WAITING FOR MORE TRAGEDIES

NHPC refuses to repair, hand over Palmar road to state govt

Kishtwar: The hullabaloo over the measures being taken by the government in accident prone areas of mountainous Kishtwar district turned out to be another futile exercise to end the miseries of people living in the district as National Hydro Electric Project Corporation (NHPC) has out rightly refused to take any measures to improve Bandarkot-Palmar road or hand it over to the state government.
Well informed sources told The Bold Voice that soon after the recent bus mishap, which claimed at least 31 innocent lives, a high level team of Jammu and Kashmir government under deputy chief minister Tara Chand, during their visit to the area, were told that Bandarkote-Palmar road has been taken over by the NHPC and the corporation was responsible for the maintenance of the road.
If sources have to be believed the deputy chief minister and other government functionaries immediately summoned General Manager (GM) NHPC to enquire about the status of the road, which was in worst condition and has virtually turned into death trap.
They said that the meeting held between the government functionaries and the NHPC authorities brought out the worst part of the scenario, where life and blood of innocent lives does not matter to the authorities.
Sources said that the NHPC authorities were asked to undertake the repair work of the road, with immediate affect, so that the people living in the areas and government officials posted there are not forced to risk their lives.
"The NHPC GM categorically refused to repair the road saying that the same can not be done until the work on the projects in the area are taken up by the corporation", sources claimed adding, "The corporation even refused to hand over the road to the state government for its repair work".
It was reliably learnt that the NHPC had employed at least 30 gang collies on the road for its maintenance but all of them were shifted to some other place for unknown reasons.
The Deputy Chief Minister, sources said, left the meeting in a huff and assured later assured the local authorities that the matter would be taken up with the chief minister.
The people were shocked to know that the agency responsible for maintenance of this road in the aftermath of this horrible act disowned to make any improvement of Palmar road and Hon’ble M.L.A Kishtwar was compelled to demand closure of this road till the same is made trafficable so that further loss of lives in road accidents can be avoided. One wonders whether we are living in 21st century or going back to Stone Age. Why the people of Palmar have been made to suffer at the hands of such in apt agency of NHPC who have no care of human life and have taken the people for granted and for a ride for number of years without any accountability.
"Had Palmar road been improved, there was no need for educated people to travel in a jam packed matador which was the only mode of convenience on this death trap road", says Shakir Siddiqui senior PDP leader. "They have not understood from the past accidents on this road that they too have some moral and social responsibility" added Siddiqui. Another resident Puran Chand says, "The government should pull up such irresponsible agency and throw them out of the area and no further works should be given to this agency in the upcoming projects". "Any MoU if signed may be reviewed by the government in view of the resentment of people and helplessness shown by the MLAs", said Puran Chand.

Troops continue to occupy historical Bhadarwah college

Bhaderwah: Feroz Khan, a young graduate student, today laments the day when he took admission in the historical Bhaderwah college, a premier education institute of Chenab Valley – Erstwhile Doda district.
Since his school days the young student was excited about the college life, which he had seen in movies. For him it was also a time to build dreams, plan career and make smart moves.
However, today his dreams stand broken and he is forced to face the harsh reality. College for him is a fortified place, where he has not even the liberty to move freely. Courtesy; the gun yielding CRPF personnel occupying the campus premises from last over a decade.
Like Feroz, over a thousand student of Bhadereah Degree College, are studying amid the fear psychosis which is effecting their studies considerably. For them going to college means facing humiliation and threats.
Even two years after the central government claimed that the army and para-military personnel have vacated all the school and hospital buildings across Jammu and Kashmir, the students and faculty members at historical Bhaderwah college see no respite from the gun yielding para-military personnel under whose shadow the college has been functioning for a long time.
Had there been no sign board at the entrance gate of the college, no one can judge that the premises inside is an educational institution as right from the gate the premises gives look of a cantonment. The CRPF is occupying staff quarters and the boys hostel resulting in the staff members and the students hailing from outside are forced to pay heavy rents for private accommodations. Due to presence of security personnel in the premises no girl student is ready to stay in the hostel and the hostel building meant for the girls is being used by IGNOU And the PG department of Urdu. Not only this the only play ground of the college is being used as parking place for the vehicles by the security personnel whereas soakage pits and toilets have been constructed over the Botanical garden of the College. Besides security men there are large number of their pet dogs seen in the college which are the biggest problem for the students. As the students can not move freely in the college due to the fear of these dogs.
"Due to presence of security forces in the college premises female students are not ready to stay in the hostel whereas the boys hostel is already occupied by the forces, as such students are forced to stay in rented accommodations and pay huge money" says Fiza Khan an ex student. Another student Aleem Wani says, "We can not enjoy the college life, and always think as if we are inside a cantonment". "Bhaderwah has a big talent in sports, even it has produced star cricketers but due to non-availabilty of play ground as the same is being used by CRPF we can not practice any game" added he.
Govt Degree College Bhadarwah was established in the year 1955 when Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed, the then Prime Minister of the Jammu and Kashmir State laid the foundation of the College. Situated in the lap of the Himalayas, in a beautiful cup shaped valley of Bhaderwah surrounded on one side by Kaplas and on the other side by Ashapati Mountains- a tall range separating this beautiful valley from District Chamba of Himachal Pardesh, Bhadarwah college is one of the oldest colleges of the state and the first one in Chenab Valley.
The previous coalition government led by the then chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had taken initiative with the central government for vacating the government buildings especially school, colleges and hospitals from the force’s occupation.
However, irnocially, the chief minister, who was himself a student of the college, failed to get the college premises vacated and the CRPF personnel still remain there affecting the studies and culture of the students.

THANKS Mr. Abdullah!

SHEIKH NASIR HUSSAIN
Tragedy strikes once again. Another road accident snatches precious lives and once again Kishtwar has faced the brunt of government apathy and non serious attitude towards the serious issues of public importance. The death of thirty one people including twenty young teachers has come as a shock to this mountainous town which has seen many such tragedies in recent months and it has once again exposed the so called public representatives who till recently were building castle in air only to garner votes for themselves. Chief minister Omar Abdullah recently came on a private chopper to seek votes on the name of honest and dedicated government but today when the people of the area wanted a hand on their head to consol them and share their grief and pain the young Abdullah found none of his cabinet colleagues or senior govt officer to be sent to Kishtwar. The ‘dynamic’ leader, as his party colleagues love to call him, sent an RTO to access the situation. It seems that the blood of people of this far off area is too thin to attract the attention of the government. It seems that government is waiting for more such catastrophes before it can seriously think to come to the rescue of the people. But still the people of Kishtwar must express gratitude to ‘WORTHY’ chief minister for at least expressing sympathy with the bereaved families and for his ‘ GRAVE’ concern through press statements

PALL OF GLOOM DESCENDS ON KISHTWAR

SHEIKH NASIR HUSSAIN

Kishtwar: A pall of gloom descended on mountainous Kishtwar town in the wake of tragic road mishap, which claimed 31 lives. Many households in a few streets lost their relatives.
With trembling hands and in faltering voices, the relatives of the victims consoled one another. People throng to the graveyard and cremation grounds to attend the last rites of the victims, while all the schools, shops and other business establishments remained closed with negligible attendance at the government offices.
The news of road accident spread like wild fire in the town and its adjoining areas and people rushed to the accident site, about 6 kilometers from the main town. On motor-cycles, four wheelers and every thing they found, people were seen moving in large numbers towards Bandarkote, where the tragedy struck.
At District hospital, people in large number, including women, were waiting for the bodies to arrive. For around one hour no body knew who was on the ill fated vehicle but everyone was apprehending that being Monday most of the victims would be government employees.
Then bodies started pouring in. Loaded on trucks and tippers, the bodies were blood soaked and even some had disfigured faces.
The atmosphere in the hospital suddenly changed. The silence suddenly disappeared and there was only hue and cry in air.
Doctors rushed and started checking the pulse of the victims. But none of them were alive.
"I have never had a tougher day," said an employee of the hospital, after seeing the bodies everywhere. The hospital staff was duly assisted by the volunteers of some local NGOs, who are now accustomed of such situation due to the growing number of road mishaps in the area.
After the legal formalities the activities stopped at the hospital and people throng to the houses of the victims.
By the afternoon, local graveyard had around four graves ready. Similar was the situation at the nearby cremation ground, where it was a scramble for everything— from cow dung cakes to firewood and other things associated with funeral rites. Locals and strangers rose as one man, assisting the kin of the deceased in completing the last rites.
While a deceased teacher was being buried in the graveyard, hardly few meters away his colleague was being cremated by his relatives.
The things may be back to normal for everyone in next few days but for the kith and kins of the victims even the time may not be able to heal the wounds left by the tragic mishap.

A School which looses almost entire staff

SHEIKH NASIR HUSSAIN

Kishtwar: It was a routine day at Government Higher Secondary School Palmar on Monday. Peon opened the school; students were getting ready to attend their classes after weekend and teacher too left to perform their duty. However, destiny had something else in store for every one of them. Tragedy struck and the school lost 10 of it’s teachers in the road mishap.
Sources told that out of the twenty teachers, who lost their lives in the road mishap, ten were posted at Government Higher Secondary School, Palmar. Even the principal of the teacher is battling between life and death at Government Medical College Hospital, Jammu, where he was airlifted.
It was learnt that almost entire staff of the GHSS Palmar left their homes to attend their duties but none of them reached to their destination. Tragedy struck and they lost their lives in the mishap.
"Principal of the school had called a meeting in the school and had asked the entire staff to remain present", a local resident, whose son is a student of the school told.
"The school is now orphaned", he said with tears rolling down from his cheeks. "My child has not eaten anything since morning and he has gone in a state of shock", he adds.
Back in Kishtwar, colleagues of the deceased teachers were in state of shock. They believe that if things remain as it is most of them will fall pray to the government apathy and road mishaps.
"One of our colleague who lost her life in the accident had once expressed apprehension that one day we may die in an accident", a teacher, Arshad Ahmed said. He said that now ever teacher posted outside Kishtwar has the same apprehension as "we feel that our lives are no more secure on this deadly road".