Politics has no religion of its own

Religion plays an important role in ethnic conflicts. Gandhi once said “The religion can never be divorced from politics” which is true in a sense, and it was Jinnah who used this religious symbolism and succeeded in creating a state not on the basis of color, not on the basis of language, but this time on the basis of religion. Had he not used, religion he would not had succeeded in creating “Pakistan”, although debate remains what forced him to do so because he had joined Muslim League only with a purpose to act as bridge between League and Congress. He might have not anticipated the consequences in which more than million died and nearly ten million people migrated – the biggest in the modern history. Religion has become an epiphenomenal factor in politics and society.
Jinnah’s problems with the Congress began with the ascent of Gandhi in 1918, who espoused civil disobedience and most importantly Hindu values as the best means to obtain swaraj for all South Asians. Jinnah differed, saying that only constitutional struggle could lead to independence. Unlike most congressmen, Gandhi did not wear western style clothes, did his best to use Hindi language instead of English, and was deeply Hindu religious. Jinnah criticized Gandhi’s support of Khilafat Movement, which he saw as an endorsement of religious zealotry.
Now even sixty years after the end of alien rule, we are still grappling with religious politics. Now we have no one to blame but ourselves. Advani’s mere statement of praising “Jinnah” and quoting his historic speech caused a big controversy in India. Still India clams to be the biggest democracy of the world. We have seen dozens of communal riots, among which barbarity of Gujrat will always remind the ugly face of modern Indian democracy in which more than 2000 innocent people lost their lives, several hundred Muslim girls were reportedly stripped and dragged naked before their own families and then raped. Still I have good reasons to believe that no religion gives permission of killing innocents, raping,  and if someone is doing it in name of religion, it is not religion but the so called  followers who are doing wrongs in the name of religion.
The recent row over the land transfer to the SASB was also given a religious color and was politicized. So many peoples have lost their lives and there has been a major setback to the tourism and fruit industry as well.  The parties who are voicing for a separate state of Jammu are in a way echoing with the voice of separatists, who have already started the slogans of Muzaffarabad chalo. And the recent demand to merge Doda , Poonch and Rajouri with Kashmir division is due to the growing unrest of Muslims in these areas, and if the atrocities continues against the Muslims, the day will come when these voices will be heard from every corner of the country. I wonder will there be another division? And are we really ready to see and face another barbaric genocide?
Our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, democracy and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal, and laid the foundation of the country with the words, “It is a birth  of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Right from our childhood we were taught the definition of democracy as “the government of the people, for the people and by the people”, but the whole world sees how a democratic government is being formed in Kashmir, with leaders booked under Public Safety Act (PSA). And it is not for the first time that the people took to the street and raised slogans just as the Indians did against the Britishers, but we have grown up seeing this happen. And the government is following the same policy, which was followed by the Christians to overthrow the Islamic government of Andlas, the present day Spain. In the book “Andlas Mai Islam “( Islam in Spain), the writer has beautifully portrayed the sufferings of Muslims and has compared it with the policies of the Britishers in India. The writer has portrayed the Islamic history in a short poem from the Battle of Badar to the conquering of the Andlas (Hasfania) by Tariq bin Ziyad in the west and Mohamad bin Qasim in the East (Sindh). We used to read it on the eve of Eid and other important occasions of our small town, what is called the ‘Chota Kashmir’, and now I could understand the real meaning and importance of these lines.
Is India or Pakistan really serious about resolving the Kashmir issue? And if by the grace of God some solution is reached, I wonder what will be the content of the speeches of the leaders from both sides, as they will be left with the topics of development, poverty reduction, employment generation and problems relating to environment. And if the two countries are really serious in resolving the Kashmir problem, then just do it in accordance with the democratic values and let the people decide what they want. The elections have been taking place right from the beginning. They have ruined the life of millions of not only Kashmiris but themselves and surely we have lost our lives and they have lost their dignity. The whole world has now recognized the Kashmir problem and its solution which is essential for maintaining peace in South East Asia. The recent remarks of President Obama regarding appointing Former President Clinton as a special envoy to Kashmir has invited strong criticism in India.
(Hamid Iqbal is a Research Scholor from AMU, Aligarh)

State after Article 370.

State after Article 370.

The events leading after 2016 Assembly elections have proved out to be yet another watershed movement in the geo-political movement of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The decision of PDP aligning with the BJP has once again proved fatal as has been the previous alliances with the center. But those who were responsible for the alliance from back door working as shadows have been gifted well. The last time when G.M Sadiq was awarded Padam Vibhushan the state lost the title of head of state and resulted in erosion of article 370.

In last 70 years the status of once an Independent kingdom has changed drastically. The state has witnessed these changes from Prime Minister to Chief Minister and Sadr-e- Riyasat to Governor and now the Lieutenant Governor as an agent of Centre. The latest move to downgrade the state to the status of Union Territory (UT) was just to prove that India has the sovereign right to change its status and that people in J&K over the years have been made too weak to resist. It shows the rise of India’s might and dominance while the state over the period has been weakened. The state machinery which had taken oath to protect the constitution of the state is being used by the center to take away all the rights of the people.  Kanan Gopinathan stands lone example who resigned in protest for not allowing descent.  The question is for those who took oath to protect and preserve the state constitution? They should take the responsibility as they failed not only to protect and safe guard the interest of the state but even found themselves being used to take away the fundamental rights of the people.

It cannot be denied that the state has largely been under lockdown. It is also a well-known fact that it is only in darkness, the democracy dies in silence. Delhi used some Muslim organizations of India to justify its claim of abrogating article 370. The opposition parties largely failed to protect it even though they knew that its essence has already been taken away and now it will be used as a hollow slogan for elections. But they largely failed to convince that the constitutional ground on which it has been abrogated will not set a good precedence and other states particularly the North East will start fearing that following similar practice their rights can also be taken away by simply first imposing Presidents Rule and then by assuming that the legislative powers of state rests with the Lok Sabha.

Historically the state has witnessed all changes and it has shaped political movements but state leadership has largely failed to learn the lessons. Unlike other states Jammu and Kashmir failed to protect the provisions enshrined in the constitution itself. Largely speaking the policy of the center has always been consistent and always resulted in erosion of Article 370 while the state leadership has always failed to protect it. It is primarily because of the fact that the politicians in Kashmir knew and understood well that in order to remain in power they have to remain on the right side of the central government. To put it in simple words “When Sheikh was told to give up his cap, Bakshi agreed to give his cap and his Coat and when G.M. Sadiq was contacted he agreed to give up his shirt also along with the Cap and his Coat and this process continued until there was nothing left now”. The same statement has been written by A.S. Daulat who emphasized that Mr. Farooq Abdullah knows in order to remain in power he will always have to remain on the right side of Delhi and will not follow his father’s foot step who had to live half of his life in incarceration. However, now I find it very difficult to understand as to how the National Conference will chalk out its agenda for the future political process. It will be difficult for Dr. Farooq Abdullah who has danced on the tunes of Delhi to remain on the right side of Delhi. The restoration of statehood as some of the regional political parties have already started demanding can never form a new political discourse at this point of time. By this action of the Delhi, it is the mainstream political parties who have lost ground and not the separatist. It can be seen as a victory of the separatists. I fear that their idea will gain more support than before and it is only the mainstream political parties who are at the cross roads.

As per the Govt. of India three of the Ex. Chief Ministers are threat to peace and security of the state and therefore have been placed under house arrest and now Public Safety Act. Mr. Farooq Abdullah who has been used by Delhi at the National and International forums to undermine the Independent Kashmir movement was the first to be charged with Public safety act (PSA). The narrative was initially built that these leaders have won elections with 1 to 2 percent votes. But the question remains unanswered. Who conducted elections? Was India not aware of this fact before? Does Govt. of India admit that past leadership which has been ruling the state represented the wishes and aspirations of only 2% voters? Why were wishes and aspiration of the rest of the population not listened if India claims to be largest democracy? So this is an admission of the fact that democracy has been ruthlessly murdered in Kashmir. Now in the statement of PSA, Omar is charged with potential to mobilize support as he had successfully called to defy boycott and therefore has the potential to create an atmosphere which will destabilize peace. Means they are looking for person who does not hold the potential to mobilize people (lame duck).

Next step of the Delhi which seemed to be launching an alternative to NC and PDP has come true but they have nothing to sell in their basket. Delhi may find a Mir Jaffer  but it will not lead to the resolution of the long standing dispute. This time the politicians of the state will have to justify before initiating any political discourse as to how they will be different. Why they will not be labelled as the leaders of 2% when their part of conspiracy gets fulfilled.  The safe guard given by the constitution of India and the promises made by the then leadership have not been honored. Kashmir is in the middle of a very difficult of path. If India is serious on resolving the dispute then instead of carving out a new political class it should start a dialogue and listen to people. The people also have the responsibility to listen and not fall prey to false and propaganda which will start once the curbs are lifted.

Kashmir has been very unfortunate not to have people’s leader who would guide them through this rough sea. If we compare any national movement with the Kashmir movement, the sacrifice rendered by the people of Kashmir has no comparison. There are thousands of stories of brutal repression, mass graves, rapes, war crimes, political killings, rise and fall of Ikhwani’s and towards the past few years the use of pellet guns which has not even spared a two year old Hibba. Kashmir movement largely remains under-covered at international level not only because of the darkness which is created to kill the democracy but by divided voices which come out. But post Aug 5 the Kashmir has found place in the news across the globe with UN discussing it at least two times.

It is for this reason I see it as a watershed movement. If all the leaders become united under one umbrella and choose and draft the idea of Jammu and Kashmir in joint declaration as and when the political discourse starts, it is only then, not only India but the world will see and look at you seriously. Many of the leaders have danced on the tunes of Delhi and did everything to convince them about their Indian character and if Delhi has been suspicious of them they can’t and won’t trust anyone from Kashmir. So even if the new political party comes up from the faction of National Conference or Peoples Democratic Party, it will only throw the state into another cycle of violence and then after some time even these leaders will be labelled as threat to peace.

Lot of lives have been lost, lot of bloodshed has happened. The leaders instead of thinking “apna apna or apni apni” should join hands for a peaceful and just resolution of dispute which is true representation of the aspirations of the people of entire Jammu and Kashmir. The people should stop looking at the outside world for help and rather get united to develop an idea for peace. Stop trading blood as you will be no different than the past leaders. Kashmir will prosper only when there will be peace. Development of few can be no substitute to peace. 

By: Hamid Iqbal

KASHMIR FLOODS: HISTORY FORGOTTEN

KASHMIR FLOODS: HISTORY FORGOTTEN

I am not God and the rains don’t come and stop on my orders. I have no control over natural calamities. These were the words that were uttered by Chief Minister after the major devastating flood struck the valley in the recent history. It is not the time to put blame on each other. However, we should be ready to introspect that what could have been done and what can be done to avoid such calamities in the near future. The arrogance on the part of administration is that the officials do not take issues seriously which has led to over exploitation of natural resources. This is evident from the fact that land mafia having the blessings of heavy weight Politicians and administrative officials, are selling forest lands in both parts of Jammu and Kashmir and colonies are coming up in such areas. Let us now try to introspect that how this could have been avoided or its impact could have been reduced significantly.

The present system of governance is too much dependent upon the paper work rather than working out the solution of the issues at hand. The files get piled up and officials send the files from one department to another without any progress on ground writing notes after notes. Such is the story of the advisory issued by various agencies from time to time since 2009. The States Flood Control Ministry was aware of this and had issued the warning that the valley is likely to face a major flood catastrophe in next five years and the department has nothing in place to save the human lives and property. The Ministry had reports suggesting that the water discharge can be as high as 150000 cusec and half the amount has struck the valley and most parts of the valley have been inundated. Imagine the kind of destruction had the real estimates in papers come true. It is therefore logical to say the awareness and preparedness should have been according to those estimates.

These estimates further suggested that the most parts of the valley from Khannabal (Islamabad) upto Khadinyar (Varmul) were likely to be hit by the looming flood. Even the reports suggested the valley getting cut off from the rest of the country because of the highway getting washed away.  The reports further suggested the submergence of “The Indira Gandhi Road” leading to Airport, cutting the aerial access to the Valley as well. These studies were put together and as per the various reports these files took gigantic shape being transported from one Ministry to another at the cost of the taxpayers money.

Valley has the history of floods with the most recent and devastating being the flood of 1902. In the reported history it is believed to have left most parts of the valley inundated for more than two years. This was followed by epidemic and water borne diseases with heavy loss of human life. The then ruler took steps and requested engineers from the British Government from Delhi for help. The suggestion that came up was dredging of a 42 kilometre long flood channel which was also constructed from Padshahi Bagh (Srinagar) to Wullar”. This was specifically done to channelize water.  In subsequent years even after these floods came at regular intervals but the effect was not on the earlier scale as steps were taken to avoid the unforeseen.

Since the memories of this horrific disaster was still in the mind of the leaders at the time of Independence, the then state government, headed by Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, in 1948 requested the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru for a dredger. “A dredger was imported by the government of India and handed over to the state in 1950”. Nehru himself in Srinagar commissioned it and this itself suggests its significance.

The lesson here is that we had either forgotten our past or became too inattentive but nature never forgets and never sleeps. The Minister in a report published in Greater Kashmir had shown his helplessness and said that the history clearly gives indication that Srinagar city faces flood every fifty years and the cycle is nearing completion”. The water has no place to outgo in Srinagar city, he said adding Bemina was flood basin where large number of residential and commercial buildings have come up in last ten years. In 1976 government constituted a committee headed by a famous hydrologist, Uppal. The Uppal committee recommended various measures for flood control but unfortunately the successive governments acted contrary to the recommendations. Silt has accumulated in all the major tributaries including Doodh Ganga and the flood channels are blocked, the minister said adding, that even the Srinagar Development Authority has constructed a shopping complex on the flood channel. Further more due to non-maintenance of the flood canal and their siltation over the years decreased its carrying capacity resulting in this catastrophe.

Now despite these studies and reports the question remains what was the Government waiting for? Are our leaders saying that they have forgotten history and have no knowledge about the Kashmir itself? Why no steps were taken to make the three dredgers which had stopped functioning way back in 1982. The administrators and engineers instead of visiting on site are happy in making reports on paper sitting within the four walls of the air conditioned rooms. The work culture is nowhere in any office and the employees considers salary as a gift from the Govt. and bribe as the real income.

Let us all pray at this time of grave crisis and come forward for help and not criticize for what has been done is done. However, the Govt. needs to be reminded of its duties and responsibilities.  

KASHMIR FLOODS 

 Water wars:
It may sound a distant fear, but the fact is that water wars are nearing, warns Hamid Iqbal. 
Ismail Serageldin, Vice President of World Bank in 1995 predicted that “if the wars of this century were fought over oil, the wars of the next century will be fought for water”. It remains the most quoted text when we talk of war and water and though these wars would be fought locally, regionally, nationally but would ultimately transform into global wars.
Jammu and Kashmir is bestowed with the natural resources like lakes, rivers, streams and mountains forming the integral and most important part of its natural beauty, but unfortunately exploited in both parts across the LoC. The dispute began with the complaint of India to UN on 21th August 1957 about Mangla Dam, which the Pakistan was about to build in the disputed territory under his control. India at that time raised objections voicing and explaining it as an exploitation of the territory to the disadvantage of the people of state so as to benefit the people of Pakistan and finally without knowing the will of people of the state entered into agreement with Pakistan which came to be known Indus Water Treaty in April 1960. The Indus river system comprises of three eastern rivers (the Sutlej, the Beas and the Ravi) and three western rivers (the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab). While India secured the rights over the eastern rivers, Pakistan was given the rights over the western ones and the treaty was brokered by World Bank. But like the earlier agreements right from the infamous Amritsar treaty of 1845, which later came to be known as sale deed agreement, to the signing of the instrument of Accession and giving ink to the number of agreements, this agreement too failed in safeguarding the interest of the people of J&K and it further exposed the confused stand on Kashmir.
The people of Kashmir are not against the welfare of the people of either Pakistan or India. But our argument is just based on the conservation of the habitat and water resources embedded by the almighty in this beautiful land and a corresponding benefit of compensation due to the people of Kashmir.  Ironically thousands of big dams have been constructed by industrialized nation and now they are spending huge amounts of money and energy to investigate how to reduce the negative impacts and thus presumably the present industrializing nations will have to work equally hard in future to reverse the problems brought on by the current phase of Dam construction. We have the examples and proofs where large dams have without exception destroyed the ecology i.e. flora and fauna and the human communities depending on them. Future of large dams by Thayer Scudder provide the beautiful examples of ill conceived hydro electric and water management projects that have created more damage than the benefits.
Arundati Roy in an article had quoted PM Jawahar Lal Nehru while speaking to the villagers who were displaced by the Hirakud Dam in 1948, “if you have to suffer, you should suffer in the interest of the country”. She wrote, “because I suddenly remembered the tender concern with which the supreme court judges in Delhi (before vacating the legal stay on the further construction of Sardar Sarover Dam) had enquired whether the tribal children in the resettlement colonies would have the children’s park to play in. The lawyers representing the government had hastened to assure them that indeed they would, what’s more, there were seesaws and slides and swings in every park.”
Both India and Pakistan need energy to keep the growth and economy moving. India has identified nearly 15000 MW of energy to be harnessed from river Chenab only and a number of others have been identified on other rivers too. The Baghlihar power project located in the erstwhile Doda district nearly 120 km upstream from Pakistan territory has two stages of 450MW each with a reservoir capacity of 15 MCM and constructed at the whooping cost of 4600 crores more than it was estimated before making it one of the biggest dam in the state and now this time the objections were raised by Pakistan government, and they formally sought the world bank mediation over the violation of Indus Water Treaty, while the Government of J&K lost no time in issuing the statement that it has rights to use the water of its river while the people of state are still unaware of the actual share from the project. The World Bank appointed three experts one each from Switzerland, Australia and Brazil headed by Prof Raymond Lafitte. It is important to mention here that Prof Lafitte is not against construction of big Dams. As per the WB the Neutral Experts finding would be final and binding for both the parties. Shri Ramaswamy Iyer, former secretary Govt of India, in a statement said Pakistan is afraid that the Baglihar could be used as a weapon by India for controlling waters at the time of war. The study which had been carried out by India under which Jhelum and Chenab were recognized as the silt laden rivers because of the erosion of the thick mantle of sand or hills in the entire catchment area and possibly was reason why India had not agreed to construct with ungated spillway as the reservoir would be filled with silt in 3 to 4 years. With the first phase of the dam complete, it had already started showing the signs of destruction to the fragile environment with nearly 30km of the road declared unsafe by the BRO, the organization responsible for maintaining the National Highway 1B and while I was on my way to home I found the entire path different, it was like it used to be. It was new and not very familiar to me the silent valleys were speaking all about ill conceived development, and with the govt not prepared for the task, the entire area of the district remained cut off from the rest of the state for more than 20 days, while the people faced acute shortages of essential and basic amenities, medical and health care facilities as the hospitals were running short of life saving drugs despite big claims of the government.  And when it opened it faced one of the worst ever tragic incident in which nearly 41 people got killed.
In fact we have not learnt lessons from the past. Not too far back in 2005, when we witnessed the worst ever earthquake in which more than 75000 lost their life and more than three million lost their homes, and there have been studies in the world where big dams have been linked to the frequent earthquakes. We need to be more dutiful on the question of embedded natural resources, while the treaties needs to incorporate the rights and will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir as a whole. For this our leaders needs to be united at least for this reason in safeguarding the interest and beauty of the mother nature which the God has bestowed upon us, and work together to protect and for bringing peace to this beautiful part of the world. Abdullah bin Umar has said, “I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, ‘All of you are guardians and responsible for your wards and the things under your care. The Imam  (ie. The ruler) is the guardian of his subjects and is responsible for them. A woman is guardian of her husband’s house and is responsible for it. A servant is guardian of his master’s belonging and is responsible for them.’
(Hamid Iqbal is from Department of Botany, A.M.U, Aligarh)

Divisive yet democratic: Political crisis

Divisive yet democratic: Political crisis

Elections are over, results have been declared but the outcome is yet to emanate. The new year has come with the new challenges but lets be optimistic, hope and pray that this year will bring peace to the region and the world. Almost a decade ago I heard Prime Minister Vajpayee speaking about free and fair elections in his Independence day speech. Ever since then it has almost been the routine exercise to tag every elections in Jammu and Kashmir as free and fair. But one may ask “Is this an indirect acknowledgement of the fact that Jammu and Kashmir has never witnessed free and fair elections before 2002”. However, New Delhi has never accpeted that the elections have been manipulated in the past. The think tank in Delhi even compared the heavy participation of the people in the state, to an end of conflict in the region. We wish it was true but we can’t close our eyes and say in tune with the advisors sitting within the four walls of air condtioned room in New Delhi.

There can be no denying of the fact that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have partcipated in huge numbers. However, it has resulted in puzzled, deeply fragmented and fractured mandate resulting in political crisis. This puzzle has brought many new faces to lime light and exposed true colours of almost all political parties. Politics has no religion but uses religion as a tool. The pseudo religious and pseudo regional parties have been exposed by this verdict. The confusion in itself is acknowledgement of the fact that their ideology is not only fractured but deeply devisive. The state of Jammu and Kashmir is sensitive and a different affair alltogether. Here coalitions can not be framed on the agnda of development only. We ask “can a father who lost his son, a wife who lost her husband, and a mother who lost her son” during the course of conflict be consoled on the agenda of good governance and development.

New Delhi is playing with the fire and though it has to some extent been successful in divinding the people of state on the regional lines but again it has proved to be counter productive. In this election the only difference has been, while BJP has been dividing the state on the regional lines based on the greater ideology of “hindutva” the pseudo regional parties have failed miserably to convince people on the idea of greater and united Jammu and Kashmir. The identity of Kashmir is inevitably linked with all the three regions of the state. If Article 370 has benifitted the people of valley, it has equally guaranteed similar rights for rest of the two divisions. However euphoria among the common masses is being created that it is this article which has proved as deterrent in the progress of the state. One may ask then “What has stopped India to register progress in other some of the most backword states. There no such article is stopping them. On the other hand for their political gains they share the same ideology which asked for the mass emigratiom of labourer’s from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh from Maharshtra. However, the same demonized Article-370 has never stopped labourers from any part of India, from working in this state. They don’t need visa to come and work here. This ideology is not only threat to the integrity of our state but to the union of India as well.

Unfortunately Kashmir has a unique history and it is not new to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for being traded. However, we have yet not learnt the lessons and we keep on repeating similar mistakes. During the elections the regional divide was politicized and people were seperated on these lines. After the elections these politicians are now looking for unholy allainces for the sake of power though based on a separate idea of development, good governance and above all relief for the flood affected people. An argument for the sake of allaince is being created that in the absense of any alliance with the centre the state will be deprived of funds. This represents the savage mentality and New Delhi should stop thinking about Jammu and Kashmir as a finacial liability and should honur the democratic credentials by handing over its financial and strategic interests in the region. History is testimony of the fact that every unholy allaiance have proved counter productive, and have resulted in institutionalization of seperatist ideology.

Divisive yet democratic: Political crisis

Water Wars

It may sound a distant fear, but the fact is that water wars are nearing, warns Hamid Iqbal.Ismail Serageldin, Vice President of World Bank in 1995 predicted that “if the wars of this century were fought over oil, the wars of the next century will be fought for water”. It remains the most quoted text when we talk of war and water and though these wars would be fought locally, regionally, nationally but would ultimately transform into global wars.
Jammu and Kashmir is bestowed with the natural resources like lakes, rivers, streams and mountains forming the integral and most important part of its natural beauty, but unfortunately exploited in both parts across the LoC. The dispute began with the complaint of India to UN on 21th August 1957 about Mangla Dam, which the Pakistan was about to build in the disputed territory under his control. India at that time raised objections voicing and explaining it as an exploitation of the territory to the disadvantage of the people of state so as to benefit the people of Pakistan and finally without knowing the will of people of the state entered into agreement with Pakistan which came to be known Indus Water Treaty in April 1960. The Indus river system comprises of three eastern rivers (the Sutlej, the Beas and the Ravi) and three western rivers (the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab). While India secured the rights over the eastern rivers, Pakistan was given the rights over the western ones and the treaty was brokered by World Bank. But like the earlier agreements right from the infamous Amritsar treaty of 1845, which later came to be known as sale deed agreement, to the signing of the instrument of Accession and giving ink to the number of agreements, this agreement too failed in safeguarding the interest of the people of J&K and it further exposed the confused stand on Kashmir.
The people of Kashmir are not against the welfare of the people of either Pakistan or India. But our argument is just based on the conservation of the habitat and water resources embedded by the almighty in this beautiful land and a corresponding benefit of compensation due to the people of Kashmir.  Ironically thousands of big dams have been constructed by industrialized nation and now they are spending huge amounts of money and energy to investigate how to reduce the negative impacts and thus presumably the present industrializing nations will have to work equally hard in future to reverse the problems brought on by the current phase of Dam construction. We have the examples and proofs where large dams have without exception destroyed the ecology i.e. flora and fauna and the human communities depending on them. Future of large dams by Thayer Scudder provide the beautiful examples of ill conceived hydro electric and water management projects that have created more damage than the benefits.
Arundati Roy in an article had quoted PM Jawahar Lal Nehru while speaking to the villagers who were displaced by the Hirakud Dam in 1948, “if you have to suffer, you should suffer in the interest of the country”. She wrote, “because I suddenly remembered the tender concern with which the supreme court judges in Delhi (before vacating the legal stay on the further construction of Sardar Sarover Dam) had enquired whether the tribal children in the resettlement colonies would have the children’s park to play in. The lawyers representing the government had hastened to assure them that indeed they would, what’s more, there were seesaws and slides and swings in every park.”
Both India and Pakistan need energy to keep the growth and economy moving. India has identified nearly 15000 MW of energy to be harnessed from river Chenab only and a number of others have been identified on other rivers too. The Baghlihar power project located in the erstwhile Doda district nearly 120 km upstream from Pakistan territory has two stages of 450MW each with a reservoir capacity of 15 MCM and constructed at the whooping cost of 4600 crores more than it was estimated before making it one of the biggest dam in the state and now this time the objections were raised by Pakistan government, and they formally sought the world bank mediation over the violation of Indus Water Treaty, while the Government of J&K lost no time in issuing the statement that it has rights to use the water of its river while the people of state are still unaware of the actual share from the project. The World Bank appointed three experts one each from Switzerland, Australia and Brazil headed by Prof Raymond Lafitte. It is important to mention here that Prof Lafitte is not against construction of big Dams. As per the WB the Neutral Experts finding would be final and binding for both the parties. Shri Ramaswamy Iyer, former secretary Govt of India, in a statement said Pakistan is afraid that the Baglihar could be used as a weapon by India for controlling waters at the time of war. The study which had been carried out by India under which Jhelum and Chenab were recognized as the silt laden rivers because of the erosion of the thick mantle of sand or hills in the entire catchment area and possibly was reason why India had not agreed to construct with ungated spillway as the reservoir would be filled with silt in 3 to 4 years. With the first phase of the dam complete, it had already started showing the signs of destruction to the fragile environment with nearly 30km of the road declared unsafe by the BRO, the organization responsible for maintaining the National Highway 1B and while I was on my way to home I found the entire path different, it was like it used to be. It was new and not very familiar to me the silent valleys were speaking all about ill conceived development, and with the govt not prepared for the task, the entire area of the district remained cut off from the rest of the state for more than 20 days, while the people faced acute shortages of essential and basic amenities, medical and health care facilities as the hospitals were running short of life saving drugs despite big claims of the government.  And when it opened it faced one of the worst ever tragic incident in which nearly 41 people got killed.
In fact we have not learnt lessons from the past. Not too far back in 2005, when we witnessed the worst ever earthquake in which more than 75000 lost their life and more than three million lost their homes, and there have been studies in the world where big dams have been linked to the frequent earthquakes. We need to be more dutiful on the question of embedded natural resources, while the treaties needs to incorporate the rights and will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir as a whole. For this our leaders needs to be united at least for this reason in safeguarding the interest and beauty of the mother nature which the God has bestowed upon us, and work together to protect and for bringing peace to this beautiful part of the world. Abdullah bin Umar has said, “I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, ‘All of you are guardians and responsible for your wards and the things under your care. The Imam  (ie. The ruler) is the guardian of his subjects and is responsible for them. A woman is guardian of her husband’s house and is responsible for it. A servant is guardian of his master’s belonging and is responsible for them.’
(Hamid Iqbal is from Department of Botany, A.M.U, Aligarh)

http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2009/Apr/18/water-wars-16.asp