of India and Chief Minister of Maharashtra and served as Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India in the Manmohan Singh government. Known to cherish burning prime ministerial ambitions, Pawar made a serious bid to become the prime minister after the 1991 polls following the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, but Narasimha Rao outsmarted Pawar by taking the top post for himself, while accommodating Pawar as a defence minister. For the past few months, Pawar has been making deft moves to become a consensus choice for the top post. As political parties negotiated ahead of the elections, Pawar's supporters floated his name as a prime ministerial candidate. Pawar also has been hobnobing with the Left to push his prime ministerial dreams.

JAYA PRADA, Rampur Star ‘spoiler’ of (Samajwadi) Party

orn as Lalita Rani in a middle class family in Rajahmudry in Andra Pradesh, actress Jaya Pradha was initiated into politics by Telegu Desam Party (TDP) former supremo N T Rama Rao in 1994. She later broke away from him and joined the Chandrababu Naidu faction of the party. She was nominated to the Rajya Sabha representing Andhra Pradesh in 1996. Following differences with party Supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu, she left TDP to join Samajwadi Party and contested from Rampur parliamentary Constituency in UP during the last General election in 2004 and got elected. In 2009 her candidature became a serious point of contention within the Samajwadi Party and brought Amar Singh and Azam Khan out in open conflict. Jaya Prada was subjected to a vicious public campaign, morphed naked pictures and CDs of her were distributed. She broke down on national television and admitted having contemplated suicide. Followers of Azam Khan had even filed a complaint with the police accusing Amar Sigh for prompting the politician turned actress to commit suicide, incase she loose the election.

Epilogue Ø 37 × June 2009

FOCUS Prominent Faces

SUSHMA SWARAJ, Vidisha

JASWANT SINGH, Darjeeling The flyer of Kandahar plane

Hardline strategist

aswant Singh is one of the towering leaders of the BJP. Hailig from Rajasthan, he was an officer in the Indian Army in the 1960s and is an alumnus of Mayo College and the National Defence Academy (India), Khadakwasla. He served as Finance minister in the short-lived government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which lasted just from May 16, 1996, to June 1, 1996. After Vajpayee became Prime Minister again two years later, he became Minister for External Affairs of India, serving from December 5, 1998 until July 1, 2002. Jaswant was in the centre of a controversy after he accompanied terrorists released from Indian jail to Khandahar airport in exchange for the Indian passengers held hostage by ultras. Responsible for foreign policy, he dealt with high tensions between India and Pakistan. In July 2002 he became Finance Minister again, switching posts with Yashwant Sinha. He served as Finance Minister until the defeat of the Vajpayee government in May 2004 and was instrumental in defining and pushing through the market-friendly reforms of the government. He was conferred the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for the year 2001. Currently he is the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

ushma Swaraj is one of the most prominent female politicians within the Bharatiya Janata Party, currently the chairperson of the party's 19 member campaign committee for the 2009 General Elections. Sushma Swaraj is a former union cabinet minister of India. She is also a former chief minister of Delhi. In 1999, she took on a high profile as she contested against the Congress party's President, Sonia Gandhi, from the Bellary constituency in Karnataka, which had returned Congress winners since India's independence. The fervent, highpitched campaign came to an end with the expected loss of Sushma. Gandhi polled 51.7 percent of the vote, Swaraj coming not too far behind with 44.7 percent. In a heavily publicized and emotionally charged episode following the 2004 elections, Sushma Swaraj threatened to shave her head, don a white saree and eat groundnuts (symbollically mourning) if Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born Congress leader, became Prime Minister.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 38 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

FOCUS Prominent Faces

P CHIDAMBARAM, Sivaganga The maker of dream budget

hidambaram's defeat in Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu in the first round of polling shocked the UPA circles. But the UPA leadership heaved a sigh of relief after he was declared elected in the recounting. Chidambaram is a senior member of the Manmohan Cabinet. A lawyer by profession, P Chidambaram began his political career as a member of the Congress Party. PC first got elected to Parliament from the Sivaganga constituency in Tamil Nadu in 1984 and became a Deputy Minister under the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Later, he held the Commerce & Finance portfolios in various governments. In the elections held in 2004, United Progressive Alliance formed the Government and P Chidambaram once again became the Finance Minister. Economists acclaim his "dream-budget" for 1996-97, in which he brought discipline in government spending and launched an ambitious tax reform programme to tackle an unwieldy fiscal deficit. His daring scheme to halt tax evasion, or Voluntary Income Disclosure Scheme, invited accolades. In the Budget of 2008, his move to waive off farmers' debt has played a role in boosting aggregate demand in the Indian economy, thereby effectively insulating India from the impact of recession. In 2008 he moved to the Home portfolio. As the home minister he has initiated steps to bring various agencies that are responsible for law and order together and work in a cohesive manner.

MANEKA GANDHI, Aonla The environmentalist and separated Gandhi

haratiya Janata Party leader and five-time MP Maneka Gandhi was declared elected from Aonla constituency in Uttar Pradesh, defeating her nearest rival Dharmenda Kashyap of the Samajwadi Party (SP). The gamble to vacate her long-time seat of Pilibhit for son and BJP candidate Varun Gandhi and shift to Aonla paid off for Maneka Gandhi. In Pilibhit, Varun Gandhi had created controversy with his purported hate speeches against Muslims for which he was put behind bars by UP Chief Minister Mayawati under National Security Act which was later revoked by the Supreme Court. Maneka is higly regarded as animal rights activist and environmentalist. She is also a former editor of Surya, a widely respected magazine, authored several books one on Indian names and above all, she is the widow of Sanjay Gandhi and now estranged from the Gandhis, who are

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 39 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

considered as India's political first family. Against heavy odds, she worked her way launching a political party named after her husband, Rashtriya Sanjay Manch emphasising on youth but later joined Janata Dal in 1988 and served as the general secretary of Janata Dal and served as Minister of the Environment from 1989 to 1991 in the V.P. Singh cabinet. Both in 1996 and 1998, Maneka was reelected to the Lok Sabha as an independent member from Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh and served in the BJP led governments as Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, and Minister for Culture. While as minister she created the Department for Animal Welfare and played an important role in the pension reforms through Old Age Social and Income Security (OASIS) which went on to become the celebrated New Pension System (NPS) .

BOOK

Review

Beyond Elections in India’s Democracy

THE STATE OF INDIA'S DEMOCRACY Edited by Sumit Ganguly, Larry Diamond and Marc F.Plattner Oxford University Press, New Delhi,2009, . pp. 231, Rs. 675.00

BIDYUT CHAKRABARTY Author is Professor of Political Science, University of Delhi, Delhi.

ndian democracy is perhaps the most-discussed academic theme in contemporary scholarship. Reasons for this are many. There is undoubtedly the growing consolidation of values in support of socio-political processes endorsing vox populi or the voice of the people. This is also a puzzle, for democracy to strike roots the society needs to be fairly homogenized that is simply not possible given India's well-entrenched multi-ethnic texture. Although economic democracy is far from realized simply by holding democratic elections at regular intervals, India is perhaps the only postcolonial country with a fairly unblemished record of political democracy. While India held regular general elections other newlyemerged decolonized countries were busy, metaphorically speaking, in electing generals. The process that was rooted, among others, in the long-drawn nationalist struggle, seems to have unfolded, quite strongly, in post-independent India presumably due to circumstances in which democratic values evolve organically. It is true that Indian democracy is largely a participatory device though one cannot deny its importance in articulating a distinct,

Epilogue Ø 40 × June 2009

if not powerful, voice that remained neglected in the past for a variety of historical reasons. In this sense, democracy is about values that are 'woven firmly into the warp and woof of India's political culture' (p. xiii) which nobody can afford to ignore. This is what makes India's democracy not only a politically meaningful empowering device, but also strong enough to carry forward the tradition by creating organically-rooted sociopolitical institutions. In other words, democracy in India is no longer mere 'political democracy'; it has also unleashed equally powerful processes for 'economic democracy' by articulating the voice of the peripherals against 'the politics of exclusion'. The primary object of the book is to unravel the dynamics of India's democracy by focusing on the four interrelated themes of 'politics', 'state', 'society' and 'economy'. This is a political biography of India's democracy underlining both its success and failure: while elections are regularly held, Indian experiment in democracy shows signs of weaknesses especially in regard to the socio-economically peripheral sections that, despite being a

BOOK Review

majority, have hardly succeeded in structure of political accommodation altering the prevalent sociowithout a parallel in history. For economic imbalances. The situation instance, the party system seems to have been worse following the acceptance, by the Indian state, of the 1991 economic reforms package that, besides creating stark 'regional imbalances', has contributed and also consolidated inequalities of various kinds among various strata of society. Interstate inequalities correspond with urbanrural inequalities because 'the states with most rapidly growing economies are urban and industrialized, while those with sluggish growth remain primarily rural' (p.211). Nonetheless, most of the protest movements are articulated in liberal democratic terms, except perhaps the ultra-left wing extremism of the Naxalites, suggesting presumably the s a unique e id v o r p extent to which democratic y c ocra India's dem norms are well-entrenched in political India. As it has been argued, 'those structure of a parallel t u o h it w n tio on the losing end of India's stillaccommoda ce, the party n ta unfolding economic reforms seek s in r o F in history. postnot to challenge their country's emerged in s a h t a th democratic institutions, but rather to system corresponds ly d r a h ia obtain redress by means of these d colonial In eoretical th l a very institutions' (p. 205). Hence n o ti n e nv with the co elections have not lost their significance though there are wellmodels. organized forces preferring 'coercion that to democratic processes' (p. 132). has emerged in postcolonial India hardly corresponds with the India's democracy provides a unique conventional theoretical models. Yet,

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 41 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

'the fragmentation of the party system. . . has not undermined the basic power-sharing character of the system and has thus helped to consolidate democracy' (p. 21). In such circumstances, ideology is seldom a cementing factor and what bring parties together to form a coalition are undoubtedly considerations other than ideological compatibility. The recognition of political coalition as the most appropriate institutional form of politics is also the outcome of the fragmentation of social bases of political parties. Regional parties have become critical to the entire processes of coalition-formation at the national level. Given the growing importance of the regions, the pan-Indian political parties are more or less reconciled to accepting the regional and local leaders as partners while staking claim to form the government. In this changed environment, 'the new breed of ambitious, upwardly mobile leaders [of the regions] . . . have developed for themselves a new federal space in which the nation and the region can coexist' (p. 101). By seeking to accommodate diverse political views and sentiments, India's democratic experiment has also redefined politics as 'not merely an anomie battle for power and short term gain

BOOK Review

but the release of pent-up creativity and visions that provide a fertile and cohesive backdrop of the realignment of social forces'. (p. 103). A complementary process seems to have begun which is euphemistically defined as 'a silent revolution' whereby the demographically preponderant and yet politically peripheral Other Backward Classes have become crucial players in politics. 'The democratization of Indian democracy' may however appear to be insignificant since 'the state apparatus is shrinking, whereas the private sector is flourishing-so much so that the lower castes may well have quota [of representation] in bodies which are becoming empty shells' (p. 82). Despite the obvious consequences of 'privatization', the rise of 'the subalterns' in politics is a remarkable achievement due largely to the consolidation of supportive institutions and institutional mechanism drawn on the lofty ideals of constitutional democracy. Of various democratic institutions, judiciary in India seems to have played a critical role in defending popular democratic aspirations. The growing mass disenchantment with executive authority perhaps explains the ascendancy of the judiciary. Hence 'from waste management, clean air and education policy to property rights and religious liberty as well as many administrative matters-it is hard to think of a single issue relevant to politics and doubt that this is likely to cause an imbalance in the constitutional structure of power that has emerged since the promulgation of the

Constitution in India in 1950. India's democratic experiment is therefore unique that cannot be captured within the theoretical format of 'received wisdom'. While political institutions are constantly redefined to address new issues of relevance similar processes are at work to redraw the contour of politics at the grassroots. The scene is cenainly fluid contributing to the articulation of 'multiple voices' testifying the ascendancy of the hitherto peripheral sections of society. This is how India's democracy fulfils a historical role not only in evolving a democratic structure of governance, but also in creating a powerful mechanism of empowerment for those remaining in the margins of society. There are, of course, aberrations because the constant recurrence of ethnic and communal conflicts severely damage India's, multicultural social fabric which are reflective of the failure of our democratic processes to mitigate genuine ethnic and communal grievances though India has 'a relatively decent track record of accepting ethnic diversity and broadening political participation' (p. 63) in comparison with her South Asian neighbours. Similarly, the role of civil society is not without blemish. Despite its critical significance in strengthening India's democracy, civil society organizations are severely constrained due to 'limiting its ability to secure desired political outcomes' (p. 158). Nonetheless, the widespread dissatisfaction with political

Epilogue Ø 42 × June 2009

institutions has created circumstances in which the civil society organizations seem to have emerged as the only available platform for redressal of public grievances. Illustrative here is the role of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) that initiated 'a paradigmatic grassroots movement' (p. 165) against corruption. The most significant outcome of this movement was the articulation of the 2005 Right to Information Act in India, which is undoubtedly the most effective step towards transparency, and fair play in public governance. The Act may not be adequate to combat the wellentrenched corruption effectively though it has set in motion a process subjecting those in political authority to constant public scrutiny. That is not a mean achievement in socioculturally divided India since democracy was, as the most profound and also respected theorist of democracy, J.S. Mill warned, 'next to impossible in a country made of different nationalities'.

KNOWLEDGE Ø Drass sector of Ladakh region of

J&K state is the 2nd coldest place in the world. Ø Ahrabal waterfall in district Kulgam

of J&K state is one of the highest waterfalls in Asia. Ø Royal springs

Golf course in Srinagar is the most picturesque sporting venue of the country. This gold course has been declared as the best Gold Course in India and among the top ten in Asia.

C O L UMN

Eye Witness

5000 Years of Kashmir

BALRAJ PURI Author is veteran jouranlist and author. He is recipient of Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in India

ashmir is a unique civilizationed experiment which can claim, as observed by Sir Aurel Stein, the distinction of being the only region of India (undivided) which possesses an uninterrupted series of written records of its history. The archaeological excavations in Bourzahama, 15 kilometers from Sringar, establish its antiquity to before 3000 BC ( ie over 5000 years). It was contemporaneous to the Mohenjudaro civilization. Moreover, the excavations further provide evidence to the fact that some of the practices and rituals prevalent 5000 years are still prevalent in Kashmir society today. In other words, this is a unique experiment of continuity of a tradition for such a long period.

of Nagarjuna at Nalanda and impressed by the way he contradicted the Vedic doctrines, invited him to Kashmir. According to GMD Sufi, on account of his connections with the Nagas, he received the name of Nagarjuna. (Some scholars claim that he was a Kashmiri as Naga in his name suggests ). He was elevated to the status of Bodhistava. It was under his leadership that the fourth council of Buddhism was held at Harvan near Srinagar in Kashmir in 100 AD where Mahayana school of Buddhism was founded. Influenced by NagaTantric thought of Kashmir, Buddhism got transformed into its Kashmiri version. Buddhism was, in a way, Kashmirised before it was adopted by Kashmiris.

According to James Ferguson, the Nagas, the earliest inpatients of Kashmir, were an aboriginal race of Turanian stock before the Aryans conquered the North India. Again, Sir George Grierson, the pioneering authority on Indian languages, maintains that Kashmiri to is not of Saskrit origin but of Dardic origin that means Kashmiri does not belong to IndoAryan family of languages, spoken from Dhaka (Bangladesh) to Pershawar (Pakistan).

Shivas supremacy over Vedic gods With the decline of Buddhism in India and its eventual absorption in the mainstream religious thought, the process started in Kashmir also. But in Kashmir this, was done with reservation. Kashmir adopted shaivism. Shiva is not a Vedic god but of pre-Aryan tribes. Abhinav Gupta, the eminent Kashmiri philosopher, claims the primacy of agamas religious texts of ancient Kashmir dating between first and fifth century AD over the Vedas both in point of time and performance of rituals. The interaction between Vedic and Kashmiri traditions did develop in course of time. But in Kashmirs religious literature the supremacy of Shiva over

The original Naga tribes resisted absorption in the Vedic civilization by the Aryans. According to legends, some Nagas attended the religious seminars

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 43 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

C O L UMN Eye Witness

the Vedic supreme god Indira has often been asserted. Margendre Tantra, for instance, refers to a legend in which Shiva is regarded as the supreme deity from whom Indira brings the sacred knowledge of Tantra to the world, thereby reducing him to a mere communicator of Shivas knowledge. According to VN Darbu, the pre-Vedic people of Kashmir were admitted to Ve d i c s o c i e t y w i t h d i s t i n c t i v e characteristics of their own life at different periods. Eventually indigenous religious beliefs, and Buddhism were synthesized by great Kashmiri philosophers Vasugupta (ninth century AD) and Abinava Gupta (tenth century AD) into Kashmiri version of Shaivism called Trika philosophy. Influence of Buddhism is discernible in many rituals and customs of Kashmiri Hindus even today. Islam as Consolidator of Traditions According to GMD Sufi, Monastic theism of Kashmir Shaivism is very near to Islam. He particularly compares it with the tenet of celebrated Muslim mystic Mansur al Hallaj (858 to 922 AD) who proclaimed Anl Haq (I am creative truth). Kashmir thus accepted Islam not as a negation but as a culmination of a proud spiritual heritage. It did not surrender to Islam as a spiritually exhausted personality but greeted it in a friendly embrace. Islam did not come to Kashmir as a faith of conquerors and thereore did not humiliate or hurt its pride. Muslim rule was not an outside import but followed the conversion of a local ruler. Mass conversion of the people of Kashmir to Islam owes to a unique character that emerged from the soil in the person of Alamdar-eKashmir, Shaikh Nooruddin Noorani, popularly called Nund Rishi (14th Century), who became the patron-saint of Kashmir. He translated Islam into Kashmirs spiritual and cultural idiom

and converted it into a massive emotional upsurage. Farooq Nazki calls him a Muslim Shaivite. According to Dr. B.N. Pandit, his poetry is a mixture of Shaivism and Sufism. Proclaiming himself to be the spiritual son of Lall Ded, who represented the acme of pre-Islamic spiritual heritage of Kashmir, Nund Rishi carried it ahead as a part of its Rishi order (as Sufism in Kashmir was called). Islamic beliefs and practices enjoyed as much autonomy within wider Islamic tradition as preIslamic Kashmir did during Vedic and post-Vedic tradition of India. It neither affected the independence of Kashmir nor, at first, materially change its cultural and political conditions. (Sufi). Many scholars have noted pre-Islamic influences in Kashmiri Islam. Abdullah Yausuf Ali traces practice of relic worship as in Hazratbal shrine where the Prophets (PBUH) hair is preservedto Buddhist influence. Dr. Arthur Nave observes, Kashmiri Muslim has transferred reverence from Hindu stones to Muslim Relics. Similarly Muslim saints are worshipped like Hindu gods and godlings. Islam in sufi form thus came to Kashmir not as a destroyer of the tradition, as is the case in many other lands, but as its preserver, consolidator and perpetuator. The fact that Islam is rooted in Kashmiri tradition and the tradition is permeated with the Islamic spirit has enabled Kashmiris to reconcile cosmopotan affiliations with territorial nationalism. Kashmiri Muslim has remained a Kashmiri as well as a Muslim and rarely suffers from schizophrenic pangs which Islamic links and local patriotism often generate among Muslims elsewhere in India. Kashmir has been a melting-pot of ideas and races. It received every new creed with discrimination and enriched it with its own contribution, without throwing

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 44 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

away its earlier acquisitions. As Sufi observes, the cult of Buddha, the teachings of Vedanta, the mysticism of Islam have one after another found a congenial home in Kashmir. He adds, it has imbibed the best of Buddhism, the best of Hinduism and the best of Islam. Similarly, on account of its cultural homogeneity and geographical compactness, all admixtures of races who emigrated to Kashmir from ancient times merged their identities into one whole. According to the renowned Kashmiri scholar and historian Mohammed Din Fauq, even the people who came from Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan and Turkistan as late as six and seven hundred years ago were so mixed with Kashmiri Muslims in culture, civilization and matrimonial relations that all non-Kashmiri traces are completely absent from their life. Monumental Achievements Kashmir was, at one period, the clearing house of several civilizations and the influences of those are found in this natural retreat. It had also made monumental contribution to Indian culture. Its position within India was similar to that of ancient Creece in European civilization. It has been one of the biggest seats of Indian culture and learning which, in the words of Jawaharlal Nehru, dominated the intellectual scene of the country for almost 2000 years. There is no branch of human knowledge to which ancient Kashmir did not make a pioneering and a substantial contribution. Among political achievements of Kashmir, mention may be made of the conquest of Lalitaditya- Muktapdia (725-753 AD), whom the great Kashmiri historian Kalhana describes as the universal monarch moving round the Earth like the Sun. According to Sufi, he is the most conspicuous figure in

C O L UMN Eye Witness

Kashmir history. He raised this country to pitch of glory it had never reached before. He, writes Mohibbul Husan, defeated the Arab forces led by Mohammed Bin Qasims successor in Sindh Junaid and overran his territory. He collected a galaxy of scholars from all over India in his Durbar. Kashmiris similarly hail another golden period of their history during the reign of the Muslim king Zain-ul-Abdin popularly called Bud Shah (the great king) from 1420 to 1470. It constituted a climax never attained by any other independent king in Kashmir. He invited artisans, craftsmen, scholars and men of letters from far-off foreign countries as a result of which Kashmir flourished materially and culturally. He laid lasting basis of a truly secular polity. In Rodgers words, he was three hundred years ahead of England. According to Jonaraja beauty dwelt in his person and the goddess of hearing on his lips, fortune rested in his breast, and patience in his mind. Sufi quotes sir Wolsley who says Zain-ul-Abdin possessed a stock of learning and accomplishments from which Akbar was excluded, his views were more enlightened than the emperors and he practiced a tolerance which Akbar only preached. According to the greatest Kashmiri poet of modern age, Mehjur, Akbar learnt from him (Bud Shah) the art of running the affairs of the state. It was emperor Akbar who brought an end to indigenous Kashmiri Muslim rule that had lasted 250 years. The watershed in Kashmir history is not the beginning of the Muslim rule as is regarded in the rest of the subcontinent but the changeover from Kashmiri rule to a non-Kashmiri rule. Crisis of Kashmiri Civilization Kashmirs 5000 years old civilization is facing unprecedented crisis today. Why

it has ceased to grow and is stagnating? What are the lessons of the past and how relevant are they in current situation? It is a universal principle that a tradition survives, if it continues to change. Kashmiri traditions have continued to evolve in order to survive. Continuity and change have a symbiotic relation. The foremost change that Kashmir needs today is to provide for dissent which has been absent so far. The wholesale conversion to Buddhism of the Naga tradition was followed by similar adoption of Shaivism. Conversion of Kashmiris to Islam, too, was almost universal ie about 95% of the population. Though Kashmiri retained the essence of its tradition, it did modify. Faced with divergent, optionsperhaps for the first timeKashmirs survival depends on allowing respect for dissent. Otherwise, too, right of dissent is essence of democracy. Freedom is possible only in a democratic system. Freedom of ex-pression and respect for opposite view point must be introduced in Kashmiri society. Another new development is that Kashmir is no longer a homogeneous society with the same race, language and predominant religion cut off from geographical barriers from the outside would. In fact there is colossal ignorance among leaders and intellectuals of Kashmir about the heroes of Jammu, freedom fighters, movements against feudalism and system of tyranny, Sufis and saints and eminent masters of art culture and music. The Kashmiri leaders, who ruled the state, after the end of monarchy, from Sheikh Abdullah

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 45 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

to Omar Abdullah (with the exception of a brief period of GN Azad) have made absolutely no contribution to get a history of Jammu written. The same is true about Ladkah. Diversity has in modern times been university recognized as a great virtue. In isolated and homogeneous society becomes stagnant and is likely to decay. Jammu and Kashmir state is endowed with maximum diversities. If the aspirations and interest of each diversity is appreciated and reconciled with one another, this state would became a model state for the subcontinent. The current drift breeds tensions and misunderstanding which does not do good to any one of them.

Epilogue Available at Jawahar Book Center Jawahar Lal Nehru University NEW DELHI

--India Book Center THIRUVANTHAPURAM

--CNA Enterprises DN Road, MUMBAR --KC Enterprises Himayat Nagar, HYDERBAD --EBS News Agency Sector 22-B, CHANDIGARH --Bhargave Book Center University Center, ALLAHABAD

C O L UMN

Kishore da in Chenab Valley

Under the stars and searchlights of Doda…

othing unites Hindus and Muslims as Kishore Kumar does. And nowhere is this lowest common denominator as apparent as in the Doda district of Jammu & Kashmir. Buses and taxis, shops, and even some humble eating joints in this part of the Chenab Valley play Kishore da's unforgettable numbers, and are joined in by enthusiastic locals. Doda, known to the world as the “hotbed of militancy in Kashmir”, has always boasted of communal harmony, and rightly so. There are villages in the district which have a 100 per cent Hindu population, and these families have been living in Doda since ages. A village called Arnora has only Rajputs, and they are believed to be descendants of the Rajput rulers. Another village, Bhadroon, has a complete Dalit population. Several villages like Kalihand, Bhabnor, Shiva, Dashnan and many more have a mixed population of Hindus and Muslims, living together amicably.

MANISHA SOBHRAJANI Author is a Delhi-based independent researcher working on the various aspects of the Kashmir conflict. She can be reached at manishasobhrajani@hotmail.com)

However, Hindu-Muslim relations in Doda have become somewhat strained in the wake of the Kulhand massacre in which 19 Hindus were brutally killed, and 10 severely injured by unidentified gunmen on April 30, 2006. When the government advocated

Epilogue Ø 46 × June 2009

Village Defense Committees (VDCs) in early 1990s to combat terrorism, Kulhand also formed its VDCs. But the elders of the village (both Hindus and Muslims) decided they trusted each other and didn't really need any defense committees. So they formed Aman (peace) Committees instead. From 1995 to 2006, there were no VDCs. However, after the massacre, the government has provided 116 guns to the Hindus in Kulhand for self-defense. This has further upset the Hindu-Muslim equilibrium in Doda. Most people here are peace-loving, and share the joys and sorrows of their neighbours, or, as they call them – humsaaya. In Ghat village of Doda, militants once forcibly took away a young Hindu boy. The Muslims got together and brought him back to the village, saying they will not allow such a thing to happen while they are alive. Also, some militant organizations are known to arrange weddings for Hindu girls. There are numerous such incidents of camaraderie in Doda. Every year, Doda hosts a Dangal or a wrestling match. People from all over Jammu & Kashmir come here to watch it. Also, during the Navratras, Ramlilas are held in every village and are watched and enjoyed by people of both communities. Similarly, during Eid, the

C O L UMN Kishore da in Chenab Valley

Muslims organise Eid-milan to which all Hindus are invited, and told about the preachings of Islam. Events like these are possible only when there is communal harmony, explained a local. “Hindus in Doda have a lot of knowledge about Islam, and Muslims in Doda are aware of the preachings of Hinduism,” the chief priest of the local mosque in Ghat village said. “And issues like untouchability, which are common elsewhere, are not present in Doda. People here have not received too much exposure, western concepts have yet to reach us, and so life is simple and uncomplicated. The problem begins when people with vested interests and political agendas use this simplicity to their advantage and speak ill about one community to another. Until now, Doda was far removed from such complex issues, but one can sense some tension in the air after the Kulhand massacre.” One realises after visiting Doda that only when communities live in isolation do relations get strained because of prejudices, lack of communication and misunderstandings. But in Doda, Hindus live on rent in Muslim houses, and vice versa. There are fights between Hindus and Hindus, and Muslims and Muslims, but rarely between Hindus and Muslims. Inter-dependence plays a crucial role here. In a mountainous region, where villages are far-flung, communication with the outside world is limited and Hindus and Muslims share a hereditary relationship of togetherness, there is perhaps no choice but to live in harmony. But this relative communal harmony prevails under the constant gaze of the gun — both of the militants and the security forces. While militants lurk in

apple orchards and inaccessible forests, the security forces guard each hill-top, watching this sleepy town day and night.

Epilogue because there is more to know

There have been recent reports, and quite disturbing ones, of women militants in Jammu & Kashmir. The Chief of Army Gen. Deepak Kapoor has been hinting at it for some time now. Recently, on April 18, 2009, security personnel gunned down 3 LeT militants, one of them being a woman, named Zahida. The encounter between the militants and security personnel took place in the Dori Bagla village of Doda. Dilshada, the second woman overground worker for militants, was also killed in the Doda district, again in April 2009. She was killed in an encounter in which a Hizbul militant, a jawan and a policeman were also killed. With two women overground workers for militants killed one after the other in Doda, it is clear that more and more women are getting involved in terrorist activities in Jammu & Kashmir. This is, very clearly, a worrying trend not just for the security forces, but for the general ethos of Kashmiriyat! Sitting on a hillock, one is witness to the night sky in Doda being flooded with millions of stars. And down in the valley and on far away mountains, lights from scattered villages makes one feel like one is wrapped in a blanket of stars. This heavenly spectacle is punctured every few minutes with the long, swaying and blinding army searchlight as it pries into every nook and corner of Doda, into the drawing rooms and bedrooms of its residents — every few minutes.

Epilogue Ø 47 × June 2009

Monthly Magazine Extensively Researched Written with Clarity and Insight Covers Four Key Issues Politics Economy Culture Strategic Affairs

Unlike the General run of the Mill News Magazine

Epilogue Has a shelf life That Extends Far Beyond the News Period Covered

C O L UMN

History

Gulabnama: A Persian Window to J&K History

PROF JIGAR MOHAMMED Author is Professor of History at University of Jammu

istoriography was one of the most popular and dominant academic exercises of the predemocratic India. It brought huge dividends to the intellectuals engaged in the history writings. It was an integral part of the socio-political life of the most of the ruling classes of predemocratic India to get the history of their families recorded by the professional historians. Consequently, historians received considerable space in the royal court. Though Kashmir was the first region of Indian sub-continent introducing Sanskrit historiography, Persian historiography surpassed all the trends of the historical writings of India. It is well established that the Persian historiography was introduced in India by the Turks during the 13th century. It is true that initially Persian historiography was the single monopoly of the intellectuals coming from Iran and Central India. But with the passage of time Persian historiography became popular among the Indian intellectuals. Since Indian were very liberal in terms of exchange of knowledge from ancient period onwards, the arrival of the Persian historiography was treated as a new form of the expression of the knowledge. During the Mughal period many intellectuals belonging to Indian families made their career in the Persian historiography. Punjab was one of the most leading regions of the north India where Persian historiography

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 48 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

flourished very much. Similarly, Kashmir also produced some sincere historians. Sujan Rai Bhandari of 17th century Punjab and Chandra Bhan Brahman of the 17th century Kashmir produced high quality of historical works in Persian. The modern state of Jammu and Kashmir was founded by Maharaja Gulab Singh (1846-57) in 1846. The credit of uniting three important regions, Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh into one political unit goes to Maharaja Gulab. Before him, all these three regions of the state were divided into several principalities. Even the modern Jammu region was divided into twenty two Rajput states during the medieval and early modern periods. Both Kashmir and Ladakh were separate political entities. But both the modern Jammu and Kashmir regions were very poor in terms of the sources of their history upto the 12th century. It was Kalhan who first time produced a master piece of history of Kashmir, also giving some information about the history of some of the states of Jammu region such as Jammu, Kishtwar, Rajouri and Punch etc. It is well established fact that Kalhan's Rajtarangini is the first historical work of the Indian sub-continent. There are consensus among the modern historian that the seeds of the Indian historiography were sown in Kashmir by Kalhan.

C O L UMN History

Since modern Jammu and Kashmir state was founded by Maharaja Gulab Singh, a Jamwal Rajput, in 1846 with the blessing of the British East India Company, Jammu and Kashmir state was treated as a princely and tributary state of the British India. But the Maharajas of Jammu respected the local sentiments and continued Persian as the state language. The official patronage to the Persian language led to t h e f l o u r i s h m e n t o f Pe r s i a n historiography in the state. Gulabnama is a pioneer historical work of the Jammu Kashmir state, written in the 19th century Jammu. Diwan Kirpa Ram, the author of the belonged to the aristocratic family. His family said to have acquired socio-political prominence in the 16th century. One of his ancestors, named Rai Ugra sen of Bikaner joined the service of the Mughal emperor Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur (1526-30) as secretary (Peshkar) to the emperor. His grand-father Amir Chand worked as Madar-ul-Maham (prime minister) and Diwan under Maharaja Gulab Singh. His father Jwala Sahai acted as Diwan under both Maharajas Gulab Singh and Ranbir Singh (1857-85). When Jwala Sahai died in 1865, his son Kirpa Ram was appointed as the Diwan of Jammu and Kashmir state. Being a person of aristocratic and literary background, Diwan Kirpa Ram wrote two Persian historical works: 1. Gulzari-Kashmir and 2. Gulabnama. As far as the Gulabnama is concerned, it has translated into English by Sukhdev Singh Charak. The Gulabnama is a detailed account of the life and works of the Maharaja Gulab Singh. Kirpa Ram gives a brief account

of the works of rulers of Jammu of ancient and medieval period. For him, the rulers of ancient Jammu were the descendants of Lord Rama of Ayodhya.20 However, historically, the description of the events of the Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir from the period of Maharaja Gulab Singh onwards are very interesting and valuable. Since his grand-father and father had worked as Diwans under Maharaja Gulab Singh he had opportunity to collect the first hand information from them. More importantly, he was an eye witness to the functioning of the political institutions of Dogra rulers. He dealt with the birth and early Maharaja Gulab Singh very meticulously. According to him, the great-grand father Mian Surat Singh, grand-father Mian Zorawar Singh, and father Raja Kishor Singh possessed great valour and courage. Gulab Singh, Dhian Singh and Suchet Singh were mighty, cultured and brave sons of Kishor Singh. He gives date of birth of Gulab Singh in terms of both Vikrami Samvat and Hijri calenders. He mentions that Gulab Singh was born on the fifth day of month Katak 1849 Vikrami and 2nd Rabi, ul-Awwal of 1207 Hijri. Kirpa Ram mentions that Gulab Singh entered the service of Maharaja Ranjit Singh because of the prevalence of the decline of the local ruling dynasty of Jammu and its conquest by the armies of Punjab. Similarly, Dhian Singh, Kishor Singh (Gulab Singh's father ) also joined the services of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh.22 Kirpa Ram presents Gulab Singh instrumental in Maharaja Ranjit Singh victories of the different states of Jammu hills and Kashmir. He has given an interesting account of the conquest

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 49 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

of Ladakh by Raja Gulab Singh's army commander Zorawar Singh Kahluria. Similarly, the decline of the family of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Anglo-Sikh wars are penned down in detail by Kirpa Ram. Kirpa Ram gives details of the treaty of Lahore, signed on March 9, 1846, between the British and Maharaja Dalip Singh of Lahore. According to him, the treaty of Lahore consisted of 16 articles. More importantly, the copy of the treaty of Amritsar, signed on March 16, 1846, between the British and Raja Gulab Singh is given by him. The treaty consists of ten articles. According to the treaty, Maharaja Gulab Singh received Kashmir on the payment of seventy-five lakhs of rupees to the British and had to act as an ally and tributary of the British East India Company. He also mentions events of Jammu and Kashmir State taking place after 1846 and the accession of Maharaja Ranbir Singh, son of Maharaja Gulab Singh. Although Kirpa Ram has acted as a panegyrist, his Gulabnama provides valuable materials to the modern historians working on the history of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir during the 19th century. It not only mentions the exploits of Maharaja Gulab Singh, bul also deals with the political events of the different states of Jammu hills during the nineteenth century. The production of Gulabnama also establishes that Maharaja Gulab Singh welcomed the literary persons from different parts of India and encouraged literary activities in Jammu through the different means. He maintained that knowledge had no boundary in terms of language, religion and ideology.

L ADAKH

SPEC I AL

Wildlife

Wildlife in Ladakh Trans-Himalayas

adakh the Northern most part of our country represents the TransHimalayan region of of Jammu and Kashmir. It encompasses about 92000 square kilometers of the geographical area of jammu and Kashmir. It is also known as high altitude cold desert and experiences harsh and inclement climatic conditions which include extreme low temperature ,up to minus 45degrees centigrade, and very low rain fall. Due to harsh climatic conditions the environmental productivity of this region is very low. This barren, cold desert region supports about seven hundred species mostly herbs and shrubs, thirty three species of mammals and around 276 species of birds including migratory avi-fauna. The eastern Ladakh is the western extension of Tibetan plateau and exhibits Tibetan plateau influence on its fauna. Where as the fauna in the central and western parts of Ladakh region has affinity with Himalayan and Central Asian species respectively.

TAHIR SHAWL Author is Wildlife Warden of Leh Wildlife Division in Ladakh. He can be reached at tahir_shawl@yahoo.com

Ladakh harbours the most diverse wild goat and sheep community in the world represented by eight species and sub-species. These include bharal or blue sheep, argali or nayan, Ladakh urial, ibex,Tibetan wild ass, wild yak, Tibetan antelope or chiru, and Tibetan gazelle or goa.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 50 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

Chiru or Tibetan antelope is known world over for its famous under wool used for making shahtoosh shawls. Its main distribution is in Tibet. At the beginning of the sanctuary its population was around one million which has drastically dwindled now to about 75000 to 10000 due to large scale persecution for wool and flesh in China. It is reported that 4 to 5 chiru were killed for getting wool enough for one shawl. A small population of chiru migrates to Ladakh from China in every summer. Changchenmo valley on indochina border in Changthang region of Eastern Ladakh and Daulet Beig Oldi, DBO, in North-East of ladakh support this small population estimated at 350 to 400 individuals. However, it is presumed that population in DBO is much more as the whole area cannot be traversed due to inaccessibility and harsh climatic conditions. Outside the Tibetan plateau in China chiru is found only at these two sites in Ldakh. Only a relic population of Tibetan gazelle, known as goa in Ladakh, is battling the war of survival in Kalaktar Tar pasture lands in Changthang region of Ladakh. Only 50 to 100 individuals of this gazelle are estimated to be surviving in this area. Apart from ungulate species this region is well known for its carnivore fauna at the apex of which is snow leopard

L ADAKH

SPEC I AL Wildlife

locally known as shan. This animal is globally considered as critically endangered with the total global population estimated at 3000 to 6000 individuals. The Trans Himalayan region in Ladakh constitutes the major habitat of snow leopard in India where the population of this animal is estimated around 250 to 350 individuals. Only 500 to 700 individuals of this species are left in India. As per the estimates the population of snow leopard in Ladakh has increased over the last decade. The Government of India has recently launched project snow leopard for the conservation of this animal and its habitat in the five snow leopard states in India. Other carnivores found in Ladakh include lynx, palla's cat, wild dog, red fox and Tibetan wolf.

The avi-fauna of this region is quite rich with migratory, resident and vagrant species. The high altitude lakes like Tsomoriri, Pangong, Tsokar and many other marsh lands including Hanlay, Chushul, Tse-gul-Tso, Fukche and Staklung in Changthang region in eastern Ladakh provide excellent breeding ground for many of migratory birds like black-necked crane, barheaded geese, brahminy (ruddy shell) duck and crested grebe. Some other bird species of this area which need mention are Tibetan sand grouse, Tibetan partridge, Tibetan snow finch, Tibetan ruby throat, Tibetan snow cock and Tibetan owlet. Ladakh is the only breeding ground of species like blacknecked crane and bar-headed geese with in Indian limits. The number of black-necked crane, the only alpine crane of the world, has increased in

Ladakh over the last decade from 25 to 84 in 2008. The population of blacknecked crane during the summer in 2007 was estimated around 60 individuals. In the summer 2008 a new flock of about 24 black-necked cranes was recorded near Tsokar wetland increasing the total estimated population of this crane to around 81individuals including 13 chicks in 2008 in Leh district. The Department of wildlife Protection at Leh in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, is placing satellite telemeters on some blacknecked cranes and bar-headed geese in Changthang wildlife sanctuary in Leh to study their migratory routes and habitat utilization pattern for making intensive management plans for the conservation of these endangered species.

EPILOGUE J&K IS LOOKING FOR A FULL-TIME TECH-SAVVY AND CREATIVE

GRAPHIC/LAYOUT DESIGNER

Epilogue

The responsibilities of the graphic/layout designer will include : Creatively laying our the design of the magazine each month Producing compelling artwork and layout for the magazine, including brochures, posters, banners, booklets, and print publications. A fine appreciation for the effective use of space, color, imagery, key messages, and the latest stylistic techniques is expected Working closely with the editorial team Requirement : Minimum two years hands-on-experience in professional design & layout Ability to produce highly creative design & layout in a timely manner Strong knowledge of inDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, CorelDraw, Dreamweaver, etc In-depth knowledge of current web design trends and techniques Strong communication and interpersonal skills Must be able to work well in team and independently Hardware/software expertise is a plus

This position is based in Jammu, with salary commensurate with experience and energy. How to apply : Send samples of your portfolio along with CV by 1 July, 2009 to editor@epilogue.in or mail us .

Epilogue J&K Bathindi Top, Jammu (J&K)

Epilogue because there is more to know

R E POR T

J&K Registers Strong Presence at UPSC Five youth make to top services EPILOGUE DESK

t the Union Public Service Commission, this year, Jammu and Kashmir state registered a remarkable success with five of its youth making to the final list of coveted Civil Services, the country's top most and elite services. Though 5 selections out of long list of 791 odd candidates selected from all over the country is not much significant going merely by the numbers, but viewed from the point of view of past trends from this hilly state and number of candidates appearing for this examination the final result is in deed exceptional. Two doctors got the elite Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in open merit, another in a reserved category, one from Kashmir selected for Indian Police Service (IPS) and another Jammuite cornered a seat in the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). The success story of each one of them is remarkable, and an inspiration for the youth of state, they did prove that a strong will power and right kind of directed hard work crosses all hurdles to pay rich dividends. Epilogue went out to look into the success mantra of these IAS toppers to share the secrets with readers across the state. At serial number 21 in the merit list of IAS figured the name of Dr Raghav Langer, a medico by profession. Having done his entire schooling from Nagbani School, Raghav is an alumnus of Government Medical College Jammu.

Coming from a renowned family of Doctors in Jammu, he rather chose to be into the administration. Raghav topped the state Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) examination in 2007-08

Raghav, Shahid, Imtiaz, Sumeet and Vishal are more than being proud service selectees for the state. They are an inspiration for the youth in state to excel not only in civil services examination but any field or career they decide to pursue. Each one of them has scripted an unimaginable and stunning success story, overcoming all odds and making it to the top with confidence and in a planned manner. Five may seem to be a small figure for the Jammu and Kashmir state in this selection list but going by the statistics and facts- it's among the highest success ratios for different states and later selected for Indian Revenue Service (IRS) based on his 227th Rank in the Civil Services Examination 2007-08. A jump from 227th Rank in the merit list to 21st this year is something exemplary this Jammu-based doctor did. Raghav

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 52 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

achieved this success choosing Medical Science and Psyhology as optional subjects for the Civil Services Examination. A score of 360 plus / 600 in Medical Science, 174 / 300 in Personality Test and 126/200 in Essay is something exceptional achieved by Raghav to make it to this top rank this year. He serves as an inspiration for those who stand committed to their dreams, after topping the KAS examination in state Raghav never looked back and joined the Indian Revenue Service the very next year and Indian Administrative Service now. Shahid Iqbal, figuring at serial number 51 of the IAS merit list, represents the journey of an average rural student to the Indian Administrative Service, with a strong dedication and iron will. Shahid, a 2005 batch Veterinary graduate from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, did his basic schooling from Government Middle School, Rehan Village, in Budhal Tehsil of Rajouri District. And after completing Higher Secondary from Government Boys' Higher Secondary School, Rajouri, he joined the BVSc & AH degree programme based on the results of Combined Entrance Test. Though belonging to the Gujjar community, which enjoys the status of Scheduled Tribe, under the constitution of India, he got into IAS in the Open Merit list, thus sparing one more seat in IAS for the

R E POR T

reserved candidates. His story is an inspiration for the rural youth of this hilly state who face problems in education and training owing to various reasons. A never-say-die spirit and effective decision making, along with committed, sustained hard work finally pays rich dividends, as his success story reveals. Shahid clicked this top rank in IAS with Veterinary Science and Sociology in optionals. Scoring 210 / 300 in Personality Test and again 126 / 200 wa s in de e d a we some for th is veterinarian turned forester. He has already made to the Indian Forest Service (IFS) in the very first attempt, with Zoology and Veterinary Science as optional subjects, in the very first attempt. Presently posted at Jammu, he has served at Poonch, Reasi and Srinagar in the Forest Department. For a Government School student, where the English alphabet used to be taught in Class six, this remarkably exception success reveals: sky is the limit for achievers. Son of an officer in the state Government, at serial number 134 of the Civil Services selection list is Imtiaz Ismail Parray, a resident of a remote village in Anantnag district in Kashmir. Parray is slated to get into the Indian Police Service (IPS) in the Open Merit. An alumnus of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Hazratbal, Srinagar, his is a story of “Slow and Steady Wins the Race”. Imtiaz studied at Burn Hall School in Srinagar and later did his engineering degree from NIT in 2004. Later he was selected for the KAS-allied services and allotted to the Social Welfare in the 2007-08 select list. Presently working as Project Officer, Integrated Child Development Scheme, in Kashmir Imtiaz is an inspiration for whole state, especially rural Kashmir – he happens to be the first Kashmiri in past 15 years to make it to the IPS, and also the lone selectee in the country's Civil Services in the said period of time.

So, the “lone crusader” has given birth to the reinvented thoughts in minds of civil services aspirants in the valley. In the current list too he happens to be the lone Kashmiri to make it to the top. Dr Sumeet Jarangal, a Medico from Government Medical College Jammu, is placed at 214th Rank of the select list. Hailing from a remote village in Hiranagar, Dr Jarangal sailed through all thick and thins with firm dedication. Having done his MBBS in 2003-04, Sumeet was selected for the Indian Railway Accounts Service (IRAS) in 2006, based on the results of Civil Services Examination 2005. Presently posted In West Bengal, Sumeet is likely to get the Indian Administrative Service in reserved category.

Shahid Iqbal, figuring at serial number 51 of the IAS merit list, represents the journey of an average rural student to the Indian Administrative Service, with a strong dedication and iron will. His story is an inspiration for the rural youth of this hilly state who face problems in education and training owing to various reasons And it seemed to be a doctor's day when Dr Vishal Choudhary's name figured at the 350th Rank in the merit list. Hailing from R S Pura in Jammu, Vishal is again an alumnus of Government Medical College, Jammu and is likely to get the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). His younger brother, a veterinary graduate from SKUAST also stands firm to follow his footsteps in the coming years.

Epilogue Ø 53 × June 2009

Vishal's success story, again, is an inspiring one – having done his schooling in the native village in R S Pura, he was selected for MBBS through the state level Common Entrance Test and after completing his Medicine, Vishal finally decided to choose administration as his career, and finally he did it. Raghav, Shahid, Imtiaz, Sumeet and Vishal are more than being proud service selectees for the state. They are an inspiration for the youth in state to excel not only in civil services examination but any field or career they decide to pursue. Each one of them has scripted an unimaginable and stunning success story, overcoming all odds and making it to the top with confidence and in a planned manner. Five may seem to be a small figure for the Jammu and Kashmir state in this selection list but going by the statistics and facts- it's among the highest success ratios for different states. About 56 odd candidates from Jammu and Kashmir state wrote the Civil Services Mains examination, out of the 12, 500 strong aspirants, in Mains Examination, across the country sifted out of 3.45 lakh candidates based on the results of Preliminary examination held in May 2008. Of this only 9 from Jammu and Kashmir could make it to the final personality test wherein a total of 2239 candidates were called to appear before the UPSC interview boards. Nine out of 2239 could well said to be non-existent but final five selections out of nine finalists puts the success ratio for Jammu and Kashmir at far more than 50%. Since personality test is the deciding factor in the Civil Services Examination, the exceptional performance by the aspirants from Jammu and Kashmir at this test reveals that the state has a great potential and talent pool, but the only thing required is a right kind of guidance and awareness, apart from an indispensable self confidence.

C O L UMN

Banking

Build a Bigger Rainy Day Fund Live on a budget, avoid expensive habits and force yourself to save

J&K Bank offers a basket of products, which contain easy saving options even for those having irregular or lesser means of income. Smart Saver Scheme, Childcare Deposit Scheme, Depositors' Pension Scheme, Mehendi Deposit Scheme, Recurring Plus Scheme, Recurring Scheme, Tax Saver Term Deposit Scheme etc. are some of the term deposit products tailored by the bank to suit its varied client base.

SAJJAD BAJAJ The views are of the author & not the institution he works for

anaging money is not a big deal. But what is required is the development of habits of saving money. There are two things that may have kept many of us at bay for developing money saving skills. Either we were never really taught how to manage money, or maybe we simply avoid thinking about it because the situation is so dire. But the dire need is to incorporate some simple moneysaving habits and have a greater awareness of money that helps to keep a little more of it in the wallet! Simply, if we really want to save money, we have to increase our awareness of money. This means knowing each month how much we have, what we have spent our money on, what our goals are, and where we stand in terms of reaching those goals. To do this, we have to take the time each month to balance our accounts. When we don't, we just continue to spend money, we avoid thinking about it, and then we feel awful about ourselves when reality sets in. Saving the right amount in the present times is most crucial. The amount you save can be invested in bank's fixed deposit schemes, stocks, mutual funds, gold etc to create a future income for meeting small and large requirements such as education and marriage of your children and your post retirement needs. Besides, saving right amount can

Epilogue Ø 54 × June 2009

help you to take care of current needs. So one has to draw a balance between present and the future needs. This is the most opportune time to get into the “saving more” crowd and build a bigger rainy day fund by minimizing you luxuries. Setting more aside and spending less on the non-essentials is the most crucial base of saving money. The point of good preparedness is to start doing it before you are forced to. Just ask yourself. Are you living beyond your means? Are you earning well but still don't seem to be saving enough. Have you ever thought of how to save most of the money you earn? Adopt the saving habits and you'll be laughing all the way to the bank in no time. Live on a budget, avoid expensive habits and force yourself to save like helpful money saving tips will definitely give your finances that much needed boost. Just do a simple thing. Record your daily expenses, add them up and find that the total exceeds the amount of your income, you will realize that it's time to cut down on your spending. Once you have come up with a realistic budget, avoid the temptation to overdo when you are out shopping. Cutting back on your day-to-day expenses and resisting temptation makes it much easier for you to save.

C O L UMN

Banking We have also seen that most of us fall prey to the lure of plastic money. The convenience of credit cards is hard to resist but if you want to save, pay cash whenever possible. You need to watch out while using your credit cards, especially the fees associated with owning a card. However, if you can't do without a credit card, find a card that does not charge high annual fees and comes with cash saving benefits. We know monthly fuel expense; mobile bills and other such expenses burn a hole in our pocket? When we talk of curtailing the expenses, these items need careful handling. You should always look for fuel saving options and always check your phone tariffs to ensure that your plan suits your needs. Clip your bills accordingly. Last but not the least. A message for the young birds. When it comes to savings, the early birds have an advantage. They manage to save a decent pile for all their requirements with much lesser fuss. They can make their money grow so well that they secure their future without depriving themselves today. And remember, the saving rates are higher for people who start saving later in life because the early risers get the benefit of compounding. Here is a note of caution. You may have saved a lot and yet be forced to be miserly when you need money. This slip between cup and the lip can happen if you haven't invested your savings in an appropriate manner. So you should save in such a way and invest your savings in instruments, which not only ensure appropriate growth of your money but also makes your money available anytime and anywhere.

In order to meet your requirements as far as saving money is concerned, J&K Bank offers a basket of products, which contain easy saving options even for those having irregular or lesser means of income. Smart Saver Scheme, Childcare Deposit Scheme, Depositors' Pension Scheme, Mehendi Deposit Scheme, Recurring Plus Scheme, Recurring Scheme, Tax Saver Term Deposit Scheme etc. are some of the term deposit products tailored by the bank to suit its varied client base. For example, Recurring Plus Scheme of the bank suits persons with fluctuating income, as the scheme facilitates a depositor to deposit

variable amounts of installments at his free will without any binding on depositing the fixed installment. A depositor can choose a minimum core monthly installment of Rs.100 and is free to deposit a selected core amount or in excess of core amount in multiples of Rs.100. There is no binding on maximum amount of deposit during a month or the number of installments paid during the month. Then there is a special savings scheme for the girl child. Known as JK Bank Mehendi deposit scheme, a depositor has to invest one time amount in the scheme to choose Rs.25,000, Rs.50,000 or Rs.1,00,000 maturity amount for his/her girl child at the end of a certain

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 55 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

period. The scheme carries free accidental insurance cover equal to the maturity amount, which the depositor chooses. The bank offers Millennium Deposit scheme, in which a depositor can invest his money in the units of Rs.500 and withdraw a certain portion of his deposited amount in the units of Rs.500 at the time of need without any penalty. Yet another product, JK Bank Daily Deposit Scheme has been tailored as a doorstep banking facility. The Scheme is catering to the requirements of those small businessmen/professionals who have the potential to save some amount of their sale proceeds at the end of the day/week. The bank official makes collection by personally going to the business premises/household units etc. of the depositor during the working hours from 2 p.m. to 4.45 p.m. The collections made from the account holders are deposited on the same day in the branch, where the account of the depositor will be maintained. A customer can open account under the scheme by Rs.100, which he has to deposit daily or weekly. However, higher amount in the multiples of Rs 50/-(e.g., Rs.150, Rs.200, Rs.250) can also be deposited under the scheme. The customer would be provided with a Passbook and counter foil of the receipt duly signed by the designated bank employee at his doorstep. In succinct, this is the time to force yourself to save and sign up for a systematic investment plan in such a way that gives you hassle free access to your saving during the time of need and at the same time help you not to fritter it away on something frivolous.

S TUDY

Traditional Dairy

Boosting hill economy Kalari can show the way

reation of organized markets for traditional dairy products in the hilly terrains of India is the key to the economic upliftment of the small dairy farmers involved in the production of traditional dairy products, who have been stuck in the stubborn cycle of poverty for decades. But that would require innovative public policies, which would support institutional changes, special infrastructural arrangements and the development of markets, suitable for the hilly terrains and—not a mere replication of the mainstream development model appropriate mostly for the plains.

SREYA SARKAR Sreya Sarkar is a Research Guide associated with Centre for Civil Society

Jatinder Handoo's recently published paper, “Sustainable Livelihood for Hills—policy and institutional arrangements for Kalari cheese in the hills of Jammu and Kashmir”, funded by the Centre for Civil Society, explores the role of public policy in facilitating the development of a value chain and the market for one such traditional dairy product—Kalari cheese, a local delicacy in the hills of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). It successfully covers a major gap in the literature on value chain development of Kalari at the level of small farm unit in the hills. Kalari cheese is a high value dairy product that has the potential to raise per capita income of small dairy farm holders in the Udhampur district of J&K. This paper maps and analyses the Kalari cheese value chain and its various components including production, processing, marketing, and public policies

Epilogue Ø 56 × June 2009

that affect the production process. The author applies the 'evidence-based' policy making framework to understand the special significance of Kalari in turning certain regional limitations into a business opportunity. He identifies lack of innovative public policies, with very little interaction and coordination with the local government bodies, local producers, sellers and consumers of Kalari, as a major barrier to the development of a formal and organized market for Kalari. Handoo is optimistic about the future of Kalari cheese value chain, its positive impact on J&K's small dairy farm producer's income and its integration into the mainstream organized market but—has come to the conclusion that this demands an innovative and interactive public policy framework that would take into consideration local problems and requirements. He discusses how the present policy initiatives do not address the specific needs of this region. He recommends that the state government should facilitate formation of coalitions of relevant stakeholders like women self-help groups and producers, private milk parlour owners, Village Development Committees (VDC) of the Panchayats, and other concerned government departments. This will help interactive and participatory policy making and would be the first step towards converting Kalari cheese into a successful business model enhancing the lives of the small dairy farmers in the hills of J&K.

TRACING

REVOLUTION

A special feature on

Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University

Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, Rajouri (J&K) SEEKS FACULTY Take the leap and be part of an educational legacy that spans four years. BGSB University that has come into existence by Act No. XVI - 2002 of J&K Legislative Assembly and is one of the forward looking university of the country invites academicians charges with passion and dedication to enrich its faculty in following disciplines and for deliveing guest lectures.

SCHOOLS OF STUDIES

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & TECH.

1. SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES i. Department of Management Studies ii. Department of Financial Management

1. Department of Electronics & Communication Engineering

2. SCHOOL OF MATHEMATICAL SC. & ENGG. i. Department of Computer Applications ii. Department of Information Technology iii. Department of Applied Mathematics 3. SCHOOL OF BIOSCIENCES & BIOTECH. i. Centre for Biodiversity Studies 4. SCHOOL OF SLAMIC STUDIES i. Department of Arabic

2. Department of Computer Sciences & Engineering 3. Department of Information Technology Engineering 4. Department of Civil Engineering 5. Department of Electrical & Instrumentation Engineering

LAST DATE: June 15, 2009 ADDRESS:

POSTS:

Assistant Registrar(Establishment), BGSB University, Rajouri (J&K), Pin 185131, Fax/Tel. 01962 262616

PROFESSORS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS & ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

Email: bgsbu@rediffmail.com, FOR DETAILS PLEASE VISIT US AT : www.bgsbuniversity.org

Qualification: AS PER UGC NORMS SALARY: Not a constraint for applicants with impressive curriculum - vitae

BGSB UNIVERSITY

MANAGEMENT COMPUTERS ENGINEERING BIODIVERSITY APPLIED MATHEMATICS ARABIC

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y

Ruminations Dr. Manmohan Singh,

Ghulam Nabi Azad

Prime Minister

A rare sense of devotion, dedication

BGSBU will play a legitimate role in development of State, Country The establishment of the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University of Science & Technology is a landmark in the evolution of science education in the State of Jammu & Kashmir. As India marches ahead to address the challenges of a knowledge society, the role and 'relevance of Universities such as the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University assumes significance. The inauguration of this apex educational body dedicated to science and technology is a heartening development in context of our efforts to encourage the younger generation to pursue science education in their higher studies. Historically, India has had a flourishing tradition of science and technology. The decline of that tradition led to the decline of India. During the postindependence period our scientists and technologists have made us proud by applying their talents in nation building and taking India to front rank of nations. We have to build on these achievements to occupy our rightful place in a world, which is increasingly driven by science and technology. Science combined with humanism and our ancient wisdom will provide sanity and strength to our progress. Harnessing the talents of the State of Jammu & Kashmir and pooling in resources from the rest of the country, the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University of Science & Technology will playa legitimate role in the development of the State and the country. On the occasion, I have great pleasure in extending my greetings and good wishes to all those associated with the University for its success.

The most distinct trait of this university, as I have seen for myself and as I have heard others acclaim, is that behind every big and small programme of development and expansion there has been a rare sense of devotion and dedication. This has not only made things happen with great gusto and speed but has also kept on adding new dimensions to the whole process of campus development and expansion.

"Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University is a silent revolution in the hills leading to huge emancipation”

Economic and Political Weekly; Mumbai

Dr. Farooq Abdullah

This would have made Sheikh Abdullah feel proud It was wonderful for me to visit this young university. I am confident that it is imparting quality education. Sheri-Kashmir would have been proud of what I have seen here. God bless you all. Keep it up.

Epilogue Ø 59 × June 2009

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y Ruminations

Kapil Sibal,

Union Minister

Harbinger of an era of awakening in J&K As a nation we have to be in step with the latest developments in science and technology upon which hinges our collective prosperity, progress and development. As a nation of one billion people our problems range from stark poverty to the all acute deprivation and backwardness. The only ray of hope that we have is our youth who are required to be provided with the necessary backup and support by way of strengthening our educational infrastructure and redefining our national goals in terms of what our youth are capable of contributing to pool of knowledge and upward economic mobility. The youth shall have to occupy the central stage of this national endeavour and that will be the time when we will see our nation emerging as an empowered and developed nation. The setting up of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University in a very short passage of time at Rajouri town of Jammu and Kashmir is the harbinger of an era of awakening and awareness in the entire state of Jammu & Kashmir which has suffered a considerable back push in terms of its development and progress over the last more than a decade and a half. Whereas it affords an endless array of possibilities and opportunities for the progressive youth of the state it will hopefully emerge as the centre for stimulation of economic development and material prosperity which have now become the yardsticks by which the well being and sustainability of a society is measured. Besides, generating employment avenues for the deserving and the needy, this university I believe, shall also become the podium for laying down a solid foundation for industrial development, and a centre for research and development. I congratulate everybody associated with this noble venture for raising a monument for prosperity.

Saiyid Hamid,

"The establishment of the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) in Rajouri adds to the optimism in the air. Hidden in the hills of Rajouri, the University was established under the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Act, 2002 and is nurtured by the Jammu and Kashmir Wakf Council. Could this University situated on the border district of the state become

a means to exchange social and cultural ideas and experiences in the state? Is it a catalyst for sustainable interaction between students of J&K and PoK?"

Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi “The groves of academe – situated in the lofty hills, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University has made a place of its own in the world of academia”

Rising Kashmir, Srinagar

Former Vice Chancellor Aligarh Muslim University, Chancellor, Jamia Hamdard

Let campus acquire extra-mural dimension Let me first felicitate you for the seminal role played by you in bringing Baba Ghulam Shah Sadshah University into existence. All of us here wish the institution a great success. May I suggest for your consideration that the institution that is privileged with your stewardship should acquire an extra-mural dimension and spearhead the educational movement in Jammu Region. I am indebted to you for the invitation but would crave your indulgence for the inability to avail of your generous offer. I am in my twilight years with the result that my participation will perforce assume the form of prayers, from a distance, for your success.

Epilogue Ø 60 × June 2009

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y Ruminations

"Thanks to Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri will no more be out of bounds for students from Kashmir Valley."

Greater Kashmir, Srinagar

Dr. Ghulam Nabi Qazi,

Director, IIIM(CSIR),

Jammu

Director, Botanical Survey of India, Central National Herbarium, Kolkotta

Enthusiasm of VC seems to be key driving force I am amazed to see this upcoming university named after a\revered soul-Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah. I express my great pleasure to see the developmen ts that seem to have taken place here within a short span of three years. The enthusiasm of the very leader (Hon'ble VC) and his staff seems to be the driving force for such a fast development at such a remote place. The way the institute and the Biodiversity Centre are coming up leaves no doubt in my mind that the days are not far when the institute will be noticed all over the country and indeed globally. I wish the VC and the staff very best for all their endeavors for a great success in nearfuture.

Tariq Hameed Karra,

Dr. M. Sanjappa

Rare spectacle anywhere in country, may be anywhere else “….Perhaps we would all be taking giant leaps if only we knew the exact dimensions and boundaries of our avowed goals and then the support base needed for going forward to the signposts that we set unto ourselves for chasing. I am delighted to see that newly established BGSB University is sufficiently well prepared and suitably prepared, on both these fronts. This gives me enough reason to congratulate the Vice Chancellor of the university, Shri Masud A. Choudhary and the wh01e team of the professionals who have come up with the idea of establishing the Centre for Biodiversity Studies (CBS) with the same gusto and momentum with which this university came up in a matter of months- a spectacle very rarely seen in any part of the country or may be hard to find anywhere at the international level.”

former Minister for Housing, Urban Dev. Forests, Environment & Ecology

VC's mission, goal making versity first of its kind I am highly impressed by the beginning of this university. I am envisaging it as a unique university & first of its kind, I think, in Asia. I feel the VC has taken it as a mission & a goal as well. I have drawn an image in my eyes about the university and I would feel a proud person in giving a practical shape to that image & for which I have decided to do I anything everything. I wish to see this university, the best university in India, during my I life-time, god willing.

Epilogue Ø 61 × June 2009

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y Ruminations

“

"By debating the issues like world trade regime and global climate change, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University situated at remote Rajouri district is setting trends for role of Jammu and Kashmir in participating in the issues of national priorities"

“

Political and Business Daily; New Delhi

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed

Team is moving with missionary zeal I must congratulate the management and the entire team of assisting hands who have worked whole heartedly and with missionary zeal to perform the incredible feat of making this university operational in a record time of less than one year. One only hopes that it becomes a lighthouse for the coming generations and carves a place of honour and prestige for itself among the institutions of excellence.

Dr. Haseed A Drabu

Harsh Dev Singh,

Chairman & Chief Executive, Jammu & Kashmir Bank

The making of Oxford of its own kind A great institution in the making! Dedicated faculty headed by a visionary V.C and a bunch of bright & talented students working in great environment is a sure recipe for success. I hope the university becomes the Oxford University of J&K & Rajouri develops as Oxford County.

Sudhir S. Bloeria,

Former Chief Secretary J&K

The campus is poised to make name in country It was indeed a pleasant surprise to see what you have been able to achieve during a short period of one year, both in terms of infrastructure development as well as the high level of motivation and the spirit that has been inculcated in the faculty and the students of the University. I am sure under your inspired stewardship, practical vision and untiring efforts this University will go a long way and make a name for itself not only in the State but all over the country".

Epilogue Ø 62 × June 2009

Minister for Education, J&K

Amazing. A University in 7-8 months Well begun they say, is half done. The university has become functional in a record period of 7-8 months. I find great enthusiasm in the V.C and faculty to achieve over all excellence. I wish the V. C and his team of officers the best.

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y The Wonder in the Hills

Tracing a Revolution

uring one of my field trips few years ago in the Rajouri-Poonch twin districts, a friend of mine asked whether I was aware of the new University, that was recently started in Rajouri. It was a surprise for me; for I've been traveling up and down in the Jammu-Poonch road, but never saw one. I joked, perhaps it was one of those tutorial centers, which call themselves as University. My friend was serious and increased my curiosity when he said, it was in the hills of Rajouri and the Vice Chancellor of the University was a policeman and that I should visit him. Naturally, I got inquisitive. A University in Rajouri, with courses on computer science and bio technology, led by a former police man?

D SUBA CHANDRAN Author is Consulting Editor of Epilogue Magazine and Deputy Director of the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies

now become a ritual for me. Invariably, during my every visit to this region, I ensure I visit this University Whenever I find some time to visit my parents back in Tamil Nadu, it is almost a ritual, that I visit some of my relatives. The BGSBU. in a way, has become my relative in Rajouri. I could literally see the growth of this University, like how Dr Ashfaq Ahmed Zarri, the young and energetic botanist of the Center for Biotechnology would observe the growth of his plants. The first time, when I visited the University, there were only two buildings of MCA; today, the entire hill is dotted with buildings, hosting numerous other departments.

In 2005, the State government established a technical university in Rajouri, with courses in MBA and MCA. The University is named after a Sufi saint Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah, who is revered by all the three major communities of these two border districts - Hindu, Muslim and Sikh. His shrine – Shahdara Sharief, 30 kms away from Rajouri in the Pir Panjal range, is a holy place and a symbol of communal harmony and also attracts people from other regions of the State and even outside it.

I decided to see it for myself. What started as curiosity then in 2005, has

I have met him thrice, after my first meeting. I could see the same passion

Epilogue Ø 63 × June 2009

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y The Wonder in the Hills

and energy in him. Some of his detractors and critics may call him over powering and bulldozing, with what he wants to achieve. Perhaps, from whose angle you look at. What is important at the end, is he gets things done. Whether getting bricks for his buildings from Jammu or faculty for his departments from far away place, he gets them done. Four years after my first meeting, I see him with the same passion, sincerity and dedication to the University. I sincerely think, it was his passion, that really moved the mountain here in Rajouri. Undoubtedly for him, BGSBU is his Taj Mahal. When I returned from my first trip, I was impressed with this new project, though I was not sure, how far this initiative would succeed. I wrote an article in the Economic and Political Weekly in 2006, titled Rajouri: Seeds of a Silent Revolution. Rajouri along with Poonch, two districts bordering LoC in the Jammu region, till few years back was one of the most militancy infested regions of J&K State. There was a time, the public feared to travel in the road from Poonch to Rajouri via Surankote and Bafliaz, as the militants used to intercept them with ease. The pool, from which the University could attract students to this remote region, was a question. While there are degree colleges teaching arts and science, both in Rajouri and Poonch, there are no technical courses at higher level. In most cases, courses on these subjects were not offered by local private institutions, which are recognized, nor have a reputation. Since these two regions are backward and cut off from the rest of J&K state and the country, most of the students educated in degree colleges remained inside. Besides, the standard of education which is comparatively lower also created

difficulties for the students educated from here. This did create problems for students from here and also resulted in creating both unemployment and under employment.

And I vividly remember my first meeting of the Vice Chancellor Mr Masud Chaudhary; I was hoping to see him in an air-conditioned office, sitting in a huge well cushioned seat. Instead, I met him in a construction site, what is now a faculty's residence. He was sitting in a stool, looking into the construction of the building and invited me with a nice big smile. Even today, I recollect his first question: What brings you here, to an isolated hilly region from the comforts of Delhi, young man? I wanted to tell him, perhaps the same passion that brought him to Rajouri from the comforts of Jammu! Given the above problems, many were critical of the future of BGSBU. But then, after five years, like New Delhi metro network, this project has grown at a much faster pace. In my 2005 article, I wrote, this university, with courses on information technology, nano technology and bio technology has the potential to change the outlook and future of young students from the region. Though started in 2005, with only four departments, today it has five

Epilogue Ø 64 × June 2009

Schools, including Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Management, Bio-Sciences and Bio-technology. Bio sciences in particular, needs to be mentioned, for the faculty here – young and old, see it as a mission to make a difference. While one cannot belittle the role played by the other departments, bio-diversity project is special here, for it is unique and is well suited to this region. Funded by Ministry of Sciences and Techonology, and the Ministry of Forests and Environment, the Center for Bio-Diversity has ambitious projects, including the Pir Panjal Bio-diversity Park. As Prof Kaul commented, there is certainly a need to impart education on bio-diversity and bio-resources, and need to add value to our bio-resources. No one can deny his point, that there is a need to wedlock bio-diversity and bio-technology. Assisted by young scientists like Dr Zarri, the “bird-man”, (I hope, he does not mind me calling him so!), this dream is likely to realized at a faster pace. What is more important about the BGSBU is, the growth is not limited just to two districts. Today there are students from all over the region. As expected, the University has started attracting students from other regions of the State and country to Rajouri and is also producing graduates who are likely to be employed all over India and even outside. Like the IIT in Srinagar and the University in Jammu, BGSBSU has now become a regional center of learning; thus, a two way process has started and is a major milestone in integrating these two backward districts with the rest of the State and also the country. Obviously, attracting students from outside is not an easy task. There are

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y The Wonder in the Hills

two important ingredients in attracting students from outside. First, the University should have adequate infrastructure, to provide comfortable facilities for the students not only to study, but also to enjoy their stay. With no entertainment in the near visibility (the University is 13 kms away from Rajouri town), students cannot be expected to spend their time in a University environment. The administration is aware of this major expectation. Which is why, the University has 24 hours internet connectivity with wireless facilities. To everyone's surprise, the hostels are clean and their mess cleaner. Perhaps, this is one of the few University hostels in the entire country, or perhaps even South Asia, where the mess is equipped with a dish washer and a wash basin, with flowing hot water in the taps, thanks to the geyser attached. Only those who visited the University will understand the problems in getting water to this place; it comes in trucks, get filled in the huge tanks, from where it is distributed to various buildings and hostels. There is a bank and a small shopping complex. In terms of facilities, what the BGSBU offer may not be equal to what the other Universities offer; there may not a Gol Market or an Apsara theatre or a Dal lake near by, but BGSBU has its own charm. Though some students do complain about how they feel isolated in the hills, most of the others do enjoy the natural beauty. Surrounded by hills and away from the mad rush and concrete jungles of other cities, BGSBU is indeed a romance. One has to feel this place and not read it! The second important ingredient to attract students from outside is the academic strength of faculty. One of the major problem that the University

faced during its initial years, was how to attract the best talents available to lead the courses. Undoubtedly, Rajouri is one of the remotest regions even inside the J&K state. It would take a back breaking five hours journey from Jammu, which is the nearest town with a railway station and an airport. Security of the family and the future education of their wards are two issues that always dominate the minds of faculty.

Some of his detractors and critics may call him over powering and bulldozing, with what he wants to achieve. Perhaps, from whose angle you look at. What is important at the end, is he gets things done. Whether getting bricks for his buildings from Jammu or faculty for his departments from far away place, he gets them done. Four years after my first meeting, I see him with the same passion, sincerity and dedication to the University. Today, this concern is being addressed. Thanks to the initiative from the Vice Chancellor, and also from the faculty, who were willing to give up some of their other lucrative jobs elsewhere to come and work in this place. Take the case of the University's young guns – Dr Ashfaq Ahmed Zarri, the environmental scientist or Dr Nisar Ahmed, the sociologist/anthropologist. Both are extremely competent young researchers, who could have gone anywhere, if they had wanted. But,

Epilogue Ø 65 × June 2009

they had decided to come to BGSBU, to serve a cause. Not only the young, but some senior teachers, also are fired with the same zeal. For example, Prof Kaul, though retired from the Jammu University, and taught bio-technology his whole life, still wants to be a part of this new initiative. For most of the faculty, as Prof Dost Mohammad, the Dean, another towering personality from Kashmir, commented, BGSBU was their destiny. There is a missionary zeal in them. Of course, there are other challenges. As I wrote in my earlier article in the Economic and Political Weekly, for making any institution of higher learning a success, the educational institutions at the lower levels – schools and colleges should provide the right inputs. The university teaching should only shape and provide better teaching, but should not start from the scratch. While the educational standard in the Valley in schools and colleges are comparatively better, Rajouri, Poonch and Doda districts remain abysmal in this regard. The recent years witnessed opening of new colleges; today in Rajouri and Poonch alone, there are six degree colleges – two each in Mendhar and Rajouri and one in Sundarbani and Poonch. The standard of these institutions along with that of the schools would form an essential ingredient in making the BGSBU a springboard for the students from this region. If efforts are not taken at the lower levels, the students would find it difficult to compete with the rest from other parts of the State and country. Connectivity is a major issue. Unless the university is well linked with the outside world, it would be difficult to attract both students and faculty, which would form the core component for the

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y The Wonder in the Hills

success of this new initiative. As of now, the only connection is the JammuPoonch road; when compared to how it was in 2005, the Jammu-Rajouri road has considerably improved. It used to take almost five to six hours from Jammu, which is only 160 kms away. Now the road is better and if one travels by car, he can reach Jammu faster. But still, the regular transport is a problem. The bus services need to be improved.

Amarnath yatra has become a huge success in the recent years; this region also has important religious shrines including Shahdara Sharief, the shrine of Baba Ghulam Shah near Rajouri; and Buddha Amarnath, the temple of Lord Shiva near Poonch town. Besides these places of religious importance, the region also has important places of historical significance – the forts of Poonch, Dhani Dhar and Chingus in particular can be made into tourism hubs. As of now, most of the historical

More importantly, the Mughal road needs to be completed. The governments of PDP and Congress has made the necessary investments; the NC government led by Omar Abdullah, another youth icon, should take the extra efforts to make this road functional. This will make the travel from Kashmir Valley to Rajouri much simpler and easier. Today, students from Srinagar, for example, have to travel all the way to Jammu and then to Rajouri; if the Mughal Road becomes a reality, it should take maximum five to six hours to reach Kashmir University via Sophian and Bafliaz from BGSBU and vice-versa. This will make the BGSBU easily accessible to the students from Kashmir Valley. As of now, from the Valley, it would take almost one and half days to reach Rajouri.

As Prof Kaul commented, there is certainly a need to impart education on bio-diversity and bio-resources, and need to add value to our bio-resources. No one can deny his point, that there is a need to wedlock biodiversity and bio-technology. Assisted by young scientists like Dr Zarri, the “bird-man”, (I hope, he does not mind me calling him so!), this dream is likely to realized at a faster pace.

Along with connecting these two districts with the rest of the country, the State government should also take efforts to develop tourism in the region. The more the region receives tourists, the higher the prospects of success of BGSBU. Tourism would not only bring the people in, but would also integrate these two districts emotionally with the rest. This would remove any hesitation in their minds in sending their children to study here in Rajouri. Tourism, especially religious tourism in J&K has been picking up in the recent years.

forts are occupied by the security forces. The Chingus fort right on the Jammu-Rajouri road, where the intestines of the Mughal emperor Jahangir is buried, now hosts 22 Punjab regiment. The Poonch fort, once a magnificent piece of architecture, was already in a dilapidated status, what ever has been left was shattered by the October 2005 earthquake. Mr Javed Khan, the CEO Tourism, another energetic person has a radical idea – to revive the Mughal Road, all the way from Agra up to Kashmir.

Epilogue Ø 66 × June 2009

This is where the BGSBU interaction with the rest of civil society should become even more intense. It should not be just students, courses such as MBA, MCA and Bio-diversity Park. BGSBU should become a platform and a springboard for the growth of entire region. The State, could make a conscious effort in appointing its officials, who will be able to make use of the University. It is a mere coincidence, that Mr SD Singh Jamwal, an extremely capable and highly enthusiastic young officer is made the DIG of Police. Not many would know, he is a botanist and can contribute highly to the bio-diversity park initiative of the BGSBU. Besides technical issues, the BGSBU could also invest in social issues and understand the social and tribal issues, which are becoming increasingly important. Nisar Ahmed, the Deputy Registrar is an excellent sociologist, with his PhD on the tribes of Ladakh, whose expertise can be extremely useful in this field. Besides, emotional and road connectivity, there are two other important factors, which needs to be addressed if this initiative needs to be made into a revolution – internet connectivity and continuous electricity. On both these counts, both Rajouri and Poonch districts remain poorly equipped. Electricity remains a luxury and both these districts remain in dark for most of the working hours. Though Rajouri town is slightly better when compared to Poonch, both the districts face these problems all over. No revolution could succeed, if there are problems of connectivity. Finally, if the present momentum of linking the two Kashmirs continues, perhaps this university could even attract students from across the LoC. When the University was started, the

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y The Wonder in the Hills

road between Poonch and Rawlakot was not opened. Today the road is opened for the divided families and also for trade. More than thousands of people have visited each other in this region, across the LoC in the last few years. Though started very recently, the cross-LoC trade is picking up. The latest exchange in May 2009 across the Chakan-da-Bagh witnessed 39 trucks cross the LoC, carrying goods of more than one crore. The next obvious movement across the LoC should the students. There are no technical universities in PoK and students have to travel to Islamabad and Lahore. If the LoC becomes soft, BGSBU is only four hours away from Chakan-da-Bagh. In that case, this university would revolutionize the entire region and usher the students of Jammu and Kashmir into the next century on technological studies. U n d o u b t e d l y, t h e BGSBU revolution is marching ahead. A good beginning has been made, but a long way to go.

Attracting students from outside is not an easy task. There are two important ingredients in attracting students from outside. First, the University should have adequate infrastructure, to provide comfortable facilities for the students not only to study, but also to enjoy their stay. The second important ingredient to attract students from outside is the academic strength of faculty. One of the major problem that the University faced during its initial years, was how to attract the best talents available to lead the courses. Today, this concern is being addressed. Thanks to the initiative from the Vice Chancellor, and also from the faculty, who were willing to give up some of their other lucrative jobs elsewhere to come and work in this place.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 67 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y

Milestone

The War Against Illiteracy

fter getting functional in 2005, BGSB University represents the fructification of a dream that was too big to be chased and too exacting to be accomplished in a limited span of time. Barely in 8 months (December, 2004 to August, 2005) the barrenness and wilderness of Dhanore hills started stirring out of its all pervasive passivity into re-generational activity whose powerful impact was felt in all parts of this beautiful montane state endowed with immense natural wealth and huge human resource waiting to be tapped and directed towards its fuller commissioning. In these three years of existence, the university has earned recognition from UGC and AICTE. On the basis of its outstanding performance, the university is already the beneficiary of several high profile and prestigious research, extension and developmental projects funded by the Ministry of Science & Technology (GOI), Ministry of Forests & Environment (GOI), Ministry of Textiles (GOI) and the Ministry of Social Welfare (GOI). We believe we are already heading towards our cherished goals with the infrastructure getting stronger and sturdier by the day, faculty getting highly competitive, and products getting absorbed in prestigious institutions with a never look-back attitude. Thus the future is here with us. Our broad contours already having taken shape point unmistakably to the larger horizons waiting to be explored and conquered. In fact a welt envisioned regime of expansion and development is already in the process of unfolding which surely will lead to a bigger and brighter future of this premier institute of higher learning. Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University represents a symbol of hope for the entire backward region of Rajouri and Poonch, which has remained perennially, neglected and marginalized, and has suffered considerable trauma during the three IndoPak wars and nearly two decades of militancy. The region, reeling under educational backwardness, endemic poverty and economic deprivation, deserved an institution of higher education since long. It has fructified only now. The newly established university will promote education and usher social transformation, sensitise social psyche, guarantee social and intellectual progress and serve as an antidote to the forces of disruption and chaos. The BGSB University embraces Multiculturism, Multiethnicity and Multilinguism. It takes pride in being secular in character. The far-reaching consequences of these rich traditions shall be a beacon lights for not only this region but the whole state, nay the entire country. Modeled on the rich traditions of Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia, this is the fourth minority university in row. Its role and relevance for boosting the literacy rate of the minorities, especially Muslims, and underprivileged sections of the society calls for no explanation. In times to come this centre of higher learning shall, hopefully, earn name and fame for its mission of promoting intellectual excellence irrespective of religious, ethnic or regional affiliations. The overriding objectives of the university are pursuit of excellence and conformation to the national pledge relating to growth with justice. In this perception we are guided by the Nobel laureate Professor Amritaya Sen who makes remarkable observation on the kind of symbiotic relationship that obtains between education and its beneficiaries, "Education builds capabilities which empower people". Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University is a milestone in war against illiteracy, ignorance and poverty. It is the platform wherefrom the journey towards intellectual advancement and self-sufficiency has been launched.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 68 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y Milestone

History Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University, nurtured by the Jammu & Kashmir Wakf Council came into existence by the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University Act No. XVI 2002, of the Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly. The land for the university was identified at Dhanore, Rajouri, and actual possession handed over in September/October, 2004. Mr. Masud A. Chaudhary in whom an academician has always been lying dormant, was appointed as the founder Vice Chancellor in October, 2004. By disposition and his habit of being a voracious and avid reader Mr. Choudhary is a scholar and a researcher. The act of switchover from a super cop to an academician is no sudden metamorphosis but the logical blooming of what already existed in him. He has done commendable indepth study particularly of the tribals of Jammu & Kashmir, which has culminated in the inception of the Gurjar Desh Charitable Trust that has, over the years, acquired the stature of a nodal centre of research and conservation of tribal heritage. When the university existed only on paper the then Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Syed, who was also the Chancellor of the University at that time, made a public statement on December 15, 2004 that the university will become functional from August 2005, when the first batch of students will be enrolled and regular teaching started. In order to achieve this target the faculty positions were advertised and excellent faculty put in place in August 2005. The first class lecture was delivered on August 29, 2005. By so doing the new born university successfully fulfilled the commitment that the Chancellor had made to the people of Rajouri. The motto of the university is "Iqra Bism-e- Rabbik-al-Iazi Khalaqa" which

means "Read in the name of God who has created all that exists." It reflects the idealism for which the university stands. The objective identified for the university in the Act is to impart quality education and undertake research in basic and job oriented courses. The university is located at the slopes of Dhanidhar, which is part of the majestic Pir Panjal mountain range. The unique geographical location, far from the maddening crowds of cities, offers ideal ambience for teaching and learning. The less developed environment, away from the hustle and bustle of cities, lacking proper connectivity, electric and water supply may seem some initial disadvantages but these were not nor are so daunting that they cannot be grappled with and finally overpowered. What is required is sincerity of purpose and untiring zeal. The initial phase of Aligarh Muslim University and the Jamia Milia have also been studded with similar obstacles. We have learnt how Sir Syed, Dr. Zakir Hussain and their contemporaries overcame all adversities one by one and succeeded in founding great centres of learning with

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 69 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

their single-minded devotion and dedication. They are our role models in the pious task of setting up yet another centre of higher learning.

Mission Establishment of BGSB University in the most economically backward belt of the J&K State is not an accident. It is deliberate. The university represents a milestone in the war against illiteracy, ignorance and poverty in which people of these hinterlands are immersed. Therefore, it is expected to contribute towards sweeping away the cobwebs of stagnation, inertia and superstition and usher in social transformation particularly in its catchment area. It has to take care of the educationally and economically backward minorities and other weaker sections of the society. A kind of symbiotic relationship exists between education and social well being which the Nobel laureate Amritaya Sen explains by stating that, "education builds capabilities which empower people." The nearly 46% socially disadvantaged section of the

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y Milestone

total population of the twin districts of Rajouri & Poonch has to be targeted, and helped to come out of the quagmire of inaction and ignorance, given skills and the confidence to stand on their feet to fight social injustice and win which is a formidable task that requires involvement of ignited minds. More than that it requires passion. "To achieve a goal what is needed is not only knowledge, but also passion, (which) should not be limited to the technical aspects but (it) should also aim towards creating a concern for the society with a view to finding positive solutions to problems." Expansion of education facilities will therefore, certainly lead to expansion of social opportunities for all. India is a country of more than 1 billion people. It is a country of immense diversity and pluralism. Muslims constitute, roughly 15% of the total population of India and represent the largest minority community. Compared to their counterparts of other

communities they have lagged educationally as well as economically for various reasons which is a matter of serious concern. India cannot dream of becoming an advanced nation unless all sections of society catch up with the time. Some eminent Indian educationists point out that the participation of Indian Muslims in the fields of higher education is dismal. Their representation is hopelessly low especially in science, technology, management and medical sciences, because these fields are largely ignored by Muslim youth.

Location & Setting The University campus is located in the lap of mighty snow covered mountains of Pirpanjal range at Dhanore, 9 Kms away from Rajouri town (latitude 33° 23' N. longitude 74° 21' E.) at an altitude of 9753.6 meters above the mean sea level. The climate of the place varies from subtropical to temperate. Frequent rains and occasional

hailstorms account for the moderate climate and serene ambience of the campus. The university is spread over a fully fenced area of 8,012 kanals of undulating rocky slopes covered by oakpine forests. A sizeable part of the campus is being developed into a Biodiversity Park with the aim of creating a repository of the fauna and flora of the Pirpanjal mountain range and its neighborhood. The physical landscape, such as hillocKs of all shapes and sizes, outcrops of rocks, lush green slopes, profusion of native seasonal flowers and the commanding view of sunrise and sunset are features that add colour and beauty to the landscape of the campus. As of today, most part of the sprawling campus is still open; only a small part has come under construction. Academic blocks: The university is running eight courses under four different Schools of Studies, namely School of Islamic Studies, School of Biosciences & Biotechnology, School of Mathematical Sciences and Engineering and School of Management Studies which are housed in separate buildings covering total plinth area of 63,960 sqft. All buildings are well lighted and well ventilated with spacious lecture theaters, laboratories, conference halls, toilets, faculty rooms etc. The buildings have been raised in tiers and designed tastefully with manicured lawns attached to each. Administrative blocks: Two adjacent administrative blocks house, the Vice Chancellor's secretariat, Registry, office of Controller of Examinations and the Engineering Wing. Together, the two blocks cover plinth area 9,956 sqft.

Epilogue Ø 70 × June 2009

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y Milestone

Boarding houses for girls and boys: Being a residential university hostel facility is made available on the campus to all scholars. The hostels covering a plinth area of 53,300 sqft accommodate a total of 300 scholars. The rooms are spacious, well ventilated, semi furnished and double-bedded. Each room has provision of ceiling fans, table lights, internet etc. The hostels have modern kitchen, recreation halls and a set of modern bath and rest rooms. Residential blocks/flats: On campus accommodation is provided to all members of teaching and most officers of the non-teaching faculty in bungalows and flats. Till date the university has raised residential accommodation on plinth area of 46, 725 sqft. Roads and Parking: All administrative, academic and residential blocks are connected with one another by a 5.5 km network of 20 feet wide, motorable roads. Besides a centralized parking lot, parking lots are also available with most of the teaching and administrative blocks. Ornamental shade trees have been planted on road sides, which will add colour to the landscape and provide shade to the pedestrians as they grow. After sunset when the darkness descends on the terraced campus the serpentine roads with street lights and ornamental plants on either side are a sight to watch. Hordes of students and members of the faculty enjoy late evening stroll up and down the hillocks. Shopping malls: In order to make the campus self sufficient in respect of articles of daily use, the university has constructed a shopping complex on the campus which

is popular as 'Sabrang' square. The shops in this complex keep open till very late in night to provide uninterrupted service to resident students and staff.

of twenty gardeners who maintain road side plantations and lawns attached to different blocks of the university. Every attempt is being made to blend the new plantation with the existing landscape. Ornamental annual flowers are being planted along the road network which impart beauty to the entire campus. The section maintains its own nursery and polyhouses to multiply plants for use in plantation.

Helipad: The university is located away from the town and the 9 km long, circuitous drive from Rajouri town is time consuming and tiresome for V.I.P's who often visit the campus. For them, as also for meeting any emergency, the helipad is a big boon.

Services and amenities:

Meteorological observatory: The university is maintaining a Meteorological observatory at its Centre for Biodiversity Studies to collect data on weather for use in scientific studies and for the benefit of farmers and local populace. The weather report is broadcast daily from the local T.V. Channels.

Health Centre: The University maintains well-equipped health centre with qualified Medical Officer, technical and nursing staff. The services of the Doctor and Health Centre available round the clock are provided free to the university staff and students.

Arboriculture/Landscaping: The University maintains a full-fledged Arboriculture section headed by a professional Horticulturist with a staff

Bank: A branch of The Jammu and Kashmir Bank has been established on the campus to facilitate bank transactions

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 71 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y Milestone

by staff and students including educational loans. Post Office: The campus post office is a great help to students and teachers both. Sports facilities (indoor and outdoor): The university has made arrangements for indoor and outdoor sports activities on the campus. Two big play grounds, are being maintained for outdoor games which keep humming in the evenings. Guest House: The university has 3 guest houses, one each at Jammu, Srinagar and Rajouri. While the first two cater to the faculty and university guests in transit, the one at the campus is used as the Visitors lodge. The guest houses are well furnished with spacious rooms and a well kept lounge. STD/PCO facilities: In order to ensure proper telephone connectivity with different parts of the country and abroad, the campus has the provision of STD and PCO which function round the clock. Security: Since the university campus is cut off from the town, is montane and isolated the university has a full watch and ward section of its own. Besides, there is also a State Police Station. Transport facilities: The University maintains a fleet of 10 four wheelers for use by the university staff and students for movement in Rajouri and outside.

Central Library The Library works under the supervision of Library Advisory Committee of which Vice Chancellor is the Chairman. It is at

the verge of real take off as it combines the virtues of classical reading with 21st century technology. It is trying to reach out to members and create new ways to fulfill their information requirement. The library maintains a collection of 10,000 books, which are fully classified as per Dewey Decimal Scheme of classification. A substantial collection of CD-ROMs and more than 120 online video lectures of world-renowned universities are available in the holding list. The library stands registered as an institutional member of DELNET through which members are able to acquire any document, except those pertaining to grey literature, available in any library of South-Asia within a fortnight. Records of documents available with the library have been made available in Common Communication Format (CCF) for access to DELNET members worldwide. The library subscribes to 25 online databases, a few electronic journals and print version of 49 national and international journals. It offers routine library service like reprography, circulation, reference, photostat, CDROM browsing, online access and internet facility to members. To keep student members aware about current affairs the library subscribes to 12 daily newspapers and 20 magazines in three languages. SOUL (Software for University Library) has been installed for automation of the library. Before end of the year the library will put Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) on the university website. The library has received grants from the Deptt. of Social Welfare, Govt. of Jammu & Kashmir under Book Bank scheme for raising text book section for use specially by students of the socially disadvantaged categories. Two

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 72 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

projects, one on creating a repository of literature on Rajouri-Poonch belt and the other on Rare Arabic documents are under the consideration of Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India for funding. Efforts are afoot to make the university library a house of wisdom where knowledge will rest and be exploited to its optimum with the help of efficient library professionals.

Placement Cell Training and Placement Cell is an integral part of the BGSB University system. It has the required infrastructure and manpower for effective interaction and functioning. Training activities are organized by the Cell round the year to prepare prospective students for campus selection programmes. The Placement Cell coordinates with the corporate sector and facilitates campus selection. The cell maintains cordial relationship with recruiting industries and prepares aspiring candidates to face the competitive world. In the global economy every person is expected to be clear, correct and confident in his speech and writing. This is not possible without training learners how to, draft a speech, overcome stage fright, modulate voice, use correct posture, appropriate gestures and proper eye contact. With inputs from trainers and extensive exercise attempts are being made to impart to budding professionals complete structure of English language, flawless pronunciation and vocabulary development by utilizing proper technique of using dictionary, thesaurus and reverse dictionary.

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y

The Man Who Moved The Mountains

Knowing is not the same as understanding him Masud A Choudhary, Vice Chancellor BGSB University, has lived life at his own terms. He is silently doing as a matter of faith what others of his species may die to flaunt. All these years he has fattened the account of his achievements without making a fuss about the same. The act of switch-over from a super cop to an academician is no sudden metamorphosis of his personality but the logical blooming of what was already existing in him. Some glimpses of this legend of a person.

riting a biographical account is the most difficult job. There are several challenges you have to see through, several pitfalls you have to prevent yourself from slipping into and of course you have to put aside your personal likes and dislikes if you do not want to be grossly misunderstood. Doing this kind of tightrope walk is a difficult feat to accomplish and if all goes well there may still be a section of readers who take delight in finding meaning below the meaning and the connotation above the connotation. In the observations below, such concerns have been quite central to this exercise.

MY TAING Author is a widely celebrated litterateur; known, among other things for being amanuensis of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Biography Aatishe-Chinar. He is recipient of Padma Shri, one of the highest Indian Civilian Awards

The Man: Fuller understanding of a person comes from close encounters. It also requires association extending back in time that gives you a fair idea of the social background that the person has acquired through the principle of descendence, the barriers and handicaps he has succeeded in getting across and the signposts which s/he has conquered, retained, built upon and strengthened by the prowess of his/her character and person. Here the noteworthy observation is that this man

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 73 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

who travelled forward with unwavering resolve, never looked back when he took the proverbial first step forward. His schooling happened in his native village- Kalaban- which lies in a remote pocket of Poonch district (J&K). One can have a fair idea of how resilient and progressive this man must have been in his childhood who refused to have his spirits dampened by negative influences like ages-old poverty and backwardness which made a lethal mix together with all-pervasive illiteracy and ignorance. He decided to pursue higher studies which tossed him from the lonely and forlorn setting of the village where he was born and schooled as a young boy to the covetous environs of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) where he pursued higher studies as Bachelor in Law and obtained his degree tagged with distinction. That brought him to a point in his evolution where he had to take up a profession which would respond to his inner urge for helping and serving fellow human beings and would give him an opportunity to wage a war on injustice and inequalities which happened to be the main stumbling blocks in the way of progress and prosperity. Though he had

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y

The Man Who Moved The Mountains

immense greed for knowledge and learning, yet his abundant energy prompted him to join Jammu & Kashmir Police as Deputy Superintendent of Police. His own academic interests could wait but not the zeal for helping fellow human beings in distress and in need of relief and help. In fact so eventful and distinguished was his career as a police officer that he was almost literally handpicked for core postings like Superintendent of Police in almost every district of the state followed by an equally meaningful innings as DIG Jammu-Kathua Range followed by equally important postings a DIG in State Vigilance Organization. Next came his elevation to the rank of Inspector General of Police and he became the founder Director of Sher-iKashmir Police Academy, Udhampur. He brought innovation and ingenuity to this apex institution. This posting came at a time when Jammu & Kashmir was already aflame with militancy. Upon his shoulders rested the responsibility of training a police that could bare its teeth to bite deep into the scourge of militancy. One cannot omit the mention of the fact here that at the onset of militancy he was the Senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar and this certainly gave him his cues as to what is required in police force by way of providing them an edge in counterinsurgency operations. Nothing outmatches his superb professionalism in this respect. The Mission: We live life with some kind of mission to provide it substance and meaning. All well-meaning people have a core ideology which they cherish, propagate and popularize among the masses for improving the quality of life of their fellow human species. Some preach peace, others spread gospel of love and brotherhood whereas there are those who believe in action-oriented life,

Some preach peace, others spread gospel of love and brotherhood whereas there are those who believe in action-oriented life, contributing unselfishly to the human society in fields as varied and diverse as education, healthcare or social welfare or by preparing an even turf for the preservation, protection and propagation of our ancient art, culture and literature in order to prevent it from slipping into obscurity. Slowly making his way to the top echelons of police hierarchy and superannuating as Additional Director General of Police- the only Gujjar tribal to achieve this distinction thus far- Masud busied himself with social service way back in 1992 when he founded the Gurjardesh Charitable Trust, Jammu. contributing unselfishly to the human society in fields as varied and diverse as education, healthcare or social welfare or by preparing an even turf for the preservation, protection and propagation of our ancient art, culture and literature in order to prevent it from slipping into obscurity. Slowly making his way to the top echelons of police hierarchy and superannuating as Additional Director General o0f Policethe only Gujjar tribal to achieve this distinction thus far- Masud busied himself with social service way back in 1992 when he founded the Gurjardesh Charitable Trust, Jammu.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 74 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

This is Trust today represents the dreams, hopes and aspirations of nearly 15 million Gujjars living in different parts of Jammu & Kashmir. Himself belonging to this ethnic community, Masud Choudhary infused new levels of confidence, kindled new hopes and provided new direction to their unexplored potential and energy. It is under his visionary and inspiring leadership that the whole of Gujjar community has been fired with the zeal of shedding the baggage of the past and taking substantial steps in the direction of fighting out poverty, illiteracy and backwardness which have traditionally

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y

The Man Who Moved The Mountains

kept this community neglected and marginalized. Through several programmes and projects launched by GDCT, Masud has been instrumental in giving a sense of self-respect to the members of the community. The major plank of his fight against rampant backwardness in the community has been education. Himself an avid reader and a staunch believer in the allpowerfulness of education, he focused his primary attention on the education of this community. The Founder Vice Chancellor of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU)- he got this assignment owing to his monumental contribution to the cause of popularization of education among tribals and other weaker sections of the society- he has the crowning distinction of having set up the said university in barely 08 months, a fact that sounds as incredible as it is real. One who is familiar with the terrain where BGSB University has come up, would certainly bite his tongue under his cheeks on seeing so much done in so little a span of time. Add to this the fact that the university had to be created from a shoestring budget amidst a difficult terrain where even link roads weren't available, where there was no electricity and where drinking water facility still needs considerable augmentation. However, the will to deliver and to perform remained unwavering and resolute. Close on heels with these challenges was the more daunting job of arranging a competent faculty strong enough to

cultivate the culture of excellence competent enough to withstand hold unto the pressures globalization. Finally, making

and and of the

The Founder Vice Chancellor of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU)- he got this assignment owing to his monumental contribution to the cause of popularization of education among tribals and other weaker sections of the society- he has the crowning distinction of having set up the said university in barely 08 months, a fact that sounds as incredible as it is real. One who is familiar with the terrain where BGSB University has come up, would certainly bite his tongue under his cheeks on seeing so much done in so little a span of time. campus enticingly tempting for the admission seekers which carried with it the need of quality maintenance which could lead to suitable placements of young professionals, was no easy job. It

is again a big achievement for this university to have attained 100% mark in placements for its maiden batch and then keeping up this tradition till date with big corporates already evincing keen interest in our products. Whether it was the setting up of BGSB University or the cultivation, grooming or strengthening of GDCT, the struggle that had to be undergone was heroic. For example BGSB has trundled its was ahead in the face of severe financial crunch which it has been able to squeeze through amidst great odds undeterred, unfettered and unfazed. It is quite natural to have a respectable financial base which alone can sustain globally competent institutions of higher education. Here in BGSB University what he had on his side was the clarity of vision, the will to perform and the determination to deliver. A sound financial position wasn't perhaps on his side which is eloquently discernible from the fact that other sister universities in the state are getting a steady and uninterrupted inflow of finances which is at the back of the gusto and speed with which they are coming up, growing up and expanding. The wizardry this man has been able to do is that the relevance of finances has been relegated to the background without letting stagnation come anywhere near this fast growing and evolving university. Almost identical has been the position at GDCT where funds didn't trickle in

“I have known Masud A. Choudhary for years now and his active role in the Trust has brought it where it is. One can hardly imagine miracles happening but he is the man who can perhaps make the impossible happen, barriers fall and road to progress smoothened by the sheer determination and unwillingness to give up under even the most unfavorable conditions” Dr. Farooq Abdullah

Epilogue Ø 75 × June 2009

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y

The Man Who Moved The Mountains

natural course but had to be managed with considerable effort and self-help. Generous donations that have come in from time to time from individuals, institutions and government have proved unequal to the ever growing needs of this premier institution. This man however cruised through all kinds of rough weather with admirable poise, courage and grace. Untiring efforts and a great degree of determination coupled with the dynamic leadership of Shri Choudhary have resulted in GDCT raising an impressive Cultural Complex which is going to be a magnificent addition to the efforts that have so far been pioneered by GDCT in preserving, promoting and showcasing the rich cultural heritage of tribals of J&K in general and of Gujjars, in particular. Looking Beyond: Finding solutions to problems at hand is not the same as imagining the future set of challenges and then putting into shape your defense systems. With rare penchant for looking into future and meticulously fine-tuning the requirements of the times ahead, Masud Choudhary poured his days and nights trying to close in upon the best options BGSB University could exercise in order to attune it with the requirements of the present and the challenges of the future. There were some rickety attempts prior to his appointment as Vice Chancellor of this university, to sketch the roadmap of the development of this institution. This was a half-hearted exercise that need

complete dismantling and obviously, overhauling. Making BGSB University a hub of knowledge and excellence was uppermost in his mind and that was possible to achieve only by making this university compatible with the present needs and requirements of higher education by making the right choices. It was a measure of far-sightedness that subjects like Biotechnology and Nanotechnology were short-listed for their early introduction in this premier institute of higher learning. It was strongly felt that as the 20th century was the century of physics, 21st century could well be the century of Biosciences. A big dream after all is the substratum of all big achievements. It is in adherence to this line of thinking that the university today has Centre for Biodiversity Studies (CBS) which is thick in R&D activity. This effort has quite deservedly attracted national attention with accolades pouring in from the Ministries of Science & Technology, HRD, GOI. Prominent Attributes: Three things come out prominently in Masud Choudhary that makes him what he is- a deep seated love for education, preparedness to sacrifice his comfort and convenience and ability to lock horns with even the most obdurate of the challenges. His vast administrative experience comes from his distinguished career as a police officer who never threw up his hands in despair even in the face of most daunting

challenges. That after those tiring and turbulent years in police service spanning over nearly four decades, he still had the courage to raise a university from ground-zero only shows his academic interests which remained unfazed and undiminished even in spite of an exacting and draining work schedule as a police officer. Add to this the fact that he has contributed mightily towards making GDCT a powerful platform for addressing the most pressing concerns of Gujjar community, and you get the insight of a person who has numerous layers to his multi-dimensional personality than what actually meet the eye. This will not be possible to draw the finishing line anywhere near this iconic figure. He is full of love and sympathy for fellow human beings, is soft-spoken, has highest levels of commitment, is a man with depth and incisive vision, is endowed with discreet decision-making and is imbued in the rich traditions of our social, cultural and religious pluralism He is open to well-meaning suggestions and opinions but when it comes to implementing something on the ground he is the one who wouldn't show any signs of dithering. One reason why his decision-making is so flawless is that he believes in extensive homework and broadening the scope of the process as far as possible in order to incorporate all shades of opinion and to include the whole multiplicity of concerns. When it comes to the churning of all the inputs,

“GDCT has all along done a commendable job under the visionary leadership of Masud A Choudhary during decade and a half of its meaningful contribution towards the cause of Gujjars in Jammu & Kashmir. Through his exemplary deftness in visualizing the existing as well as future needs of the community and by sweating out on several progressive programmes and policies of GDCT, he has symbolically been the most powerful ideological pillar of strength behind the achievements of this NGO” Mufti Mohammad Sayeed

Epilogue Ø 76 × June 2009

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y

The Man Who Moved The Mountains

his decisions naturally have the strength and infallibility that is above all doubts and misgivings. His decisions being the decisions most sagaciously taken always find popular backing and hence prompt implementation. He is not the one who would talk harsh to anyone but through unspoken gestures and some spoken nothings would convey his displeasure. He would prefer to laugh away an unintentional mistake of a junior rather than frown or squeak in anger. All these qualities add up to the depth and richness of his multidimensional personality. The Profile: Profiling of this bespectacled, short-statured, softspoken, sober, energetic giant of a person, would perhaps run into many more pages but that is not our purpose here. We aren't endorsing through this paper someone who deserves to be eyed by some political party to lead the Gujjar community, nor is it our intention to portray this man all in the pink to make him a hot selling commodity. It is just a small tribute to a matchless person that Masud Choudhary is. The boundaries of his outlook are difficult to delineate. However, one certainly can have glimpses of his personality from th re e d i ffe re n t a n gle s- Ma su d Choudhary, the Top Cop, Masud Choudhary, the Academician and Masud Choudhary the Socio-cultural activist. In all these areas his contribution is not only immense but exemplary and inspiring.

I had the very natural hesitation in trying to reduce into some paragraphs or pages the outstanding attributes of the rich and dynamic personality of Shri Masud A Choudhary. I know the limitations and pitfalls of my brief. But if I have been able to reproduce the facts as they are without allowing any imaginary content to creep in, I believe I have been able to do my job well. I intentionally omitted the mention of numerous awards and decorations which have come his way as a police officer, including Presidents award for meritorious services, for the simple reason that I didn't want the readers to get burdened with such high-profile attributes which tend to downplay even more refreshing shades of his personality that will remain a huge gold-mine for me from where to have my peck as I need, when I need and for all the reasons and seasons I need. Masud Choudhary has a God given gift of emerging as a leader of Men. This has enabled him to create a dedicated and devoted circle of comrades around him. What is remarkable is that this is an extension of his affable and inspiring persona. He has not used this gift for a personal or political gain but channelized it for Institution Building. This peculiar trait is reflected into the emergence and consolidation of world's first and truly unique institution of Gurjar Desh Charitable Trust. There should be no doubt that it heralds the

renaissance of this wonderful community which after losing its preeminent place because of illogical viscissitudes of history is again rising and asserting its dignity. Mir Taqi Mir seems to be very relevant, while taking a quote to illustrate the accomplishment of Choudhary Sahib. The Plaudits: Masud Choudhary has been the very epitome of success, sacrifice and selfless service all these years of his eventful life and career. Head and shoulders above everything else, he has been a creative and innovative mind devoted to the wellbeing of fellow human beings. His contribution to the Gujjar community and their most outstanding concerns has simply been superb and brooks no comparison with any of his contemporaries. Here are some of the observations of the two former Chief Ministers of Jammu & Kashmir: For a man of such substance and stature one cannot perhaps wish success as one would ordinarily do because he has seen and experienced success in such an abundance that he may not be needing it any more. Such iconic figures are the pride of the society of which they are a part and with which they so gladly relate themselves. What one can sincerely wish and pray for is his health and a lot more to happen through him for the good of the fellow human beings!

“He is full of energy and courage. Endowed with vision and armed with untiring spirit to work selflessly for fellow human beings is his outstanding attribute. I wish him success and more success in all the ventures he undertakes” Ghulam Nabi Azad

Epilogue Ø 77 × June 2009

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y

Story of Change

Empowering Women in Neighbourhood

DR ASHFAQ ZARRI Author is a scientist, also taking care of administrative affairs at BGSB University, Rajouri

aba Ghulam Shah Badshah University is an upcoming center of learning, knowledge and intellect in the state located amidst the towering ranges of Pir Panjal mountains in District Rajouri. Keeping pace with the times the University has opened up new vistas for academia and students alike in the field of Biological Sciences, I n f o r m a t i o n Te c h n o l o g y, A p . Mathematics, Business Studies, Engineering & Technology and

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 78 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

Computer Sciences through its various Schools of Studies. Apart from these the Centre for Biodiversity Studies 'CBS' was created with for as a vision for promoting biodiversity research, conservation and extension education. In order to facilitate the link between pure and applied aspects of science with issues of concern to of this region, the CBS Centre has been working relentlessly in this direction through

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y Story of Change

several strategies. Community participation is an integral part of development programmes and has been touted as a major booster of socioeconomic progress of a region. One such programme launched in 2007 is currently running as a full fledged project sponsored by The Department of Biotechnology, Union Ministry of Science and Technology has approved and sponsored funded a project entitled “Bioresource-based training of rural women of District Rajouri-hinterland of J&K”. The project aims to create means of sustainable livelihood for rural women for their empowerment and livelihood security. which is fully operational today in the Centre. The project would aims to benefit a total of around 7240 women belonging to from ten villages adjoining BGSB University Campus by imparting training in various non-traditional activities such as mushroom cultivation, cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants, floriculture, vermicomposting, quail farming and Biocrafts. Since The major source of income of people of this e poverty torn region is rain-fed agriculture, which is rain-fed, and livestock rearing, the . The project aims at socio-economic upliftment of the local populace rural women by training them in income generating activities as mentioned above using low-cost technologies and locally available bioresources. This in turn is aimed at reducing anthropogenic pressures on forests, which are an integral part of livelihood of the people. Approach An extensive participatory rural appraisal approach was adopted through the project to facilitate shared

learning and analysis among local people rural womenfolk. This approach has assumed the shape of a dynamic process where all members are trained to contribute towards attainment of common objectives, and share the benefit of knowledge and experience. In order to carry out the various activities under this scheme the initial step was a socio-economic survey of targeted families followed by establishment of infrastructure for conducting training workshops. The programme is based on land ownership status of each family. For example e.g. if a woman owns a substantial area of land, she can cultivate medicinal and aromatic plants or venture into floriculture. In case she does not have any substantial land holding she can take up mushroom cultivation or quail farming as a viable enterprise. Biocrafts based on wood work can also be a feasible option for them Timing of scheduled training programme has been set up from 11 AM to 2 PM in the afternoon, which is generally the time of leisure from household work. Participation certificates and stipends (Rs/-800 per month) are provided to the trainees and a portion of this money be kept aside as seed money to help them in setting up their own enterprise after completion of training. In addition to training the womenfolk in various non-traditional activities they are familiarized with the concepts of entrepreneurship, marketing and cooperatives. The role of cooperatives in fixing the sale price of the produce and efforts to reduce marketing cost to boost the demand has been worked out. An additional step is training the womenfolk the techniques of packing and processing the produce in an appealing way. Finally the women are

Epilogue Ø 79 × June 2009

given motivational and orientation lectures to encourage them for carrying activities throughout the year so that they develop a better understanding of the essence of the programme and the possible hindrances which they might face upon implementation of the activity as an enterprise.

Income Generating Training Activities Details of the Activities Ours is principally an agricultural nation and about 70% of the population is dependent on agriculture. According to statistics, women comprise about 60% of rural population and their contribution towards labour force is 6070%. Today the need of the hour is to develop infrastructure for incomegenerating activities such as mushroom cultivation, floriculture, biocrafts etc., which would automatically pave way for economic progress and livelihood security for the women. The activities detailed below are cost-effective, profitable and have the potential of generating round the year employment. The trainees selected for the different training programmes are womenfolk belonging to different age groups from nearby and adjoining villages . After enrollment they are taught the nuances of different activities through classroom teaching, demonstrations, field trips etc. In addition the women are familiarized with concepts of marketing, finances, co-operatives etc. apart from orientation and motivational lectures by the trainers and guest experts. Mushroom cultivation Mushrooms represent a delicacy, which is in great demand in the country. Mushrooms are not only excellent

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y Story of Change

sources of protein but also have good prospects as an enterprise. Mushrooms are consumed on a large scale in the region by the local populace. Around eighty women of nearby villages have been trained in cultivation of Dhingri mushroom (Pleurotus sp.) Milky Wwhite Mmushroom (Calocybe indica) and Button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) by standard methods. The selected species are easy to grow, fasst-yielding and require minimum investment. Agricultural waste or residues can be utilized as substrate for mushroom cultivation. Floriculture, medicinal and aromatic plants cultivation and vermicomposting. Given the socioeconomic conditions of the farmers, rain-fed character of farming and problems of soil erosion in the hilly terrain of this region low productivity and poverty are major issues. To overcome these hurdles cultivation of

medicinal and aromatic plants and floriculture can be a feasible alternative for the local populace. Around eighty women have so far been trained in cultivation of important flowering plants such as Sword lily (Gladiolus sp.), Rajnigandha (Polianthes sp.), Marigold (Tagetes sp.), Tuberose (Polianthes sp.), Chrysanthemum, Rose etc. and medicinal and aromatic plants such as Sadasuhagan (Catharanthus sp.), Bach (Acorus calamus), Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), Kwadgandhal (Aloe vera), Datura (Datura sp.), Pudina (Mentha sp.) etc. Vermicompost can be applied as a supplement with fertilizers or as such in floriculture and for cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants besides agriculture. Women have been taught about the process of making vermicompost by demonstrations in pits, containers and a concrete tank specifically designed for the purpose

Rural women of Rajouri gathered for a training at BGSBU Campus.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 80 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

Biocrafts One of the most famous crafts of the region is Chikri Wood Craft, which is based on wood of Bauxus wallichiana . designing Beautiful artifacts and articles such as combs, ladles, decorative items etc. with intricate patterns and a fine finish are designed .. Some of the popular articles are combs, ladles, decorative items etc. whichThese have a good market in the state and country due to their uniqueness and craftsmanship.. Around eighty forty women have been trained in wood, wool and straw based crafts and a large number of aesthetic and unique artifacts have been created by the trainees. The difficult terrain and climatic conditions of the region during winters make venturing out difficult. In such a situation the womenfolk can work at home and sell their products in the local market. Quail farming The climate of Rajouri is suitable for

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y Story of Change

breeding and rearing of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) , which in turn can become a lucrative enterprise for the local people due to the fast growth and reproduction. Besides land holding is not a pre-requisite for the activity hence its implementation is easy. Forty women have so far been trained in quail farming and have been apprised about the nutritional importance of the bird. Expected Dividends The schemes launched with the aim of rural women empowerment intend to provide round the year gainful employment, increased family income and economic independence of the women. Success of the schemes can be assessed by a comparison of pre and post implementation survey of the economic status of each family. Besides this, setting up of spawn production units, nurseries of medicinal and aromatic plants etc. can symbolize success of the project. The vision behind the schemes is to promote diversified and value-added agriculture where incentives and technical messages would merge leading to promotion and adoption of full package of the recommended practices in the adopted trades. Follow up programmes Since the first year of the project is complete a post-training survey has been conducted in the villages through a feed back questionnaire to have a first-hand account of the problems which the women are facing in order to start their own enterprise. After the interaction with the villagers a couple of issues came to light which are a hindrance in starting an enterprise for e.g. scarcity of water, supply of spawn,

financial help etc. An effort is being made to sort out these on a priority basis. Besides a strategy has been worked out to facilitate the process of availing providing subsidized loans or any other financial help in the form of micro-credit schemes to the villagers. In addition trainees and technical manuals in Urdu and English languages have been designed and distributed among the trainees for their benefit. Apart from all this the preparation of a guide to sustainable livelihood is currently under process the purpose of which is to popularize the above mentioned activities as a source of livelihood security.

position of women and all possible hindrances which might come during the implementation of such programmes. A collaborative effort on part of the government and people to design, implement and encourage strategies to create various means of livelihood by linking agro ecosystem knowledge with bio-resources would go a long way for overall economic progress and sustainability.

The Honourable Vice-Chancellor of the University Jenab Masud A. Chaudhary Need for an integrated approach The current policies of the government aim to impart resilience to the production system with active cooperation of various sections of the society especially women. The various programmes focus on aspects such as value-addition, diversification, microenterprising and special provision for landless, asset less and other economically or socially disadvantaged families. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and various NGO's have started self-help groups in various villages where womenfolk are motivated to engage in economically viable activities. Various Agricultural Universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK's) conduct training programmes for rural women to impart scientific-training of incomegenerating activities. An overall assessment of various development programmes would highlight actual

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 81 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

subscription@epilogue.in

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y

What they said to us CHOUDHARY MOHAMMAD ASLAM

(Congress) MLA Surankote

t is a matter of pride and prestige for having Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University in our region which is considered to be the most backward and neglected region of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The University which is named after famous Sufi Saints Shrine (Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah) is located at Rajouri (foot hills) having a green campuse. Surrounding with snow-capped peaks of the mighty himalaya, rich biodiversity and valuable agri-diversity make entire Rajouri-Poonch region a nature lovers paradise. The teaching programmes designed by various Academic bodies of the University are interactive, flexible and are directed towards helping learners to gain the ability to confidently and effectively answer real life challenges. The University has different departments include Academics, faculties, central library, in-campus hostel, shopping mall, placement cell, references and external links. The University imparts technical education through the academic divisions like School of Management studies, Mathematical studies, Islamic studies, Bio-sciences and bio-technology, health care and pharmacy etc. Its central library has collection about 8000 Books and journals approx and members 500 appox. The students have been benefited by the opening of this University in the region which not only cater the local students, but students from other parts of the country as well. Masood Choudhary, the former Director General of police and the present Vice-Chancellor of BGSBU is truly a man of honesty and integrity under whose guidance the University is progressing by leaps and bounds and is truly becoming one of the truly professional University of the country. This region has also come up on global website after opening of varsity in the region. One can search on website about the location and other things regarding the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University. The Rajouri-Poonch region has come up on world map. In addition to the congenial academic environment, the University has also created necessary facilities for recreation, sporting events and all round personality development of its students. The University has many challenges ahead and under the able supervision of Masud Choudhary, it will overcome those challenges and will give tough competition to other varsities of the country in terms of providing quality education to the students.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 82 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y What they said to us

ZULFIKAR CHOUDHARY ALI

MLA (PDP) Darhal

aba Ghulam Shah Badshah University is a pillar of light in Poonch-Rajouri region. The university which was established five years ago in the region will go global in the time to come. Our region which is considered to be neglected and backward has now started becoming more aware towards education after opening of Baba Ghulam shah Badshah University in the region. Its campus which is located at the foothills of the great Himalayan. Pir Panchal range in Rajouri, is 154 kms from jammu, meandering the way by the sparkling streams through the thick pine forests make the three hours journey a mesmerizing experience. The local students of the region for which the 25% seats are reserved are getting quality education at the doorsteps. Local populace has got enourmous benefit by opening of this varisity. This university has tremendous potential and will continue to grow and in the short span of period ,this university made lot of achievements and will touch the sky by providing quality education to the students of the region. The university campus has excellent hostel facilities for boys as well as for girls. The hostel with homely environment, well furnished and well ventilated rooms is located in eco-friendly, pollution free scenic setting on a flat stretch of land vanishing into ascendant chain of pine covered hills with a gurgling and foaming brook in the front. Facilities like computer room with internet connectivity, 24 hours power supply, indoor games, common room; canteen service, are the other features of the university. Overall Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University is a boon for the Poonch-Rajouri region, which remained neglected for so many long years. Former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party Patron Mufti Mohd Sayeed has contributed a lot for upbringing of the university during his tenure as the chief minister of the state. Line of control (LoC) will become irrelevant in the time to come and this university will impart education to all those who are interested in taking education from this varsity which will benefit them in long way. As far as the role of the Vice Chancellor of the university Masud Choudhary is concerned, he is the man behind this concept and has done lot of work for upliflifting of this university. Initially there were apprehensions about his role as a Vice Chancellor of this prestigious university as he was not an academician, nor had any experience regarding education, inspite of serving most of his service in police he came out with flying colours and proved himself as an able administrator and brought many glories for the university. With his honesty and dedication, Masud Choudhary today not only made the name of university famous, but the state of Jammu and Kashmir, which is known for its beauty all over the world.

M.R. QURESHI

MLC (NC) Poonch

arlier, it used to be difficult for the students of the region to get admission in Jammu University and that too traveling long distances too. Now when the varsity has come up at stones throw distance, it has brought smile and cheers on the faces of students who wanted to do Post graduation courses. This region has also come up on global website after opening of the varsity in the region. One can search on website about the location and other things regarding the Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University. The Rajouri-Poonch region has come up on world map. In addition to the congenial academic environment the University has also created necessary facilities for recreation, sporting events and all round personality development of its students. The campus with its lush green surroundings, swaying fields, blossom laden trees, provides a highly conducive environment for academic as well as recreational activities. The University takes pride in having developing co-operative and participative work culture. The Vice-Chancellor Masud Choudhary of BGSBU is doing commendable job. Earlier people having inhibitions about how a super cop can be a good academician. But his work has silenced everyone's voice. The University has different departments Academics, faculties, central library, in-campus hostel, shopping mall, placement cell, references and external links. The University imparts technical education through the academic divisions like School of Management studies, Mathematical studies, Islamic studies, Bio-sciences and bio-technology, health care and pharmacy etc.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 83 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

SPEC I AL

F EATURE

BGSB

UN I V E R S I T Y What they said to us

SHABIR AHMED KHAN

JAVED RANA

MLA (Congress) Rajouri

MLC (NC) Mendhar

he motto of the University is "Iqra Bism-e- Rabbik-al-Lazi Khalaqa" which means reads in the name of your Lord who has created (all that exists). It reflects the vision and idealism for which the University stands. The University has launched post graduate teaching programmes in Business Management, Computer Sciences, Information technology, Arabic, Applied mathematics and B.Tech in electronics and communication, computer sciences and engineering and Information technology. Our district which is considered as the Backward district will get benefited by setting up of this University. Earlier, students who live in Rajouri, Poonch, Mendhar, Darhal, Surankote, Kalakote, Nowshera, Sunderbani had to come Jammu to impart post-graduation education. Now it is easy for them to get technical education in their own region. Locals as well as those living in far off places like Jammu, Srinagar, Leh or in any part of country can get admission in Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University and then can serve in any party of country or world. This university means a lot for a region and it will grow from strength to strength in the time to come. In addition to the congenial academic environment the University has also created necessary facilities for recreation, sporting events and all round personality development of its students. The campus with its lush green surroundings, swaying fields, blossom laden trees, provides a highly conducive environment for academic as well as recreational activities. The University takes pride in having development cooperative and participate work culture. The main contribution of setting this historic university goes to the Vice Chancellor Masood Choudhary, without him it was just not possible. He has really worked hard to get this dream into reality and still right from its inception, Choudhary Sahib is striving hard to make it a truly global university where every subject faculty can be taught.

y providing quality education to the students of the region, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University is doing a highly commendable job. As it is an old saying" if attaining education, your are supposed to go to china, without any hinderance, you should go to get education. By opening of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University it has opened a new chapter in the history of Rajouri-Poonch region, which remain a backward and neglected area from the last 60 years. The students faced lot of difficulties in attaining their postgraduate courses. Now when BGSBU has opened its campus in Rajouri with faculties like Mathematical sciences and Engineering, Master in Computer application, Master of Science in Information technology, Master of Applied Mathematics, Management studies, MBA, MFM, Health care, Islamic studies, Computer sciences, Bio sciences and Biotechnologies, Electronics and communication engineering and Information technology, it has provided greet opportunity not only for the students of Rajouri, but for its neighbourhood and far flung areas to attain quality and higher education without moving out of their region. Earlier, there was no such facility in entire Rajouri-Poonch region, but now, BGSBU has built up an excellent academic infrastructure in the form of teaching faculty, computerized labs, 24 hrs wi-fi internet facility. The teaching and research is promoted through modem technological aids with all the departments being provided with independent computer and LCD facilities. I cannot stop by pen without praising the excellent work done by Vice-Chancellor of the University, Masud Choudhary, without him, it was not possible to get the desired results within a short span of period. The students living in a farflung areas of Rajorui-Poonch region got maximum benefits with the opening of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University and is situated at an ideal place at the foot hills of Pir Panchal range. The students from other parts of the country are imparting education from this university.

AIJAZ JAN

MLA (NC) Poonch

verall educational scenario in the region after opening of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University has changed dramatically and in the region in which university is located has rich geographic, climatic and culture diversity. The teaching programmes designed by various Academic bodies of the University are interactive, flexible and hands on directed towards helping learners to gain the ability to confidently and effectively answer real life challenges. This university means lot to the region as it generates employment avenues to the local populace besides giving all kinds of education to the people who live in region. This University has built up an excellent academic infrastructure in the form of teaching faculty, computerized labs, 24 hours wi-fi internet facility. The teaching and research is promoted through modem technological aids with all the departments being provided with independent computer and LCD facilities. The University takes pride in having developed co-operative and participate work culture and in the longer run, it will help the twin border distts of Rajouri and Poonch. The Vice-chancellor, BGSBU, Masud Choudhary has done remarkable achievement and full credit goes to him in creating such kind of University in the region. The campus has excellent hostel facilities for boys as well as girls. The hostel with homely environment, well furnished and well ventilated rooms is located in eco-friendly, pollution free scenic setting on a flat stretch of land vanishing into ascendant chain of pine-covered hills with a gurgling and foaming brook in the front. Facilities power supply, indoor games, common room, canteen service are the other feature of the hostel. Overall, BGSBU is a boon for the region which remained neglected for so many long years.

Epilogue Ă&#x2DC; 84 Ă&#x2014; June 2009

THE NEW INDIA FOUNDATION

Application Invited for Fellowships In the sixty years since Independence, there has been a large body of work produced by Indian historians and soci3J scientists. Taken singly, many of these studies are very impressive; viewed cumulatively, they add up to much less than what one might expect. The chief reason for this is the determining influence on scholarly practice of that single. date: 15th August, 1947. Historians don't look beyond the attainment of Independence, whereas other social scientists don't look back at all. We have solid studies of the Congress under British rule, with books Written about its operations in different parts of India, yet there are no systematic studies of the most influential of political parties in the post-independence period. Again, there are numerous ethnographic accounts of the caste system. Yet, we have no analytical overview of caste since Independence. We have had political scientists conducting field studies of every single election since 1952. But we have no comprehensive analyses of changes over time in voter behaviour, election propaganda, or election finance. These examples could be multiplied manifold. The Republic of India is a Union of twenty-eight states, some larger than France and Germany. Yet not even the biggest or most important of these states have had their histories written. Again, there are no serious biographies of some of the key figures in our modern history such as Sheikh Abdullah or C. N. Annadurai or A. Z. Phizo or (to take figures from very different, fields) Pandit Ravi Shankar or Dhirubhai Ambani. It is this lack that the New India Foundation seeks to address, by sponsoring work of quality on modern India. The New India Foundation invites applications for the fifth round of the New India Fellowships. Open only to Indian nationals, these Fellowships will be awarded for a period of one year, and will carry a stipend of Rs 70,000 a month. Fellowship holders shall be expected to write original books. Proposals should be oriented towards final publication, and outline a road map towards that destination. The Foundation is ecumenical as regards genre, theme, and ideology: the only requirement is that the proposed work contributes to the fuller understanding of independent India. Thus Fellowship holders may choose to write a memoir, or a work of reportage, or a thickly footnoted academic study. Their books could be oriented towards economics, or politics, or culture. They could be highly specific-an account of a single decade or a single region---or wide-ranging, such as a countrywide overview. Since 2004, a total of twenty New India Foundation Fellowships have been awarded, for books to be written on such topics as the social history of Telugu films, the reform of personal laws, refugee politics in north-eastern India, the history of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, debates on the death penalty in India, and the science and politics of biodiversity conservation. The first books to emanate from the New India Fellowships are Harish Damodaran's India's Nw Capitalists (Pal grave Macmillan), Vasanthi Srinivasan's Gandhi's Conscienc(f-KÂŁepcr (Permanent Black), and Dinesh Sharma's India's Long Revolution (HarperCollins India). Applicants for the New India Fellowships for 2009 are invited to submit their c.v., book proposal, and a writing sample of at least 5000 words (published or unpublished) to the Managing Trustee, The New India Foundation, 22 A Brunton Road, Bangalore 560025, before 31 July 2009. These maybe sent by post or courier. Email applications will not be entertained. However, specific queries may be addressed to ramguha@gmail.com The fellowships will be decided by a jury whose members are Andre Beteille, Ramachandra Guha, Niraja Gopal Jayal, Nandan Nilekani, and N. Ravi. Further details about the Foundation may be found at

www.newindiafoundation.org

To be published in May:

WAR 2.0 Irregular Warfare in the Information Age by

Thomas Rid and Marc Hecker

Westport, ed. Praeger, 2009 War 2.0 argues that two intimately connected trends are putting modern armies under huge pressure to adapt: the rise of insurgencies and the rise of the Web. It traces the contrasting ways in which insurgents and counterinsurgents have adapted irregular conflict. It examines the public affairs policies of the U.S. land forces, the British Army, and the Israel Defense Forces. Then it compares the media-related counterinsurgency methods of these conventional armies to the more diverse methods devised by their asymmetric adversaries, showing how such organizations as al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and Hezbollah use the Web not merely to advertise their political agenda and influence public opinion, but to mobilize a following and put insurgent operations into action. But the same technology that tends to level the operational playing field in irregular warfare also incurs heavy costs on terrorists and insurgents. ENDORSEMENTS: Christopher Coker, Professor of International Relations, The London School of Economics: "Thematically rich and masterfully constructed, this book shows how our wired-up world has changed the operational environment, making both war and insurgency more complex, decentralised, and bottom-up. Few other books have grasped so effectively the seismic change in the character of war. War 2.0 is Clausewitz rebooted for the 21st century." Noah Shachtman, Wired magazine, editor of Danger Room, a security blog: "High-tech revolutions are rocking the military and the media,

toppling hierarchies, and upending traditional players. Until now, no one has shown how these twin upheavals are linked--and feeding one another. War 2.0 reveals how the old ways of war and communications are coming apart, and what the chaotic, self-organizing, networked future is likely to be." ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Thomas Rid worked for several think tanks including Ifri and the Rand Corporation. He is currently a research fellow at Johns Hopkins University. He is author of War and Media Operations (2007). Marc Hecker is a research fellow at Ifri's Security Studies Center and author of several books, including La presse franĂ§aise et la premiĂ¨re guerre du Golfe (2003).

Publisher's press office contact: reviewcopies@abc-clio.com Ifri's press office: Natacha Crance - 0033 1 40 61 60 22 / crance@ifri.org

IFRI: www.ifri.org

Epilogue

Regional in Content National in Presence

because there is more to know

J&Kâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only news/current affairs publication with all-India presence Ask for your copy at : ? Abhijeet Sagar Book Center Pune, MAHARASHTRA

? American Book Center Anna Salai, Chennai TAMIL NADU

? B N Dey & Co. Pan Bazaar, Guwahati ASSAM

? Deepak Kumar Magazine Agents, Patna BIHAR

? Dey & Bose Magazine Agent Howrah, WEST BENGAL

? Ideal Books Tutors Line, Trissur KERALA

Oxford Book Stores NEW DELHI, MUMBAI, KOLKATTA, CHENNAI, BANGALORE & GOA

? JMD Book House Shimla HIMACHAL PRADESH

? Life Book House Himidira Road Bhopal MADHYA PRADESH

? Modern Book House Lucknow, UTTAR PRADESH

? Rajesh Agencies Jaipur RAJASTHAN

? Shams News Agency Farmanwadi, Hyderabad ANDHRA PRADESH

? Uniquality News Agency Bapuji Nagar, Bhubaneshwar ORISSA

Central News Agency NEW DELHI