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New tome on Kashmir only restates the obvious
By Vishnu Makhijani
New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) A new book on Kashmir restates the obvious but would be of interest to both scholars and the lay reader as it provides an overview of the disparate writings on the troubled state.
In the end, however, “What Happened to Governance in Kashmir?” (OUP/pp 388/Rs 995) by Ajaz Ashraf Wani, a Senior Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Srinagar’s University of Kashmir, asks the very question contained in its title.
Sample this from the Introduction: “It (the book) argues that since the crucial political decisions about the future of Kashmir were taken by the Indian and local leadership to the exclusion of the will of the people, opting to control the latter by sheer deception, coercion, corruption and development, Kashmir became a smouldering volcano which finally exploded in 1989-90, with no end till date”.
Given this, what does one get in the Conclusion?
“With each passing year, militarised governance through security-related special legislations became more and more intensive. Besides intensive militarisation and the regimes of impunity in post-1947 Kashmir, preventive detention — a legal and political tool that (in the words of two other scholars) ‘applies the logic of punishment as a method of preemptively controlling political and economic dangers to India’s national sovereignty – has been a central component of governance’.
“While at the time of the termination of the princely order, preventive detentions were made under one special act, namely, J&K Public Security Act, 1946, the post-1947 self-claimed ‘popular governments’ or awami hukumats (people’s governments) added more draconian laws to the coercive apparatuses of the state to exact political silence,” Wani writes.
It then goes on to state why Kashmir “has proved a difficult state to govern”.
“The divide between the political sentiments of the Muslims on the one had and those of the Hindus of Jammu and Buddhists of Ladakh on the other, has made it extremely difficult to strike a balance. A ‘nationalist’ in Kashmiri political discourse becomes ‘anti-national’ in the Hindu and Buddhist political discourses of Jammu and Ladakh and vice versa,” Wani writes.
That’s not all.
“What is most disturbing” the author says “is the fact that Kashmir is the only place in India which has so consistently complained about not being allowed to exercise choice over its political future, despite the repeated pledges made by the Indian prime minister on behalf of the Indian nation. This is the root cause of the Kashmir problem; from this has stemmed the politics of azadi, which is the dominant note of the political aspirations of Kashmiris”.
And there’s the kicker:
“As long as Kashmir continues to be a disputed territory, governance in Kashmir, especially in the Valley and other Muslim-dominated districts of the state, will not mean more than containing the conflict by any means – more foul than fair. And well-wishers of humanity would continue exclaiming in pain: What happened to governance in Kashmir!”
The least that one would have expected from the author was an “out of the box solution”.
(Vishnu Makhijani can be reached at [email protected])
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
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