That time of the year.
The Heart becomes more alive than usual.
It swells and shrinks.
It beats faster and hurts harder.
It is always on the edge.
Ready to burst with joy or break with ache.
The Nation.
The Heart shouts Home.
The sounds, smells, and all that noise.
The Heart recognizes, sometimes vexed and sometimes joyous.
The Language.
Like a Lover whispering in the ear.
The Heart is smug.
The anticipation building.
The Heart embraces, like a secret love.
The only time an unsure flyer, will look out of the window.
The Heart is brave.
The Himalayas receding in the horizon, and Tawi springing to life in all its serpentine glory.
The Hearts beats, but you stop breathing.
Every Christmas, Santa flies over the majestic Ganga, leaving gifts for the children.
Heart says Life is Magical.
That Morning, waking up to the Parents pottering about.
The Heart hears and is a young girl once again.
The abandon of the child, when with the Parents.
The Heart is lazy and free.
When handsome young brothers bow down to touch your feet.
The Heart rises with pride.
The hugs from the Womenfolk in the family.
The Heart forgets the chill and grey.
The Unconditional Love.
The Heart grows arrogant.
Children blossoming in the sunlight of absolute adulation.
The Heart is warm.
The gossiping and whispering late into the night with the Sisters.
The Heart is lighter and laughs.
The adoring Nieces and Nephews.
The Heart is young and sings.
The Village Temple, by the River but without Dadi, shedding tears, as she would watch us leave till she could see us no more.
The Heart remembers.
Every year the Parents look older, frail and more vulnerable.
The Heart is afraid.
The ailing Grandfather.
The Heart breaks.
A few weeks.
The Heart feels everything.
Intensely.
It feels both strong and weak.
And then the Heart embraces Hope, as it leaves.
Till it returns.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Friday, March 7, 2014
The Underbelly Part 2
As a couple of months went by the horror and tragedy of the impact and the consequences of sexual slavery became clearer to me. The assumptions and beliefs I previously held about the women in prostitution altered dramatically.
Lets tackle the obvious questions anyone would have who is not familiar with the issue of sex trafficking.
How many are really forced/tricked into this form of slavery?
To my best knowledge almost all of them are in some way or the other duped or coerced into prostitution. In the 2.5 years of my field work I did not come across a single woman who willingly chose this line of 'work'. If I could do justice in describing the degrading and appalling conditions they live in all doubts would be erased. Well the ones whom you can say get into prostitution willingly are usually the daughters of the women in prostitution(I will call them WIP). But they join this 'profession' not because of its prospects but because of a total lack of alternatives.
I remember an 8 yr. old girl, a daughter of a WIP, telling me that she wanted to be a Gharwali (the madam or the brothel keeper) when she grows up. This was because she knew no better. She had no role models to look up to. She knew no other life. In her eyes the most powerful person was the gharwali who had financial freedom and who had means to control the lives of women like her own mother. There are other forms of prostitution like call girl rackets and beer bar girls but that is a different category. These forms of prostitution are also extremely exploitative.
Is it really all that difficult to come out of this situation?
Well first lets examine how most of these girls ended up in the red light area.
1. N was a happy 10 yrs. old living in some remote impoverished village in Nepal.She has 5 more siblings. One probably suffering from TB. If they are lucky they eat twice a day. She used to go to a village school, but had to stop because of a paucity of funds. Days of going without food and the worsening condition of her brother who is afflicted with TB, forces her parents to sell her to a lady who promises to get her employment as a worker in a carpet factory in Kathmandu or as a domestic help in Mumbai. She travels by foot, bus and finally train to Mumbai. And is sold into a brothel for Rs 10000.
2. B is a 17 yr old from a village in Andhra Pradesh. Her father, a cotton farmer committed suicide because of increasing debt and falling revenues. There are 5 mouths to feed. So our brave young B decides to go to Mumbai to some acquaintance who could get her a job. She is illiterate and is travelling outside her village for the first time. She meets a friendly woman in the train just before arriving in Mumbai who looks at the address and tells her she lives in the same neighborhood and offers to take her there. She is brought to Kamathipura and sold.
3. D fell in love and decided to elope with her lover. The lover promises her marriage. She runs away to Mumbai with him, dreaming about marriage and domestic bliss. She is brought to Kamathipura and is sold and she never sees her lover again.
4. P gets into prostitution because her mother is a prostitute. She knows no other life. She was born in the brothels. We call this inter-generational prostitution.
5. M remembers going to the village fair somewhere in Jharkhand with her family. The next thing she knows she is drugged, thrown into a sack, and then dumped onto the back of a truck. She is brought to Mumbai. She is sold and since she is only 8 yrs old, she fetches a really good price.
6.There was a particular peculiar arrangement that I saw in Grant Road. That of Bangladeshi WIP. They were living in the brothels with their families , husbands included. I found out that these women would service clients in the night, while their husband played cards in one of the many eating places nearby. During the daytime the women would sleep and the husbands would cook and look after the children. The would stay in Mumbai for 6 to 8 months, make enough money to go back to their villages. They would be back in Mumbai with their wives, and sisters,once they ran out of all their savings. Well I know the woman had no say in this arrangement and this was not a result of mutual consent.
7.L was a devdasi in a village in Karnataka. When the priests of the temple tire of her, she is sold to a Mumbai brothel. This consort of the Gods is no luckier than the others.
Could they not run away from the brothels?
When she arrives at the brothel she refuses to obey the gharwali. She is locked up in a small room.Starved, beaten, tortured. This continues for days. If she refuses to give in, she is finally drugged and repeatedly raped. She is raped by more than 5 men in one night. Virginity is much in demand. After months of this torture she gives in and is moved to a room in the brothel. She cannot read or write.She does not understand the language. She is not allowed to leave the brothel. Gharwali has goons to watch over her. Crushed chillies being rubbed onto her private parts is one of the many threats she hears day and night.As a girl told me she spent her first year begging every man she was forced to sleep with to help her escape. One of her regular customers was a policeman.
By the second year the girl is battered, and diseased. Her spirit is irreversibly crushed and she is ashamed and afraid to go back to her village for now she is 'dirty'. Some part of her still hopes to go back one day and resolves to do whatever it will take. Which is paying back the money the gharwali paid to buy her. This is not easy to do. She gets only Rs. 50 per customer. She also has to pay for her lodging, food, clothes and medicines. Add to this the interest on the principal amount, freedom is one distant dream. I never heard of any happy endings.
Some brave and lucky ones did manage to escape thanks to the occasional police raids. But the happiness is short lived. Once her family back in the village realizes where she has been she is beaten, disowned and thrown out. She returns to the only thing she knows.
Her destiny was never hers to make.
Lets tackle the obvious questions anyone would have who is not familiar with the issue of sex trafficking.
How many are really forced/tricked into this form of slavery?
To my best knowledge almost all of them are in some way or the other duped or coerced into prostitution. In the 2.5 years of my field work I did not come across a single woman who willingly chose this line of 'work'. If I could do justice in describing the degrading and appalling conditions they live in all doubts would be erased. Well the ones whom you can say get into prostitution willingly are usually the daughters of the women in prostitution(I will call them WIP). But they join this 'profession' not because of its prospects but because of a total lack of alternatives.
I remember an 8 yr. old girl, a daughter of a WIP, telling me that she wanted to be a Gharwali (the madam or the brothel keeper) when she grows up. This was because she knew no better. She had no role models to look up to. She knew no other life. In her eyes the most powerful person was the gharwali who had financial freedom and who had means to control the lives of women like her own mother. There are other forms of prostitution like call girl rackets and beer bar girls but that is a different category. These forms of prostitution are also extremely exploitative.
Is it really all that difficult to come out of this situation?
Well first lets examine how most of these girls ended up in the red light area.
1. N was a happy 10 yrs. old living in some remote impoverished village in Nepal.She has 5 more siblings. One probably suffering from TB. If they are lucky they eat twice a day. She used to go to a village school, but had to stop because of a paucity of funds. Days of going without food and the worsening condition of her brother who is afflicted with TB, forces her parents to sell her to a lady who promises to get her employment as a worker in a carpet factory in Kathmandu or as a domestic help in Mumbai. She travels by foot, bus and finally train to Mumbai. And is sold into a brothel for Rs 10000.
2. B is a 17 yr old from a village in Andhra Pradesh. Her father, a cotton farmer committed suicide because of increasing debt and falling revenues. There are 5 mouths to feed. So our brave young B decides to go to Mumbai to some acquaintance who could get her a job. She is illiterate and is travelling outside her village for the first time. She meets a friendly woman in the train just before arriving in Mumbai who looks at the address and tells her she lives in the same neighborhood and offers to take her there. She is brought to Kamathipura and sold.
3. D fell in love and decided to elope with her lover. The lover promises her marriage. She runs away to Mumbai with him, dreaming about marriage and domestic bliss. She is brought to Kamathipura and is sold and she never sees her lover again.
4. P gets into prostitution because her mother is a prostitute. She knows no other life. She was born in the brothels. We call this inter-generational prostitution.
5. M remembers going to the village fair somewhere in Jharkhand with her family. The next thing she knows she is drugged, thrown into a sack, and then dumped onto the back of a truck. She is brought to Mumbai. She is sold and since she is only 8 yrs old, she fetches a really good price.
6.There was a particular peculiar arrangement that I saw in Grant Road. That of Bangladeshi WIP. They were living in the brothels with their families , husbands included. I found out that these women would service clients in the night, while their husband played cards in one of the many eating places nearby. During the daytime the women would sleep and the husbands would cook and look after the children. The would stay in Mumbai for 6 to 8 months, make enough money to go back to their villages. They would be back in Mumbai with their wives, and sisters,once they ran out of all their savings. Well I know the woman had no say in this arrangement and this was not a result of mutual consent.
7.L was a devdasi in a village in Karnataka. When the priests of the temple tire of her, she is sold to a Mumbai brothel. This consort of the Gods is no luckier than the others.
Could they not run away from the brothels?
When she arrives at the brothel she refuses to obey the gharwali. She is locked up in a small room.Starved, beaten, tortured. This continues for days. If she refuses to give in, she is finally drugged and repeatedly raped. She is raped by more than 5 men in one night. Virginity is much in demand. After months of this torture she gives in and is moved to a room in the brothel. She cannot read or write.She does not understand the language. She is not allowed to leave the brothel. Gharwali has goons to watch over her. Crushed chillies being rubbed onto her private parts is one of the many threats she hears day and night.As a girl told me she spent her first year begging every man she was forced to sleep with to help her escape. One of her regular customers was a policeman.
By the second year the girl is battered, and diseased. Her spirit is irreversibly crushed and she is ashamed and afraid to go back to her village for now she is 'dirty'. Some part of her still hopes to go back one day and resolves to do whatever it will take. Which is paying back the money the gharwali paid to buy her. This is not easy to do. She gets only Rs. 50 per customer. She also has to pay for her lodging, food, clothes and medicines. Add to this the interest on the principal amount, freedom is one distant dream. I never heard of any happy endings.
Some brave and lucky ones did manage to escape thanks to the occasional police raids. But the happiness is short lived. Once her family back in the village realizes where she has been she is beaten, disowned and thrown out. She returns to the only thing she knows.
Her destiny was never hers to make.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
If I Cannot Find, I live to be Found
Today is the day. Today I get up, and wake my son. I make sure he is dressed and fed. Today is the day when I hug him tight and kiss his beautiful face, not once, not twice but over and over again. Today is the day when, as I say good bye I feel my heart break. The pain so fierce I think I might die. And I am surprised that I did not... did not die. When I see him walk away, I want to scream and shout, feral in my pain and fear. I want to hold him back. Tell him to stop and stay. But today is the day, I will not. I will bid him farewell and watch him till I can't see him anymore. Yes today is the day when I will live knowing I might never set my eyes upon him. I will not know where and how he is. I have wondered if not knowing is worse than death and yet I cannot see life snuffed out of the child I brought into this world. I have to choose and I must protect. So today I will watch my heart walk out of my body. My soul will never be the same again.
But, I will live in the hope that my heart will find its way back to where it belongs.
I am angry and I am very afraid. I leave my Mother, my house, and everything I know. I leave fear behind but the unknown and more fear await me. How do I walk away from the woman who taught me to walk, maybe to never return? Uncle speaks of a wonderful world beyond those
But, I will live in the hope that if I cannot find, I will be found.
Inspired by the Human Stories of courage,tragedy, survival and hope, I see and hear at my work at International Family Tracing, British Red Cross. http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Finding-missing-family/International-family-tracing
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
A and A Celebrating Janamashtami
My own A and A are big fans of Shri Krishna, reading and re-reading stories of his life. They started their day, this Janamashtami by thinking about Shree Krishna's life and his message.
Here is their take on Shree Krishna's life and message :
One scary part of his life is, that there was an evil snake called Kalia. Whenever someone came to drink water from Yamuna River everyone got poisoned and died.
His Uncle Kansa was so mean and greedy that Krishna had to kill him.
Another incident was stealing Makhan(butter). Krishna did not steal Makhan, for no reason. It was for a very good reason. He did it because everyone was giving the butter to Kansa and not to the children.
Another incident of his life was that he had a friend called Sudama. Krishna saw so much love in Sudama, that he gave his own palace to him.
If we love God, he will give us everything.
Happy Janamashtami to All of You.
By Little A ( 6 yrs)
Today it is a special day. It is Janamashtami. Janamashtami is the day Krishna was born. Krishna was a great person and he did great things in life to teach us how to live our lives. Krishna was an Avatar and his message to us is mainly : That if we are united, together we can destroy evil and make a change in the world.
Here is an example of an incident in his life: Pootna was a demon, Kansa had sent to kill Krishna. Pootna disguised herself into a village woman. Krishna was very young and cute at that time. Pootna reached Krishna's house. Somehow she got a chance to be alone with Krishna, but Krishna sensed danger. She already had her breast smeared with poison. However Pootna was no comparison for Krishna. Young Krishna suckled at her breast and Pootna died. This teaches us that whatever form danger comes in, be alert and face it.
When Krishna was a boy , he was very mischievous. He used to steal Makhna/ Butter from the Gopis houses. Although he had a reason. The reason was that everyday the Gopis had to sell the Makhan in Mathura. So Krishna's friends barely got any butter, curd or milk to eat and drink. So Krishna taught everyone that children need to play and eat well too.
There is another event that took place in Krishna's life. . Kansa was an evil man. Krishna was his biggest enemy. Kansa was also Krishna's Mama. So did Krishna not fight? No! he was brave and vanquished his Uncle. This teaches us even if someone close to us is spreading evil in the society, we still have to fight them.
Another event which teaches us a lot involves Arjun. Arjun before the Battle of Kurukshetra. Both Arjun and Duryodhan were at Krishna's Palace. Krishna said Duryodhan and Arjun had a choice. They could choose between him and a million soldiers. Arjun immediately answered ," I don't want a million soldiers, I just want you". Duryodhan thought a million soldiers was better and later lost.
This teaches you to have Faith in God. If God is on your side, you will win.
Lastly, Arjun was on the battlefield and the battle was about to start. But Arjun's hands were trembling. The thought of fighting his Uncles and cousins scared him. Then Krishna sang the 'Bhagvad Geeta' and all his fears went. He bravely fought and Krishna remained his great friend.
There is also one more thing to remember: Life is like a Game, you win some and lose some, but you should never give up.
Happy Janamashtami!
By Big A ( Turning 9 next month )
Friday, August 23, 2013
Celebrating Goodness in the Face of Evil
Incidents like today and those others, which do not credit any media coverage, test my faith and resolve. My dear friend, a strong, intelligent and independent woman told me, that this is one of the reasons, why she is averse to celebrating our Country's Independence. You my friend, say that the city and the Nation have no heart. We have been long dead.
I agree with you, not because I am a woman who knows what it is to have her personal space violated. Who as a young girl has strategized how to ward off advances of men like 'Shakti Kapoor' the personification of the Bad Man in a 9yr Old's mind, who had seen enough Bollywood movies and seen enough of life, as it was around her.
There is no debating your anger. It is rightly placed. You have rightly said that we have anarchy in the name of State. I am angry too. I am furious and frustrated. And as a Mother and a Mother of a precious girl child, I have never known fear or worry, the way I know it now.
I agree with everything you say, my friend. But one.
I refuse to, NOT, celebrate men and women who gave their blood and sweat for this Land. They developed a beautiful Civilization and an amazing Culture. Agasti, Vishwamitra, Vashishtha, Gargi, Vallabhacharya, Chanakya, Adi Shankracharya etc. are names that have a body of work behind them which gives me goose bumps. They inspire me and give me direction.
And later on the men and women who fought the war of Freedom, so that this Country could be free to further strengthen this Culture and take the message of love for humanity and all Creation, far and wide. I WILL celebrate them.
This is the Land of Great Men and Women and Sages and Avatars. And though my resolve is being tested and I fear it will take a further beating, I will try not to not bow down. I will not let cultural and moral bankruptcy and pure evil obliterate the majestic work of many.
Its takes hundreds of years to develop a Civilization and shape a Culture. And it can fall apart in just a few years. We have been falling apart for many, many years now. We are riding the wave of breakdown, anarchy and chaos of every kind.
Today is not the day when I will ruminate on why's and how's. I am not even going to think on solutions. Because the solution is clear in my mind but its not instant or legal or administrative.
I am not looking to blame anyone today, because there are too many actors in this play.
But undoubtedly, this Battle between the Good and Evil, Right and Wrong is age old. There have been Narakasurs and Ravanas, who did what they did, because they wanted to and because they could. Till they were stopped.
The Evil is stronger in this Yuga undoubtedly. But as a great Man and my greatest inspiration said, it is my chance to prove my mettle. Because I am going to be tested the most today, as a believer in the Good and Right. I will choose the Right side and do my bit in this Battle. I have chosen and want to walk the Path of Karmayog. I am going to try, to not speak the language of inaction, failure and pessimism. I will try to transform my anger to Right Action. I will try, and try harder.
Hence dear friend, I will celebrate goodness and greatness in the face of this greatest evil. Because some maybe dead but you and I are not. We must continue to live and act.
I agree with you, not because I am a woman who knows what it is to have her personal space violated. Who as a young girl has strategized how to ward off advances of men like 'Shakti Kapoor' the personification of the Bad Man in a 9yr Old's mind, who had seen enough Bollywood movies and seen enough of life, as it was around her.
There is no debating your anger. It is rightly placed. You have rightly said that we have anarchy in the name of State. I am angry too. I am furious and frustrated. And as a Mother and a Mother of a precious girl child, I have never known fear or worry, the way I know it now.
I agree with everything you say, my friend. But one.
I refuse to, NOT, celebrate men and women who gave their blood and sweat for this Land. They developed a beautiful Civilization and an amazing Culture. Agasti, Vishwamitra, Vashishtha, Gargi, Vallabhacharya, Chanakya, Adi Shankracharya etc. are names that have a body of work behind them which gives me goose bumps. They inspire me and give me direction.
And later on the men and women who fought the war of Freedom, so that this Country could be free to further strengthen this Culture and take the message of love for humanity and all Creation, far and wide. I WILL celebrate them.
This is the Land of Great Men and Women and Sages and Avatars. And though my resolve is being tested and I fear it will take a further beating, I will try not to not bow down. I will not let cultural and moral bankruptcy and pure evil obliterate the majestic work of many.
Its takes hundreds of years to develop a Civilization and shape a Culture. And it can fall apart in just a few years. We have been falling apart for many, many years now. We are riding the wave of breakdown, anarchy and chaos of every kind.
Today is not the day when I will ruminate on why's and how's. I am not even going to think on solutions. Because the solution is clear in my mind but its not instant or legal or administrative.
I am not looking to blame anyone today, because there are too many actors in this play.
But undoubtedly, this Battle between the Good and Evil, Right and Wrong is age old. There have been Narakasurs and Ravanas, who did what they did, because they wanted to and because they could. Till they were stopped.
The Evil is stronger in this Yuga undoubtedly. But as a great Man and my greatest inspiration said, it is my chance to prove my mettle. Because I am going to be tested the most today, as a believer in the Good and Right. I will choose the Right side and do my bit in this Battle. I have chosen and want to walk the Path of Karmayog. I am going to try, to not speak the language of inaction, failure and pessimism. I will try to transform my anger to Right Action. I will try, and try harder.
Hence dear friend, I will celebrate goodness and greatness in the face of this greatest evil. Because some maybe dead but you and I are not. We must continue to live and act.
Monday, August 12, 2013
An Open Letter to Jenaab Omar Abdullah
Honorable CM Sahib, Jenaab Omar Abdullah ji ,
We are so glad that you finally dragged yourself away from tweeting. Understandably it must also be very difficult to stop ruminating over Kohli's decision to not let Parvez Rasool play the just concluded ODI series against Zimbabwe. But we are glad you moved on.
We the people of the Jammu Region, the minority, are elated that you are finally attempting to take stock of the 'situation' in Kishtwar. And are praying that Cricket, Tweeting or any such thing will not distract you from your job. Sir in my correspondence I will refer to the people of the Jammu Region which includes 10 Districts (Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Kishtwar, Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Ramban and Reasi) as Jammuites to be fair and inclusive of all the Ethnic Identities...Dogras, Kishtwaris, Bhaderwahis, Kashmiri Pandits, Poonchis etc.
The people of the region as you might know, were already upset about the LOC ceasefire violations by our neighbor. The icing on the cake was the divided, and embarrassing reaction and the crude insensitive remarks about the incident by your political fraternity. The Kishtwar incident just further pushes us into the corner.
Your colleague Mr. Azad claimed in an interview to DD, that Kishtwar is one of the most peaceful districts in the state. True it is the land of Saffron and Sufis. But though the Saffron is still there, the Sufis have long gone. If I may remind Respectd Azadji, the Sufis have been replaced by home and 'across the border' grown terrorists and foreign mercenaries. As reported by many minorities from the region the city is always tensed, ahead of Eid. This known fact, definitely demanded more preparedness by the local administration.
You have gone on record saying “…As to how the situation developed, whether there were any administrative lapses, and if there were any lapses, who were responsible, and swift action will follow. Does this mean you assure us of the sacking of the Local MLA and State Minister of Home Sajjad Kitchloo for his very disturbing and conniving role in the carnage in Kishtwar.
The Local administration and the Police who stood by and allegedly aided the miscreants as the minority were being persecuted, must be booked. Sir, friends and relatives from Kishtwar are saying that the Police let enough time pass, before acting, hence allowing massive property damage. This definitely demands a high level investigation. The early reports stated, the injured being shifted to hospitals in other Districts as the local hospital refused to admit them. This news makes us very sad Jenaab.
I read somewhere that you asked who are these people who are protesting. Well Jenaab with some consternation and honesty we admit, that it is mostly us Jammuites who were and are protesting against the violence in Kistwar. But then someone had to.
The National media was busy reporting the trade verdict of 'Chennai Express'. Most of us love SRK Jenaab, but we love our bretherens from the Jammu Region too. So we chose to stand by them in their moment of crisis. We protest because we are scared and angry and want justice.
Sir, a 74 year old, who returned to the land of his ancestors, after a lifetime of hard work outside the state, is being advised to buy property in Delhi or Chandigarh, because the minorities fear that in 6-7 years Jammu Region would turn into Kashmir. Far-fetched? But its common knowledge Sir, we still await the rightful return of the Kashmiri Pandits.
We must share this with you, that the rumors going around amongst the minorities, suggest that this is just the beginning of the second act of Ethnic Cleansing. Many of us disagree, for though we are a minority, we are pretty stoic and are going no where. But it is also true that the fast changing demography of the State is because of forced migration. Migration arising due to such incidents and an atmosphere of fear and persecution.
Jenaab our people are angry. We pay our taxes, cast our vote and vow our allegiance to the State and the Nation. We proudly fly the Indian Flag, yet we have no voice and are almost invisible. We have been for a long time treated as that poor cousin, the unwanted house guest, who is humiliated and starved into fleeing the home
Sir you said some political parties take advantage and polarize such situations. You have hit the bulls eye Sir. This is what, always happens. It becomes a free for all. A 'Chance pe Dance Kar Le'...for all. We would humbly suggest, that you kindly make a note of that and next time in such an event make sure that there is a prompt, effective, and fair intervention by the State Government. Declaring Curfew at 12 pm and imposing it at 8pm, was not a very smart decision even by a long stretch.
We condemn the stray incidents of communal violence that followed, and feel that they were completely avoidable if the state Machinery had behaved differently.
Jenaab you have sprung into action by clamping curfew in 8 out 10 Districts of Jammu Region, preventing media from reporting, and have cut off mobile internet. You have not allowed the opposition from visiting Kishtwar. You said the local Administration in such situations make decisions to allow media, political leaders and others in the troubled areas. As well wishers, we must tell you that this is seemingly undemocratic. We suspect, you have your good reasons but this also does not seem fair, Sir.
In the Valley, whenever Geelani Uncle gets mad and wants support, his good friend Arundhati Roy flies past the Jammu Region and stands by him. An otherwise intelligent lady Ms. Roy, sadly, does not like us people of the Jammu Region. We have a sneaking suspicion Sir, that her friend Geelani Uncle has lead her to believe we do not exist.
You stopped Mr. Arun Jaitley, Mr Soz and Mehbooba Didi from visiting Kistwar. Why did you do that? It does not help your cause, for you should have nothing to hide.We are so desperate for attention, we Jammuites, since nobody wants to talk to us, we would have happily allowed anyone for a cup of Desi Chai and a word of empathy.
We have some other very important piece of news for you. Amongst the Jammuites, Narendra Modi, is gaining popularity, as fast as the Indian Rupee is losing its value. He it seems had heard of the Kishtwar incindent and remembered to speak for us even as he prepared to address his very important and big rally in Hyderabad. Sadly Sir, nobody else did.
Jenaab Omar Sahib, the young people from Jammu Region are afraid to talk about the incident on social networking sites now, because they fear a backlash and even arrest. If they could, they would tell the Nation, that the loss of life and damage to property is much more than being shown on National Media.
We are a simple and gentle people, us Jammuites. You have suspended the Machail Mata Yatra, the Buddha Amaranth Yatra and the Amarnath Yatra, which are very important for us, but we will live. In fact we are doing all, to make things easy for the Yatris/Pilgrims who are stuck in different base Camps.
But we hope in return, that we do not have to remind you, to do the needful. We expect appropriate compensation to the victims, a probe into the incident and holding responsible both miscreants and Civil Authorities including, your Minister of State Sajjad Kitchloo, for the dastardly acts.
Jenaab Omar Abdullah, the Jammu Region, is rooted in a culture of love, tolerance, and co-existence. Since we are peace loving, you do not have to remind us to maintain peace. But we also have a strong Martial Tradition and can stand up for our Rights. So do not test our patience and most certainly do not take us for granted.
Yours Truly,
Concerned Minority - The People of the Jammu Region.
P.S: The Word Minority is demeaning and not our favourite way to describe ourselves, but it does seem to have an attention grabbing quality and hence its factual but liberal use.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
An Open Letter to Jenaab Omar Abdullah
Honorable CM Sahib, Jenaab Omar Abdullah ji ,
We are so glad that you finally dragged yourself away from tweeting. Understandably it must also be very difficult to stop ruminating over Kohli's decision to not let Parvez Rasool play the just concluded ODI series against Zimbabwe. But we are glad you moved on.
We the people of the Jammu Region, the minority, are elated that you are finally attempting to take stock of the 'situation' in Kishtwar. And are praying that Cricket, Tweeting or any such thing will not distract you from your job. Sir in my correspondence I will refer to the people of the Jammu Region which includes 10 Districts (Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Kishtwar, Doda, Rajouri, Poonch, Ramban and Reasi) as Jammuites to be fair and inclusive of all the Ethnic Identities...Dogras, Kishtwaris, Bhaderwahis, Kashmiri Pandits, Poonchis etc.
The people of the region as you might know, were already upset about the LOC ceasefire violations by our neighbor. The icing on the cake was the divided, and embarrassing reaction and the crude insensitive remarks about the incident by your political fraternity. The Kishtwar incident just further pushes us into the corner.
Your colleague Mr. Azad claimed in an interview to DD, that Kishtwar is one of the most peaceful districts in the state. True it is the land of Saffron and Sufis. But though the Saffron is still there, the Sufis have long gone. If I may remind Respectd Azadji, the Sufis have been replaced by home and 'across the border' grown terrorists and foreign mercenaries. As reported by many minorities from the region the city is always tensed, ahead of Eid. This known fact, definitely demanded more preparedness by the local administration.
You have gone on record saying “…As to how the situation developed, whether there were any administrative lapses, and if there were any lapses, who were responsible, and swift action will follow. Does this mean you assure us of the sacking of the Local MLA and State Minister of Home Sajjad Kitchloo for his very disturbing and conniving role in the carnage in Kishtwar.
The Local administration and the Police who stood by and allegedly aided the miscreants as the minority were being persecuted, must be booked. Sir, friends and relatives from Kishtwar are saying that the Police let enough time pass, before acting, hence allowing massive property damage. This definitely demands a high level investigation. The early reports stated, the injured being shifted to hospitals in other Districts as the local hospital refused to admit them. This news makes us very sad Jenaab.
I read somewhere that you asked who are these people who are protesting. Well Jenaab with some consternation and honesty we admit, that it is mostly us Jammuites who were and are protesting against the violence in Kistwar. But then someone had to.
The National media was busy reporting the trade verdict of 'Chennai Express'. Most of us love SRK Jenaab, but we love our bretherens from the Jammu Region too. So we chose to stand by them in their moment of crisis. We protest because we are scared and angry and want justice.
Sir, a 74 year old, who returned to the land of his ancestors, after a lifetime of hard work outside the state, is being advised to buy property in Delhi or Chandigarh, because the minorities fear that in 6-7 years Jammu Region would turn into Kashmir. Far-fetched? But its common knowledge Sir, we still await the rightful return of the Kashmiri Pandits.
We must share this with you, that the rumors going around amongst the minorities, suggest that this is just the beginning of the second act of Ethnic Cleansing. Many of us disagree, for though we are a minority, we are pretty stoic and are going no where. But it is also true that the fast changing demography of the State is because of forced migration. Migration arising due to such incidents and an atmosphere of fear and persecution.
Jenaab our people are angry. We pay our taxes, cast our vote and vow our allegiance to the State and the Nation. We proudly fly the Indian Flag, yet we have no voice and are almost invisible. We have been for a long time treated as that poor cousin, the unwanted house guest, who is humiliated and starved into fleeing the home
Sir you said some political parties take advantage and polarize such situations. You have hit the bulls eye Sir. This is what, always happens. We would humbly suggest, that you kindly make a note of that and next time in such an event make sure that there is a prompt, effective, and fair intervention by the State Government. Declaring Curfew at 12 pm and imposing it at 8pm, was not a very smart decision even by a long stretch.
We condemn the stray incidents of communal violence that followed, and feel that they were completely avoidable if the state Machinery had behaved differently.
Jenaab you have sprung into action by clamping curfew in 8 out 10 Districts of Jammu Region, preventing media from reporting, and have cut off mobile internet. You have not allowed the opposition from visiting Kishtwar. You said the local Administration in such situations make decisions to allow media, political leaders and others in the troubled areas. As well wishers, we must tell you that this is seemingly undemocratic. We suspect, you have your good reasons but this also does not seem fair, Sir.
In the Valley, whenever Geelani Uncle gets mad and wants support, his good friend Arundhati Roy flies past the Jammu Region and stands by him. An otherwise intelligent lady Ms. Roy, sadly, does not like us people of the Jammu Region. We have a sneaking suspicion Sir, that her friend Geelani Uncle has lead her to believe we do not exist.
You stopped Mr. Arun Jaitley, Mr Soz and Mehbooba Didi from visiting Kistwar. Why did you do that? It does not help your cause, for you should have nothing to hide.We are so desperate for attention, we Jammuites, since nobody wants to talk to us, we would have happily allowed anyone for a cup of Desi Chai and a word of empathy.
We have some other very important piece of news for you. Amongst the Jammuites, Narendra Modi, is gaining popularity, as fast as the Indian Rupee is losing its value. He it seems had heard of the Kishtwar incindent and remembered to speak for us even as he prepared to address his very important and big rally in Hyderabad. Sadly Sir, nobody else did.
Jenaab Omar Sahib, the young people from Jammu Region are afraid to talk about the incident on social networking sites now, because they fear a backlash and even arrest. If they could, they would tell the Nation, that the loss of life and damage to property is much more than being shown on National Media.
We are a simple and gentle people, us Jammuites. You have suspended the Machail Mata Yatra, the Buddha Amaranth Yatra and the Amarnath Yatra, which are very important for us, but we will live. In fact we are doing all, to make things easy for the Yatris/Pilgrims who are stuck in different base Camps.
But we hope in return, that we do not have to remind you, to do the needful. We expect appropriate compensation to the victims, a probe into the incident and holding responsible both miscreants and Civil Authorities including, your Minister of State Sajjad Kitchloo, for the dastardly acts.
Jenaab Omar Abdullah, the Jammu Region, is rooted in a culture of love, tolerance, and co-existence. Since we are peace loving, you do not have to remind us to maintain peace. But we also have a strong Martial Tradition and can stand up for our Rights. So do not test our patience and most certainly do not take us for granted.
Yours Truly,
Concerned Minority - The People of the Jammu Region.
P.S: The Word Minority is demeaning and not our favourite way to describe ourselves, but it does seem to have an attention grabbing quality and hence its factual but liberal use.
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