Category: EDITORIAL

Drug trafficking and abuse has emerged as a big challenge in Jammu and Kashmir. Despite the law enforcing agencies having waged a war against the traffickers, the notorious business is going on. On Thursday, a brother-sister duo was arrested with 550 grams of heroin worth Rs 70 lakh on the outskirts of Jammu city. Interestingly, according to police, the mother of the two accused was arrested in a drug peddling case by Punjab Police in June. Not a single day passes when media doesn’t report about arrests and seizures related to drug trafficking. The younger generation is falling prey to the abuse and the society as a whole is watching mutely. It is a serious issue and needs serious consideration and action. In these columns, we have regularly been discussing the issue and suggesting that both at administrative and societal level, the menace needs to be taken head-on. Drug abusers should be treated as victims and both the administration and society should help them overcome the addiction and ensure their rehabilitation. But those involved in trafficking should be dealt with fiercely.  Of late, the law enforcing agencies have started attaching the properties of the drug dealers. It is a welcome step and will, hopefully, send a strong signal to those involved in this nefarious trade. While Police is actively involved in curbing the trade, there could be some black sheep within the system who, in certain cases, patronage this dirty trade. Such elements should be identified, named and shamed.

Coming to societal response, the drug trafficking and trade is not being discussed widely here though it has shaken the very roots of the society. While politicians and civil society groups are in a race to close down alcohol shops, none of them ever talks about drug trafficking. The war against the drug trafficking can’t be won unless both the law enforcing agencies and the society, in general, are on the same page. This war has to start from the individual families. If a child has become addicted, it is the parents who would first come to know about it. They have to counsel their children and try to find out the sources wherefrom their children get these drugs and simultaneously inform the Police. Religious heads and Imams of the mosques have to join this battle. How many of our Imams, during Friday sermons, talk about this nefarious trade? They have to. People listen to them. Their opinions influence masses so the war against drug trafficking should start from every mosque here. Instead of demonizing the drug abusers, who are victims, the war should be launched against traffickers, the white collar drug smugglers, those who grow Bhang in their farm lands. It is a war that is to be fought by one and all otherwise the society is destined to rot.

While much is being touted about Srinagar being transformed into a smart city, a brief spell of rain on Monday punctured all these claims exposing that there is nothing smart about the city. Lal Chowk, Polo View, SMHS Road, Nawab Bazar, Bemina, Eidgah, Rainawari, and several other areas were flooded exposing the faulty drainage system. The roads looked like rivulets and water seeped into homes and shops. It was complete flood-like situation with manholes overflowing. People were enraged, genuinely so, authorities silent, unfortunately. Everyone was raising questions – what if rains continue for couple of days, you don’t need Jehlum to overflow and flood the city, the faulty drainage system is enough to do the needful.

Fact of the matter is that much publicized Srinagar Smart City project that was launched in 2017, but got a push only after 2019, has failed to achieve what it was supposed to. The basic aim of the project was to transform Srinagar into a modern, eco-friendly urban hub through infrastructural upgrades, improved public services etc. But the reality on the ground indicates that instead of doing what the project was expected to do, those assigned with the job only concentrated on cosmetic upgrades for photo-ops. 

The waterlogging has exposed severe deficiencies in city’s drainage system which is the biggest failure of the Smart City Project. Locals of these areas claimed that they had never witnessed such waterlogging before and not even during 2014 floods. The drainage system is inadequate with chocked drains and overflowing manholes always threatening a flood like situation whenever there is a drizzle. 

Cosmetics upgrades are ok, you beautified Lal Chowk, made it colourful and thus a selfie point but on July 7/8 the reality of this selfie point was exposed as the faulty drainage system resulted into worst water logging. Same is true about Polo View. The new look of Polo View was inaugurated with much pomp and show and the other day, it was presenting the ugliest look with dirty water of drains seeping into the shops around.

As the project is already marred by allegations of corruption and the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) is investigating the senior officers of Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL), the government of the day should ensure that the investigation is speeded up and those who have indulged in unfair means at the cost of the very wellbeing of Srinagar city, face the law. While ACB should speed up its investigation, the government and civic authorities should pull their socks and see how the drainage system could be corrected. It is a major issue that Srinagar city is face to face with and government can’t remain a silent spectator. The government has to take corrective measures to save the city.

The probe into the alleged irregularities in centrally sponsored Jal Jeevan Mission has finally got a push with the House Committee of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly inviting complaints and information from general public and stakeholders. In a public notice (DIPK-3332-25) issued on July 4 by the Assembly Secretariat, the committee called for submissions on issues including non-provision of tap connections, use of substandard materials, incomplete or abandoned schemes, and other instances of corruption or mismanagement under the centrally sponsored scheme. “Whistleblowers, stakeholders, and people are hereby informed to bring to the notice of the committee their respective complaints, if any,” the notice said. 

The House Committee has taken an appropriate step by inviting general public to help the probe. It may be recalled that during last Assembly session, the issue of mismanagement and inefficiency in execution of Jal Jeevan Mission was raised in the House by MLAs of different party including ruling National Conference. They had termed the JJM a major scam and demanded a thorough probe. Though the concerned minister had tried to explain, the MLAs had come with concrete data to make their points. It was in this backdrop that a House Committee was formed to probe the issue. 

Now that the House Committee has made people of the UT (who are the real stakeholders), a party to the probe, those who are in know of irregularities in their concerned areas should come forward and help the probe. It is a serious issue and is directly linked with the well being of the general public. In a place like Jammu and Kashmir, it rarely happens that while probing some scam, making some developmental plan etc., the real stakeholders are taken into account and that is why the final results of such probes never see the light of the day.

But this time round, the House Committee has taken a right step in right direction. If the reports pouring in and the statements of various MLAs are taken into account, it is a massive scam wherein crores of rupees have been embezzled and execution figures have been fudged. Let people, in know of the irregularities, come forward and cooperate with the House Committee and let the House Committee ensure that the probe comes to a logical conclusion and irregularities, if any are made public and those responsible are face the law of the land. Furthermore, while the public should come forward to cooperate, the House Committee too should speed up the investigation so that the truth comes to fore without any further delay.

While a debate is going on about extending or not the summer vacations in schools given the undying heat-wave, the bigger picture is being missed by most of the debaters and that is our educational infrastructure. True, this summer Kashmir recorded some extreme heat, it hasn’t happened many times, it may or may not happen in future but the chronic issue that faces our academic calendar is the harsh winter. During winters, our schools are closed for months due to these weather conditions. However, Kashmir is not the only place in world that has harsh winters, there are so many others. Take, for instance, Canada, during winters, temperatures are too low compared to Kashmir but the schools close down just for two weeks. The question is that why, given a bit increase or decrease in temperatures, Kashmiri parents demand vacations?

Reason is simple, our schools are not meant for either heat or cold wave. These are just structures, built randomly to accommodate as much students as possible. Majority of the schools, both government as well as private, lack even the very basic facilities. How many schools here have access to pure drinking water? How many schools have proper electricity connection? How many schools have fans of air conditioning or any other way of keeping class rooms cool during heat wave and warm during chill?

When the Education Minister of J&K says that academic calendar can’t be mended in accordance to every day temperatures, she is right. Students have to complete the syllabus in a given timeframe. But the question is, Ms Minister, is education so important that parents would risk the well being of their children. Most of your school buildings are in dilapidated conditions, window panes are missing, roof-tops are dripping, there is no drinking water available and still you want small children to sizzle in these ovens during rising temperatures and freeze during winters.

Fact of the matter is that the education has never been a priority for any government in Jammu and Kashmir. The respective governments, as vote-bank politics, have had been ordering up-gradation of schools, creation of colleagues in the past, however, after decades, the infrastructure of these schools has not been upgraded. And as for as newly created colleges are concerned, most of these have very limited faculties.     

The problem with the governments, that be, here has been that while making policies about schools and education, they fail to take on board the academic experts, teachers and fail to appreciate the issues that students are facing in the lack of basic facilities in the schools. A bureaucrat, sitting in a cozy room decides when schools should open and when these should be shut. And irony is that the children of these “top officials” don’t study in these government schools. The educational setup is rotting and therefore, Ms Minister, visit the schools in rural and fa flung areas, see the condition of school buildings and other infrastructure, gather a team of experts and come up with a plan to make our schools all weather schools.

Following Pahalgam terror attack, Kashmir’s tourism industry has been hit hard. While on that tragic day, all the tourist destinations were abuzz with tourists from all over the country, the very next, these happening places were deserted. Since then the governments, both in New Delhi and in Srinagar, have been trying to revive the industry again and in this regard, in a significant boost to Jammu & Kashmir’s tourism profile, the Union Ministry for Tourism is organising two-day Tourism Secretaries’ Conference of all States and Union Territories at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC), Srinagar, on 7th and 8th July 2025, for the first time in Jammu & Kashmir

This is a very big and practical step as it will bring together the Tourism Secretaries and Heads from across the country for high-level deliberations on collaborative policy-making and strategic planning in the tourism sector. As per the official sources, the conference will focus on tourism-related budget announcements for 2025–26, destination development and infrastructure initiatives, review of sanctioned projects, promotion and marketing strategies, investment opportunities and film tourism promotion.

It goes without saying that a huge chunk of population in Jammu and Kashmir is directly or indirectly affiliated with tourism. In Jammu, the main activity remains the pilgrim tourism, in Kashmir, it is sightseeing, trekking, skiing and leisure trips etc. From past few years, the tourist foot-fall had increased manifold and thus a lot of jobless educated people had been able to earn a dignified livelihood. But the enemy was waiting in wings with its dirty planning and executed the same on April 22, 2025. Besides killing 27 innocent civilians, it attacked and destroyed the livelihood of thousands of families.

It is heartening to note that Union Government is making all efforts to revive tourism. The other day, union agriculture and rural development minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed to the countrymen to visit Jammu and Kashmir, saying, “people here are waiting to welcome with their hearts filled with love and warmth. So, come here without fear and set a new example of love and brotherhood.” Earlier, union minister for tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat visited Kashmir, had detailed meeting with Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah and discussed with about broad range of initiatives aimed at boosting tourism infrastructure, promoting heritage and cultural sites, and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for local communities. After meeting Sajjad Ahmad Bhat, who had carried an injured tourist to safety after the attack, the minister said, “His selfless act is the real reflection of the spirit of Kashmir — brave, compassionate, and unwavering.” 

Such reassuring statements from the top leadership of the nation and now the announcement of having a national lever tourism conference here are clear indications that the Union Government is too keen and serious to help revive tourism. It is expected that once Amarnath Yatra concludes successfully, people are expecting that peoples’ confidence would restored and they would start visiting Kashmir again.

In western world, if you are driving a car and you hear a siren – of an ambulance or a police car – you simply pull up to the side to make way for them. The rule-book says you can’t just slow down but you have to stop, and people obey this rule so religiously that very rarely would anybody land in legal net. Similarly, if a yellow-coloured school bus is parked on the road edge picking up or dropping school children, one can’t overtake (pass) it; again the passing-by vehicles have to stop and wait until the parking lights of school bus go off. This is law. Now if a person is following someone, say into a building or a store or elsewhere, the person ahead will wait and hold the door for the one who is to enter next and both will exchange gratitude for the gesture. This is ethics.

No wonder that the people as well as their countries are developed, both materially as well as legally and ethically – psychologically. Simply put, they deserve the kind of life they have and enjoy, where everything is the way it is supposed to be. Any deviations in the general pattern are just aberrations and believe it they are not so widespread as they seem to be, simply because every unruly act gets reported and makes it to crime records thereby inflating it.

Here in Jammu and Kashmir, the popular aim is to bump off the other to make room for the self. The chaos and confusion on roads and streets in the entire UT, where both pedestrians as well as the big and small vehicles are jostling for space and inching ahead only at the cost of the other, are just a reflection of the general behaviour of the entire society and the people. Unmindful of how critical time could prove for an ailing person, here nobody makes room for the ambulances. Flashing beacon lights and loud sirens hardly have an impact on other people on the wheels and ambulances too have to fight it out for their right to move ahead. Police and other VIP cavalcades using sirens are exception only because they are accompanied by gun- and baton-totting uniformed men who know how to push ahead even if it means crushing those in the way.

Word ‘Wild’ has often been associated with the ‘West’ in popular mediatized jargon, however, the streets in Jammu and Kashmir are way too wild than anything West may have. The only mantra is to poke into and occupy whatever space is available and it is done everywhere in wildest ways possible. Although laws and rules are in force here too, but nobody obeys them for the fear of getting foolishly stuck in this ‘survival race’ while the cunningly enterprising ones always move ahead. This is why breaking rules is a general culture and people are doing it with impunity and pride. Agencies vested with the responsibility of implementing laws and affect corrections of behavioral problems are themselves rooted in corruption. They too are out there to claim their pound of flesh and that is what they do.

On Wednesday, Union Minister for Panchayati Raj, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Rajiv Ranjan Singh and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reviewed the working of the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Department of the Union territory here with Union Minister e-inaugurating the 50,000 litre per day capacity milk plant located at Satwari in Jammu district. While underlining the immense untapped potential in J&K’s livestock and fisheries sectors, the Union Minister assured full support from the Centre.

These sectors have huge potential but that potential has remained untapped. Some time back, the UT government launched Holistic Agriculture Development Program (HADP) with the aim of revolutionize agriculture and allied sectors, improving the lives of farmers with increased returns besides attracting younger generation towards these sectors thus generating employment too. Agriculture is the main economic activity of Jammu and Kashmir as 70 percent of the population here has agriculture as predominant livelihood venture. However, given that this sector was run on traditional lines without any scientific interventions and modern technologies, the youth had started distancing from it. Even those who were solely dependent on agriculture, were fed up as the returns were very low in comparison with investment. Horticulture, animal and sheep husbandry besides fisheries are other allied sectors. Under HADP, all these sectors are supposed to collaborate with each other.

This programme has every potential to address the challenges and transform the allied sectors into prosperous sustainable agriculture economy in the region as its aim is to increase the production, productivity, growth, employment generation among other things which would double the contribution of the agri sector towards GDP. But the question remains whether the programme is followed up by the administration on the ground in letter and spirit. Cynicism not intended, the history of Jammu and Kashmir is replete with scores of examples wherein very people friendly schemes were launched but on the ground, the officials made the procedure so complicated that most of the people quit the idea of being part of such schemes. Few years back a young educated youth intended to run a sheep farm and applies for the same. He is made to run from pillar to post and after seven months, he just dropped the idea.

In this back drop, the UT administration should ensure that the programme is run with commitment and efficiency and unnecessary delays are done away with. It is heartening to note that the biggest successes of HADP is the increasing confidence of the younger generation in agriculture and allied sectors. As mentioned earlier, youth were moving away from agriculture due to its non-profitability but with the launch of this programme they have been finding a renewed interest in this sector and have greatly attained success. The administration should appreciate it and ensure that they don’t face any road blocks and bottle-necks.

Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha has taken a much-awaited initiative be deciding to provide justice to the families of terror victims in Jammu and Kashmir. On Sunday he met the families of terror victims and assured and assured them that their cases will be re-opened and government of India is committed to provide them justice which has been delayed for too long. He regretted that the pain of these victims was ignored, their stories untold and that the truth was deliberately suppressed.  On Tuesday, LG took a review meeting in this regard wherein it was decided that a special cell and a toll-free number will be established in the Lieutenant Governor’s secretariat for addressing the concerns of the families of terror victims and to bring the culprits to justice. LG directed deputy commissioners and SSPs to reopen terror cases which were “deliberately buried”.

It goes without saying that there are thousands of terror victims who were ignored both by the governments, that be, and the society as a whole. In this backdrop, LG’s decision to help these victims seek justice is appreciable. In this regard, the Police and the civil administration should gear up and identify the cases about which FIRs were lodged and also those where no FIRs were lodged. The toll-free number should be widely circulated and District Police Chiefs too should have a special toll-free number so that the victims can have an easy access to reach out to the concerned authorities. These people have waited for too long, they deserve justice and LG’s initiative is a right step in right direction. These family deserve closure so that they can move ahead in life with dignity.

That said, there are thousands who died during these years for the simple reason that they were at a wrong place at a wrong time. Those who were killed in road side grenade attacks, blasts, those who were caught in cross-fire and lost their lives, their families too need justice. While pursuing the cases of terror victims, the government should task the concerned authorities to identify such victim family and then take proper steps to help them. Indirectly, they too are terror victims and should be treated like the families of direct terror victims. These steps will go a long way in winning the hearts of the people whom the justice has eluded for so long.

July 1st, every year, is celebrated as National Doctor’s Day. This day is dedicated to honouring the dedication, compassion, and relentless efforts of country’s medical professionals. The doctors are life savers and on this day the nation pays tributes to them recognising their role in healing, protecting and strengthening communities. Their profession is the noblest one and that is why it is respected by one and all, not only in India but the entire world. 

This year’s theme is “Behind the Mask: Who Heals the Healers?” The theme highlights the emotional and mental struggles faced by healthcare professionals. They are the caregivers and life savers but what about their own struggles, physical emotional and psychological. As people need doctors around for their wellbeing, doctors too need people around – understanding their traumas and ensuring their wellbeing.

COVID 19 was the biggest challenge for the medical professionals all over the world and particularly in India, having a vast population. An Indian Medical Association (IMA) report suggested that 1596 doctors died due to COVID 19 across the first and second waves of pandemic in India. Though there has not been proper study to find out how many doctors and paramedics contracted the virus while treating COVID patients, one needs not to be a rocket scientist to understand how the medical professionals suffered during the pandemic while trying to save their patients.

Due to fear psychosis of the pandemic, sons left fathers’ bodies, brothers left brothers’ bodies unattended, but we had doctors, nurses, other para medics, working 24X7, struggling to defeat the virus and save peoples’ lives. This dedication of our doctors is to be celebrated on this July 1st and people from all walks of life should pay tributes to our health professionals.

That said, there are some in this noble profession, for whom, their training and expertise, is just to earn more and more bucks. There are some who have been bought over by some pharma companies and have, technically, become their salesmen/women to boost their products. In the name of consultation, huge fee is charged. They have tie-ups with clinical labs and thus recommend even such examinations which are not required at all. There are these few bad fish that have given a bad name to this noble profession. On this doctors’ day, while the society should decide to stand by their doctors emotionally and psychologically, the doctors should try to isolate the rotten fish amongst them.

During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan army shelled the civilian populations along Line of Control in Rajouri, Poonch, Kupwara and Baramulla districts killing several civilians and destroying homes and hearths. Though both the governments, J&K and Union, have come forward to help the victims of Pak shelling, the most pressing issue still remains un-addressed and that is construction of individual as well as community bunkers.

In a shocking revelation, the Jammu and Kashmir Home Department, while responding to a application under Right to Information, has disclosed that 46.58 per cent money remains unspent from the total amount sanctioned for construction of bunkers along LoC and International Border. As per the details provided by the Home Department, an amount of Rs 242.77 crore was given to the Union Territory administration headed by the Lt Governor between 2020-21 and 2024-25. However, 46.58 per cent of the money remains unspent. It said Rajouri district accounted for the highest utilisation of funds to the tune of Rs 78.05 crore followed by Poonch (Rs 44.56 crore), Samba (Rs 42.09 crore), Kathua (37.20 crore), Jammu (17.51 crore), Kupwara (Rs 14.85 crore), Bandipora (Rs 4.33 crore) and Baramulla (Rs 4.15 crore).

India shares a 3,323-km border with Pakistan, of which 221 km of the International Border (IB) and 744 km of the Line of Control (LoC) fall in Jammu and Kashmir. Following Operation Sindoor and subsequent shelling by Pakistani troops on civilian population, the demand for construction of bunkers has grown. In the times of escalations, the residents of border areas and those living along LoC become the first targets. Lives are lost and properties destroyed. In such circumstances, the bunker is the only life line that can save these vulnerable population.

It may be recalle that a total of 27 people, mostly civilians, lost their lives and 70 were injured in intense Pakistani shelling and drone attacks on forward villages in Jammu and Kashmir after Indian armed forces launched missile strikes on terror infrastructure across the border during the intervening night of May 6 and 7 under Operation Sindoor. Poonch and Rajouri accounted for most of the civilian casualties, prompting requests for the construction of more safety bunkers along the borders.

The government of the day should ensure that bunkers in these vulnerable areas are constructed without any further delay and those responsible for the task should be questioned for under-utilization of funds. These areas are country’s first defence line and people living here should not be left unprotected.