Disconcerting stalemate
Kashmir conflict is badly stalemated— both in its internal (Srinagar-New Delhi) as well as international (India-Pakistan) dimensions. And what is really unfortunate is that while this stalemate is badly hurting the ordinary people here, the other parties – governments of India, Pakistan, and also the one in place here, have better absorption capacities, and are […]
Unreliable highway
The recurring closures of Jammu-Srinagar national highway, particularly during the wet months is a sad old commentary on the affairs of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. While day-in and day-out tall claims are made suggesting that the state was not far behind other states, a slight drizzle and a mild snowfall throws everything out […]
Unfortunate carelessness
The humankind’s burgeoning understanding about the biological sciences along with their co-relation with other spheres of physics and allied sciences have altered the landscape of human perceptions so drastically that one is forced to think in terms of issues and challenges which were no concern for us, may be only a few decades back. Today […]
Reach out to people
For the past some time now, the government response to the situation here has been overly reactive. Whenever it feels there are chances of any trouble, curfew-like restrictions are imposed on certain police station areas of the city and the countryside. And with this, the government thinks its job is done. Nobody seems to be […]
Mess on roads!
Developed West: 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 […]
‘Achhe Din …!’
Looking at the failures and follies of past is always a cause and source of regret and hopelessness, but if there is resolve to get over with past mistakes and make best of the new opportunities – then there really are many reasons for hope and optimism as well. Indeed if one goes on philosophizing […]
Refusing to learn lessons
The situation in Kashmir is really worrisome – troubling because there is a huge multitude of actors who are working overtime to just ensure that the situation here remains forever on boil. And mind it these provocateurs are present on both sides of the political divide — non -state actors as well as the state […]
Realism needed
The ongoing situation in Kashmir has once again necessitated and reinforced the need of realism in the separatist politics here. Honest analyses of this politics – take for instance, once people’s overwhelming participation in shutdowns and strikes, now followed by visible lack of interest in heeding these calls — underscores the need for a thorough […]
Running away from reality
Humans are, by nature, programmed not to look squarely into the face of a tragedy. Gloom is unpopular and, as such, people have perfected the art of “out of sight, out of mind” escapism. In case of Kashmir, successive governments in New Delhi have adopted this intrinsic human behaviour into a state policy. But there […]
Time to move beyond speeches
“You can say what you have to say to get over the hump, but once you’re over the hump, you do whatever you want to do.” In other words, it’s okay to present yourself as something moderate, even centrist, for the purposes of securing power, and once you’ve secured that power it is perfectly acceptable […]
