Spring in kashmir and the dust of political gloom

SPRING IN KASHMIR AND THE DUST OF GLOOM

By Prof Ghulam Mohyuddin Wani

It is 19th of March 2011.The cold chilly days are over. I have removed the outer plastic additional cover over my window, opening directly outside my room. The inside temperature is over 17 C and a slight warmth during the days made us to remove the heavy jackets over us. I spelt without the warm electric blanket today for the first time after the chilly winter set in during 15th November,2010.I just opened a part of my 9x6 feet window of my small winter room, we call a hamam.

 As usual when I woke up at 5-30 AM .It was just comfortable. I washed my face for my morning prayers. I heard the Azan from nearby mosques and simultaneously the ringing bells of the temple far away from my home was also ringing .I heard a kirtan from the nearby Gurdewara too.

The azan made me to leave my bed and prepare for wadu and a cup of coffee .I usually do not offer prayers in the mosque during winter mornings as chilling cold make me sneeze and I never wish to offer my prayers while sneezing and putting my fellow nimazes to risk along with me.

 More over due to sudden rise of crime in the street of late in the Srinagar scared us to go out in the wee hours .This fright and insecurity was not known to our street even during the worst effected days of militancy from 1992-2010.This sudden eruption of violence on the streets of recent origin

Kashmir is known to be in the grip of narcotics and criminals after the recent takeover of the new governance under the patronage of Indian colonial rule. Although the street is just 1000 ft extension of the heavily guarded Airport Road annexing the national high way at Hyderpora. Ironically, the street is guarded at entrance by a Central Reserve forces camp and on its rear we have the police guards of two city SSPs guarding the street and even then we have an increased rate of crime is somewhat astonishing and can have many meanings.

 Either the militants both augmented, supported and abated by Indian and Pakistani agents or some political rivalry intending to create trouble for the coming summer and tourist season.

 In past few summers we have seen the agitated trouble which diverted many tourists destined for the state to the neighbouring state. The neighbour state tourism and horticulture has been booming since the trouble in Kashmir is created, Is there a conspiracy to divert the tourist and horticulture industries so as to make Kashmir as a bankrupt state. Does the appointments of a Governor, chief Secretary and vice chancellor of the only agricultural university from that state indicate some conspiracy to this end need proper investigation especially when the present first lady also come from the neighbouring state , Many IAS, IPS and even horticulture and agricultural scientists have made headways in the state under the patronage of the chancellors as governor and vice chancellors from outside the state. Is there a conspiracy to loot our horticultural resource like our forests and other natural resources? Any way I have gone astray from my topic for today – my home surroundings.

When I woke up in the morning I heard a beautiful hissing sound as if some water is being slowly poured in. I thought perhaps the overhead tank of the house of neighbours is making the sound and was to call the domestic helper when I realised it was a shower of rains powering in .I heard a cloud bursting thunders and some lightings too. After the first lighting I saw a sound of drum beating by the rains on our tin roof and the pour accumulated dropped on the ground from the roof made pleasing sound and enchanting romantic atmosphere all around.

 The just bloomed apricot trees outside my window had shed the red and white petals on the cemented foot path of my home as if someone has decorated it for a brides reception or for that first wedding night reception. I opened the curtains and was mesmerised by the sounds of rain falling from them and the petals and the flowers bloom accompanied by the thunders and lighting.

 The chirpings of my neighbourers the little menas ,sparrows and the nightingale were a bit delayed today perhaps their sensory signals too were disturbed by the rains .It was looking darker dawn than usual. Later after some time I found them joining me to enjoy this cool breeze

 I envy those who are in the heavens for their good deeds may have similar breezes all along their stay in the heaves. The occasional lightings prelude by the thunders made the whole atmosphere and the morning a festive one.I first time realized the heaven which is my kashmir and wished to stroll in those beautiful rains but for my poor respiratory system which catches cold easily and that sneezing spare I have described. I wish this morning could have persisted for ever refreshing my soul and filled it with the eternal praise for the one and only one the God who has created my Kashmir as a heaven.

This was the moment which gave a feel of being in a heave. A day before I had been to the faculty of veterinary science where I thought for few decades and lived too. I saw the roads so dusty and rough that I inhaled the dust allergy and both my eyes were red and my nose too sneezed this time with bloody tinge.

 I feel pity on corrupt practices of our leaders and administrators who have made this heave look like a hell. I have been to Agra during last week of February and was there for a student viva, I visited another institution started during my early scientific career at Makhdoom. It was then sand and sand alone and I used to remember the sand deserts of Sahara or the Arabian deserts or those described by Jerome K Jerome in his literary pieces which we used to read along with Shakespeare during our English classes of 1967 at Degree college Sopore.

The MAKHDOOM desert of 1976 has turned into a green of full grown tress with spacious roads and pathways all giving a scent of development. Alas my home land beautiful streets and lane leading to Alusteing were rough and tough and I reached an hour late as the roads were either blocked by big pipes or the refuge and dirt on its sides. I was to give an address on the assisted reproductive technologies over there. Although the journey to Alusteing was difficult but the developments of the Embryo transfer and manipulation laboratories were a solace among the darkness of the Jk administrative failure on the roads.

I was relieved of all the incontinence of the road travel on seeing the excellent zona free embryo and clone being tested by my colleague .It left me refreshing that the sufferings of ours in that alustieng compound at the hands of those notorious persons have bore fruits and they must be ashamed of their acts and deceit atmosphere they created by their corrupt ways, The truth had trumped. I congratulate those who made it possible to realize our dreams before my death, yes before my sojourn to the real heaven insallah, I feel contended we have an excellent facility to unveil the portents of God revealed in Quran as the birth of Jesus Christ Hazrat Essa from a virgin and the birth of Yahiya from and old women who had her menopause.