Nasrun Mir
Srinagar is a curious place. On Thursday when water levels of the river Jhelum were bulging, and the murky waters again threatened to engulf the city, a known phenomenon took place around its banks – the ministerial and official visits.
On Thursday, when water levels of the river Jhelum were bulging, and again threatened to engulf the city, a known phenomenon took place around its banks – the ministerial and official visits.
The state-run Doordarshan television and the Reliance industries owned ETV Urdu, broadcast these visits in their daily 7 pm news in some detail. Normally, I don’t have to watch this streaming of misinformation, but on Thursday, thanks to my mother, I did watch this so called news.
For anyone, who doesn’t understand how Kashmir functions or doesn’t function as a state, do watch these news bulletins. They may change your belief towards the God or any other supernatural power that you did not previously believe in.
Sorry, my dear readers, I do not remember the name of this particular politician who was taking “stock of the situation” at the Gade Koche area in the Srinagar on Thursday. This phrase, “stock of the situation” appears in almost every press release issued by the government about the ‘great’ works its ministers and elected members of the legislature carry out.
Anyways, coming back to the job this particular MLA was performing on the banks of river Jhelum and what he said to camera makes it clear that Jammu and Kashmir is not a secular state, but a religious republic, run by God Almighty so mysteriously under the Article 370.
In the news story broadcast on ETV-Urdu-Kashmir, the elected member of the state legislature with his small entourage was accessing the situation and the worried locals were hanging around with closed shoulders and deep uncertainty visible on their faces. The memories of last year’s devastating floods are still fresh. The September floods were the worst in a century. Hundreds of people lost their lives and property of worth billions was destroyed.
As another flood was just inches away, this particular politician was raising his arms towards the river. I have no idea what he was trying to convey, but according to the news anchor, he was taking, “stock of the situation”. There was a cut, and next, the politician was in front of the camera. I will quote here what he said: “I have taken stock of the situation, and now…we will pray to the God.”
Problem solved for Kashmir. We are the only state in the world, where elected ministers report directly to the God.
All the atheists and communist, who previously did not believe in the existence of the God, please contact the state legislatures of Jammu and Kashmir and chances are they may put you directly in touch with the supernatural.
Such is the state of affairs in the Jammu and Kashmir and such is the pedigree of our politicians that they ask gods to do their jobs and even more sadly, we vote them to power.
Also, by bringing the supernatural powers into the picture, these politicians absolve themselves from all the shortcomings and misgovernance that happens on a daily basis in Kashmir.
In a working democracy and in a normal state, the government in such difficult times will ensure the safety of people. It will also talk about the future plans. Scientific answers will be sought for the deteriorating environment. The works on basics, like dredging and clearing the banks from encroachment, will start on war footing, but in Kashmir the ruling elite is a part of the problem. In reality, only the God can save us.
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