Tragedies visit J&K more often now. The latest was in Leh that was destroyed by flash floods triggered by a cloudburst. At least 240 civilians perished as many more are reported missing. Now the government is planning changing the ‘evidences act’ to give some respite to the families whose members are missing – they will be presumed dead.
But as always the women and the children are the real suffers. As Leh has been on the radar of the Western charities for some time now, there were some efforts to reduce the destitute burden. A Jammu based NGO also chipped in. They took 27 of the orphans and drove them to Jammu for education and rehabilitation. But instead of getting some appreciation, it triggered a controversy.
Once, the home named ‘Sunehra Kal’ where they were housed in was attacked by Shiv Sena in Jammu. They beat the officials who were attending them. Sena accused the NGO – Youth Movement for Peace (YMP) that they were converting them to Christianity. As a follow up this triggered a police raid on the destitute home only to find that there was nothing of this sort happening around. But it definitely added to the trauma of the kids.
Now it has become an issue in Leh as the Ladakh Buddhist Association has started talking about it loudly. This has created a situation that the LAHDC has set up a committee that will investigate the NGO in Jammu. It will report to the Council following which it will be decided whether or not to get the kids back to Leh.
Fake & Real!
Kashmir has remained a saga of missed opportunities but people associated with these tales have never missed getting benefited. The recent instance of security agencies actually planting ‘explosives’ and later informing the police for staking claims over promotions and rewards is just another story of how the insurgency is a huge industry in itself. Details of how ‘modules’ emanating from Chenab Valley were supplying items to the security men and planting them at identified spots to be leaked to police, made it to the front pages.
One of the three Special Police Officials has told the police that he has supplied as many as 72 IEDs to soldiers of different ranks. Most of these devices were ‘destroyed on spot’ just to get an entry on the police records which eventually fetched them rewards. The army has already announced a probe into the incident even after it denied involvement of its personnel.
As the media was reporting the ‘fake’ recovery of IEDs in Jammu, it was a real IED that was blasted outside the Police Control Room. And few days later, army killed a 65-year old labourer Mukhtar Ahmad of Kralgund, Kupwara and claimed that he was militant, who died in an ‘encounter’ in Rajwar forests.
Police had nothing from him after they received the labourers corpse from the army. But after the post-mortem when his clothes were removed, there was a grenade in one of his pockets. The family accused army for the killing, and local lawmaker Engineer Rashid wants a probe into it. The recovery of grenade at the time of funeral bath set the tongues wagging forcing police to place the service of an ASI Abdul Gani under suspension. A departmental enquiry is now investigating the case.
Over To Bollywood 
Ever since Javed Mustafa Mir joined politics he has remained embroiled in controversies. For going to the assembly session with a revolver in his holster and even getting a bullet while cleaning it at home, he was always talked about. He fought with police at the peak of Amarnath land row and reportedly beat up an engineer after barging into his office, when he was a minister.
From his voters to his cadres and the partymen, nobody has ever questioned his integrity. He prays five times a day and does not usually get cowed down. But nobody can guarantee that he will not lose his tempers, sometimes even on drop of a hat.
This is exactly what has happened to him in Mumbai where his kids study. Reports appearing in Mumbai city press suggest that Mir had a battle with the society he lives in. The issue, according to reports, pertains to the intervention of the society members accusing his wife of torturing their maid servant, a Kashmiri girl. In Mumbai, Mir’s family resides at Hamza Tower in Belweder Road, Mazgaon.
Society members have alleged that Mir’s maid, Tahira is being ill-treated by his wife and she has been seeking intervention of the society members. She has alleged the family of beating her and is keen to return home. When society tried to intervene and confront Mrs Mir, the lawmaker objected. He accused the society members of breaching his privacy when he was out of his home.
He has responded saying Tahira is homesick and is cooking up torture stories only to return home. This, reports suggest, have led to a brawl between a society leader and Mir. Finally Mir has rushed to the local Byculla police station and registered a case against the society leaders. Residents have told newspapers that the society had decided to arrange Tahira’s return trip home because “her harassment has become a routine”. Now police are investigating.
