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BGSBU BGSBUBGSBUBGSBUBGSBU
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BGSBUBGSBUBGSBUBGSBU UNIVERSITY
SBU BGSBU BGSBUBGSBUBGSBUBGSBU
RAJOURI - 185131 (J&K)

ANNOUNCES ADMISSION 2009

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shall be available for sale from January 20, 2009, at
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1

Epilogue
because there is more to know

www.epilogue.in CONTENT
Editor Contributors to this Issue 2
Zafar Iqbal Choudhary Prologue 3
Letters 4
Publisher Note Book 6
Yogesh Pandoh
Special Report
Revisiting Srinagar-Central on 9
Consulting Editor 20th Anniversary of Bloodshed
D. Suba Chandran Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

Associate Editors Ladakh Special

Irm Amin Baig Ladakh Scraps Sagheer Report 11
Tsewang Rigzin Volume 4, Issue 2, February 2010 Demands Union Territory
Tsewang Rigzin
Why Union Territory for Ladakh 13
General Manager Rigzin Spalbar
Kartavya Pandoh
I N FOCUS
Chinese Cattle Grazing Ladakh Grass 16
Government’s Performance Review Tsewang Rigzin
Art Editor Iqbal as an Advocate of Disabled 17
23 Omar Abdullah Vidhya Ramasubban
Keshav Sharma The Man, Not in Hurry Pagir- In Service of Ladakh 19
One year - So far, So good Vidhya Ramasubban
Zafar Choudhary
Research Officer LAHDC asked to work out policy 20
27 Finance
Raman Sharma Abdul Rahim Rather on Culture
Tsewang Rigzin
29 Housing & Urban Development
Tara Chand Ladakh Grieved as Stakna Rinpochey 20
Phones & email
30 Hajj & Auqaf, Fisheries Passes Away
Office : +91 191 2493136 Ajaz Ahmed Khan Tsewang Rigzin
Editorial: +91 94191 80762 31 Rural Development The Winds of Change : 21
Administration: +91 94191 82518 Ali Mohammad Sagar Beyond Conventional Tourism
Subscriptions : +91 90188 87136 32 Tourism Thinlas Chorol
Nawang Rigzin Jora
editor@epilogue.in 34 Cooperatives Society
subscription@epilogue.in Dr Manohar Lal Sharma
The Gujjar-Pahari Divide and 47
34 School Education Local Politics of Rajouri, Poonch
Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed
Printed and Published by Ahmad Shannas
36 CA&PD and Transport
Yogesh Pandoh for Epilogue Qamar Ali Akhoon
NewsCraft from Ibadat House, 37 Roads & Buildings Column
G.M. Saroori Empire and Regional Identities : 50
Madrasa Lane, Near Graveyard,
39 Forests Kashmir Under the Mughals-I
Bathindi Top, Jammu, J&K - 180012 Mian Altaf Ahmed Prof. Jigar Mohammed
and Printed at : DEE DEE 40 Agriculture Her Big Brother Died Fighting 52
Reprographix, 3 Aikta Ashram, New Ghulam Hassan Mir for me and for you...
Rehari Jammu (J&K) 41 Higher Education Manisha Sobhrajani
Abdul Gani Malik
42 Industries & Commerce
Disputes, if any, subject to jurisdiction Surjeet Singh Slathia
of courts and competitive tribunals in 43 Revenue & Relief
Raman Bhalla
Jammu only. 44 Health
Sham Lal Sharma
RNI : JKENG/2007/26070 45 Medical, Education, Sports
R S Chib
ISN : 00974-5653
46 Social Welfare
Price : Rs 30 Skina Ittoo

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

2 CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE 2

Choral, Thinlas; (Ladakh Special, Rigzin, Tsewang; (Ladakh Special,

p21) is a researcher based in Leh.
She is currently working at a
research project sponsored by New
Delhi based Charkha Development
and Communication Network
Choudhary, Zafar; (In Focus, p23) is
Editor of Epilogue Magazine and
also Executive Editor of Early
Times, Daily Newspaper from
Jammu
p11) is an eminent journalist and
researcher. He is Associate Editor
of Epilogue based in Leh, Ladakh
Shannas, Ahmed; (Society, p47)
recently retired as a bureaucrat
with Jammu and Kashmir
Government. However, he is
known better for his literary
pursuits. He has many Urdu books
to his credit

Fayyaz, Ahmed Ali; (Special Report, Sobhrajani, Manisha (Features,

9) is a senior journalist, political
analyst and columnist based at
Srinagar, Kashmir
Mohammed, Prof Jigar; (History,
p50) is professor of History at the
University of Jammu. He is
associated with Epilogue since
inception as Editorial Advisor on
History of Jammu and Kashmir
P52), is a Delhi based independent
researcher working on the various
aspects of Kashmir conflict. She
divides her time between Delhi
and Jammu and Kashmir
Spalbar, Rigzin; (Ladakh Special,
p13) if former Chairman of Ladakh
Autonomous Hill Development
Council, Leh

Ramasubban, Vidhya; (Ladakh

Special, 17) is a development
activist working in Ladakh. She is
consultant with PAGIR, a Leh based
advocacy group

Readers' requests for getting in touch with the

authors, for feedback, comments and further
discussions on their subjects of interest, are
welcome. Since all authors/contributors are not
interested in taking mails directly, the readers are
requested to send us interview requests at
editor@epilogue.in for passing on to the authors

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

3 PROLOGUE
A Year After
ZAFAR CHOUDHARY
A
t Epilogue, we had
conceived an editorial
p oli c y foc u si n g a t
purely academic and
d e v e l o p m e n t
journalism leaving the current
trends of political happenings to
newspapers. However, third month
into our publication we saw the
power politics in Jammu and Kashmir
running through collision course –the
ruling partners Peoples Democratic
Party and Congress taking each other
heads on. Government came at brink
of collapse in March 2007 and leaders
of both parties claimed that their
stands were the best in interest of
people. That was the first
temptation to examine and discuss
big egos of not so big men. Therefore
our April 2007 issues titled 'Vote Bank
Standoff' earned wide appreciations
gradually we moved on include the
issues of governance and power
politics in every issue with purely
academic approach. Our February
2009 issue titled 'Agenda for Omar
Government' was rare offering of its
kind in which experts of national
repute joined to write down their
suggestions for the government to
list those as priorities. Notable
among the agenda setters were
former Foreign Secretary Salman
www.epilogue.in
From the Editor
Haider, former J&K Chief Secretary
Ashok Jaitley, noted author Balraj
Puri, activist Madhu Kishwar and
policy expert PR Chari. The issue
listed expectations. A year after,
when we look at the contents of
February 2009 issue and compare the
suggestions with delivery of
government, it figures out that
effort was not a waste. We don't
have a reason to believe that the
government was guided by the
agenda set out in Epilogue but it
appears that the government
worked on the issues we had listed as
important. This can be a
FEBRUARY 2009
coincidence. The present issue
offers a one-year performance
analysis of the government in key
areas of governance. While a
comprehensive review can well of
out of the scope and possibility like
a small institution and publication
like ours, the analysis is based on
visible performance indicators
backed with public perception of
change and a certain level of
statistics. It is hoped that this issue
serves well the government as a
feedback and the public as a
performance review of the
government.
Feedback :
zafarchoudhary@epilogue.in APRIL 2009
Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010
Letters 4
Readers Write

Divide the Discrimination, Unite the State

T his is in response to the various articles, regarding the issue of
discrimination, published in the month of October 09, and in the
subsequent issues of your esteemed magazine. It seems to me as a one
sided affair as the view point taken from valley was negligible
After the forced partition of Kashmir in 1948 into Indian administered
Kashmir and Pakistan administered Kashmir, IAK which is now known as
Jammu and Kashmir, has to confront many hurdles (both internal and
external), which has hampered its development, though some of them
may have vanished but some keep on haunting. One of them is the little
dangerous god i.e. “ghost of discrimination”.
Let us try to trace the contours of this god. As we know, J&K comprises
of three regions; Jammu, Kashmir and ladakh. Jammu has been
complaining of discrimination for long, Kashmir has now also rose to the
occasion and has joined the chorus, while as ladakh blames both of
them.
In Jammu the politicians have played this card on a regular basis. Even
the politicians of national level like L K Advani used this card in the
parliamentary elections, when he said, “jammu aik tou jeetay jammu”.
In kashmir this ghost has started its haunting operations also. Recently, a
spectrum of intellectuals gathered in the famous nigeen club (situated
at the banks of Nigeen Lake, in srinager) and debated on the issue,
almost all of them were of this view that kashmiris are being
discriminated. OCTOBER 2009
In my opinion the problem can be resolved by addressing the root cause,
which is in the form of regionalism. In order to dilute the strength of the notion of the discrimination, the root cause of
regionalism is to be eradicated. Let the regions be divided into sub-regions;
1) Jammu can be divided into three sub regions; - Jammu plains, chenab valley and pir panchal valley.
2) Kashmir can be divided into three sub-regions; - central Kashmir , south Kashmir and north kashmir
3) Ladakh can be divided into two sub-regions; - Leh and kargil
Then these sub-regions should be given a good amount of autonomy equivalent to a province. This will not only settle the
issue of discrimination but will also help in locating new investment avenues. It may be the first instance of its kind where
dividing the regions (read discrimination) will unite the state.
I hope that these few lines will be taken into consideration by the concerned authorities, while framing the future of
state, so that we can have a sigh of relief and can say “all is well”.
MA SUFI
Srinagar

The school which produced an IAS

G overnment Middle School, Demote, in Rehan village of Rajouri district has rare honours in twin border districts
of Rajouri and Poonch for producing first IAS from the region. It is a matter of pride village and inspiration for
students. Immediately after his selection in IAS, Dr Shahid Iqbal who studied here upto 7th standard visited the
school and interacted with teachers and students. His family donated Rs 21000 and two kanals of land to the school.
Since his students all 75 students of this middle school are a different lot –they are inspirited, motivated and
encouraged, they are dreaming to reach where Shahid has. The problem, however, is that for 75 students there is
only one room which serves as class room, staff room, kitchen store and everything a school requires. There is no
compound wall and no toilets. There is no class when it rains, when it is cold or when it is hot. Is this fair weather
school right place for the students to dream big? Yes, they can dream but may not be able to do big. Is anyone
listening?
NIAZ AHMED
On behalf of villagers of Rehan

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

5 Letters
Readers Write

Darling of Ladakh
E pilogue's extensive coverage of Ladakh just
shows it's proficiency in professional
journalism. It clearly indicates that it's a
magazine with clear-cut visions and definite
missions spearheaded by a sensible editorial
board. Hence it covers the uncovered regions
and areas of Jammu and Kashmir, and puts in the
picture what has not been done so by the
mainstream media hitherto. Bringing special
issues on Ladakh once in a year, with very
limited readership, well vindicate their
seriousness vis-à-vis responsible journalism in an
era where marketability of news and events are
looked upon first than its suitability and
AUGUST 2009 NOVEMBER 2007
desirability for the society. But, I believe,
prominently covering an area like Ladakh would definitely impinge on it on the commercial front.
As it breaks free from the shackles of corporate journalism that sells only the sensational, tells only the told and hears
only the heard ones, Epilogue gives space to the unheard and unknown writers and scholars who generally come out with
extremely interesting stories and incredibly refreshing ideas. The budding writers and scholars from regions like Ladakh (and
other far flung areas of the state) get a good platform to express their ideas/stories and also to nurture their respective
vocations/professions. Furthermore, Epilogue, I believe, is the first magazine (or a news paper) in J&K that has found it
desirable to have a Ladakhi in its editorial board—especially not just for the sake of it, but to add sensibility and
responsiveness to issues emerging out of all three regions of the state.
SONAM CHOSJAR
Leh

Alternative Way of Negotiating

I sit miles away from home romanticizing the legendary beauty of Jammu and Kashmir; nurturing nostalgia for a past that
can never be recovered in the form I was most familiar with; cherishing the pervasive tranquility brought on by my
contemplation of the intricately carved shrines, architecturally superb temples, and mesmerizing monasteries of Jammu and
Kashmir; filled with longing for the call of the mountains that beckons the diasporic subject to return; irate at the
communal, regional, and linguistic divides created by destructive forces; experiencing a helplessness at being unable to put
together the pieces of the political puzzle that continues to remain irresolvable; shivering at the cold-blooded manipulations
of our political and bureaucratic machinery, I riffle through the past issues of Epilogue magazine.
Epilogue voices not just politically savvy but culturally sensitive opinions as well. It provides a forum at which heterogeneity
in terms of cultural, political, social, and regional ideologies, is fostered and encouraged. Reading a magazine that does not
subscribe to myopic ideologies rejuvenates the mind and resuscitates the spirit. In a region which has experienced armed
insurgency, resurgence of religious fundamentalisms, militant nationalism, gendered violence, increasing militarization; some
genuine attempts to fight for the right of self-determination of the people of J & K; some disingenuous attempts to entrench
regional and religious fault lines, Epilogue has successfully created a space for the critical analysis of
nation-building, identity politics, state-sponsored violence, discriminatory politics, etc. Although
still young, exactly three years old, Epilogue is creating a healthy and vibrant discourse community.
Epilogue has opened up an alternative way of negotiating the construction of conflictual identities. I
congratulate Zafar Chaudhary for having undertaken a laudable venture. I wish Epilogue the very
best in its commendable attempts to engage multiple voices and opinions.
NYLA ALI KHAN
Author of Islam, Women and Violence in Kashmir

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

NOTE BOOK 6
Awards & Honours

RAIN OF AWARDS

Men, Women of Exceptional Order

January is always a month of honours and accolades and this year's Republic Day came with a rain of
awards for Jammu and Kashmir. While the valiant Gujjar girl of a Rajouri village Rukhsana Kausar
bagged Kirti Chakra, the highest peacetime gallantry award, three exceptional performers from the
state were conferred with Padma awards.

Padma honours
For third consecutive year, three
eminent personalities from Jammu and
Kashmir have bagged the Padma Awards ARUN JOSHI MAHRUKH INAYAT IFTIKHAR GILANI BASHARAT DAR NIDHI RAAZDAN Lt Gen BS JAMWAL BR SHARMA ASHOK GUPTA

–the country's highest civilian awards.

Ghulam Mohammad Mir has been
awarded Padma Shri for Public Services
while Dr Jitender Udhampuri and Prof
Hamidi Kashmiri have bagged the same
award for their notable contribution in
Education and Literature. Mir, a resi-
dent of Beerwah village in Badgam dis-
trict of central Kashmir, runs a non-
governmental organization.

Gallantry awards
Major Mohit Sharma of 1 Para (Spe-
cial Forces), Major D Sreeram Kumar of
30 Assam Rifles and Havildar Rajesh
Kumar of 11 Rajputana Rifles were the
recipients of this year's Ashok Chakra.
Maj Mohit Sharma, born in Jhansi in
Uttar Pradesh and commissioned in 90
Medium Regiment (Artillery) in March
2004, will get the award posthumously
as he was killed in a battle with terror- RUKHSANA KOSSER
ists in the Hafruda forest in Jammu and
Kashmir in March 2009. Sher-e-Kashmir awards Jameel Ahmed Khatana, Deputy Super-
President Patil presented Kirti As many as 28 cops of Jammu and intendent o Police, Sukh Dev Singh, Dep-
Chakra, the second highest peace time Kashmir Police clinched this year's Presi- uty Superintendent of Police, Peerzada
gallantry medal, to Rukhsana Kausar, a dent's Police Medal for Gallantry and Dis- Naveed, Deputy Superintendent of
village girl from border district of tinguished Services. Police, Rajinder Singh Rahi, Inspector,
Rajouri, who shot into limelight after The Gallantry Medal awardees are Pawan Singh, Sub-Inspector, Kafeel
killing a Lashker-e-Taiba militant on Sep- Sardar Khan Superintendent of Police, Ahmed, Head Constable, Mohammad
tember 27, 2009 at Kalsian area of Mohammad Arshad Superintendent of Rafiq, Head Constable, and Constables,
Shahdra Shrief in Rajouri district of Police, Kaliraj Mahaish Kumar, Addi- Abdul Majid Najar, Mohammad Imran
Jammu and Kashmir. tional Superintendent of Police, Lone, Aijaz Ahmed Mir, Ishaq Ahmed and

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

7 NOTE BOOK
a Follower, Kanwal Singh.
The medals for Distinguished Ser-
vices awarded to the officers and
jawans of Jammu and Kashmir Police
include. Abdul Qayoom Manhas, Deputy
Inspector General of Police, (North Kash-
mir), Sunil Kumar Sharma, Deputy
Inspector General of Police (CID)
Jammu, Kasturi Lal Bhagat, Comman-
dant (JKAP) 12 Battalion, Shyam Sunder
Sharma, Superintendent of Police
(APCR), Jammu, Thakur Dass Saini,
Superintendent of Police, Railway Head-
quarters, Hial Ahmed Shah, Senior
Superintendent of Police, Telecommu-
nication, Jammu, Mr. Swatanter Kumar
(SDPO) City North, Jammu, Mohammad
Aslam, Deputy Superintendent of Police
(PHQ), Mr. Abdul Rashid Shah, Inspector
CID Headquarters, Aurengzeb Rather,
Sub-Inspector (DSB), Poonch, Mr.
Mohammad Rafiq Bhat Sub-Inspector,
(Police Component) Srinagar, Mr.
Mohammad Shafi, Sub-Inspector (SSG)
and Mr. Parvaiz Ahmed Malik, Head Con-
stable (JKAP), 13 Battalion.
The Sher-e-Kashmir Police Medal
for Gallantry and Meritorious Services, a
state level highest police award of
Jammu and Kashmir, went to 21 cops of
the state Police.
This year's gallantry award went to
Rajesh Kumar, IPS, Bashir Ahmed Khan,
SP Awantipore and Mohammad Aslam
ASP (Operations) Pulwama.
The Sheri-i-Kashmir Police Medals
for Meritorious Service awardees were
Ashok Kumar Gupta, IGP, Jammu Zone,
Johny William, SSP Security
Jammu, Kuldeep Krishan Raina, Inspec-
tor (PHQ) and Mehboob-ul-Haq, Inspec-
tor, Armed Headquarters.
Other awardees on gallantry cate-
gory included SDPO Hazratbnal,
Mubashir Bukhari, SDPO Shaheed Gunj,
Shahzad Ahmed Salaria, DY SP (Opera-
tions) Sopore, Mohammad Yousuf, SHO
Manjakote , Niaz Ahmed, Constables
Subash Chander and Javaid Ahmad.
SGCT, Kashmir Singh, Head Constables
Ram Rattan and Mohammad Rafi, Con-
stables, Ajeet Kumar, SPO Mr. Chuni Lal
The Sheri-i-Kashmir Police Medals
for Meritorious Service (independence
Day-2009) awardees t are DIG, Rail-
www.epilogue.in
ways, J&K Mohammad Sulamian Salaria,
SSP (AIG) Personnel (PHQ) ND Wani, SSP
PCR, Jammu, Jagdish Lal Sharma and
Head Constable, JKAP 7th Bn Charan
Dass.
7 scribes among 26 state awardees
On the eve of Republic Day the
Jammu and Kashmir government
announced an expanded list of State
awards in which 26 exceptional per-
formers were honoured in 10 different
categories:
? BRAVERY
Rukhsana Kosser and Mr Ajaz Ahmed
? LITERATURE
Prof Rehman Rahi, Kashmiri poet
and writer, Prof Sewa Singh, Punjabi
writer and Prof Veena Gupta (Dogri
writer)
? ARTS
Shameem Azad, (Singer), Kailash
Mehra (Singer), Pradhuman Singh
Jindrahia (Dogri folk artist) and
Ustad Ghulam Mohammad Saznawaz
(Sufiana Ustad)
? ARTS AND CRAFTS
Mohammad Shariq Farooqui, Direc-
tor, Craft Development Institute,
Srinagar
? SOCIAL SERVICE
Viklang Chhatra Trust, Akhnoor
? PUBLIC SERVICE
B.R. Sharma, IAS, Principal Secre-
tary to Government, Power Devel-
opment Department; Basharat
Ahmad Dhar, IAS, Commissioner/
Secretary to Government, General
Administration Department; Mr.
Nisar Ahmad Shah, Junior Engineer,
Rajpora Lift Irrigation Scheme, Irri-
gation and Flood Control Depart-
ment and Mr. Ishtaq Ahmad Khan,
Naib Tehsildar (Settlement), Reve-
nue Department.
? SPORTS PERSONS
Chhering Angchok, Nobra, Leh
(Mountaineering) and Bilquis Mir
(Kayaking and Canoeing)
? MEDIA PERSONS
Late Sonaullah Bhat (Posthumously)
Editor-in-Chief Urdu Daily Aftab;
Late Sofi Ghulam Mohammad (Post-
humously) Editor-in-Chief Urdu
Vol. 4, Issue 2
Awards & Honours
Daily Srinagar Times; Arun Joshi
(Deputy Editor Hindustan Times);
Nidhi Razdan, (NDTV), Marukh
Inayat, (Times News), Iftikhar
Geelani, (Kashmir Times) and
Maqsood Ahmad, Broadcast Journal-
ist, Radio Kashmir
INDUSTRIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
?
Taranveer Singh Gujral, M/S T. V.
Super Filter Industries, Jammu,
MEDIA
?
S h e h e r b e e n ( R a d i o K a s h m i r,
Srinagar)
143 medals for Northern Command
With its headquarters at Udhampur
in Jammu and Kashmir, the Northern
Command of Indian Army won as many
as 143 awards in three different catego-
ries of gallantry, conduct of operations
and distinguished service:
Leading upfront, Lt Gen BS Jaswal,
GOC-IN-C Northern Command was
awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal
(PVSM), which is the highest award for
distinguished service of an exceptional
order. Havildar Ashok Kumar of 11
Rajputana Rifles was posthumously
awarded the nation's highest peacetime
gallantry award - the Ashok Chakra.
Havildar Rajesh Kumar was part of a
team which was on a search mission in
the dense forest of Kupwara district of
Jammu and Kashmir. During this opera-
tion he killed three terrorists before lay-
ing down his life. Maj Suresh Suri was
also awarded the Kirti Chakra. The offi-
cer despite being injured retaliated
with fire from his AK-47 Rifle and also
lobbed a hand grenade, killing one ter-
rorist and injuring another. He laid down
his life fighting in the highest traditions
of the army. Other gallantry awards are,
15 Shaurya Chakras, two Bar to Sena
Medals and 73 Sena Medals. Three
Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and 10 Yudh
Seva Medals were awarded for success-
ful conduct of operations. The awards
for distinguished service are – two
PVSMs, one Bar to Ati Vishisht Seva
Medal (AVSM), three AVSMs, two Bar to
Sena Medal Distinguished, nine Sena
Medal Distinguished, six VSMs and 15
Mention-in-Despatches.
Epilogue, February 2010
Why Epilogue ?

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9 SPECIAL REPORT
Notes from Maisuma

Revisiting Srinagar-Central on
20th Anniversary of Bloodshed
AHMED ALI FAYYAZ

In 20th year of the movement for Azadi, Maisuma-Gawkadal –the central separatist hotspot of Srinagar
–came up with a queer presentation of its split personality as groups of people maintained their stone
pelting sessions against Police and CRPF and the JKLF Chief became the glamorous hero of a celebrity
wedding with the young Pakistani painter Mashaal Mullick. Amid a razzmatazz, wags were heard shouting:
“Bharat teri maut aayi, bhabhi aayi bhabhi aayi---a parody of once the popular slogan “Bharat teri maut
aayi, Lashkar aayi Lashkar aayi”.

I t doesn't take much to remember

and forget in the Valley. History is
replete with remembrance and
forgetfulness. Nobody remembered
Kashmir's last monarch Yusuf Shah for
over 400 years till Sheikh Abdullah and
Yusuf Taing went all the way to Biswak
(Bihar) to discover his tomb in 1977.
That again ended up as a celestial
event. Nobody talked of that Yusuf Shah
thereafter. May be someone does in
next 400 years.
With the Kashmiris finding Sher-e-
Kashmir's name on the fallen autumn
leaves of Chinar in 1950s, he himself had
reduced to a sub-conscious entity in
early 1970s. Pakistan's defeat in two
successive wars in between pushed A scene of complete shutdown in Maisuma sometimes in summer 2009.
Sheikh to a far bitter mundane reality. Epilogue File Photo
The referendum in his mind voted for
power. Days to come vindicated Sheikh's Sheikh conquered Srinagar with a Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, with a
decision. Valley dismissed him as a massive gathering as melancholy faded courtesy lift to then Sopore MLA Syed Ali
traitor and observed total shutdown on into euphoria and jubilation on his Shah Geelani, came all the way from
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's call on the day of his arrival in Lalchowk on that historic day Civil Secretariat of Jammu and landed
decision to return to the chair of Chief of spring in 1975. One-odd voice of his flying machine on the Mahaz-e-Azadi
Minister. Three days later, Kashmiris dissent, Sofi Mohammad Akbar, was chief's town. He even set free Sofi's
gave him a veritable hero's welcome as consigned to oblivion. In contrast to protégé Azam Inquilabi for whose
thousands of them gathered on either Sheikh's million-strong funeral signing of parole die-hard Farooq
side of the highway to greet and garland procession in 1982, Sofi's last rites in Rehmani had failed to find a surety in
him. 1988 became a bit of 'news' only when the valley of four million people.

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

SPECIAL REPORT
Notes from Maisuma
Nobody remembered Maqbool Bhat
on the day of his execution at Tihar Jail
on February 11 in 1984. Abdul Gani
Lone's loud calls of shutdown fell on the
deaf ears on that day and the following
anniversaries. It took the people of
Valley six long years to first remember
Bhat in February 1990. By that time they
had forgotten Sheikh Abdullah and
begun to remember Sheikh Mukhtar---
the lion of the African desert.
Much like Sofi Akbar's loneliness in
1988, Sheikh Abdullah in 1990-95 had
one-odd homage payer at his grand
mausoleum at Hazratbal in Maqbool Shah
Khaksaar of Ikhrajpora, who never hid his
pride of leading Sher-e-Kashmir's militia
to repulse the Pakistani tribal raider's
invasion in 1947 till he was gunned down
by guerrillas outside his mosque in 2005.
In 1990s, Kashmiris did
enthusiastically begin to remember
another Yusuf Shah, albeit only after his
turning into the Hizbul Mujahideen
chief 'Syed Salah-ud-din'. Nobody really
knows how long Shah's guns and amulets
loom large on their conscious mind.
It was exactly on this day of
January 21 in 1990 that the real
foundation stone of a defiant,
secessionist movement was laid in
Kashmir with a major massacre. CRPF
troops opened machinegun fire from
their sandbag bunkers on an Azadi
procession, killing nearly 50 civilians at
Gawkadal. Anniversaries for the next
many years did not need anybody's call
to ensure a total shutdown in entire
Valley. Those critical of the brutal
killing of SHO Maisuma , Sadullah, by
the 'Mujahideen' a year before, and
gunning down of two IB officials around
the same spot later, vanished into the
thick fog of the sentiment of Azadi.
First murmur of protest in
Gawkadal came three years later when
JKLF gunmen allegedly committed
rape-cum-murder of a mother and
www.epilogue.in
daughter of the Braroo family of the
staying back Kashmiri Pandits at Basant
Bag. It was silenced with just a couple of
browbeats.
This Maisuma-Gawkadal-
Basantbagh locality, bordering Srinagar
uptown and downtown, came to be
remembered later for being the
residence of JKLF Chairman, Yasin
Malik. Much more than the massacre,
people later began to remember it for
being a rendezvous of the Indian
And look what the champions of Azadi
did on the 20th birth day of the
Gawkadal massacre: Biggest crowd
puller Geelani shot off a statement of
tributes from his second home in the
Indian Capital, New Delhi; Others from
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to Maulvi Abbas
Ansari to Bilal Gani Lone to Prof Abdul
Gani to Shabir Shah even didn't do that
in their luxurious drawing rooms in
Srinagar. There was no activity in the
Valley, either at the Martyrs Graveyard
or elsewhere, as everybody seemed to
be busy with routine daily chores.
Business was brisk at Lalchowk and
around. Yasin Malik addressed a
gathering of a little over 100 fellow
residents at Maisuma to remember the
Gawkadal martyrs and tell his audience
that their blood wouldn't go waste.
intellectuals, mediapersons and foreign
diplomats who for years thronged
Malik's non-descript house and office.
One day, even Kuldeep Nayar found
himself tired of offering glasses of juice
to break Malik's weekly and fortnightly
fasts-unto-death. And he turned his
back on Maisuma. With that change in
the atmosphere, it required a much
stressed call from militants and Hurriyat
to remember the martyrs of the
Gawkadal massacre on January 21. In
the next couple of years, militants and
Vol. 4, Issue 2
10
Hurriyat themselves forgot to issue a
call of strike on this historic day.
This Wall Street of Azadi observed
total boycott to all Assembly and Lok
Sabha elections from 1996 to 2004 but
flocked to the polling booths at
Veterinary Hospital and Mallinson
School in the Municipal Elections of
2005. A couple of years before, Chief
Minister Mufti Sayeed's demolition
squads had the temerity of dismantling
an unauthorized projection of a shop
that belonged to once revered, once
dreaded Yasin Malik's close relative.
In 20th year of the movement,
Maisuma-Gawkadal came up with a
queer presentation of its split
personality as groups of people
maintained their stone pelting sessions
against Police and CRPF and the JKLF
Chief became the glamorous hero of a
celebrity wedding with the young
Pakistani painter Mashaal Mullick. Amid
a razzmatazz, wags were heard
shouting: “Bharat teri maut aayi,
bhabhi aayi bhabhi aayi---a parody of
once the popular slogan “Bharat teri
maut aayi, Lashkar aayi Lashkar aayi”.
And look what the champions of
Azadi did on the 20th birth day of the
Gawkadal massacre: Biggest crowd
puller Geelani shot off a statement of
tributes from his second home in the
Indian Capital, New Delhi; Others from
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to Maulvi Abbas
Ansari to Bilal Gani Lone to Prof Abdul
Gani to Shabir Shah even didn't do that
in their luxurious drawing rooms in
Srinagar. There was no activity in the
Valley, either at the Martyrs Graveyard
or elsewhere, as everybody seemed to
be busy with routine daily chores.
Business was brisk at Lalchowk and
around. Yasin Malik addressed a
gathering of a little over 100 fellow
residents at Maisuma to remember the
Gawkadal martyrs and tell his audience
that their blood wouldn't go waste.
Epilogue, February 2010
11 LADAKH SPECIAL
Politics

Ladakh Scraps Sagheer Report;

Demands Union Territory
TSEWANG RIGZIN

The report on Prime Minister's Working Group on “Centre-State relations” submitted to the
government of Jammu and Kashmir by Justice (Retd) Sagheer Ahmad has anguished the people of
Ladakh and evoked strong objections against recommending autonomy to the State of Jammu &
Kashmir and ruling out the status of Union Territory (UT) for Ladakh region

A
s the Working Group rejects
Union Territory status for Ladakh,
the Leh based political parties
including the District Congress
Committee (DCC) Leh and the Ladakh
Union Territory Front (LUTF) have pro-
jected strong resentment by staging
dharnas and organizing public meetings
against the Sagheer report, terming it
as prepared under the influence of cer-
tain political forces that advocate
autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir.
With this the UT demand has cer-
tainly intensified once again. Religious
associations are also trying to float a
new conglomeration with representa-
tives of all political and religious organi-
zations to carry forward the UT demand
without politicizing the issue. This move
was first initiated by the Youth Wing of
the Ladakh Buddhists Association (LBA).
“The Prime Minister's constituted
Working Group's report on the 'Centre-
State relations' presented by Justice
Sagheer is shocking for Ladakh as it has
ignored the UT demand of Ladakhis. We,
therefore, felt the need to form an
action committee on the UT issue with
all political and religious organizations
of Leh on board,” said Tsewang
Thinless, President LBA Youth, adding
that the LBA had already consulted all
Leh based political and religious organi-
zations in this regard. All political par-
ties having their office in Leh, Muslims
communities (Shia and Suni) and the
Christian community have expended
their support for the LBA to pursue the
UT demand. Welcoming such an apoliti-
cal forum for demanding UT status, ES
Gergan, Principal Moravian Mission
Ashraf Ali Barcha, President Anjuman
Imamia Leh feels that at the present
scenario, no organization seems too
effective to put forth the UT demand
strongly. “The proposed
conglomeration of different
organizations of Leh will be helpful to
strongly demand the UT status for
Ladakh collectively,” he added
reiterating the 'in principle' support of
the Shia community to the UT demand
School Leh, said that as a community
Christians of Leh “will always support
anything that is good for Ladakh”.
Ashraf Ali Barcha, President Anjuman
Imamia Leh feels that at the present sce-
nario, no organization seems too effec-
tive to put forth the UT demand
strongly. “The proposed conglomera-
tion of different organizations of Leh
will be helpful to strongly demand the
UT status for Ladakh collectively,” he
added reiterating the 'in principle' sup-
port of the Shia community to the UT
demand. With the support of all politi-
cal and religious organizations to this
'third front for UT', sources say that the
first meeting of the front is likely to be
held in February to chalk out strategies
to advocate the UT demand for Ladakh.
Last year when the Government of
India proposed to hold “quiet talks”
with all shades of opinions to find an ami-
cable solution to the Kashmir issue, peo-
ple of Ladakh urged the Government of
India to involve Ladakh also in the pro-
posed talks. Reiterating the longstand-
ing Union Territory demand for Ladakh,
the Congress Party passed a resolution
appealing to the Prime Minster and the
Home Minister to involve the people of
Ladakh as well in the proposed talks.
“Ladakh, from all aspects, fulfils all cri-
teria for creating a Union Territory. At
the same time people of Ladakh,
through this resolution, firmly place on
record, that we reject any solutions like
Autonomy or Self rule or restoration of
pre-53 status to the state of Jammu &
Kashmir which involves Ladakh in it. In
the event of finding a final solution to
the Kashmir issue, come what may,
Ladakh shall not settle for anything less
than Union Territory with Legislature for
it,” the resolution reads.

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

LADAKH SPECIAL
Politics
In a memorandum presented to the
Prime Minister on January 23, Thupstan
Chhewang, President- Patron LUTF, has
accused Justice (retd) Sagir Ahmed of
preparing a document on his own with-
out even showing its draft to the
Working Group. “Justice (retd) Sagir
Ahmed has given a report which has
rejected our demand for the Union
Territory status without even going to
the merits of the issue and sparing a
thought for our feelings. We had high
hopes from the Working Group headed
by him and appointed by you with the
best of intentions for reaching a consen-
sus on the Centre-State relations”,
memorandum reads adding that the
report has ignored the multi-region,
multi-ethnic and secular character of
the State. Chhewang was the Lok Sabha
MP from Ladakh when the Working
Group was constituted. He was also a
member of the Working Group on the
“Centre-State relations”. The
Congress Party in Leh criticized
Chhewang for failing to raise the Union
Territory demand effectively at
Working Group meetings.
Amidst all oppositions against this
report, came the shocking statement by
Hassan Khan, the Lok Sabha MP from
Ladakh, who without any consultation
meetings with the public, went on to
supporting the report that recom-
mended Autonomy to the State. Mr.
Khan has endorsed the report in an
interview to the Lok Sabha TV channel
and in an Urdu Daily, called Hindustan
Express on January 21, 2010. In protest
of his statement, calling it unilateral
and 'unwarranted', the Congress Party
has called a complete Ladakh bandh on
January 30, 2010.
Rigzin Spalbar, President District
Congress Committee, Leh, represented
Ladakh in a day long Dharna staged at
Jantar Mantar New Delhi on 14 January
by the Bhartiya Federation for New
states when leaders from different
states of India, along with their support-
www.epilogue.in
ers demanded creation of New States
of Telangana in Andhra Pradesh,
Vidharbha in Maharashtra, Bundel
Khand, Harit Pradesh, Sonanchal in UP,
Saurashtra in Gujrat, Gorkhaland in
West Bengal, Bodoland in Assam and
Union Territory for Ladakh. While advo-
cating the conferment of Union
Territory status to Ladakh with
Legislature, Rigzin Spalbar, who was
made a member of the Executive Body
of the Bhartiya Federation for New
states, strongly criticized Justice
Sagheer Ahmed for not recommending
UT for Ladakh in the Working Group
Amidst all oppositions against this
report, came the shocking statement by
Hassan Khan, the Lok Sabha MP from
Ladakh, who without any consultation
meetings with the public, went on to
supporting the report that
recommended Autonomy to the State.
Mr. Khan has endorsed the report in an
interview to the Lok Sabha TV channel
and in an Urdu Daily, called Hindustan
Express on January 21, 2010. In protest
of his statement, calling it unilateral and
'unwarranted', the Congress Party has
called a complete Ladakh bandh on
January 30, 2010
report and vowed that Ladakh shall
never be a part of J&K with Autonomy
and fight to the last blood to achieve UT
for Ladakh. Justifying the UT demand
for Ladakh and seeking support from
leaders and people nationwide, he
argued that after the accession of
Jammu & Kashmir with the Indian
Union, there was no ground left to keep
Ladakh still as a part of the State,
because Ladakh was forcefully annexed
to the Dogra Rule by Jammu Maharaja
Gulab Singh's Army general Zorawar
Singh in 1834.
It is pertinent to mention here that
Vol. 4, Issue 2
12
during the Dogra regime of nearly a cen-
tury and a quarter, Ladakhi people had
countless bitter experiences at the
hands of Kashmiri administrators. In
addition to this, continued discrimina-
tions meted out to Ladakhi people by
successive rulers of J&K for decades
after the independence, further inten-
sified Ladakh's demand for separation
from Jammu & Kashmir. There are his-
torical documents that reveal that right
after the independence, even before
Jammu & Kashmir finally acceded to the
Indian Union, people of Ladakh sought
separation of Ladakh from Jammu &
Kashmir, and appealed to the
Government of India to administer
Ladakh directly from the Center on the
pattern of the North Eastern Frontier
Area (NEFA) administration or to make it
a part of erstwhile East Punjab.
In the present political scenario of
the State, Ladakh, that had been an
independent kingdom for about nine
centuries until 1830s, has been reduced
to mere two districts. This unique
region has its unique problems for which
most of the laws legislated by the State
Government go against the interests of
the people of Ladakh.
Anyone with an average common
sense would easily understand that it
doesn't make any sense to keep Ladakh
forcefully with Jammu & Kashmir
despite that fact that Ladakh has noth-
ing in common linguistically, culturally,
historically and geographically with
other parts of Jammu & Kashmir.
Moreover snow falls in winter months
cause the closure of Ladakh-Srinagar
highway for about six months a year
thereby isolating Ladakh physically
from rest of the State.
Geographically Ladakh constitutes
two-third of the entire State of Jammu
& Kashmir, but at present in the 87 mem-
ber state assembly, representation to
Ladakh is very minimal as there are only
four seats, two each for Leh and Kargil
districts.
Epilogue, February 2010
13 LADAKH SPECIAL
Opinion

Why Union Territory

for Ladakh ?
RIGZIN SPALBAR

From the very outset Ladakh's political merger with J&K did not form any natural cohesion and proved to
be a folly throughout. Except for the Dogras' suzerainty as a commonality, Ladakh is fundamentally
different from Kashmir in all respects - culturally, ethnically and linguistically. Over the years the
successive governments of the state have adopted a policy of discrimination and subversion towards the
region with the sole objective of oppressing its people and marginalizing its historical, ethnic and cultural
identity.

L adakh was once an independent
Himalayan Kingdom. The political
history of Ladakh dates back to
930 A.D. when several small, sovereign
principalities outlying the Western
Himalayas were integrated and given a
unified polity by Lha-Chen-Palgigon.
Ladakh as an independent kingdom
gained political status during 15th-16th
century when the Namgyal dynasty
came into power. The reign of the
Namgyal dynasty lasted until 1842 when
a Dogra General, Zorawar Singh,
annexed Ladakh into the Dogra Empire.
After 100 years of Dogra rule, Ladakh
alongwith Jammu and Kashmir became
an integral part of India in 1947.
In the modern times, when the
whole subcontinent has passed through
the process of decolonization to enjoy
the fruits of national independence,
we, the people of Ladakh, and our land
still continue to suffer under the old
concept of colonial administrative
structure, which suited the imperial
interests and feudal rulers under the
name of the pseudo-state of Jammu and
Kashmir. Gandhiji and other national
leaders emancipated the Indian masses
from the oppressive alien domination,
exploitation, feudal and colonial rule,
but we, the people of Ladakh, with a
distinct identity of our own have been
pushed under an oppressive political
domination of Kashmiris and denied the
fruits of freedom and national
independence.
The State of Jammu and Kashmir,
the territorial limits of which never
formed a natural geopolitical entity in
its real sense, still suffers from
geopolitical crises and disorder.
Frederic Drew who served as Governor
in Ladakh in the 19th century remarked
that “the territories of Jammu and
Kashmir have no other bond of cohesion
than the fact of Maharaja's rule, no
simple name for it exists.”
The degree of heterogeneity among
the three regions is very high not only in
form but also in sharpness. In the case of
Ladakh this heterogeneity is expressed
not only in terms of its totally different
physiographic setting but also manifest in
its ethnic composition, language, faith,
philosophy and culture. In the last 52
years of independence, the people of
Ladakh, not only have suffered rampant
Kashmiri political domination but also
severe drive of separatism.
In the absence of any study which
has analysed Ladakh's problems from a
nationalistic and political perspective,
our endeavour is three-fold. Firstly, we
intend to highlight the emergence and
assertion of national identity,
patriotism and national integration
among the Ladakhis towards our
motherland. Secondly, we want to have
an objective assessment of the political
exploitation of the people of Ladakh
and the Ladakhi's resistance towards
Kashmiri sub-nationalism. Thirdly, we
are determined to mobilize public
opinion and national consensus in order
to evolve a new perspective towards the
reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir
State.
The history of modern Ladakh can
be considered as the history of the
emergence and assertion of nationalism
and integration with modern India.
Nationalism became the mass ideology
propagated and perpetuated by the
leadership of Ven. Kushok Bakula.
Nationalism remained a dominant
ideological creed and became a rallying
force among the Ladakhis to fight back
the Pakistanis and the Chinese who
made frequent bids to conquer our land

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

LADAKH SPECIAL
Opinion
in 1948, 1962, 1965, 1971 and 1999
wars. The jawans of Ladakh Scouts
played an exemplary role in decisively
foiling the enemy's misadventures. The
people of Ladakh always stood for
national unity and integrity of the
country. We always supported the
Government in Delhi, irrespective of
the political party in power.
At the time of the British plan to
partition India we made our stand clear
vis-a-vis our position within the State of
J&K through our memoranda to the
Maharaja of J&K and to the Prime
Minister of India.
Based on bitter experience that
the people of Ladakh faced during the
period of a century, their growing
apprehensions for future were
explicitly communicated by the people
of Ladakh and adjoining areas to the
Maharaja through a memorandum in the
State Praja Sabha. It consists of three
alternative proposals:
(1) The Maharaja should govern
Ladakh directly without tagging it on to
Kashmir valley.
(2) Our homeland be amalgamated
with the province and should form a
separate province in which adequate
safeguard should be provided for
distinctive rights and interests of
Ladakhis.
(3) Ladakh should be permitted to
join East Punjab.
However, the Maharaja's inability
to reply due to sudden developments in
the State leading to the relinquishment
of his position as a party in respect of
our proposals at (1) to (2) made us
choose a path independent of him. After
mature deliberation it was decided by
our people to merge with India
straightaway. This historic decision was
communicated through a memorandum
submitted by Kalon Chhewang Rigzin to
Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru on
www.epilogue.in
behalf of the people of Ladakh on 4 May
1949. The memorandum concludes as
under: “Ladakh is not prepared to go to
Pakistan whatever the result of the
plebiscite may be”. The memorandum
further put forth a poignant appeal to
India:
“We seek the bosom of that
gracious mother (India) to receive more
nutriment for growth to our full stature
in every way. She has given us what we
prize above all other things - our
In the absence of any study which has
analysed Ladakh's problems from a
nationalistic and political perspective,
our endeavour is three-fold. Firstly, we
intend to highlight the emergence and
assertion of national identity, patriotism
and national integration among the
Ladakhis towards our motherland.
Secondly, we want to have an objective
assessment of the political exploitation
of the people of Ladakh and the
Ladakhi's resistance towards Kashmiri
sub-nationalism. Thirdly, we are
determined to mobilize public opinion
and national consensus in order to
evolve a new perspective towards the
reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir
State.
religion and culture. The Ashoka wheel
on her flag, symbol of goodwill for all
humanity, and her concern for her
cultural children, calls us irresistibly.
Will the great mother refuse to take to
her arms one of her weakest and most
forlorn and depressed children - a child
whom filial love impels to respond to
the call?”
Ladakhis have since then
consistently been demanding
separation from Jammu and Kashmir
State and asking for the status of Union
Vol. 4, Issue 2
14
Territory. The Government of India,
however, never responded favourably to
our sincere conviction; instead left us to
be governed by Kashmiris during these
decades to our utter ruin. In the post -
Independence period we have been
reduced to the status of slaves in our
own homeland. The impact of
oppressive rule unleashed by the J&K
Government over us has obliterated our
cultural and social ethos.
Sheikh Abdullah's Government
divided Ladakh on communal basis in
1979 by creating two separate districts
of Leh and Kargil with Buddhist and
Muslim majorities respectively.
Subsequently they encouraged
communalization of Ladakh's political,
social and cultural life. Such policies
have severely challenged our age-old
communal harmony and secular
credentials. Their policy of divide and
rule by creating rift between Leh and
Kargil is a ploy to keep innocent
Ladakhis under their further
subjugation. Therefore, our major
struggle in the post - Independence
period has been to have an
administration in Ladakh to be
controlled directly by the central
government.
The history of our struggle goes
back to 1964 when the first organized
effort of Ladakhis against Kashmiri
domination and exploitation, under the
leadership of Ven. Kushok Bakula
manifested itself in a demand for NEFA
type Central administration. A similar
agitation was launched in 1974 under
the leadership of Lama Lobzang,
Thupstan Chhewang and Tsering
Samphel demanding Central
administration for Ladakh. Again in
1982 a movement was led by Sh. P.
Namgyal, M.P demanding Regional
Autonomy. But instead of satisfying our
Epilogue, February 2010
15
democratic rights and aspirations the
successive Kashmiri rulers severally
suppressed the democratic movement
of peace loving Ladakhis through the
State Armed Police. The Ladakh
agitation of 1989, led by Ladakh
Buddhist Association is quite well-
known, which was a result of the
cumulative alienation of our people. At
a time when anti-national activities
were gaining momentum in the Valley,
resulting in total boycott of
Independence Day
celebrations, the Farooq
government instead of nipping the
secessionist movement in the bud,
chose to let out his anger on the
peaceful demonstrators in Leh resulting
in loss of lives. On the intervention of
Central Government and in view of the
increasing anti-national activities
elsewhere in the State and, therefore,
keeping in mind the larger national
interest, the Ladakh Buddhist
Assotiation suspended its demand for
Union Territory and accepted the
Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development
Council (LAHDC) as a compromise under
the tripartite agreement reached
between the State government, the
Central government and the LBA on 29
October 1989. It is however, most
unfortunate that the then National
Conference Government did not
actually allow any quantum of
autonomy to be exercised by the
democratically elected LAHDC and also
starved it of funds. It is ironical that the
same Party (NC) is pleading for, greater
autonomy, for the state.
In the wake of the then National
Conference Government passing a
resolution in State Assembly for grant of
greater autonomy to J&K, the Ladakh
Autonomous Hill Development Council
Leh unanimously passed a resolution in
www.epilogue.in
its General Council for grant of Union
Territory for Ladakh. The recent
recommendation of Justice (Rtd.)
Sagheer Ahmed, with no support of
other WG members, advocating
autonomy for J&K on the lines of
National Conference stand, which is
totally against the wishes of the people
The history of our struggle goes back to
1964 when the first organized effort of
Ladakhis against Kashmiri domination
and exploitation, under the leadership of
Ven. Kushok Bakula manifested itself in
a demand for NEFA type Central
administration. A similar agitation was
launched in 1974 under the leadership of
Lama Lobzang, Thupstan Chhewang and
Tsering Samphel demanding Central
administration for Ladakh. Again in
1982 a movement was led by Sh. P.
Namgyal, M.P demanding Regional
Autonomy. But instead of satisfying our
democratic rights and aspirations the
successive Kashmiri rulers severally
suppressed the democratic movement
of peace loving Ladakhis through the
State Armed Police. The Ladakh
agitation of 1989, led by Ladakh
Buddhist Association is quite well-
known, which was a result of the
cumulative alienation of our people
of Jammu and Ladakh, goes to prove
that Kashmiri rulers treat Ladakh
merely as its colony. Under these
circumstances we are left with no
choice but to reiterate our long-
standing demand for granting Union
Territory status to Ladakh, which would
guarantee us an administrative set-up
to run our own affairs and safeguard our
interests.
Vol. 4, Issue 2
LADAKH SPECIAL
Opinion
Ladakhis are peace-loving people.
Taking to arms and violence is against
our basic philosophy. In fact, our entire
movement has throughout been
peaceful and democratic. We are also
against the violent path followed by
people elsewhere in the country. Our
main objective is to convey our
apprehensions which are related not
only to our own problems but also to
national security issues. We appeal to
the national leaders, intelligentsia and
the common people to support our
demand for Union Territory status and
also help us in our struggle against all
forces which are trying to bring
destabilization in this strategically
sensetive frontier region. Their moral
and material support to our demand will
greatly help in creating a stable and
strong national frontier.
It is absolutely erroneous to equate
Kashmir valley with the rest of the
state. Ladakh constitutes 69.6% of the
total J&K territory with a distinct geo-
political and geo-cultural identity of its
own. The aspirations of the people of
Ladakh and their national outlook are
different from those of the people of
Kashmir. Leaders of Kashmir valley can
never be leaders of our people and our
assimilation with the people of the
Valley is next to impossible. The need of
the hour is, therefore, to tackle all the
problems relating to Jammu, Kashmir
and Ladakh in totality.
Any attempt at handling the
Kashmir issue in isolation by ignoring
the problems of Jammu and Ladakh will
not only be shortsighted but also
counterproductive. Grant of UT with
Legislature to Ladakh on the basis of its
linguistic, cultural, ethnic and
geographical isolation from Kashmir
shall be an investment in permanently
securing our borders in Ladakh.
Epilogue, February 2010
LADAKH SPECIAL 16
Reportage

Chinese Cattle
Grazing Ladakhi Grass

With civil administration and Army divided over what is China doing in Ladakh's last village, the local
village headman has written to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reminding him of Demchok's
patriotism of 1962 and Indian indifference there after…

I n a representation to the Prime

Minster, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the
Nambardar Demchok, Rigzin Tangay
has asked the Government of India to
Demchok Village Headman's
Letter to Prime Minister
pay serious attention towards the developments”. Nawang Norbu, The grass lands that belonged to the
development of remote areas in Ladakh Councillor Nyuma Constituency also
bordering China. Demchok is a place
Indian nomads of Changthang for
shows his resentments against the
located near the Line of Actual Control, centuries have been used by the
Government of India for neglecting the
about 300 kms away from Leh, where border areas and accuse local leaders of
Chinese shepherds in the recent times
Chinese army has recently objected and Leh for ignoring border areas in terms of
stopped the construction of roads in allocating due share of funds under deployed on the border often don't want
Demchok inside the Indian border under BADP. He told Epilogue that every day the locals to inform the Government of
NREGA. China is grapping India land small by India about this gradual incursion by the
Nambarder has pointed out that small but the Indian security forces Chinese. “The grass lands that belonged
funds provided under Border Area
Development Program (BADP) by the
Government of India have been often
utilized in places far from the deserving
border areas. Whereas people of
Demchok have over the few years
observed that the Chinese Government
created lots of infrastructure along the
border across the border. Urging upon
the Government of India to develop the
border areas, in the representation he
warns, “If the Government of India has
no will for the development of its own
areas then we have no point of
remaining integrated with India, as we
did our best in 1962 war with China and
still keeping the Indian soil untouched
by Chinese army but we often fail to
receive our basic needs and

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

17
to the Indian nomads of Changthang for
centuries have been used by the
Chinese shepherds in the recent times,”
he says. Regretting the negligence of
the Government of India, the
disgruntled councilor says that it is now
a question for them whether to remain
integrated or not if the presence state
of affairs with security and
development activities is continued by
the Government of India with these
boder areas despite the fact that
Ladakhi nomads have guarded the
Indian Border for decades from Chinese
incursion.
The Nambarder Demchok in his
representation puts on record that
funds for some works executed under
NREGA in the year 2008 were yet to be
released and also regretted that
recently the construction of a road for
Demchok village under NREGA had to be
stopped due to the objection raised by
Chinese army. “The inhabitants of
Demchok village are educationally and
financially backward, there must be
reservation of seats in army
www.epilogue.in
The Nambarder Demchok in his
representation puts on record that
funds for some works executed under
NREGA in the year 2008 were yet to be
released and also regretted that
recently the construction of a road for
Demchok village under NREGA had to be
stopped due to the objection raised by
Chinese army.
recruitment and other with the
recruitments in other centre and state
government services for the youth from
these border areas.” In a similar
representation to the Chief Executive
Office, LAHDC, Leh, referring to a Govt.
order No. 1026 GD of 1986; dated 6-07-
1988, Gurmet Dorjay, president
Changthang Youth Welfare Association
Nyoma Block and former Councillor has
appealed to the authorities in the
district to give due preference to
candidates from border areas during the
selection of teachers which is scheduled
for February this year.
- Tsewang Rigzin
Vol. 4, Issue 2
LADAKH SPECIAL
Reportage
Iqbal as an
Advocate
of disabled
VIDHYA RAMASUBBAN
I
qbal has been a disabled people's advo-
cate for the last eight years. In 2007,
he started a disabled people's move-
ment, called People's Action Group for
Inclusion and Rights (PAGIR).In all these
years, Mr. Iqbal has worked actively to
promote an environment that is positive
towards disabled persons and is condu-
cive for their inclusion, be it education,
employment or in society. He has done
this through various door to door to cam-
paigns in villages; radio and television
programmes; and lobbying with leaders
at the village and the district level.
A good education forms the basis for
future livelihoods and a successful life.
While the government of India has many
schemes to ensure equal employment
opportunities for persons with disabili-
ties, these are unfortunately not benefi-
cial to disabled persons in Leh. The main
problem was that disabled persons in
Ladakh do not qualify for even the most
basic jobs or for any of the other higher
skilled jobs. Most of the disabled people
here are uneducated, and there are no
vocational training options to fill this gap.
Mr. Iqbal had the foresight to realise the
importance of improving access to quality
education for disabled children and has
been campaigning with the local adminis-
tration for the same.
Mr. Iqbal has been working towards
implementation of the Persons with Dis-
ability Act in the district. He has been
advocating with the government on issues
of inclusive education, physical access,
health and employment.
He has also been working to create
Epilogue, February 2010
LADAKH SPECIAL
Reportage
the image of disabled persons as 'contributors' rather than mere 'receiv-
ers'. An example of this is the waste management programme of PAGIR,
called Jungwa Shrungskyob. The objective of this programme is primar-
ily to promote livelihoods for disabled and other marginalised people,
while addressing this in a socially responsible manner.
In the year 2005, he presented to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill
Development Council and the district administration, the status of dis-
ability in the region and also proposed policy recommendations. Today,
this is Leh district's official policy on disability. He has developed himself
to be a self advocate to fight for the rights of disabled people and has led
protests and represented disabled persons in the district to promote
equality in society. Due to his constant and unrelenting advocacy for the
needs and rights of disabled persons in Ladakh he is considered as an
opinion leader in Leh and has won an immense amount of respect from
his villagers who come to him for advice n various issues. Today Mr. Iqbal
is considered as the leading voice of disabled persons' issues and is
invited by the local government as well as outside resource institutions
for policy and other meetings for his valuable inputs.
M. Iqbal firmly believes in economic development of people with
disability. He believes that without this, empowerment has limitations.
He is a visionary, would educate and inspire people with all disabling con-
ditions about self reliance – including civil and political rights.
In a place like Ladakh, for the first time an initiative to work with
people with disabilities was undertaken. The circumstances are difficult
(nature's kindness/unkindness) and the processes chosen were very
much community based, respecting individual autonomy. Md. Iqbal
ceased this opportunity to bring out potential of individual and groups of
people with disabilities. The movement created has been moving from
strength to strength. The spirit with which he himself and the team met
challenges like financial constraints, and other adverse conditions are
heartening. He found an opportunity in adversity to build the move-
ment. He is a true role model……
www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2
18
For CM's Attention
Sh. Omar Abdullah,
The Hon'ble Chief Minister
Government of Jammu & Kashmir, Jammu.
Sub: Creation of a nominated post for a disabled person in the Ladakh
Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh.
Dear Sir
Greetings and happy new year from Leh-Ladakh!
I am writing to you from the People's Action Group for Inclusion and
Rights (PAGIR), based in Leh- Ladakh, initiated by disabled persons and
families of disabled persons.
We are a rights movement working to create a society that is inclusive
and free of prejudice. We believe that it is a matter of right that disabled per-
sons should be a part of mainstream society and access opportunities that
exist for other non-disabled citizens. Our focus is therefore not to create spe-
cialized services for disabled persons that are potentially isolating in nature.
Instead, we work with government systems, political institutions, NGOs and
other community structures to create an environment that ensures inclusion
of disabled persons in the mainstream.
Leh district has 3,000 persons with disabilities according to Census
2001. Over the last nine years, since the disability movement began in Leh,
one significant achievement has been the making of a district-specific dis-
ability policy. While this is a landmark achievement, the implementation of
this is seriously wanting as is for other policies. Today, therefore, these 3,000
disabled people are largely invisible.
India has ratified the UN Convention on Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (UNCRPD) and by this our government has a legal obligation to
promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities. However, in Leh,
so far, the onus of mainstreaming disability has rested on disabled activists.
Unless there is an equal force from the policy makers, disabled people will
remain in the backyard of development for a long time to come. Even though
disabled people are equal citizens, disability has not become an agenda of
the politicians and is still seen as a 'minority' problem. Yet, 3,000 is a signifi-
cant number and if multiplied by the number of family members who are
directly affected by disability, the numbers would be about 18,000.
Sir, our appeal this disability day has a significant relevance to the
above issues.
We appeal to you that the LAHDC allocates an additional nominated
seat for a disabled person in the council. Currently there are 4 such nomi-
nated posts.
To us, this is the only way that the disability agenda will be heard and be
incorporated into the mainstream.
We disabled persons do not see this as reservation. We do not want a
disabled person to simply 'represent' the council for the sake of projecting
disability in the mainstream. Ours is a question of a) addressing disability as
a development issue, b) ensuring equitable opportunities in social, eco-
nomic, cultural and political spheres and ultimately c) ensuring that disabled
persons too reach their highest potential.
We think that disabled politicians will be more committed to this as they
have much more stakes on the issue - just as it makes sense for women to
hold positions pertaining to their needs and rights!
We thus appeal to the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir a
nominated seat for a disabled person is created in the LAHDC. An affirma-
tive action to this effect will ensure the right for persons with disabilities to
participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, as out-
lined in the UNCPRD.
This will also be a trend setter in the country for other states to follow.
With the forthcoming LAHDC elections in Sept 2010, the process needs to
begin now and therefore, the timing is crucial.
With regards
SD/-
Mohammed Iqbal
President, People's Action Group for Inclusion and Rights (PAGIR),
Leh Ladakh
Epilogue, February 2010
19 LADAKH SPECIAL
Reportage

PAGIR- In Service of Ladakh LAHDC

W e are a rights movement working to cre-
ate a society that is inclusive and free of
talents equally with others in society-providing
training, linking artistes with other organiza-
asked
prejudice. We believe that it is a matter of
right that disabled persons should be a part of
tions and artistes are some ways in which we do
this to work
the mainstream society and access opportuni- PAGIR BUSINESSES
ties that exist for other non-disabled persons.
Our focus is therefore to work with gov-
In addressing livelihood for disabled per-
sons, it is common place to focus on charity
out
ernment systems, NGOs and other community
structures to create an environment that
and to address only the 'behavioral' issues of dis-
abled people.
policy on
ensures inclusion of disabled persons in main-
stream society. Conversely, we do not create or
In PAGIR's business enterprises, we not
only think that the charity model will not be culture
advocate for specialized services that are sustainable, we also firmly believe that dis-
potentially isolating in nature. abled people are capable and have a right to
Our work involves mobilizing people and
advocating a) to implement government poli-
cies and to ensure that services reach disabled
participate in economic development. We
therefore promote disabled persons as active
contributors rather than as mere objects of
T he Ladakh Cultural
Forum (LCF) has
urged the Ladakh Auton-
people b) to create mass awareness amongst charity, thus breaking traditional stereotypes. omous Hill Development
people regarding rights issues c) to promote dis- Jungwa Shrungskyob (protection of the four Hill Council (LAHDC) Leh
abled people's participation in the social and elements- earth, water, fie, air) formulate some con-
political processes of the region d) to empower Jungwa Shrungskyob (JS) is a business crete policies to pre-
disabled people economically, so that they con- enterprise led by disabled people. The enter- serve Ladakh's unique
tribute to the economic development of the prise focuses on a huge environmental concern and rich cultural heri-
region. - garbage. Jungwa Shrungskyob engages dis- tage. Expressing con-
Set up in March 2007, most of our mem- abled artistes, who turn waste to craft and cerns over what it called
bers are disabled or have family members who other useful products. Through JS, we are sure “the sorry state of affairs
are disabled. we will contribute in reducing carbon emis- in the absence of any pol-
ADVOCACY sions in a huge way. icy in the developmental
For disabled persons to achieve their high- In JS, we hope to engage at least 200 dis- plan of the Hill Council to
est potential, we attempt at removing barriers abled people in the long run. Besides this, the promote and preserve
– both attitudinal and physical – that exist in entire community will benefit from the aware- Ladakh's cultural heri-
society. Alongside, we work towards building ness drives that we will conduct on waste tage”, the forum has pro-
the individual capacities of disabled people. issues. posed some points to be
In the long run, we hope to see disabled Our focus here is on two aspects: a) adopted as policies of
persons hold leadership positions; employed in Reducing waste : eg, producing paper and cloth
the Hill Council by pass-
a variety of jobs; exhibit their skills in art, cul- bags, so that poly bags are minimized and b)
ing a unanimous resolu-
ture, sport….. Reusing and recycling waste: eg, producing
tion in the LAHDC Gen-
Promoting leadership is an important craft and other useful items so that they are
eral Council scheduled to
aspect of our movement- we do this by provid- not burnt, buried or dumped in landfills.
ing training and information and by simply cre- be held from February 22
TOURISM
ating opportunities for disabled people to for three days.
Enabling disabled tourists to visit Ladakh
lead. is an enterprise that we are soon to launch. “It was a moment of
Advocating with the government on needs Though this we are attempting to make tour- great joy and respite
and rights of disabled people is our other focus- ism accessible to all. We will develop spe- when, after a sustained
holding meetings with government officials, cial itineraries that will cater to needs of struggle, the LAHDC, Leh
sending appeals and memorandums, accessing disabled people, make available equipment was finally granted in
the law are some ways in which we do this. like wheel chairs, portable toilets, ramps 1995 on the ground of
Promoting special skills so that they have and provide helpers to assist those who Ladakh's distinct cultural
the opportunity to compete and display their might need them. - Vidhya Ramasubban identity. It has been 15

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

LADAKH SPECIAL
Reportage
years now since LAHDC to Ladakh. If we introspect for
a while, we may realize that nothing concrete has
been done in terms of formulating policies by the Hill
Council in the last 15 years to keep the cultural iden-
tity of the region alive”, a letter addressed to the
Chairman of the LAHDC by this forum reads.
LCF, in its proposal, suggested that among the
four Executive Councilors, one should be exclusively
for the promotion and preservation of Ladakhi cul-
tural values and identity. Therefore, this Executive
Councilor should be called the Executive Councilor
for Arts & Culture who, in consultation with eminent
scholars and personalities of Ladakh, could formu-
late an exclusive plan for the promotion of Ladakhi
culture.
Secondly, LCF has proposed that LAHDC should
identify a line department as the 'executing agency'
for carrying out the policies and programs of LAHDC
for the promotion and preservation of the distinct
cultural heritage of Ladakh.
The district plan has sector called 'Arts & Cul-
ture' with an allocation of mere rupees 8 to 10 lakh.
But even this amount is often used as an untied grant
whenever some money is needed. LCF has asked the
authorities of the Hill Council to enhance the alloca-
tion of funds under 'Arts & Culture' sector at least up
to rupees one crore annually to effectively imple-
ment the programs and policies concerning the pro-
motion and preservation of cultural heritage of
Ladakh.
LCF has also appealed to all Ladakhi public rep-
resentatives including the Councilors of the LAHDC
to dress in Ladakhi traditional Gonchha on important
occasions like the LAHDC General Council Meetings,
Republic Days, Independence Days and other impor-
tant occasions to uphold the sanctity of Ladakhi tra-
ditions. The Forum has proposed that the Hill Coun-
cil should honour individuals and associations who
have made a difference by contributing significantly
in promotion and preservation of Ladakhi Arts & Cul-
ture. The Ladakh Cultural Form Leh was formed and
registered as a society in the year 1979 to by a group
of eminent scholars of Leh to encourage and pro-
mote arts, culture and literature among Ladakhis.
The forum has organized numerous conferences and
seminars, and brought out several publications
including a magazine called 'The Voice of Himalaya'.
- Tsewang Rigzin
www.epilogue.in
20
Ladakh Grieved as
Stakna Rinpochey
Passes Away
R eligious and political leaders of Leh
have expressed deep sorrow over the
demise of Stakna Rinpochey, a spiritual
lama of Ladakh, who passed away on 25
January 2010 at the age of 91 years.
Terming the death of Rinpochey an
irreparable loss to the Ladakhi Society,
Ladakh's leaders inclduing Minister for
Tourism, Nawang Rigzin, Chief Executive
Councilor, LAHDC, Leh, Chering Dorje
have said that Rinpochey had rendered
invaluable religious service to the entire
Buddhist Societies of Leh district,
Zanskar and Lahaul (Himachal Pradesh) as
well as social service to the needy people
through out his life.
Late Stakna Rinpochey, whose real
name was Nawang Tonyot Dorje, was
born to father Padma Dadul and mother
Idzin Wangmo of sGangpa family of
Martselang village in 1920. When he was 3 years of age, the 15th
Karmapa Lama and Skyabgon Staktsang Rinpochey recognized him
as the reincarnation of Stakna Tulk. At the age of 5 years, he was
enthroned as Stakna Rinpochey in Stakna Monastery in Leh in 1924.
When he was 7 years old, Stakna Rinpochey started his religious
and spiritual studies under the guidance of Skyabgon Stantsang
Rinpochey at Hemis Monastery. Late Rinpochey had contributed a
lot in construction of Chokhang Vihara in 1967. He also rendered a
great service to the society as President of Ladakh Buddhist Associ-
ation from 1977 to1986 for 9 years. Late Stakna Rinpochey had
also struggled with other Ladakhi leaders when Schedule Tribe sta-
tus was demanded for Ladakh.
Observing the passing away of Stakna Rinpochey as a big loss
to the Buddhist community, a condolence message issued from the
Ladakh Buddhist Association Youth Wing said that Rinpochey had
given a life time religious service to the entire Buddhist Society par-
ticularly to the poor and needy people. In honour of most departed
revered Spiritual figure of Ladakh, the Ladakh Buddhist Association
in collaboration with Ladakh Gonpa Association and Merchant Associ-
ation observed a half day Bandh in Leh on January 28, 2010.
- Tsewang Rigzin
Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010
21
THE WINDS OF CHANGE :
Beyond conventional tourism
THINLAS CHOROL
T
here has been an opening up of
Ladakhi society to meet the
needs of the tourists who throng
the region. The benefit is not only in
economic terms but a deep realization
and appreciation of local art forms,
dances, food and indeed the heritage of
this spectacular region. Sometimes, it
needs another to point out the finer
points of one's own culture.
For a region which has a unique
history and culture, a geographical
location that has prevented any
significant interaction between the rest
of the country, Ladakh has evolved a
rich culture and tradition. It is difficult
to understand however that in more
recent times, local Ladakhis have
undervalued this. The first outside
influence in this highly sensitive
strategic zone region was clearly the
Army which in some senses
amalgamated into life there. Then
came the tourists, both domestic and
international and suddenly Ladakh was
thrown open to a whole new world.
Somewhere in this surge of
influences from beyond, the Ladakhis
began to lose their identity, their link
with what was intrinsically borne of the
land and its historical, cultural
influences. It happened in small ways.
Traditional jewellery and kitchenware
disappeared from shelves of homes and
shops. Instead items which were in
vogue outside began to be used. This
phase however did not endure and
gradually things began to change less in
www.epilogue.in
response to local sensibilities, more in
tune with what the visitors sought
Tourists were interested in
monasteries reflecting local history,
culture, art. A repository of printing
and sculpture, showcasing a unique
architectural style built atop hills on in
valleys, these structures were a major
attraction. Alchi, a monastery built in
the midst of a village was exceptional
for its exquisite woodcarving, sculpture
and printing. The fascination shown by
the tourists was infectious and also
lucrative for locals who were part of the
booming tourism industry. A revisiting
of their own culture and history began
to happen and a pride in their heritage.
A change also driven by the needs
of the tourism industry. Almost every
monastery in Ladakh celebrates a
festival once a year. The Hemis festival
is famous, catching the tourist season at
its peak. Festivals anywhere are all
about celebrating a particular tradition
and custom and in Ladakh have led to a
resurgence of the joy, gaiety and
fervour amongst locals. Conservation
has taken on a new meaning in this
resurgence. Old palaces of kings in the
long history of Ladakh dotted the
landscape, most were neglected and
derelict. Today the pages of history
have come alive again, shaking out of its
stupor to give a new lease of life to
historical buildings. The nine-storied
Leh Palace is now being repaired by
Central government, while the Basgo
monastery is a part of the world
Vol. 4, Issue 2
LADAKH SPECIAL
Features
heritage buildings, conserved by
UNESCO
Interestingly enough, the
influence has not remained restricted
to strictly 'tourist' aspects. It has
permeated into the rest of society as
well. In schools across Ladakh,
children would find nothing on their
own land and culture in their books. All
the study material in the school was in
Urdu and English, not the language of
the people who speak Ladakhi.
Examples given in these books were
from cultures and symbols from other
parts of India and even other countries,
leaving the Ladakhi child alienated from
his/her own study materials and in a
sense from the very purpose of
education. Strangely if a Ladkahi child
saw a picture related to life here,
he/she would get very surprised and
show it to all the friends!
But now plenty of books are
available written by tourists and
visitors. The visitors who connected in
more meaningful ways with the region,
its culture became also a source of
immense learning for the local
Ladakhis. Young people now understand
the value of culture and read about it
more extensively. It also has something
to do with the opportunities they now
get for using this knowledge. In their
work as mountaineering and culture
guide for tourists, this fulfils an
important and much sought-after
requirement.
Based on wisdom passed down the
Epilogue, February 2010
LADAKH SPECIAL 22
Features

generations, Ladakh has been home to
an indigenous form of medicine called
the 'Amchi' system. Over time, its
popularity had waned and support for
sustaining this ancient form was
flagging. Of late though, it has invited
not just curiosity but keen interest by
several tourists who study its principles
and would like to bring it back into
usage. Such is the quaint charm of this
body of knowledge.
On similar lines, Ladakhi
traditional songs and dance which were
slipping on their popularity giving way
to modern beats and forms have now
revived. The Ladakh Festival held in
September every year at the tail-end of
the tourist season to give it one final
boost before the region shuts down for
winter has made this happen. During
this, troupes from different regions of
Ladakh put up a colorful, rich fare of
their unique forms of traditional songs
and dances in the Leh, the capital and
the hub of tourists.
Several aspects of Ladakhi life and
culture had hit rock bottom and are now
on the upswing. This includes
traditional foods. Which were
disappearing from kitchen tables and
commercial establishments Modern
packaged foods which started making
their way into the region, dealt a blow
to these initially? Teachers who came
from outside infact were known to tell
young students, that Ladakhi foods lead
to stupid minds. These foods have been
revived and home-grown fruits like
apricot and sea buckthorn are not only
back on the plates but are being
processed for jam and juice. The local
handicraft industry has also received a
shot in the arm. All over trekking trails,
small shops selling local craft and
clothes have mushroomed in response
to the tourist interest.
To be a :Ladakhi and to have a
sense of pride and joy in this is
something of a new experience for
countless people. To see them from the
outside to view the richness of their
heritage, the unique culture of this
breathtakingly beautiful terrain has in
no small measure due to the spirit of the
travelers. Yes the Ladakhis have no
doubt risen to the occasion to put their
best foot forward to welcome its guests!
{This article has been written under the
“Sanjoy Ghose Ladakh Women Writers
Award 2008-09}

Prophet Muhammad's
Biography in Ladakhi
I n a first attempt of its kind in the history of the state, the Jammu and Kashmir
Academy of Art, Culture and Languages has come out with a Ladakhi publication
on the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammed.
“This is for the first
time in the history of
state that a book of
“This is a rare book on the life of the Prophet. I am sure people would this kind had been
appreciate our efforts,” says Secretary Cultural Academy, Zafar Iqbal Manhas. brought out in
Manhas said that it was for the first time in the history of the state that a book Ladakhi language on
of this kind had been brought out in the Ladakhi language on the life of the holy the life of the holy
Prophet. Prophet”
Interestingly, the book entitled “The Message and Teachings of the Prophet Zafar Iqbal Manhas
Mohammed” dwells upon the basic teachings of the Prophet and his way of life. Secretary J&K AACL
Commenting on the publication, Jnanpith awardee, Prof. Rehman Rahi said
that a book on the holy Prophet in any of the regional languages of the state would only help people understand Islam and
appreciate the holiness of the Prophet.
“It is really great that the Cultural Academy has brought out a book on the life of the Prophet,” Rahi said, adding, “Such
publications were needed as these would doubtless go a long way in propagating the true teachings of the holy Prophet”.
When contacted noted Ladakhi scholar and historian, Abdul Gani Sheikh echoed Rahi.
“This was a long awaited book. It would for sure help Ladakhi knowing Muslims understand the Prophet in a better way,”
Sheikh said.
Complimenting Cultural Academy, noted socio-cultural historian and former Secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir
Academy of Art, Culture and Languages Mohammed Yousuf Taing said that Academy had done well by publishing such a book.
“This was the need of the hour as it would educate people about Islam and its teachings in a better way.” Taing said.

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

23 IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review

OMAR ABDULLAH

The Man, Not In Hurry

One Year –So Far, So Good

ZAFAR CHOUDHARY

When Omar Abdullah took over as the youngest ever Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir in January
2009, the State was passing through unique times and circumstances. A peace dialogue with Kashmiri
separatists had been completely put under carpet and New Delhi's relations with Islamabad were at
the lowest of the decade following 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. At home turf, the mainstream
politics in Jammu and Kashmir had been thrown in a new direction following Amarnath land row. It
was the most challenging situation and lifetime opportunity before Kashmir's third generation
Abdullah to revive hopes, perform or perish

A
nalyzing performance of
state government, particu-
larly the Chief Minister, of
Jammu and Kashmir is not
exactly the same business as
may be in case of other states in India.
For a state like Maharashtra or Uttar
Pradesh or closer home Punjab or
Himchal Pradesh, the performance
review can be based on government's
efforts in containing crime, controlling
prices of farm produce, initiating and
completing development projects or
ensuring a stable political order etc. In
Jammu and Kashmir, none of these
parameters is applicable in entirety. It is
the Kashmir issue and politics revolving
around it that matters at the end of the
day. Omar's immediate predecessor
Ghulam Nabi Azad claimed, all the way,
that he did more development work
than any of his predecessors in last 60
years. His claim was not entirely out of
place. Azad, however, will be remem-
bered more for the open bickering he
and his party had with then ruling coali-
tion partner Peoples Democratic Party
and his handling of the Amarnath land
row which eventually saw fall of his gov-
ernment and then two months of
unprecedented turmoil. Both for bick-
ering in coalition ranks and Amarnath
fiasco PDP has to be blamed little bit
more than the Chief Minister but then
he matters who is at the helm of affairs.
Peoples Democratic Party can be
blamed for narrowing its political
agenda in Kashmir Valley and allowing a
sharpening of divide between regions
but Mufti Mohammad Sayeed as Chief
Minister will always be remembered for
working at development and confidence
building measures simultaneously. He
introduced a new political order in the
state.
In first week of January 2010, when
National Conference-Congress coalition
government completed its full one year

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review
in office, the opposition charge-sheet
against the government and the Chief
Minister could not match the official
releases and advertisement highlighting
achievements. Work done on ground
could not fully be denied with words.
However, the one single charge, inviting
a debate, is what should Omar Abdullah
be known for? Critics apart, Chief Minis-
ter's admirers too admit that Omar is yet
to come up with a 'stamp of his own'.
Good or bad, all Chief Ministers in the
recent past created a style statement of
their own in their approach to gover-
nance and handling key issues pertain-
Observes believe at 40 believe that
young age is Omar's biggest political
advantage. Kashmir Chief Minister has to
operate in a triangle that touches local
ground, New Delhi's Kashmir desk and
the international community. So who is
New Delhi's best bet in Kashmir and
Kashmir's best bet at home and beyond
boundaries –Omar, arguably?
www.epilogue.in
ing to state. What is Omar's
style? Keen observers of Jammu
and Kashmir politics and gover-
nance are of opinion that
Omar's not developing a style
statement or a characteristic
stamp of his own is perhaps his
single biggest achievement of
the year. It sounds ludicrous but
the opinion has a merit. Stud-
ded with lethal mines, it is the
political field of Jammu and
Kashmir which demands cau-
tion as key survival instinct.
Those who breached the lines
of caution, including the tallest
leader of state Sheikh
Mohammad Abdullah, were
taken unaware by the pull
downs leading to years of politi-
cal instability. In his first year in
office, Omar has shown that
probably he is not ready for
that risk as he builds up a strat-
egy to run for a long inning.
Though governance and
development are two key
parameters on which perfor-
mance of a system can be
Vol. 4, Issue 2
24
K E Y I N D I C A T O R S
Ø REGIONAL ASPIRATIONS
After Amarnath land row of 2008, the sanction
of a Central University and an Indian Institute of
Management emerged as biggest regional divider.
An impression had gone that Central University was
coming in Srinagar which was vehemently resented
by groups in Jammu. There was an agitation but the
Chief Minister did not speak up. There is absolutely
no statement attributed to the Chief Minister on
where he would like the Central University to come
up. Quietly, he constituted a group of Ministers and
led a delegation to Prime Minister. Back home he
did not say a single word on whether a commitment
was obtained. Shortly, there was a formal order on
two Central Universities –one each for Jammu and
Kashmir regions. Critics were silenced but Chief
Minister still did not speak. His silence speaks: he
made it happen but refused to endorse the kind of
regional sentimental politics that calls shots in
Jammu and Kashmir.
Ø SHOPIAN FIASCO
It was a disaster. But guess who could have
handled the situation best? None. Anyone at his
place had to pay the price. In such situations
Kashmiris refuse to listen to any one but nailing
truth is a difficult task. Constitution of Justice Jan
Commission appeared to be an ill advised decision
and so were his findings. CBI findings have been
rejected by people and as Home Minister P
Chidambram says, 'this is maximum governments
can do'. Truth remains shrouded in mystery.
Ø CELL PHONE BAN
When New Delhi banned pre-paid cell phones
in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister though
did not protest but he refused to endorse the deci-
sion. He was cricitised for allowing New Delhi to
have its way. It is understood that he took up matter
vociferously with Center but did not make public
statements. Reason: failure to have got the ban
revoked would have given an impression that it is
New Delhi that reigns supreme in Kashmir.
Arraigned as party along with Center, the govern-
ment did not appear before the Supreme Court
which heard a petition challenging ban. Ban was
eventually revoked. The only statement coming in
from Chief Minister is that 'our views stand vindi-
cated'.
Epilogue, February 2010
25
What is Omar's style? Keen observers of
state politics and governance are of
opinion that Omar's not developing a
style statement or a characteristic
stamp of his own is perhaps his
achievement of the year. It sounds
ludicrous but the opinion has a merit.
Studded with lethal mines, it is the
political field of Jammu and Kashmir
which demands caution as key survival
instinct. Those who breached the lines of
caution, including the tallest leader of
state Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, were
taken unaware by the pull downs leading
to years of political instability. Jammu
and Kashmir can't afford more eras of
instability
judged but in case of Jammu and Kash-
mir conflict management becomes the
most important factor for understand-
ing leadership. Omar Abdullah is seen
moving steadily and perhaps deliber-
ately not too fast as there might come
sudden brakes in the way. Taking care of
coalition sensitivities, he appears to
have given a free hand to his Ministers
and at the same time there is a direct
tab at the bureaucratic machinery moni-
tored from his office. This reflects that
giving free hand to Ministers does not
mean that everyone has a field day.
Interventions are being made without
causing any irritation which is there has
not been any report of dissent in any of
the Cabinet meetings held across 2009.
It is remarkable for the coalition partic-
ularly when viewed in contexts of Con-
gress Ministers fighting it out and then
walking out of Cabinet meetings chaired
by then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad
Sayeed and the PDP members boycott-
ing for months meetings headed by
Ghulam Nabi Azad. Sanctity of decisions
taken in such meetings always remained
questionable. The bureaucracy would
get divided between pro-PDP and pro-
www.epilogue.in
IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review
Congress loyalties and people K E Y I N D I C A T O R S
openly called top officers as
PDP men and Congress men. At Ø CORRUPTION
least for first year in office Corruption is one of the most serious
challenges of governance in Jammu and Kashmir. A
Omar has been able to avoid
day before he was sworn in as Chief Minister, Omar
such a scenario as priority is
said that he does not intend to launch a big bang anti-
seemingly being accorded to
system and not persons or corruption will try to cleanse the system through
party. Few months back at a proper mechanism. In public knowledge this
party convention of National remained an unattended area across 2009.
Conference in a constituency Apparently, the Chief Minister has learnt few
represented in assembly by
lessons from his predecessors –Ghulam Nabi Azad
and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The big talk had
opposition Peoples Democratic
proved hollow as officers caught by Mufti was
Party, refused to drop signals to
reinstated by Azad and those fired by Azad were
the local administration for
accommodated in PDP –one of them is now a
according priority to recom-
member of the House of Elders. No big talk and no
mendations of his party-men
big fishes caught in Omar regime. In 2009, 61 FIRs
there. It was a huge embarrass-
were registered against 122 Government officials
ment and disappointment for
including 41 Gazetted Officers. 40 cases were
the local party cadres as they challaned against 192 public servants including 54
had insisted in the public meet- Gazetted Officers. Besides, 73 joint surprise checks
ing that administration be were also conducted and in 105 preliminary
directed on taking them on enquiries regular departmental action was
board in certain matters. recommended.
Omar is reported to have Ø EMPLOYMENT
said: “administration is An employment policy announced on birth
required to follow him who has anniversary of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on
won peoples' confidence in elec- December 5 has billed as highest initiative of the
tions; he has won it is his time, government. This should have been possibly
you win over next will be yours avoided. Instead of offering working allowances of
time”. Chief Minister's under- Rs 500 to Rs 1100 to educated youth, the govern-
standing of political maneuver- ment should have considered on creating avenues
ing by ruling party came as a by going in for infrastructure projects. Need was of
shocker for the National Con- causing awareness on how much people should
ference cadres and is being expect from government on jobs.
mocked at in PDP circles. How- Ø DEVELOPMENT
ever, on ground this lays sound The government has got huge funds but
foundation of a system where spending is bit slowly. With just two months left for
political interference is bare the current financial year to end, more than 50 per
minimum in the delivery mech- cent of plan money is still unspent even as the Chief
anism. The room for political Minister has taken a serious note and asked agencies
competition coming in way of to expedite works. As on January 1, 2010, figures
development process is mini- suggest that only 41% of the total plan money of Rs
mized and the institution of 5500 Crores was spend leaving around Rs 3200
election legislator stands tall. Crore still unutilized. Development mechanism
When found caught in dif- will have to be fastened to see that over Rs 40 Crore
ficult circumstances like are spend over the months of February and March to
Shopian fiasco, Omar has exhaust the plan money.
Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010
IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review
often quipped that the only factor going against him is his
age. Observers, however, at 40 believe that young age is
Omar's biggest political advantage. Kashmir Chief Minister
has to operate in a triangle that touches local ground, New
Delhi's Kashmir desk and the international community. After
all Kashmir is an international issue and it needs a leader
who is able to stand for long at the pitch and deliver at con-
flict resolution when there is appropriate time. And 'appro-
priate time' is difficult to guess. It did not come in the life-
time of his grandfather Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. The
next most important leader to have made connection with
peoples at grassroots, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, has age run-
ning against him. So who is New Delhi's best bet in Kashmir
and Kashmir's best bet at home and beyond boundaries
–Omar, arguably? For delivery in the long run it needs
patience, perseverance and a measured exuberance. The
gentleman in
There have not been any ambitious office has been
able to maintain
statements or press interviews in home
three, so far.
state or in national media on Kashmir
issue. Interestingly, there is more of it in Except for an
unexpectedly bold
the Western media. The Sunday
speech in presence
Observer, the Guardian, the BBC, the
of Prime Minister is
Time or Newsweek International –pick
South Kashmir in
up any of them and it comes out that
October 2009 and
they have covered Omar Abdullah more occasional batting
than any other leader struggling in the
for the peace pro-
conflict zones cess and accord of
recognition to the
separatists, Omar has not been making any big noises on who
he wants Kashmir resolved and ties with Pakistan improved.
There have not been any ambitious statements or press inter-
views in home state or in national media on these issues.
Interestingly, there is more of it in the Western media. The
Sunday Observer, the Guardian, the BBC, the Time or
Newsweek International –pick up any of them and it comes out
that they have covered Omar Abdullah more than any other
leader in the conflict zones. And all the talk in Western press
has been about conflict resolution in Kashmir simplifying
before international community not only Indian perspective
but also and more particularly that doable and pragmatic
Kashmiri perspective.
One year is too small a time to make a real difference in
Jammu and Kashmir. Omar Abdullah has not made any big dif-
ference that breaks the precedence but his steady moves in
key areas reflect that he is not a man in hurry.
www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2
26
K E Y I N D I C A T O R S
Once works are paced up, it is a big infrastruc-
ture boom across the state. The outlay under the 11th
Five Year Plan at Rs. 25,833 crore is 78 percent
more than the 10th Plan allocation. Similarly for the
current financial year, state has the highest ever
annual plan outlay of Rs. 5500 crore, another Rs.
1200 crore under the Prime Minister's Reconstruc-
tion Plan and Rs. 220 crore as “counter-part share”
to enable the State Government to raise a matching
loan from the Asian Development Bank. The State
Government, which has the access to over Rs. 1800
crore of funding under various Centrally Sponsored
Schemes, enjoys the challenging opportunity of
delivering a capital expenditure of Rs. 8,000 to Rs.
10,000 crore during the current financial year.
Ø RESIGNATION
When PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig
dragged his name in infamous Srinagar sleaze
racket, Omar took high moral ground and resigned.
Resignation was, though, rejected by Governor.
Keenly watched across the country, his step was
widely appreciated. Credit goes to Muzaffar for
introducing political Omar to the people but Chief
Minister could have proved his point without resig-
nation.
Ø OFFICE MANAGEMENT
In running the Chief Minister's secretariat
Omar appears to be doing quite reverse of what his
father Farooq Abdullah would do as Chief Minister.
The inaccessible and heavily guarded Chief Minis-
ter's secretariat is seen crowded with visitors every
afternoon of working days. This rush, however,
pours into the room of Omar's Political Advisor
Devinder Singh Rana. He has critics in party and
elsewhere for rising to power but in the hindsight it
is his office which keeps Chief Minister connected
with the people.
There are no scopes for bureaucratic commu-
nication gaps. CM gets time to concentrate on files
and proposals and visitors return home happily after
having instructions passed on concerned quarters
directly from CM Secretariat. Principal Secretary
Khurshid Ganai is known for high performance and
low profile. Private Secretary Asghar Hussain,
groomed by Ganai in General Administration
Department, is an open door always-standing-lad
giving every visitor a feel of respect and honour.
Except for Rana, it is a typically 9-5 work culture.
Epilogue, February 2010
27 IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review

Finance
abdul rahim rather
Minister of State: Dr Manohar Lal Sharma

F
inance department is nothing new to Abdul Rahim Rather as he held this
department thrice earlier and presented budget for record nine times. In his
fresh term, he delayed presenting budget by around five months for
understanding the existing scheme of things and having an idea of what was
available from Center. The 2009-10 budget was still path-breaking in many
forms even as the first budget of his present term appeared as a beginning for
well planned development of state as a single budget can't be the panacea
for all the problems of the state.
Rather had a high profile predecessor (also successor of his last
term as Finance Minister) Muzaffar Hussain Baig and, therefore, he
dispelled some of the growth myths before setting targets for his
own performance. Eight months after he took over as Finance
Minister, Rather said in August that state's economy grew
faster during NC regime between 1996-2002 and drastically
slowed down afterwards. He said the Gross State's Domestic
Product, (GSDP) at current price during the year 2001-02 was
at Rs. 18039 crores and in the year 2007-08 it was Rs. 31793
crore registering an annual growth rate of 10.89 % while as, in
1996-97 GSDP at current price was Rs. 9124.34 crore which
swelled up Rs. 18039. 35 crore in 2001-02 thereby registering
annual growth of 16.28%. Likewise GSDP at constant price in
the year 2001-02 was Rs. 16530 crore which swelled to Rs.
23060 crore and in 2007-08 thus registering annual growth of
5.64% only and on the contrary in 1996-97 GSDP at constant
price was Rs. 7327.40 crore which swelled up to 16530.81
crore thus registering annual growth of 20.93%. During the
period 2001-02 to 2007-08, 5.54 percent growth rate was
experienced by NSDP while during the year 1996-97 to 2001-
02 the NSDP grew by 20 percent. He said growth in per
capita income for the year 2001-2007 was mere 3.95 percent
while during period of 1997 to 2002 it was 16.25%. He said that
revenue of the state during the period of 2001-02 to 2008-09
increased only by 23.54 percent while as it increased by 34.48
percent during 1996-97 to 2001-02.
Having explained that, one year is too short a time to judge overall
performance of the Finance Minister as he claims that ball has been set
rolling for growth.

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

IN FOCUS 28
Govt’s Performance Review

H I G H L I G H T S WHAT IS STRUCK
sNo significant measures on bail out of
PAY REVISION : Employees given salaries under revised pay scales of 6th pay com- State Finance Corporation which is
mission from July 2009 entailing a whopping annual expenditure of Rs. 1600 crore. neck deep in losses
Arrears of the employees accruing thereof from January 1, 2006 amounting to Rs. sLakhanpur Toll Plaza; the Minister
4300 crore to be paid subject to availability of matching finances. had himself fixed completion target
for December 2009 but it is still
ALLOWANCES : Fulfilled demand of regularization of contractual, adhoc and con- nowhere near completion.
solidated employees and enhanced temporary move allowance in favor of secretariat sNo major initiatives on kicking off eco-
employees from Rs. 550 to 650 per month from August 2009. Released 7% DA from nomic growth. There have been sug-
July 2008 involving an amount of Rs. 519 crore to the employees and another 6% DA gestions for working out new power
projects
installment with financial implication of Rs. 343 crore, also released.
sEmployees are, almost, as unhappy
with government as they were last
FRESH TAXES : Fresh taxes were imposed on petrol and diesel even as J&K still has year.
lowest rate of cess on the commodity as all other states of India have higher rate of cess
on petrol. Tax on poultry increased only to promote local poultry production as a long HIS PLEAS TO DELHI
time measure to reduce dependence on poultry import. sAbolition of purchase tax
that was presently resulting
KEY SPENDING AREAS : Enhanced the plan allocation of agriculture sector by in export of tax from pro-
30% realizing its importance in the state economy. Allocation for irrigation sector ducing States to the consum-
ing states like Jammu and
increased by 100%. Process set in motion for revival of sick industrial units as a part of Kashmir.
industrial promotion measure and employment generation. s One year moratorium on pay-
ment of loans to protect car-
AUSTERITY MEASURES : A slew of austerity measures proposed in December to pet manufacturing sector
cost the costs of running the government. Strong measures also proposed for curbing that has received a crushing
malpractices in execution of development works like. “Works without tenders would blow due to global meltdown.
be curbed with iron hands to ensure judicious use of resources”, said Rather. Urging the Commercial Banks
to permit moratorium on pay-
ment of loans and charge nom-
RURAL THRUST : Full funds were released to the backward areas in April 2009 to inal interest for one year.
utilize the funds in full. The provision of special funds for the development of the back- s Extension of Central Excise
ward areas has also been made in the budget and special incentives have been provided Duty package in its original
for doctors serving in these areas. form for a further period of
ten years
HONOURING BILLS : System of performance review of treasuries restored. This
used to be a regular feature till 2003 when the then Finance Minister abandoned POLITICAL TICKER
the practice. Rather gets unusually touchy when bills are bounced at the treasuries
but this still happens. The treasury officers have, however, been strictly asked to not
retain any bill for more than 48 hours
R ather was initially given the
departments of Finance, Planning,
Development, Law & Parliamentary
Affairs and Ladakh Affairs. Few
MEDICO CRISIS : Offered relief to Medical Education Minister RS Chib by resolv- months later, the Chief Minister took
ing the salary and grade issue of Junior Doctors who had gone on strike for three weeks away the Planning and Development
in October 2009. Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma and CM's Political Advisor Department to his office and diverted
Devinder Singh Rana coordinated the efforts Law and Parliamentary Affairs to
Rural Development Minister Ali
TAX COLLECTION : VAT collections in Jammu Division register an increase of Mohammad Sagar. Initially the
34.73% by ending October 2009 over the VAT collections of the corresponding period grapevine in political circles
of the previous year. The General Sales Tax has grown by 26.59% whereas the collec- suggested that Chief Minister wanted
tions under Passenger Tax has registered a growth of 21.57 % and Motor Spirit by to unburden Rather so as to avail his
19.71% by ending October 2009 as compared to the tax collections of the correspond- time for advise on key issues on
ing period. As against a cumulative tax collection of Rs.80394.75 lac by ending October governance. Later it turned out that
2008 the tax collections by the end of October 2009 have gone up to Rs.95340.676 lac Omar and Rather have rarely been
thus registering an overall growth percentage of 18.59% meeting.
www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010
29 IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review

Housing & Urban Development

tara chand

J
ammu and Kashmir's Minister of Housing and Urban Development has too much to manage –vast lakes of
Kashmir, over crowded twin capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu, fast upcoming townships, development
authorities and housing boards. It is a pretty difficult task but the incumbent Minister has some added
priorities also for which the Housing and Urban Development departments have been seen wanting for attention it
deserves. He is also the Deputy Chief Minister and runs a lobby of the Congress in absence of the faction head
Ghulam Nabi Azad. In fact most of the Congress Ministers owe their allegiance to Ghulam Nabi Azad but Tara Chand
remains his key representative. Therefore, his first year in office was marked by political activities, mostly in rural
and semi-urban areas, to counter Azad's bête noire and State Congress president Saifuddin Soz. It goes without any
exaggeration that Tara Chand was watched by the people more for the manner in which he runs the counter-Soz
lobby and not how his Ministry is being run. In one year, three administrative secretaries were changed reflecting a
lack of chemistry between his office and the executing agency. His energies apparently remained focused on his
own electoral constituency and the areas represented by the Congress leaders belonging to a particular camp. For
flauting the status of Deputy Chief Minister he divided his time in reviewing functioning of other departments and
inspection of projects outside the purview of Housing and Urban Development departments. Legislation for full
empowerment and transfer of more responsibilities to the urban local bodies is awaited. Removal of polythene
from the urban areas marked the single biggest initiative of the department across 2009 but before end of 2009,
the polybags had resurfaced to almost their pre-ban quantity. Hardly a month is left for the present term of
elected urban local bodies to expire but a plan for fresh elections is yet to be finalized. In this connection, a
meeting of concerned officers on December 15 is yet to be followed up.
After information
obtained under the Right to
Information Act, a national
Television News Channel
recently aired documentary
claiming that more than Rs
150Cr were wasted in Dal
Lake Conservation project.
The Lakes and Waterways
Development Authority,
instead of clarifying the
position –accepting facts or
denying them –asked the
channel to identify officers
responsible for 'scam'. The
meek response suggested
there was, in fact, a scam.

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IN FOCUS 30
Govt’s Performance Review

H I G H L I G H T S
A whooping Rs 125.3 crore were sanctioned
Ø
for taking up 66 projects across the state,
under the flagship Urban Infrastructure
Development Scheme for Small and
Medium Towns (UIDSSMT). The Centrally
Hajj & Auqaf, Fisheries
sponsored scheme, envisages augmenta- ajaz ahmed khan
tion of potable water in urban localities, pro-
visions for solid waste management,
improvement of drainage and sewerage
and slum development.

A
There are about 11,000 families comprising
Ø
Minister of
of about 60,000 souls settled inside the State since
lake who have proprietary rights over the January
land and structures there. For their reha- 2003, Ajaz Ahmed
bilitation under Dal conservation project a Khan has been a
major chunk of land has been identified at favourite of Chief
about 8 kms from Srinagar city. Ministers Mufti
Permission out on hold for raising Private
Ø Mohammad Sayeed
Housing Colonies till required byelaws are and Ghulam Nabi
framed. The step has been taken to check Azad. There is no
unplanned expansion of Private Housing favourite list for
Colonies in various parts of the state. Omar, but Ajaz
To ensure smooth implementation of devel-
Ø reportedly main-
opment schemes in city and towns, coordi- tains the chemis-
nation committees at the district and provi- try. The depart-
sional committees have been formulated ments he holds
under the chairmanship of respective Divi- independent
sional Commissioners and Deputy Com- charge of –Hajj &
missioners for coordinating execution of Auqaf and Fisheries
works.
– don't offer much
25 towns of the state brought under Inte-
Ø to do but he trying
grated Housing Slum Development to perform his level best. Almost every weekend he is seen at fish
Programme (IHSDP) at a cost of Rs. 85.20 farms in the regions for reality checks and discussing ideas with
crore. About 5176 dwelling units would be
farmers and officials for making fish farming a pursuit of profitable
constructed under the programme.
economic activity. He has called for convergence of fisheries
development programmes in districts with schemes like Prime
WHAT IS STRUCK
Ministers Reconstruction Plan, National Rural Employment Gurantee
?
Reorganisation Municipal Corporations of Scheme, Rshtriya Krishi Vigyan Yojna and asked the District officers
Jammu and Srinagar is long awaited. With the of Fisheries Department to synchronise the same with departments
creation of Srinagar Municipal Corporation
of Agriculture, Horticulture and Rural Development. Under PMRP
(SMC) & Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC)
total area under them has increased manifolds 481 fish farms were set up in the State and 21 more are being
necessitating increasing the capacities of the developed
two municipal corporations. There has been a Hajj and Auqaf departments are not budgeted but perhaps for
strong need for re-organization of entire admin- first time the Minister has initiated a process of accountability. He
istrative set up to bring more efficiency in their has directed all the Wakf bodies to prepare Balance Sheets of their
working. No major step seen in this direction. earnings and spending and get their accounts professionally
?
Lack of a proper policy on inter-departmental audited. Wakf bodies have been told to shift to budgeted mode of
synergy in execution of urban facilities. One earning and spending and get their accounts checked and audited
department does not know what other is doing
by professional accountants. He directed the heads of Wakf bodies
which has caused a mess in the Capital Cities.
Roads remain dug across the year while depart- to prepare the budgets of their organizations and get the same
ments pass the buck. approved by the Wakf Council before the start of the financial year.

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31 IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review

Rural Development
ali mohammad sagar
Minister of State: Ajaz Ahmed Khan

A
li Mohammad Sagar is perhaps one such Minister who registered lowest attendance in the Civil Secretariat
across 2009. On the positive side, the Minister spent most of the time where his department is actually at
work –the rural Jammu and Kashmir. Reports suggest that Sagar visited 20 of the all 22 districts in 12
months and during the meetings and spot visits he had the local legislators along, irrespective of the party
affiliations. Participation of the local legislators in all matters pertaining to rural development was perhaps the
biggest change Ali Mohammad Sagar made during the year even as lot needs to be done in his department which
suffered huge controversies and scams at the hands of his predecessors.
The Rural Development Minister promises that 2,000 new panchayat ghars would be constructed under 13th
Finance Commission Award. Under Border Area Development Projects (BADP) he has got a special scheme has
been earmarked for development of model villages with an expenditure cost of Rs. 3 crore on each village as
compared to existing Rs. 1.20 crore. Under NREGA an amount of Rs. 86.89 crore has been spent during 2008-09
and total expenditure is expected to cross Rs. 200 crore during 2009-10. Similarly, 350 persons have been
employed as the technical staff to oversee effective implementation of the scheme and 12000 people are likely
to be appointed
under the
technical supports
of head of the
scheme.
30,000
households would
be provided
necessary
assistance under
Indira Awas Yojna
and in this regard,
he says, care
would be taken so
that genuine
persons would get
the benefits.
Similarly, under
Total Sanitation
Campaign 1.25lakh
household are
being covered.

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review
H I G H L I G H T S
EARS TO GROUND : Minister's tour calendar suggests he
spent more time touring across rural areas than sitting back in
office. Touring involved meetings with department officers at
district headquarters in presence of concerned Legislators. This
have Legislators a sense of participation and the Minister could
get real-time feedback on work being done on the ground.
BIT OF TRANSPARENCY : For want of much needed
transparency, department's performance review meetings held
in presence of Legislators from rural areas. Officers to told to
take opinions of Legislators on board in implementation of
schemes in their areas. Sagar said that the legislators should
function as nodal agencies between the people and the
department and in this regard they should furnish a time-bound
report about the status of various schemes. “by doing so you
would be contributing in ensuring that these flagship schemes
which come forth due to the efforts of their counterparts in
Parliament reach their targeted audience and help in generation
of employment and poverty alleviation in rural areas and
catchment areas of various towns”. Around ten such meetings
held.
CHANGE IN OFFING : 53 model villages are nearing
completion in the valley in which, 55 shopping complexes,51
children's parks,115.49 Kilometers of rural roads,60 passenger
sheds, 322 crossing culverts,20 play grounds, 762 solar lights,45
regional information centers and 423 sanitation points have
been completed during this fiscal.
NREGA WAGES HIKED : Wages under NREGA hiked from
Rs 70 to Rs 110. New wage rate for remuneration under NREGA
got cleared from the Central Government and new wages have
been effective from August 2009.
POLITICAL TICKER
S agar's trademark political aggression was seen missing in
the first year of his present term. Between 1996 and 2002
(earlier as Minister of State for Home and then as Cabinet
Minister for Works) he was the most aggressive face of Farooq
Abdullah government and bureaucrats would think twice
before calling on him. CM Omar Abdullah was seen generous
to Sagar particularly when Law and Parliamentary Affairs
Department was handed over to him in July. His speeches
during the countryside visits remained as fiery as usual but
syllable was on party and not in the name of leaders.
www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2
32
Tourism
nawang rigzin jora
Minister of State: Nasir Aslam Wani
O
f many complaints of regional
discrimination in Jammu and Ladakh, the
one most important is about tourism
development. There are places of splendid scenic
beauty, adventure and heritage importance in
Jammu and Ladakh but matching infrastructure
could not come up over the years keeping the
tourists away and depriving locals of economic
benefits. That Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora
undertook a whirlwind tour across Jammu region in
the sweltering summer of 2009, underlining his
commitment to bring up the tourism
infrastructure. An added concentration on Jammu
and Ladakh does not mean that Kashmir Valley –the
epicenter of tourism activity –was ignored in any
manner. In his first meeting with officers of
department, Jora set into motion process for
identification of new tourism locations in remote
and hilly areas. He called for innovative ideas and
plans for sprucing up tourist destinations of the
State so that a time-bound strategy would be
evolved for their development. Key focus remained
on development of 12 Tourism Development
Authorities under Prime Minister's Reconstruction
Programme at a cost of Rs 240 crore. Under the
Circuit Development Programme, three Tourist
Circuits, which include Jammu-Lakhanpur-Basohli-
Bani-Sarthal Circuit, Bhadarwah-Kishtwar-Simthan-
Srinagar and Jammu-Rajouri Circuits also some
progress in the year besides, development works
on seven more Tourist Development Authorities
under State sector. The Minister claims that he is
pursuing agenda for reclaiming 1989 position of
tourism industry in Jammu and Kashmir when state
was arguably the most favourite destination of
country.
Epilogue, February 2010
33 IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review

H I G H L I G H T S
Despite provision of funds, Patnitop ropeway project had been hanging for clearance for years. The matter was attended
Ø
to at priority for forwarded to Central Empowerment Committee for necessary approval.
Project formulated to introduce hover rafting over Tawi River for attracting the pilgrim tourists visiting Mata Vaishno
Ø
Devi shrine
In a major move to boost tourism in Ladakh region, approval obtained from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of
Ø
India, relaxing the Protected Area Permit Regime (PAPR) enabling foreign tourists to visit Turtuk village in Nubra valley,
situated on the famous Silk Route. Opening of Turtuk area for foreign tourists places Nubra valley prominently on the
world tourism map. The number of tourists visiting the region has touched 75, 000 from the modest figure of 500 in 1974,
when Ladakh was opened for tourism and the tourist season which used to be confined to July-August, now extends from
May till end of October.
The 18 hole Sidhra golf course in Jammu, spread over 1400 kanals of land, being developed at an estimated cost of Rs. 44
Ø
crore up for tee off in coming March. In the first phase, the 9 hole golf course is almost ready.
The year 2010 has been declared as J&K visit year at International level to showcase State's varied tourism potential at the
Ø
global level.
A motor rally to kick start tourism promotion in Rajouri and Poonch districts being organized this year adding that the
Ø
banner of the campaign would be “In the footsteps of Mughals”. Under the campaign all heritage places of Mughal period
including Mughal Sarai and Noori Chamb would be showcased in an organized manner.
Aero sports is being introduced in Surinsar and Kishtwar in Jammu in a big way owing to great potential for it in these
Ø
areas. Adventure tourism like river rafting and para-gliding coming up in Kishtwar and Bhaderwah, water sports clubs
would be set up in Dul Hasti and Pull Doda.

ARRIVAL STATISTICS
?
An impressive number of
4,75,505 tourists, including
23,636 foreign tourists visited
Kashmir in 2009. Ambassa-
dors and High Commis-
sioners 22 countries partici-
pated in a golf tournament in
Srinagar showcasing Kash-
mir as destination which is still
favourite among international
tourists.
?
Also arrived in the Valley,
Accordingly, the number of
pilgrims coming to Mata
Vaishno Devi surpassed all
previous records by reaching
76.57 lac. While,
?
78,573 tourists visited Ladakh
during 2009
?
3,92,774 pilgrims paid obei-
sance at Amarnathji Shrine
while 76 lakh pilgrims visited
the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.

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IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review
Cooperatives
dr manohar lal sharma
F A
irst time in several decades, the
Cooperatives Department has got a full time
Minister and Dr Manohar Lal Sharma has pain
in his heart for reviving this people's movement.
But rot in the department is too deep to be
removed in a year's time. However, the
performance with element of some will and
determination was discernible particularly when
he moved after the Jammu based Citizen's
Cooperative Bank. Soon after Manohar took charge
of Cooperative Department, the bank management
put a fleet of cars at his disposal. Smelling fish,
not only he
returned
cars but
also put
bank on
watch list.
Scrutiny of
records
suggested
embezzlem
ent. Bank
manageme
nt was
sacked and
temporary charge taken over by government.
Innovative measures have been initiated in
cooperative sector to revive the movement and
make the societies viable and profitable. Steps are
also a foot to strengthen the functioning of various
apex cooperative societies and improve their
economic health. A proposal has been sent to the
Central Government for revival of Cooperative
Societies in the State
www.epilogue.in
34
School Education
peerzada mohammad sayeed
midst suggestion for privatization,
School Education department continues
to remain in the eye of storm for poor
results in government schools, lack of
infrastructure and non-availability of teachers
despite a modest strength. There are 11181
schools –primary, middle, high and higher
secondary –managed by the Department of
School Education with sanctioned staff
strength of 32021. 28337 staff members are on
registers which shows a shortfall of 3684 but
the actual situation is different. Thousands
of teachers remain on attachment under
political considerations, security certificates
or court stays even as the department came
up with a comprehensive transfer policy.
Lack of a strict legislation is making things
difficult. The new transfer policy has come
as a welcome step but the imminent need is
to first detach the teachers enjoying urban
postings to their original places of posting in
rural areas. Jammu and Kashmir tops list of
those states where teaching in a large number
of schools, especially in rural areas, suffered
because of shortage of teaching staff. In the
rural belts in the state there were not more
than two teachers in primary schools and
three to five in Middle schools. This is an
outcome of attachments. The department is
always found on the back-foot on releasing a
list of school-wise vacancies and list of
teachers enjoying attachments with political
influences.
Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010
35 IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review

H I G H L I G H T S SCHOOLS WITHOUT BUILDINGS

Under Rehbr-e-Taleem scheme,
Ø Rajouri 580 Pulwama 240
5301 teachers regularized. Baramulla 538 Ganderbal 147
94 posts of Principals, 1316 posts of
Ø Anantnag 508 Shopian 105
Lecturers, 43 Headmasters, 129 Kupwara 498 Kargil 104
Masters, 86 Teachers and 1813 posts
of various categories of non teaching
Badgam 488 Poonch 84
staff created in School Education Kathua 452 Jammu 71
Department for upgraded Kishtwar 341 Doda 61
schools;141 (10+2) Lecturers
Kulgam 314 Reasi 18
appointed; 200 posts of Lecturers
for 5th subject (viz Computer Srinagar 285 Udhampur 18
Science/IT, Bio-Chemistry, Ramban 280 Leh 10
Functional English, Environment Bandipora 268 Samba 2
Science & Bio-Technology) created
for Higher Secondary Schools.
WHAT IS STRUCK
Under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan 620
Ø ?Despite liberal central funding, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is not showing
EGS centers redeployed for provid- desired results as hundreds of schools under the scheme are reported shut
ing educational facilities to habita- for lack of an accountable mechanism. Same is the case Rashtriya
tions without schools; 43 KGBVs Madhyamic Shiksha Abhiyan targeting the middle classes
made functional/ operational. ?Elementary Teachers Training institutes still remain a notorious nexus
between officials, ambitious education entrepreneurs and agents. No com-
169 primary school and 53 upper pri-
Ø prehensive pol-
mary school buildings constructed; icy for permis-
653 primary schools being upgraded sions, admis-
to middle schools. sions or exami-
nations in
place.
? New education
schemes sup-
ported by the
Government of
India envisage
education at
the doorsteps.
However, in
Jammu and
Kashmir, most
of the Higher
Secondary
Schools are
still at a dis-
tance of 20 kilo-
meters, high
schools at 15
kilometers and
primary
schools are 5
kilometers.

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IN FOCUS 36
Govt’s Performance Review

CA& PD and Transport

Qamar ali akhoon
Minister of State: Shabir Ahmed Khan

W
One of the highest points in the CA&PD departments ithout a bias or prejudice, CA&PD and Transport
was arguably the lifting of ban on export of Basmati Minister Qamar Ali Akhoon can be rated as one of the
paddy on August 31, 2009. The ban was imposed in best performers of 2009 in Omar Abdullah Ministry.
April 2008 apparently under influence of non-state Assiduously and deliberately keeping himself away from party
farm traders. Akhoon made this announcement two politics and media glare, he went down touching ground at food
days after as many as 24 MLAs raised this strongly in grain outlet level in both rural and urban areas. His was a system
Legislative Assembly. The quality of Basmati of of discreet raids followed by actions. In nearly five months he
Jammu is rated among the best in the country. raised almost 60 CA&PD outlets and returned dissatisfied from
The ban was found to be anti-farmers as they were every shop. A part of action –cancellation of licenses –was taken
made to sell the Paddy to the shellers within the during raids and another part –suspension of officials –followed up
state. Nearly 32, 000 hectares of land in Jammu is in secretariat. Pilferage of poor man's food grains, however, could
presently under cultivation of Paddy (Basmati) and not be stopped fully. The rot is too deep. Sincerity of efforts was
the average yield per hectare is about 27 to 29 seen in saving the public money by keeping private truckers away
quintals. The expenditure incurred on cultivation of from ration supply system. The Minister's report card suffers
Paddy (Basmati) per kanal is assessed at Rs. 1200 major blow for almost collapsed Road Transport Corporation.
whereas the Paddy is being sold within the state at Peace was brokered with RTC employees and their strike called
rate ranging from Rs. 1500 to Rs. 1800. It used to be off but no concrete measures yet in sight for revival of sick
sold at a price ranging from 2500 to corporation.
3000 per quintal in the absence of ban
on export of Basmati.
The government felt concerned over
the substantial loss being caused to the
farmers on account of the ban and
accordingly, it felt that continuation of
this ban would be detrimental to the
interest of farming community. With a
view to giving a fair deal to the farming
community of their precious produces,
the government has lifted the ban.
Akhoon said that this progressive
decision of the state government will
benefit about 35, 000 to 36, 000
farming families, mostly cultivating in
Jammu district.
www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010
37 IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review

H I G H L I G H T S
A strong nexus between CA&PD department and truckers

Roads & Buildings

has eaten into vitals of the state owned Transport
Corporation for years. In August 2009, department took a
daring decision to dispense with hiring of private trucks for
carriage of CA&PD food grains from district headquarters g.m saroori
to the different parts of the district or adjoining district. As
Minister of State: Javed Ahmed Dar
per the new system put in place only SRTC trucks or private
trucks engaged by SRTC are being used by the department
of CA&PD to carry PDS food grains.

Within a week after assuming charge of department, a sys-

tem of daily monitoring of rates of essential commodities,
checking and monitoring of rate lists on the government
sale outlets as well as fair price shops put in place.
Bare minimum level of transfers and postings in Consumer
Affairs and Public Distribution department ensured. The
department was earlier known as a transfer industry where
officers would manage key postings for considerations.

WHAT IS STRUCK
? A comprehensive survey of Below Poverty Lines families is
yet to tabulate a final report. Therefore, there is ample
room for pilferage of food grains meant for the poor.
sWho is responsible for ensuring road safety? Perhaps none
in Jammu and Kashmir. Traffic department blames
Transport department vice versa. Over 1000 persons were
killed in road accidents during 2009 –nearly three times
higher than those killed in militancy.
sThe City transport system both in Capital Cities of Jammu
and Srinagar is literally mad and it is getting worst. A com-
prehensive City Transport Policy is still awaited even as
process was mooted in October 2009.

HIS PLEAS TO DELHI

In view of 100% off-take, pressure on the PDS
and limited allocation of food grain from
Government of India, the Department is able
to provide ration at the minimum level of 35
Kg per RT. In far flung areas, the availabil-
ity has been enhanced to 50 Kg. The monthly
requirement of the food grains of the State
at the State Scale is 1.31 lakh MTs against
allocation of 63,067 MTs received from
Government of India. Matter is being pursued
with Central Government for providing addi-
tional quota to overcome the deficiency in
meeting the growing demand of food grains in
J&K.
www.epilogue.in
K ey projects are running behind schedule and
dozens of more ambitious are being launched.
Even as the rural road connectivity still remains
poor, the Minister has been seen focusing on connecting
Jammu region with Kashmir. Mughal Road connecting
twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch with Valley
is nearing completion. New projects are Vailoo-
Sinthantop road to connect Kishtwar with Kashmir Valley
and Gulabgarh-Kulgam Road to connect Reasi district
with Kashmir. Minister often took time off to inspect
the construction projects on spot and over a dozen
Engineers were suspended at different places for use of
poor quality material or dereliction of duties, as
complained by the locals.
Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010
IN FOCUS 38
Govt’s Performance Review

H I G H L I G H T S What is underway

Centrally funded 284 schemes for Jammu and

Ø ?
210 for Kashmir PMGSY, which will give road
connectivity to 378 habitations in Jammu and
206 habitations in Kashmir divisions. This is
for the first time that Centre approved a huge
amount of Rs. 1463.20 crore projected for the
State in 7th phase of PMGSY.
A massive plan is underway to construct
Ø
tunnels at Sudh Maha Dev, Razdan Pass ,
Simthan Vailoo, Zojala Pass to keep Jammu-
Kashmir-Ladakh regions connected round
the year, particularly, during winter months.
Centrally sponsored Rs. 9000 crore schemes for four laning Jammu-
Srinagar national highway, which would help in smooth traffic
movement besides easing frequent traffic jams on the highway. The
preliminary work of the project, which includes acquisition of land
and forest clearance has almost all completed. The project of four
laning of Jammu-Srinagar national highway has been divided into
six phases: Qazigund-Banihal, Banihal-Ramban, Ramban-Nashri,
Nashri-Chinani, Chanani-Uhdampur and Udhampur-Jammu. In all
cases 80% of the land has been acquired so far.
?
9 Kmr Qazigund-Banhihal long tunnel would be constructed at a cost
of Rs. 2400 cores. At Nashri-Chenani ,a 8.75 kms long tunnel would
also be constructed at a cost of Rs. 2100 crore which on completion
would reduce 60 Kms of travel distance , it was given out in the
meeting

Execution of 50 new roads to promote road

Ø
connectivity in the State under phase-7 of
PMGSY. In addition, 2269 schemes taken up EUROPEAN ROAD TECHNOLOGY
at a cost of Rs 2477.66 crore under State European Technology introduced for road construction works. To ensure
sector would be expeditiously completed. durability and check early damages caused to the roads, particularly, in
snow prone areas of the state, Soil Stablization Method on the pattern of
150 of 779 schemes approved under PMGSY at
Ø
European technology would be introduced for macadamizing roads, which
a cost of Rs 2044.22 crore completed. Apart
would not only increase life cycle of the roads but also save Rs. 5 to 6
from this, 479 schemes costing Rs 1578.57
crore under phase-VII have been sent to the
lacs per Km aproximately. Technology being applied on experimental
Centre for approval.
basis at Hunjak-Durbal link road near Diyar Kadal in Budgam district.

9990 kms road length black-topped and

Ø
19854 kms roads being maintained by the
PROJECT CLEARANCE
R&B Department in the State. Plan formulated for finalizing the project within 30 days for conducting
joint survey by Revenue, R&B and Forest officials, getting forest
Rs. 210 crore provided for macadamization of
Ø
clearance, shifting of utilities, issuing and settling of tenders. He said for
roads in Jammu and Srinagar cities and other
land compensation a sizeable amount has been kept at the disposal of
districts .116 trunk, lateral and inner roads in
District Development Commissioners of the districts.
Srinagar city and 76 in Jammu city
macadamized.
51 bridges, including major bridges like Gund
Ø POLITICAL TICKER
Roshan, Hari Ganiwan, Zuhama Kralwari,
Bagh Nallah in Kathua, completed; 61 more
bridges being completed by March, 2010; Rs.
S aroori patronized a bit of political lobbying and focused more on
the areas represented by Congress leaders owing allegiance to
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. At many places he
120 crore earmarked for new flyover in
announced road development funds at the funds of former
Srinagar.
legislators or other Congress leaders who are not members of any
Out of 15 railway approach roads, 9 roads
Ø legislative house. After becoming Minister had a meeting with
stand macadamized during the current year. Congress President Sonia Gandhi and called on at least two Union
Ministers every month. On inspection tours to different districts, he
Rs. 150 crore four-lane bridge coming up over
Ø
never missed to convene political rallies highlighting the mission
River Tawi at Belicharana.
of his mentor Ghulam Nabi Azad and asserting that he is following
his suit.
www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010
39 IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review

Forests
mian altaf ahmed

T
he Forest Minister in present government
enjoys a unique and rare privilege not available
even to the first political family of the state
the Abdullahs. Like Omar Abdullah, Mian Altaf Ahmed
is third generation legislator from the family but he
scores for no break from constituent assembly till
date. Representing a widely followed spiritual
lineage, his grandfather was a member of the
Constituent Assembly, father, the revered Mian Bashir
Ahmed was a legislator, once Minister also, between
1972 and 1987 when Altaf took over. Won four
elections in row and remained Minister thice, Altaf's
performance has remained exceptional and uncompromising but in present term there are bottlenecks. He
assumed charge of the department rendered in complete functional disarray. Key thrust projects in Forest
department are hanging fire for Center's approval and funding.
Recently he took along three Members of Parliament to press the issue before Union Finance Minister for
seeking clearance about of the ambitious multi-crore Participatory Watershed Management Project (PWMP) for J&K
submitted to World Bank for funding. The PWMP project, a follow up project of IWDP-Hill-II, was submitted
during the year 2006 with the objective to restore the productive potential of the J&K region by using cost
effective treatment technologies with participatory approach. The Project would cover an area of 3, 14, 705 ha in
11 sub watersheds namely Kamhil (Kupwara), Sukhnag (Budgam), Sindh (Ganderbal), Lidder (Anantnag), Jehlum
(Baramulla), Indus (Leh), Suru (Kargil), Ans (Rajouri), Tawi (Jammu/Udhampur), Manawar Tawi (Jammu), and
Kuntwara (Doda). The aim of the project is to reverse the process of degradation of natural resource base in the
treated areas and enhance productivity besides improving the livelihood of rural people and will cover 1.74 lakh
households besides creating 45 lakh mandays in which around 2000 persons will get 7 years employment.

H I G H L I G H T S WHAT IS STRUCK
Due to inadequate staff strength there is ram-
Transparent transfer and posting policy and bare minimum reshuffles at
Ø pant green felling and smuggling of forest pro-
key posts duce. An organized mafia is operating in dif-
A draft forest policy being formulated
Ø ferent parts of state which goes unchecked
as there is no sufficient manpower. An organi-
A Forest officer of international repute Jagdish Kishwan brought back
Ø
zational overhaul of the department is long
from central deputation to head the department as Principal Chief
overdue. The Minister has, however, empha-
Conservator of Forests.
sized the need for strengthening the depart-
Pollution clearance for industrial units expedited. Officers of proven
Ø
ment and asked the authorities to come up
integrity moved to Pollution Control Board for honest management of with detailed proposal for the expansion of
affairs. Board told to clear requests within 21 days. the department, indicating the staff and infra-
Task Forces constituted in Wildlife Department for controlling man-
Ø structure requirements along with financial
animal conflict and checking smuggling, poaching of wild animals implications as per the priority.

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

IN FOCUS 40
Govt’s Performance Review

Agriculture
ghulam hassan mir
Minister of State: Javed Ahmed Dar

F
LOSSES UNLIMITED or chronic policy failures, Agriculture Department could not
J&K suffered losses to the tune of Rs. 406 crores in see the kind of thrust it deserved. Despite an agrarian
agriculture and Rs. 100 crore in horticulture due to state, Jammu and Kashmir heavily depends on import of
continued dry spell and unfair weather during 2009. A food grains. Continuous dry spell is though telling heavily on farm
considerable loss reported to major Kharief crops like activity, farmers are also switching over to others means of
Maize, pulses, vegetables, fodder, paddy, oil seeds etc. economy and the agricultural land is being constantly encroached
Maize crop has suffered about 50% damage, pulses for commercial purposes. The Minister for Agriculture Ghulam
100% and paddy 20% due to water stress. Hassan Mir did make some efforts to check use of agricultural
Horticulture industry in the state too has suffered land but a comprehensive policy putting agriculture as priority
badly due to minimal rainfall and fruits like apple,
sector is still awaited.
cherry, pear and walnut have suffered maximum
damage. The quantum of loss in Jammu province has
been from 55% to 80% while in Kashmir about 20 to
30 % horticulture crop has been damaged. Though
Kashmir Valley is not dependent on monsoon but
western disturbances determine the normal cropping
efficiency here. But this time there was a departure
from this normal meteorological phenomenon which
has resulted into a drought like situation. Water
discharge in perennial sources of irrigation like rivers
and canals has also declined due decrease in
precipitation. As a result sowing of different crops and
transplantation of paddy got delayed which would
affect the crop yield. Consequent upon this loss the
reduction in food grain production is estimated to be
4.5 lac tonnes which can further go up. Already the
state receives 63067 MTs of food grains per month
against the actual requirement of 1.31 lac MTs.

CORRECTIVE MEASURES
A contingent cropping pattern as has been advised by
the Agricultural Universities has been adapted to
minimise the losses suffered and crops like Toria,
Barseem, cabbage etc. are being cultivated due to
shortage of water. Soil testing laboratories of the
department are being strengthened for complete soil
analysis like moisture content, nutrient analysis etc.
www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010
41 IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review

H I G H L I G H T S WHAT IS STRUCK

Instructions for local consumption of all locally produced silk cocoon to help
? ?
There is no end in sight to encroachment
silk production and employment generation. More than 800 MT of silk of farmland by the concrete jungles. A
comprehensive agricultural policy
cocoon is being produced in the State annually by which the farmers earn
backed with a suitable legislation is yet
more than Rs. 8 crore. However, the raw production has been going out of
to come up to check the conversion of
state at paltry prices depriving growers of proper earning and
agricultural land into commercial fields.
artisans/entrepreneurs of raw material. The Minister has laid emphasis on Of late, Agricultural department has got
local use of cocoon for its value added products for which he has directed the engaged with Revenue, Housing and
State Handloom Department and Corporation to extend complete support to Law departments for formulation of a
the weavers. policy.
A pilot project launched for irrigation facilities to world famous Saffron fields
? ?
As a populist measure 3000 Agriculture
at Pampore. Graduates and Postgraduates were
Kissan Mela's (festivals for farmers) revived after 13 years to improve the
? engaged by the previous government
awareness level among farming community. This involved participation of under Rehbr-e-Zirat scheme without
provision of any such posts or availability
all the line departments and NGOs associated with agriculture promotion
of any suitable for them. This has
activities putting up their stalls at these melas and disseminate information
become a major policy challenge for the
about various schemes, incentives and objectives of individual departments.
present Minister. Despite hike in their
Sericulture sector prioritized for ameliorating socio-economic conditions of
? remuneration from Rs 1500 to Rs 3000 a
the farming community dealing with mulberry cultivation and silk rearing month they are no strike asking for
through easy loans. Besides other advantages, under Mulberry Tree permanent absorption. Proposal for their
Plantation Scheme, through Zamindars on cluster basis, incentive being regularization has been set moving in
provided at the rate of Rs. 3500/- per for 300 saplings for raising mulberry the department and this involves a
plants in their proprietary land. financial implication of Rs 68 Crore.

Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana covering all sectors of agriculture introduced

? ?
No concrete action on recovery of
for the first time; Rs.46.97 crore work plan sanctioned. backlog of Rs. Two crores from the
defaulter farmers of various rakhs in the
Novel Health Insurance Scheme for female sericulture workers launched in
? v a l l e y. O ff i c i a l s w h o a l l e g e d l y
collaboration with ICICI Lombard. 5000 workers covered so far. embezzled receipts yet to be identified.

Higher Education
abdul gani malik

N H I G H L I G H T S
early half of 72 Government Colleges managing student
strength of around 70,000 are without proper infrastructure
414 posts of different categories created for
Ø
and staff and the government is going about 19 more the newly established 18 Government
Colleges. The Minister says that expansion is over and now is the Degree Colleges.
time for consolidation. Abdul Ghani Malik has been able to visit 38 Government Degree College, Ganderbal
Ø
Colleges individually in both Kashmir and Jammu in six months for inaugurated; Construction of Degree
on-the-spot assessment but no major meetings were held on policy College buildings at Budgam, Bandipora,
Dooru, Sopore, Akhnoor, Hiranagar, R.S.
issues with top administrative hierarchy. Colleges were strictly told
Pura, Basohli and Thanamandi and Women
by the Minister and Commissioner Secretary Pramod Jain to come College Kathua completed; work on 18
up with their websites and broadband facilities before December other upcoming colleges intensified.
2009. Not more than 10% of them have done that. Government Degree College, Gurez started.
Ø

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

IN FOCUS 42
Govt’s Performance Review

Industries & Commerce

surjeet singh slathia

HIGHLIGHTS
T
he Minister for Industries and Commerce Surjeet Singh Slathia is apparently
not happy with the department he has been allocated and therefore he
1197
Ø Small Scale
Industrial units regis-
spends most of his time in his constituency. Like Revenue Minister Raman
tered during 2009 Bhalla, his focus also remained on improvement of facilities, inaugurations of
with estimated invest- projects and launch of new projects in his own electoral constituency. No major
ment of Rs. 236.90 policy initiative came up during 2009 for revival of sick industries or launch of new
crore, creating mega-industrial projects anywhere in the state. There is no report in public
employment for 7466 knowledge of any major industrial house coming in Jammu and Kashmir this year. A
persons. big ticket industrial policy launched by the Government in 2004 had gone haywire
164 Large and medium
Ø with industrialists violating the basic condition of providing 90% employment to the
industrial units with locals. Two years later when government tried crack whip on such industries
estimated investment availing slew of incentives and simultaneously violating the employment policy, the
of Rs. 4192 crore and industrialists got the order stayed by High Court. No move could be made during
employment potential 2009 to get this logjam cleared from the Courts. Stay on government order still
of 31,489 persons remains. An estimated 17,681 permanent residents of J&K are employed in various
approved. industrial units.
National Institute of
Ø
Fashion Technology
(NIFT) sanctioned by
Government of India
and being established
at Ompora Budgam on
fast-track basis at an
estimated cost of Rs.
70 crore.
Development of addi-
Ø
tional land of 950
kanals at an estimated
cost of Rs. 20.20 crore
at Khunmoh Phase-III
undertaken.
Acquisition of 2850
Ø
kanals of land for
Phase-III Industrial
Growth Centre, Samba
under process.

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

43 IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review

Revenue & Relief

raman bhalla
Minister of state: Nasir Aslam Wani

H I G H L I G H T S
R
evenue Department is considered as nerve center of almost all
the government departments for purpose of records, clear-
Sincere efforts were seen made on relief and
Ø ances and compensation etc. in present times the added huge
rehabilitation of the Kashmir Pandit responsibility is also of management of the migrants and refugees. All
migrants under Prime Minister's plan but this needs major policy initiatives and coordinated team work. Even
no concrete results could be achieved. Even as in a brief span of few months the present Revenue Minister Raman
as the government claimed that nearly
Bhalla established his identity for quick disposal of files but no major
2000 families applied for return to Valley
policy initiative was seen across year 2009. It was the Gandhinagar
but no follow-up. Announcement of 3000
electoral constituency of Raman Bhalla in Jammu City where
jobs for migrants also did not see results as
Revenue Minister remained most visible. In little over five months
they wanted this rehabilitation plan to be
de-linked from return to Valley.
tenure, he had as many as 87 engagements in his own constituency
–public meetings, inaugurating small projects, laying foundation
Following recommendation of Prime
Ø stones of new projects etc. In public knowledge, only two major
Minister's Working Group, land deficiency review meetings of the department were convened –one on October 9
compensation hiked for refugees of 1947 chaired by the Chief Minister and other on October 30 chaired by the
from Rs 25000 to Rs 1.25 lakhs per family. Revenue Minister. Within first month of taking over as Revenue
Massive promotion backlog cleared at the
Ø Minister, Bhalla conducted a tour of almost of all district headquar-
level of Naib Tehsildars and Girdawars. ters barring
Emphasis laid on completion of settlement
Ø north
operation and computerize the revenue Kashmir and
record. Rs.15 Cr have been earmarked for Ladakh to
all 257 Naibats for computerization of review prog-
revenue records at Naibat level. An amount ress on
of Rs. 6 lakh being spent for each Naibat. He departmental
also stressed for construction of works.
Patwarkhanas. Out of 82 tehsils settlement Breaking
work underway in 39 tehsils of the state. from the
Deputy Commissioners asked to formulate
Ø trademark
Disaster Management Plans with sign of
requirements, so that these are sent to Revenue
Central government for financial department,
assistance. no frequent
transfers
Powers delegated to the concerned Deputy
Ø
were seen in
Commissioners, Divisional Commissioner
the year even
and Finance Commissioner to clear land
as the
acquisition cases for developmental
Minister
schemes adding that DCs would be
earned acco-
empowered to clear land acquisition cases
lades by
upto Rs 1 crore, Divisional Commissioners
clearing the
upto Rs 2 crore and Financial
promotion
Commissioner upto Rs. 5 crore.
backlogs.
www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010
IN FOCUS 44
Govt’s Performance Review

Health
sham lal sharma
Minister of State : Javed Ahmed Dar

T he major challenge in the

Health Department is
deployment of doctors to the
rural areas which could not get a
focused attention in 2009 for lack of
any strong policy measures. Within
months after taking over as Health
Minister Sham Lal Sharma showed
determination to address rural
healthcare issue by pulling out of
hundreds of doctors from urban
areas and posting them in the rural
areas. However, in next few months
most of them managed their postings

HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE
3428 health institutions comprising 14
District Hospitals/CHCs, 380 Primary
health Centres, 238 Allopathic
Dispensaries, 417 ISM Dispensaries,
1872 Sub Centres and 422 Medical Aid
Centres are providing medicare
facilities to the State. Record suggest
that till January 2009, 110.94 lakh OPD
and 4.47 lakh IPD patients have been
treated in the health institutions of the
State, he added.
DEFICIENCY
State needed 27 CHCs/Sub District
Hospitals and 1687 Sub Centres. For
construction of buildings for new
institutions expenditure of Rs. 475
crore is involved.
www.epilogue.in
back in the cities. Existing rules were also amended make it mandatory for
new doctors of different categories to serve, at least, for 7 years in their respective
areas but a long desired legislation for compulsory rural posting of doctors
is awaited and no serious initiative was seen in this direction even as the
government announced a slew of sops and incentives for doctors willing to
spend tenures in the rural areas. Private practice of government doctors
remains another serious policy challenge for which a determined initiative
is yet to come. A crackdown was launched against illegal nursing homes and
diagnostic centers but abandoned midway. In past few years healthcare
infrastructure has seen massive expansion across the state but a over a
dozen major hospitals and other specialty centers are yet to be
operationalised for lack of medical equipments and staff thus rendering
investment worth millions of rupees idle. Some sincere efforts were seen in
strengthening monitoring mechanism on ground and making the healthcare
administration accountable.
Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010
45
H I G H L I G H T S
Process set in motion for formulation of
Ø
Draft Drug Policy for first time.
Remuneration of contractual doctors
Ø
enhanced from Rs. 8000 to Rs. 16,000
per month and for paramedics to Rs.
9000 per month. Special incentives of
Rs. 8000 and Rs. 4000 for doctors work-
ing in very difficult and difficult areas
respectively.
Rs. 2,627 crore Health Infrastructure
Ø
Development Plan formulated and sent
to the Centre for approval.
Unani Medical College for Kashmir and
Ø Higher Education Department.
Ayurvedic College for Jammu
announced.
Rs. 76.50 crore action plan formulated
Ø of administrative system but the
for conservation, development and sus-
tainable management of Medicinal
Plants in the State. The main compo-
nents of the action plan, which will be
implemented in next four years, include
conservation of medicinal plants, mass
cultivation of Medicinal Plants,
Processing and value addition, market-
ing. The action plan also focuses on sup-
porting research institutions,
programme management, capacity
building and survey and studies regard-
ing medicinal and aromatic plants, he
added.
Selection of 468 new doctors made in
Ø
different disciplines. The selection of
these doctors has been made by the
Public Service Commission on fast track
basis to ensure full-fillment of the com-
mitment of the Government to provide
adequate manpower in hospitals.
Special funds been earmarked for each
Ø department and youth affairs definitely got focus with a full time Minister at the
District Hospital to augment the equip-
ment and other required facilities. 125
new ambulances added to existing fleet
and acquired another 25 Critical Care
Ambulances which will be deployed in
every District Hospitals to augment the
services.
1200 posts of doctors and 2000 posts of
Ø identified.
health technocrats and para-medics
have been cleared by the Finance
Department.
www.epilogue.in
IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review
Medical Education, Sports
r s chib
A
veteran politician with rich BIG DEAL RUNNING LATE
and varied experiences, State-of-art Hospital coming up with
Rajinder Singh Chib got a
Government Medical College Jammu will
unique yet bit uncomfortable
allocation of departments –Medical house six Super Specialties of
Education, Technical Education Neurology, Neurosurgery, Cardiology,
and Sports. Medical Education has Cardio thoracic and Vascular surgery,
traditionally been a part of Health Nephrology and Renal Transplant and
Department and similarly Uro-surgery. It has been divided into
Technical Education a part of three blocks with each block housing
two Super Specialties. The hospital,
With such staggering distribution it spread over an area of 45 kanals has a
becomes difficult in management
plinth area of 19668 sqm and ground
Minister did not allow this coverage of 17 percent. The ground
bottleneck to come in his way. floor will have all the OPDs with
While he laid an added emphasis separate reception for each wing and a
on youth affairs and promotion of consultant room, the first floor will
sports activities but first year in have the diagnostic services like CT
office was seen marked with scan, MRI, X-Ray facilities etc, second
efforts to get a foothold on floor will have wards, the third floor will
Medical and Technical Education
house ICU and CCU with 82 beds while
Departments. At one point in time
it appeared that the Health
as the fourth floor will have a bank of
six modular operation theatres. The
Minister was left with very little to
do. A lightening strike by the building will have a lower ground floor
junior medicos at both Medical with an entry from the backside where
Colleges and their associated different services like laundry, kitchen,
hospitals was perhaps the lowest hospital management etc will be housed.
point of the year. It could be
resolved only after Chief Minister
constituted a high level committee headed by the Finance Minister.
WHAT IS STRUCK
? As if it has become a nationwide norm, the sports bodies continue to be
heavily politicized with genuine sportspersons pushed to the wall. The sports
helm of affairs but sports associations and organizations continue to complain
of raw deal at the hands of council and department. A sports policy is the need
for the hour for an organized focus as the Minister claims that he wants
Jammu and Kashmir sportsmen to be better groomed than the Chinese.
?The Government of India sanctioned 18 new Polytechnic colleges for our
State to improve the technical skill of students of the state with a provision of
Rs.12.03 Crore for each college which have been targeted to be completed by
the close of next financial year. However, land for these institutes is yet to be
?Two AIIMS level super-specialty coming up at Jammu and Srinagar are
running behind schedule. The facility at Jammu is situated little away from the
main Medical College and construction of an express corridor is hanging fire.
Without this direct link it will be a huge inconvenience.
Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010
IN FOCUS
Govt’s Performance Review
Social Welfare
skina ittoo
H I G H L I G H T S
7,640 militancy victims covered under pension and other schemes
Ø
by the State Rehabilitation Council for militancy victims.
Two lakh Gujjar and Bakerwal students being provided Pre-Matric
Ø
scholarship.
Monthly pension worth Rs. 18.81 crore disbursed among 3.32 lac
Ø
old-age persons, widows and physically handicapped under
Integrated Social Security Scheme.
Women Development Corporation provided term loans worth Rs
Ø state or central funding is still awaited. The
17.57 crore among 3,171 beneficiaries, besides Rs 29.41 lakh as
educational loan among 35 beneficiaries.
11,412 women have been acquainted with various vocational, skill
Ø Government before submitting projects to
development and croft development trainings during the said
period.
Corporation recovered about Rs 1.75 crore from loanees during first
Ø same to secure early sanction from the union
three quarters of financial year 2009-10 and expects to recover
another Rs 70 lakh from the beneficiaries.
www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2
46
S
ocial Welfare Department is one such
government agency which is directly
connected with plight of the poor. An
institutional sensitivity within the
department for poor and needy is yet to
emerge. Though the Minister, Sakina Ittoo,
was seen overwhelmingly engaged with the
peoples at grassroots but a structural
overhaul still needs to be done. Most of the
schemes in Social Welfare department is
fully centrally funded but their full potential
is not being harnessed on two accounts –the
departments fail to sent the utilization
certificates in time and fresh projections are
not being properly made for fresh funding.
An unholy nexus between department
officials at district and tehsil level and the
middlemen still prevails gobbling up the old
age pensions and scholarships for the
scheduled tribes and scheduled castes
students. Same is the case with Anganwadi
centers which are suffering from an
institutional rot depriving the poor children
of benefits of nutritious food. A
comprehensive policy for accountability of
Non-Governmental Organisations availing
Minister has, however, taken the initiative by
directing the NGOs to intimate the State
the Central Government so that State
Social Welfare Department pursue and the
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment,
Government of India for approval.
Epilogue, February 2010
47 SOCIETY
Ethnic Clashes

The Gujjar-Pahari Divide and

Local Politics of Rajouri, Poonch
AHMAD SHANNAS

In recent days newspapers in Jammu and Kashmir are seen replete with hate statements of Gujjars
and Pahari speaking people against each other. Paharis are demanding their inclusion in the list of
Scheduled Tribes and Gujjars are opposed to it. This clash is much beyond the ST status and has a lot to
do with the socio-political structure of the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu province

F or the last couple of years we
have been witnessing a strong
campaign going on in the twin
districts of Rajouri and Poonch for
accord of Scheduled Tribe status to the
Pahari speaking people of region on the
basis of parity and equality with the
people of Gujjar and Bakarwal tribe
who have already been in the ST since
1990. Any individual or a segment of
society nursing a grievance of neglect
and unjust treatment has got every
right to voice concern about it and
demand justice from the Governmentt.
The Pahari people or, precisely, the
Pahari speaking people of Rajouri and
Poonch districts have also got an
undisputed right to give vent to their
feelings, if they have a genuine
grievance and put forth any demand
which may help ameliorate their quality
of life.
Paradoxically, in case of Pahari
campaign there has been built - in
element of opposition because focal
point of this campaign has been a
controversial argument that inclusion of
Gujjars and Bakereals in list of
Scheduled Tribes was not justified but a
politically motivated decision. In view
of distinctive character of Pahari
campaign that it originated from
Rajouri-Poonch, remained all through
'Rajouri-Poonch centric', did not spread
t o o t h e r l a r g e r Pa h a r i a r e a s ,
notwithstanding broader connotations
of word Pahari, and ultimately turned
out to be an exclusive issue of Pahari
speaking people of Rajouri-Poonch or
Uri in (Baramulla district), Karnah in
(Kupwara district), it was none other
than the local Scheduled Tribe
population of Rajouri- Poonch who had
to bear the brunt of emotional outburst
of this campaign. Therefore, whatever
opposition or counter- opposition the
high voltage Pahari campaign had,
should be taken as its natural share.
However, it would be an over-
simplification to say that what is
holding back the grant of Scheduled
Tribe Status to Pahari speaking people is
the opposition or resistance being put
up by their opponents, while fact of the
matter is that their opponents have not
been able to stall even once the
recommendations of successive State
Governments to Government of India
for their inclusion in ST list.
But this is not all about it. There is
something more to the issue than what
it meets the eyes. The question still
remains that why this demand has come
to be seen with suspicion, causing fear
and anxiety among the Scheduled Tribe
population of Rajouri- Poonch? How to
explain the phobic attitude of the
people on both sides which is
perceptible in every case and counter
case, move and counter move? These
are the questions, which must be
pricking the mind of many people
especially younger generation of the
area who do not know about the local
history, ethos and psyche of the people
as much as their elders do. These
questions can be better answered when
we look at the psychological or psycho-
Political aspect of the issue.
The genesis of the problem can be
traced in the history of Rajouri- Poonch
which has seen a society awfully divided
on sectarian lines, troubled with inter-
class conflicts where conservative
mindset and dogmatic attitude has been
in collusion with the new social order
leading to an unending tug of war for
political supremacy between two major
segments of population consisting of
Gujjar and the non- Gujjars. Over the
period of time people on both sides have
developed a strong tendency of nega-
tive polarity, which has always been
used by some people with political
motives as a tool to unite their flock

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

SOCIETY
Ethnic Clashes
over the issues touching their emotions
and egoistic feelings. With the result if
one section of society happens to get a
favour or benefit it is taken by the other
section as if a political goal has been
scored by their opponents over them,
hence every action has an equal and
opposite reaction in true sense of
Newton's Law of Motion. Since Gujjars
and Bakarwals as the entire community
throughout J&K State were granted
Scheduled Tribe status the position
would have been entirely different had
the demand for parity come from any of
the parts of J&K State other than
Rajouri and Poonch districts. But when
this demand comes from politically
hyper sensitive districts of Rajouri and
Poonch, here lies the difference.
Today we are living in a society,
which is highly enlightened –socially,
educationally and politically- where
things are seen with an investigative
mind and research oriented approach.
Therefore, we should not shy away from
objective analysis of the case, which
can help in understanding the issues in a
better way and also help in dispelling
the misgivings and misunderstandings
about each other. Since general percep-
tion of the people about the word Pahari
is different than what is being conveyed
by the term Pahari speaking people,
there are two aspects of the issue,
which need to be discussed separately.
When we talk of Pahari people that
means not only the people who speak a
local dialect namely 'Pahari', but also
those residents of typical Pahari areas
who are socially, educationally and eco-
nomically similar circumstanced but
speak a different dialect, may be it is
Kashmiri, Dogri, Gojjari, Bhaderwahi,
Siraji or any other local dialect simply
because the people belonging to each
ethnic group have got their own mother
tongue or local dialect.
There is no denying the fact that
www.epilogue.in
Himalayan State of Jammu and Kashmir
has number of population pockets
located in most difficult, inaccessible,
mountain locked areas where people
are still leading a primitive life. Jammu
and Kashmir Government has done a stu-
pendous job by identifying all such
areas spread in the length and breadth
of the State. A large number of specified
areas in each and every district have
been declared as backward areas for
the purpose of reservation in
Government Jobs and for admission in
professional institutions. All these areas
are typical hilly or Pahari areas which
can be further divided into three
The genesis of the problem can be
traced in the history of Rajouri- Poonch
which has seen a society awfully divided
on sectarian lines, troubled with inter-
class conflicts where conservative
mindset and dogmatic attitude has been
in collusion with the new social order
leading to an unending tug of war for
political supremacy between two major
segments of population consisting of
Gujjar and the non- Gujjars.
broader categories of A, B & C signifying
their position of being difficult, more
difficult and most difficult Pahari areas
or Vice versa.
Although more than 80 percent of
total land area of Jammu and Kashmir
State is hilly, the inhabitants of towns
and municipalities are far more privi-
leged than the scattered population of
higher reaches or distant villages, which
are, located deep in the interior valleys
or in between ridges and gorges sur-
rounded by steep mountain ranges. How
can we equate the towns of Bhaderwah,
Kishtwar or Rajouri, Nowshera,
Sunderbani or Poonch, Surankote, etc
with the most unusual Pahari hamlets of
Vol. 4, Issue 2
48
Dachhan, Marwah, Paddar or Kote
Chadwal, Ghunda Khawas or Poshana,
Sialan etc of the same districts. A person
coming all the way from Dachhan,
Marwah or Kote Chadwal, Ghundha
Khawas or Poshana, Sialan traveling
most of the distance on foot because of
no road connectivity in his village, finds
himself in altogether different world
when he reaches le town of his own dis-
trict, humming with modern life activi-
ties. he feelings of the said person
would be similar as that of one watching
the city of Delhi or Mumbai from the
countryside. One can identity such
pahari areas in each district, which re
characteristically different from the
rest of the land because of heir peculiar
geographical position. For example
Marwah, Dachhan, Paddar, Udil, Dessa,
Bhalessa, Bonjwah, Pogal
Paristan,Chamalwas in old district
Doda, Bani Billawar in District Kathua,
Gool Gulabgarh, Mahore, Dharmari ,
Dudoo Basantgarh in old district
Udhampur, Sialan, Hari Marrot, Arai,
Loran, Sawjian, Khetan Chamreh,
Poshana in District Poonch. Mangota,
Alai, dhara, Ghambeer Mughlan, Parodi,
Sakri, Swadi, Keri, Kote Chadwal,
Ghundha khawas in District Rajouri.
Similarly higher reaches of Pahalgam,
in- accessible areas of District Anantnag
and Pulwama, Uri area of district
Baramulla, Keran, Karnah and other
Inaccessible areas of District Kupwara
etc.
Subject to all possible additions
and alterations these are the areas,
which really fit to be included in the cat-
egory of most unusually difficult Pahari
areas of the State and none other 'than
the residents of these areas deserve to
be called Pahari people in real sense of
the term. It is the inhabitants of these
areas who suffer pain, death, agony,
disaster as they often fall victim to
floods, drought, hostile climate, nig-
Epilogue, February 2010
49
gardliness of the nature, vagaries of the
weather and more so because many of
these areas having no road connectivity
remain cut off from the towns where
better educational, Medicare and other
facilities are available. These are the
areas where onward journey of progress
comes to a halt and developmental
programmes fail to make any impact on
the life of the public. It is the residents
of these areas who suffer deprivation
and neglect and need to be brought at
par with rest of the population by spe-
cial dispensation plan with special focus
on their socio- economic and educa-
tional development.
This could have been a simple but
comprehensive and plausible version of
the case of Pahari people acceptable to
everybody. What we have seen is a trun-
cated version of the case, which is the
product of local political compulsions of
Rojouri- Poonch. In whatever way the
local politics might have interpreted
the grant of Scheduled Tribe status to
Gujjars and Bakerwals, the fact remains
that it was in recognition of backward-
ness and degraded social status of the
community as a whole attributable to
peculiar life style of the people who
came to be stigmatized as a cattle rear-
ing class which made them to suffer the
afflictions of social inequalities. But in
the backdrop of local politics of Rajouri-
Poonch the accord of this status came to
be attached extra ordinary significance
with all hidden meanings - as if the com-
munity had got a magic wand which will
turn them into a formidable force to be
reckoned with. So the best way to deal
with this situation was to ask for similar
status on the basis of parity and equal-
ity. On the other hand the people of
Gujjar and Bakarwal community of
Rojouri-Poonch reacted to this demand
in a typical way as if it was an attempt
to snatch the loaf of bread from their
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mouth. I have spoken to many sensible
people on the subject with an intention
to probe their mind as to what scares
them most about this demand of their
fellow inhabitants. The typical explana-
tion came from one person which I could
interpret in these words "that the per-
petrators of hatred have now disguised
themselves as sufferers with a design to
marginalize their position." I could
sense the under- currents of fear and
anxiety in the thinking of the people. As
a matter of fact it is a case of fear
Psychosis on both sides, superficially
created in the mind of the people that
their future is at stake.
One cannot loose sight of the facts
that J &K is an exceptional state where
every weaker section and socially and
educationally backward class of the pop-
ulation have been covered under a well
devised network of reservation scheme
which is operational under different cat-
egories such as Scheduled Caste,
Scheduled Tribe, Resident of Backward
area, Resident of Actual Line of Control,
Other Backward Classes, Physically
Handicapped etc. It is not the Case that
there are only Scheduled Tribe doctors,
engineers and other officers in Rajouri -
Poonch. The non- ST doctors, engineers
and other officers are more in number
because of quantum of reservation they
are enjoying under different catego-
ries. As far as Central Services are con-
cerned both S.T. and Non-S.T. candi-
dates rarely venture for them because
of their being over possessive for their
home district or state. Though it is a dif-
ferent matter that both S.T.and non-
S.T. candidates of Rajouri- Poonch are
capable enough to compete even for
overseas services as some of them have
secured jobs in England and other for-
eign countries without any reservation
by sheer dint of their hard work. If we
have statistical analysis and realistic
Vol. 4, Issue 2
SOCIETY
Ethnic Clashes
view of the facts and figures, there are
enough reasons for both the sections of
population to feel good, happy and sat-
isfied. Then why situation is being
painted as grim? Why a false line of bat-
tle has been drawn between two sec-
tions of population pushing them into a
state of cold war? Why the people from
both sides are so much scared of each
other that they are always either on the
offensive or defensive using all types of
tactics to show down each other? Why
people on both sides have lost mutual
trust and have started looking at each
other with suspicion and disbelief? All
these questions point towards one
direction that perhaps people on both
sides have fallen prey to the politics of
divide and rule. The day of redemption
is nowhere in sight for the people who
have been polarized towards gaining
the political goals. Even if pahari speak-
ing people attain the status of
Scheduled Tribe the pot of conflict will
still be kept boiling by using the fuel of
new problems and issues likely to arise
out of the resolution of existing issue.
The traditionally rival communi-
ties of Rajouri- Poonch are most likely to
confront with a situation where the ben-
efits arising out of available schemes
will reach their future generations only
in a diluted form so much so that their
predominant representative character
too will gradually get eroded as a natu-
ral consequence of their senseless
infighting. It is not going to pay the poli-
ticians to cling to the old policy of divide
and rule because the biggest tragedy
with this policy is that nobody knows
who will rule in future.
Once during independence strug-
gle an informal debate was going on
among certain prominent leaders. One
of them retorted that it is wrong to say
that the English divide and rule. As a
matter of fact, we divide and they rule.
Epilogue, February 2010
COLUMN
History
EMPIRE AND REGIONAL IDENTITIES:
Kashmir under the Mughals - I
PROF JIGAR MOHAMMED
M
ughal emperor Jalal-ud-din
Muhammed Akbar initiated the
policy of defining the boundary
of the Mughal India. He declared that
India was a country spreading from
Kabul to the Sea or South India. He
planned to introduce Mughal rule in
whole India. He devised two methods
for the introduction Mughal rule in
different areas from Kabul to South
India: 1. through the policy of
annexation and 2. through making
tributary states. The concept of Akbar's
empire is well defined by Abul Fazl, a
court historian, “Hindustan is described
as enclosed on the east, west and south
by the ocean, but Ceylon, Achin, the
Moluccas, Malacca and a considerable
number of islands are accounted within
its extent. To the north is lofty range of
mountains, part of which stretches
along the uttermost limits of Hindustan,
and its other extremity passes into
Turkestan and Persia. An immediate
region lies between this vast frontiers of
china, inhabited by various races, such
as Kashmir, Great and Little Tibet,
Kishtwar and others. This quarter may
therefore be likened to another ocean.
With all its magnitude of extent and
harvests and the equable temperament
of its people.”. Abul Fazl' mention
clearly shows that for Akbar Kashmir
was to be part of the Mughal empire
.Consequently, whe Akbar started the
empire building process in India he
decided to bring Kashmir under the
Mughals.After its conquest Akbar
www.epilogue.in
annexed Kashmir to the Mughal empire
in 1586. Since it was the policy of Akbar
to recognize and maintain regional
identities of his empire, he treated
Kashmir as a distinct region and worked
for the preservation and propagation of
both tangible Although the Mughals
followed the concept of huge territorial
aggrandizement, they believed that the
regional identities were to be protected
and were to be the means of the
strength of the Mughal Empire. When
the Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin
Muhammad Akbar (1556-1605) annexed
Kashmir to the Mughal Empire in 1586,
he initiated the policy of integration of
Kashmir with his empire through the
concept of the mutual respect and
cooperation. He perceived that Kashmir
was a region which consisted of physical
environment different from other parts
of India. He also understood that
Kashmir was a region which people were
mostly ruled by its indigenous rulers
from ancient period onwards. For Akbar,
Kashmir had huge potentialities of the
expansion of horticulture and trade and
commerce. However, Akbar first
decided to record the regional
identities of Kashmir so that he could
formulate a policy getting social
legitimacy of his rule in Kashmir. Akbar's
work of tapping the local identities of
Kashmir was accomplished by his court
historian Abul Fazl. When the latter
recorded the history of Kashmir he gave
more emphasis on the land and its
people.
Vol. 4, Issue 2
50
Abul Fazl defined the identities of
Kashmir covering the features from its
boundary to pre-Mughal rulers of
Kashmir from ancient period onwards.
Describing the boundary of Kashmir Abul
Fazl writes, “It (Kashmir) lies in the
third and fourth climates. Its length
from Qamber Ver to Kishan Ganga is 120
kos, and it breadth from 10 to 25 kos. On
the east are Paristan and the river
Chinab; on the south-east Banihal and
the Jammu mountains; on the north-
east, Great Tibet (Tibet-i-Kalan, i.e.
Ladakh); on the south-west, the
Gakkhar country; on the north-west,
Little Tibet (Baltistan or Tibet-i-Khurd).
It is encompassed on all sides by the
Himalayan ranges. Twenty six different
roads lead into Hindustan, but those by
Bhimbar and Pakli are the best and the
generally practicable on horseback. The
first mentioned is the nearest and it has
several routes of which three are good;
viz., (1) Hast Bhanj which was former
route for the march of troops; (2) Pir
Panjal, which His Majesty (Akbar) has
thrice traversed on his way to the rose
garden of Kashmir. If on these hills an ox
or a horse be killed, storm clouds and
wind arise with a fall of snow and rain;
(3) Tangatala.”
The writings of Abul Fazl on
Kashmir show that the Mughal emperor
Akbar felt it necessary to highlight the
local characteristics of Kashmir for mak-
ing it an integral part of his empire. He
found it effective to associate the
Kashmiris with the Mughal Empire
Epilogue, February 2010
51
though respecting their natural heri-
tage and socio-economic life. For Abul
Fazl, “The country (Kashmir) is
enchanting and might be fittingly called
a garden of perpetual spring surround-
ing a citadel terraced to the skies and
deservedly appropriate to be either the
delight of the worldling or retired abode
recluse. Its streams are sweet to the
taste, its waterfalls music to ears, and
its climate invigorating. The rainfall and
snowfall are similar to that of Turkestan
and Persia and its periodical rains occur
at the same season as in Hindustan. The
lands are artificially watered or
dependent on rains for irrigation. The
flowers are enchanting and fill the heart
with delight. Violets, the red roses and
wild narcissus cover the plains. To enu-
merate its flora would impossible. Its
spring and autumn are extremely beau-
tiful. The houses are of wood and of sto-
ries and some of more, but its not
enclose them. Tulips are grown on the
roofs which present a lovely sight in the
spring time. Cattle and sundry stores
are kept in the lower storey, the second
contains family apartments, and in the
third and fourth are the household chat-
tels. On account of the abundance of
wood and earthquake, houses of stone
and bricks are not built, but the ancient
temples inspire astonishment. At pres-
ent day many of them are in ruins.
Woollen fabrics are made in high per-
fection, especially shawls which are
sent as valuable gift every clime. But
the bane of the country is its people, yet
strange to say, not withstanding its
numerous population and the scantiness
of the means of subsistence, thieving
and begging are rare. Besides plums and
mulberries, the fruits are numerous.
Melons, apples, peaches, apricots are
excellent. Although grapes are in
plenty, the finer qualities are rare and
the vines bear mulberry trees. The mul-
berry is eaten. Its leaves are reserved
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for silkworm. The eggs are brought from
Gilgit and Little Tibet, in the former of
which they are produced in abundance
and are of more choice. The food of peo-
ple is chiefly rice, wine, fish and various
vegetables, and last mentioned they dry
and preserve. Rice is cooked and kept
overnight to be eaten. Though shali rice
is plentiful, the finest quality is not
obtainable. Wheat is small in grain and
black in color, and there is little of it,
and little consumed. Gram and barley
are nowhere found. The have species of
sheep which they call handu, delicate
and sweet in flavor and wholesome.
Apparel is generally of wool, a coat of
which will last for some years.” Abul
Fazl's these narratives of the character-
istics of Kashmir in terms its agricultural
and artisans' productions, built heri-
tage, nature of houses and food items etc.
helped the Mughal emperor to administer
Kashmir in a way that could ensure the sur-
vival of the local identities.
The Mughals found the Kashmiris
hard working persons and very much
devoted to the concept of the self-
reliance. To propagate and encourage
the skills of the Kashmiris the Mughals
gave huge space to them in their literary
works. Appreciating the skills and hard
works of the Kashmiris Abul Fazl writes,
“There are artificers of various kinds
who might be deservedly employed in
the greate cities…The carriage of goods
is effected by the boat, but men also
carry great loads over the most difficult
country. Boatmen and carpenters drive
a thriving trade. The Brahman class is
very numerous. Although Kashmir has a
dialect of its own, their learned books in
the Sanskrit language. They have a sepa-
rate character which they use for manu-
script work, and they write chiefly on
Tuz which is the bark of a tree, worked
into sheets with some rude art and
which keeps for years. All their ancient
documents are written on this. Their ink
Vol. 4, Issue 2
COLUMN
History
is so prepared as to be indelible by wash-
ing. Although, in ancient times, the
learning of the Hindus was in vogue, at
present day, various sciences are stud-
ied and their knowledge is of a more gen-
eral character. Their astrological art
and astronomy are after the manner of
the Hindus… Their musicians are
exceedingly many … the most respect-
able class is that of the Brahmans, who
notwithstanding their need of freedom
from the bonds of tradition and custom,
are true worshippers of God.”
Mughals respected the religious
and political sentiments of the
Kashmiris. Recoding the sacred places
of the Hindus of Kashmir Abul Fazl
writes, “The whole country is regarded
as holy ground by the Hindu sages. Forty
five shrines are dedicated to Mahadeva,
sixty four to Vishnu, three to Brahma,
and twenty two to Durga. In seven hun-
dred places there are graven images of
snakes which they worship and regard-
ing which wonderful legends are told.”
Through the identification of the
various aspects of the Kashmiri cultures
the Mughal emperor Akbar started the
processes of the inclusion of the
Kashmiris in the Mughal empire. He
appointed them in the Mughal adminis-
trative institutions as calligraphists, rev-
enue officials, horticulturalists, poets
and musicians etc. He encouraged the
participation of the Kashmiris in the
trade and commerce of the empire.
More importantly, Akbar made the route
of Kashmir to Delhi safer and beneficial
for the Kashmiris. It is evident that he
spent large sum to construct a road from
Rajouri via Punch to Kashmir, which
became famous as the Mughal road. It
was the concept of the coalition
between the region and empire for
socio-economic development which
intensified and strengthened the pro-
cesses of the integration of Kashmir
with the Mughal Empire.
Epilogue, February 2010
COLUMN 52

Her Big Brother Died Fighting

for me and for you...
MANISHA SOBHRAJANI

T he encounter at Srinagar's Lal

Chowk in early January was
neither unusual nor unexpected:
it was, however, tragic and appalling. It
resulted, amongst other things, in the
smashing of a faint hope that it was
slowly 'getting back to normal' in
Kashmir. The peace and quiet of the
past few months turned out to be the
proverbial lull in the storm as the
encounter was followed by a daredevil
attack on a police station in Sopore.
There are reports of militants using pre-
paid SIM cards despite the fact that they
have officially been banned in the
state. One news headline screamed:
'Pakistan gets to Hurriyat, kills Kashmir
talks'(http://www.hindustantimes.com
/ Pa k i s t a n - g e t s - t o - H u r r i y a t - k i l l s -
Kashmir-talks/H1-Article1-
498651.aspx). By the time this article
goes to Press, there will have occurred a
few more disastrous incidents in J&K,
though I sincerely hope I am proven was still going on when the photograph
By the time this article goes to Press,
wrong here. in question was clicked.
there will have occurred a few more
While reporting on the Lal Chowk I choose not to get into the debate
encounter, The Hindu published a front- about what the media should publish disastrous incidents in J&K, though I
page photograph of a security personnel and what it shouldn't. I also choose not sincerely hope I am proven wrong here.
removing the dead body of a colleague to talk about the ethics of journalism,
who died in the cross-firing between the and how, more often than not, the many more such unpleasant
militants holed up in Punjab Hotel and media moulds events and incidents to occurrences in J&K.
the security forces combating them. make them 'jingoistic' and 'saleable'. In fact, what I choose to say here
There was fire all around, the street was Obviously, we haven't learnt the lessons will result in my being labelled as an
deserted but for a huge vehicle parked that we should have as a result of the 'agent of India', but I am willing to take
in the middle of the road from under many debates which emerged on the risk. I wish to draw your attention to
which the dead body was being dragged 'appropriate media behaviour' after the the thousands of security personnel who
away. In all probability, the encounter Kargil war, the Amarnath agitation and are posted in Jammu & Kashmir to

www.epilogue.in Vol. 4, Issue 2 Epilogue, February 2010

53 COLUMN

'protect' the land. Who are they supposed to protect it from
and against what is a different issue altogether. For now, let us
just take them (the security personnel) to be fellow human
beings. Surely they must have families back home who they
think of often; there must be football and cricket matches
they wish to play; they must have cravings to eat the food they
like... So when one of them dies, let us simply bow our heads in
empathy and wish for strength and support for their families
and friends.
At moments like these, I am reminded of the many
security personnel who I have interacted with over the course
of my work in Jammu & Kashmir since the past many years. I
can't deny the fact that there have been many times when I
have been helped and supported in my endeavours by the
security forces. They endure the most inhospitable weather
conditions, amongst other things, in the line of duty. Can you
possibly imagine a life of solitude for months at a stretch on
the Siachen glacier with sub-zero temperatures and virtually
nothing for company!
Somehow, I find these memories of mine quite in contrast
to the dreadful stories I hear all the time about how the
security forces treat Kashmiri men and women. I am not saying
the stories are baseless or untrue: it is not for me to sit in
judgement.
I read the following lines, and was most touched. I wish to
share them with you.
Vietnam Tears
I stood and I watched as a mother cried, when she had
heard that her son had died.
He didn't die because he was sick, or he didn't die because
he was in a wreck.
He died doing what he felt was right.
I watched a father try to hold back his tears,
his son had lived only a scant 19 years. His son had died
nine thousand miles away,
and what was there left for a father to say? He got down on
his knees and said a prayer, his brave son knows his father did
care.
I stood and watched as a little girl cried. She didn't
understand why her brother had passed on;
why he never again played with her on the lawn. Looking at
the little girl's tears I knew,
that her big brother died fighting for me and for you.
(http://www.angelfire.com /ct/deerwhorns/soldierpoem.html)

MAKE YOUR CONNECTION TODAY

www.epilogue.in
JAMMU & KASHMIR
POLITICS
BUSINESS
VIEWS & NEWS
CULTURE
STRATEGIC AFFAIRS
 OMAR
led Coalition
Government
completed
one year
in office
Historic,

Action
unprecedented
and
substantial
achievements
registered
on all
fronts speak louder
than words
 DEVELOPMENT-MAIN PLANK OF THE COALITION GOVERNMENT
Sitlee Intake III filtration plant, with 54 lac gallons per day capacity for catering needs of old Jammu city,
v
commissioned.
Rs.16.89 crore paid as monthly pension to 1.20,252 persons of 65 years an4 above belonging to Below Poverty
v
Line.
Task force constituted in collaboration with CII to promote tourism, trade and investment and to promote Brand
v
J&K
Rs.210 crore provided for macadamization of roads in Jammu and Srinagar cities and other districts.116 trunk,
v
lateral and inner roads in Srinagar city and 76 in Jammu city macadamized.
51 bridges, including major bridges like Gunq Roshan. Hari,Ganiwan, Zuhama Kralwari, Bagh Nallah in Kathua,
v
completed; 61 more bridges being completed by March, Rs. 120 crore earmarked for new flyover in Srinagar.
Out of 15 railway approach roads. 9 roads stand during the current year.
v
Rs. 150 crore four-lane bridge coming up over Riyer Tawi at Belicharana.
v
Rangil Phase II commissioned, adding 1 crore gallons of drinking water per day to Srinagar and surrounding
v
areas.
A comprehensive Flood Management Project for River Jhelum. costing Rs. 2200 crore, submitted to the Centre.
v
12 Irrigation projects worth Rs. 613.55 crore being executed under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme.
v
124 new minor irrigation projects including 12 of Ladakh costing Rs. 409.57 crore submitted to the Centre.

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
Largest ever annual plan size of Rs. 6700 crore, including Rs. 1200 crore Pm’s Reconstruction Plan
v
sanctioned.
6th Pay Commission recommendations, benefitting around 3.5 lac employees and 1.20 lac, implemented.
v
A comprehensive package for provision of funds projected before the 13th Finance Commission widely
v
acclaimed.
Recommendations of Working Groups receiving priority for implementation. All five reports received.
v
20,536 appointments made in Civil and Police Services. 10,102 selections made by Service Selection Board
v
and 1300 by Public Service Commission; 7197 persons appointed through Police Recruitment Board. 1639
persons appointed on compassionate grounds; Rs. 59.46 crore disbursed among 1497 beneficiaries @Rs.
4 lac per beneficiary in lieu of compassionate appointment.
Decision taken to regularize all those appointed on ad-hoc and contractual basis who have completed 7
v
years of service.
Dream of Sher-i-Kashmir to provide connectivity between the two regions through the historic Mughal Road
v
being fulfilled; the Chief Minister himself drove on the road on 24th November, 2009.
Concept of public hearing (Awami Mulakats) operationalized. CM already held Awami Mulakats at
v
Bandipora, Ganderbal and Anantnag.
Amendments to J&K Right to Information Act, on the lines of the Central Right to Information Act, made to
v
introduce more transparently and accountability in the Administration. The amended Act provides legally
mandated means to the citizens to access information from Government institutions.
CM’s Grievance Cell established to provide access to the citizens to the CM for redressal of grievances.
v
Srinagar Airport goes international by operating direct flights to Dubai.
v
Six districts, Pulwama, Anantnag, Baramulla, Kupwara, Jammu and Udhampur, covered under Cattle
v
Insurance Scheme.
Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy sanctioned eight energy parks for eight educational
v
institutions; Rs. 1 core State Level Energy Park sanctioned for Botanical Gardens, Cheshma Shahi; revival
of short term credit structure in the State through State Cooperative Bank, 3 Central Cooperative Banks and
769 Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies taken up for execution under Vaidyanathan Package in
collaboration with NABARD and RBI.
Jammu and Kashmir e-Governance Agency (JKEGA) set up to accelerate IT enabled projects and to receive
v
grants directly from the centre and other donor agencies. Five projects i.e. State Wide Aare Network
(SWAN), State Data Centre (SDC), Citizen Service Centres (CSCs), State and Departmental Web Portals
and Capacity Building sanctioned for Rs. 142 crore;
Rs. 70.45 crore released under CRPF for providing free of cost ration to the families of drought hit districts
v
the months of December, 2009 and January-February, 2010.
J&K Muslim Specified Wakfs and Specified Wakf Properties Board re-constituted.
v
 ASSAUGING ASPIRATIONS
A comprehensive Sher-i-Kashmir
v
Employment and Welfare Policy
for Youth (SKEWPY) announced
to address unemployment.
Voluntary Service Allowance
v
(VSA) for the educated unem-
ployed approved.
An Overseas Employment
v
Corporation created to facilitate
seeking overseas employment.
NASSCOM to provide range of IT
v
skills in the colleges of the State
in collaboration with Kashmir
University to improve employabil-
ity of youth.

GENERATING POWER
Six power projects of 1799 MW capacity under execution by NHPC, Sewa-II (120 MW) being commis-
v
sioned in January 2010; 450 MW Baglihar Power Project Phase II being expedited.
93 MW New Ganderbal HEP, 37.50 MW Parnai HEP; 240 MW Kirthai HEP and 50 MW Lower Kalnai power
v
projects being taken up in State Sector through State Power Development Corporation.
Rs. 500 crore earnmarked under PMRP for upgrading electrivity transmission and distribution system.
v

SPREADING LITERACY
Two Central Universities for Kashmir and Jammu sanctioned.
v
5.301 Rehbar-e-Taleems regularized.
v
18 new Polytechnics being set up.
v
94 posts of Principals. 1316 posts of Lecturers. 43 Headmasters, 129 Masters; 86 Teachers and 1813 posts of various categories of non
v
teaching staff created in School Education Department for upgraded schools; 141 (10+2) Lecturers appointed; 200 posts of Lecturers for 5th
subject (viz Computer Science/IT, Bio-Chemistry. Functional English, Environment Science & Bio- Technology) created for Higher
Secondary Schools.
Under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan 620 EGS centers redeployed for providing educational facilities to habitations without schools; 43 KGBVs
v
made functional/operational.
169 primary school and 53 upper primary school buildings constructed; 653 primary schools being upgraded to middle schools.
v
18 new Polytechnics being setup.
v
414 posts of different categories created for the newly established 18 Government Degree Colleges.
v
Government Degree College. Ganderbal inaugurated; Construction of Degree College buildings at Budgam, Bandipora, Dooru, Sopore,
v
Akhnoorm Hiranagar, RS. Pura, Basohli and Thanamandi and Women College Kathua completed; work on 18 other upcoming colleges
intensified.
Government Degree College, Gurez started.
v

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
During 2009, the Kashmir Valley received 4,75,505 tourists, including 23,636 foreign tourists. In addition, Ambassadors and High Commissioners
v
of various countries also arrived in the Valley. Accordingly, the number of pilgrims coming to Mata Vaishno Devi surpassed all previous
records by reaching 76.57 lac. While, 78,573 tourists visited Ladakh during 2009, 3,92,774 pilgrims paid obeisance at Shri Amarnathji Shrine
in most co-ordial and amicable atmosphere.
Contributory Pension Scheme (New Pension Scheme) for employees joining service on or after 01.01.2010 launched.
v
11,487 works taken up under National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, generating an employment of 58,52lac mandays upto November,
v
2009 Rs. 68 crore expended up November, 2009.
95,497 households provided job cards under NREGA during 2009.
v
Under PMRP, 8 additional model villages completed during 2009 taking the figure to 84 villages; 20 more being completed by Marcyh, 2010;
v
Under Indira Awas Yojna, 5,844 new houses constructed.
1197 SSI units registered during 2009 with estimated investment of Rs. 236.90 crore, creating employment for 7466 persons.
v
164 Large and Medium industrial units with estimated investment of Rs. 4192 crore and employment potential of 31,489 persons approved.
v
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) sanctioned by Government of India and being established at Ompora Budgam on fast-tract
v
basis at an estimated of Rs. 70 crore.
Development of additional land of 950 kanals at an estimated cost of Rs. 20.20 crore at Khunmoh Phase-III undertaken.
v
Acquisition of 2850 kanals of land for Phase-III Industrial Growth Centre, Samba under process.
v
Rules for appointment of kashmir Migrants notified. 3000 posts created.
v
Land identified at Vessu in Kulgam, Qazigund in Anantnag and Khanpur in Baramulla district for construction of additional transit
v
accommodations; Rs. 8.35 crore released for this.
Nearly 901 kanals and 28 marlas of evacuee land retrieved from encroachments.
v
Rs. 11.50 crore relief disbursed among farmers whose crops got damaged due to hailstrom/natural calamities.
v
 TOWARDS NORMALCY
v
CRPF replaced by local Police in certain areas after 20 years. Empowered, Committee under Financial
Commissioner. (Home) set up to monitor action on State Human Rights Commission's recommendations; major
portion of backlog cleared during 2009.
v
Security forces directed to adhere to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to minimize civilian casualties; Strong
action taken against personnel of Security forces and Police
v
found involving human rights violations.
v
Presence of Magistrates necessary while dealing Law and Order.
v
478 militancy related incidents reported till December 15, 2009 as against 680 in the corresponding period previous
year.
v
Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks (CCTNs) being implemented for better policing.
v
44 Government buildings and a number of private houses vacated by Security Forces after construction of 36
barrack blocks; Divisional and State Level Committees of officers constituted to monitor phase vacation.
v
Emergency and Fire Stations set up at Kralgund, Qalamabad, Puhroo and Tulail.

HEALTH FOR ALL

v
Draft Drug Policy being formulated for the first time.
v
Remuneration of contractual doctors enhanced from Rs. 8000 to Rs. 16.000 per month and for paramedics to Rs.
9000 per month. Special incentives of Rs. 8000 and Rs. 4000 for doctors working in very difficult and difficu1t
areas respectively.
v
Rs. 2,627 crore Health Infrastructure Development Plan formulated and sent to the Centre for approval.
v
Unani Medical College for Kashmir and Ayurvedic College for Jammu announced.

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
vRs. 356 crore sanctioned for rehabilitation of Dal dwellers.
Rs. 401 crore agreed, under UIDSSMT for Anantnag, Baramulla, Sopore, Kupwara and Ganderbal towns of the
v
Kashmir Division. Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Rajouri, Udhampur, Doda, Poonch and Baramulla towns already
brought under the ambit of UIDSSMT.
Artificial lake coming up along the banks of Niki Tawi at Jammu at a cost of Rs. 25 crore.
v
Wages of daily rated workers raised from Rs. 70 to Rs. 110 per day.
v
Rs. 600 crore Integrated Forest Resources Management Project formulated.
v
Sher-i-Kashmir Multi-sports Activity Centre (Gindun) coming up at Rajbagh at a cost of Rs. 17.37 crore.
v
Rs. 14.756 crore package announced for construction and upgradation of existing stadia all over the State.
v
551 mega and 216 other Lok Adalats held; 21,217 cases settled.
v
Preparations in full swing to conduct Panchayat elections in early 2010.
v
Rs. 132.92 crore sewerage project for Srinagar City and Rs. 129.23 crore for Jammu city under execution through
v
National Building Construction.
Conversion of 4,781 units of dry latrines into flush latrines in 54 towns with a central subsidy of Rs. 4.48 crore
v
sanctioned by Government of India.
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana covering all sectors of agriculture introduced for the first time; Rs. 46.97 crore work
v
plan sanctioned.
Novel Health Insurance Scheme for female sericulture workers launched in collaboration with ICICI Lombard. 5000
v
workers covered so far.
Rs. 600 crore externally funded Integrated Forest Resource Management Project for J&K being expedited.
v
7,640 militancy victims covered under pension and other schemes by the State Rehabilitation Council for militancy
v
Victims.
2 lac Gujjar and Bakarwals students being provided Pre-Matric scholarship.
v
Monthly pension worth Rs. 18.81 crore disbursed among 3.32 lac old-age persons, windows and physically
v
handicapped under Integrated Social Security Scheme.
120 Common Service Centres commissioned; Video conferencing facility available at 19 places.
v
Scale of food grains under APL categories for the rations of urban/rural areas of J&k restored to 13 kg per soul per
v
month.
98 CAPD sale outlets in Kashmir division and 57 in Jammu division have been opened.
v

Issued by : Directorate of Information and Public Relations

 HELLO
Good Morning Jammu
Office of the Regional Transport Officer
Jammu Division, Ware House, Jammu
Tel/Fax : 0191-2435476

Do’s :- Subject : Residence or place of business proof for

Ø Keep City Clean and Green.
Ø Always obey Building Bye-Laws.
Ø Grow Plants to have Healthy Environment.
Ø Plant a Tree at least Once in Life.
Ø Use Garbage Bins for disposal of waste.
Don’ts :
Ø Don’t start any construction without permission
from Jammu Municipal Corporation.
Ø Don’t throw/dump Garbage/Debris/Mulba on the
roads/lanes and drains.
Ø Don’t keep goods on pavements.
Ø Say no to polythene which is banned by Govt. of
J&K.
Ø Don’t smoke in the Public Place which is an offence.
Ø Don’t deface public property through posters and
writing, it is an offence.
In case of any
registration of vehicles.
PUBLIC NOTICE
It has been observed that owners of vehicles of
various types are approaching in this office without
documentary proof of residence or place of business for
registration of their vehicles. Under section 40 of Motor
Vehicle Act 1988, documentary proof of residence or
place of business is primary requirement for registration
of vehicles. Without the clear proof of residence or place
of business no vehicle can be registered by the
registering authority of the area.
It is notified for the information of the general
public that they should file clear documentary proof of
residence or place business for getting their vehicles
registered in order to avoid inconvenience and any loss
to them.
Sd/-
DIP/J-7943 Regional Transport Officer,
Dt : 20/1/2010 Jammu
Authorised Dealer :

Complaint Contact on
following Telephone Nos.
Health Officer 2547440 VARILUX
9419109781 aman.kwality@gmail.com
Sanitation Officer Zone Ist 9419105069 KWALI TY OPTI CIANS
Sanitation Officer Zone 2nd 9906004579 Authorised Dealer : Baush & Lomb, Rayban, Fastrack, Tommy, Vogue etc.
Veterinary Officer 9419102797 Jain Bazar, Jammu 50-North Block, Bahu Plaza Complex, Jammu
Phone : 0191- 2542468 Phone : 0191- 2471036
In case of no response, please contact Commissioner
or Joint Commissioner (A) on Telephone Nos.
Commissioner, JMC 2542192 For booking your advertisement
Joint Commissioner (A) JMC 2546252 on this page call
Ravi Verma @9018887136
9419180762
Jammu email : raviverma81736@gmail.com

Municipal Corporation
KEEN TO SERVE U BETTER
DIP/J-311P Dt : 18.01.2010
 Felicitation to people of J&K
on
61st Republic Day

Strong pillars of democracy strengthen our determination

to usher J&K in new era of peace, progress & prosperity
so that vision of Model State is realized

Directorate of Information & Public Relations, J&K Government