Respected Mufti Sahib
(Hon. Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir State)
When I conceived the idea of this letter (write-up) I could not make it, weather to address your good self as Mufti Mohd Syeed or as Chief Minister of J& K State. Your multidimensional personality of an able administrator, and a humble human being inspired, and encouraged me to address you in both capacities simultaneously.
As human being you are quite humane with a blend of qualities rarely found in present day politicians. As Chief Minister you are (if all goes well) just and able administrator who can resurrect the dying system of administration; denied social justice; curtailed freedom of speech, a great decision maker who will put the state and its subjects on the path of prosperity, a communicator who rightly puts himself forward to respect others (irrespective of status, cast, colour, creed and rank).
This is what I have personally observed about you while making my contribution in restoration of the pristine glory of Gulmarg and revival of its historic golf course. Your sharp memory, dedication, and follow-up of your instructions and orders are worth inspiring qualities of a good administrator and leader of outstanding and great stature.
I remember the day at upper reaches of Gulmarg last summer when you got upset with the harsh security arrangements in connection with your visit, which put the public to great inconvenience. You were apprised about the inconvenience by an over enthusiastic freedom loving (in real sense over reacting) young lady, when you were about to join your guests for a stroll in the meadows of Kong Doori. She lodged her protest regarding the harsh security Bandobast at Gulmarg and inconvenience caused to her, and force fully advocated the freedom of movement holding every one spellbound. Your cool, calm attitude, while she was making her point made every one there to adore you and think high of your magnanimity. The calm and composed stature of yours and other gestures made me to guess and assess your thoughts at that particular moment.
‘You were feeling proud, that a common citizen of your state has mustered that much of courage, that she could argue bravely with the highest executive of the state regarding her rights; could make him understand that, he is heading a democratic government not an autocratic one. Feeling satisfied and happy as restorer of one of the basic rights of common man; the freedom of speech (only to some extent)’.
The episode made the idea of stroll to be called off, and you made your self comfortable in a chair for another one and half hour, at a strategic view point over looking the beautiful Gulmarg, and some northern parts of the valley. Staring at Gulmarg and relishing the scenic beauty of valley, from this strategic viewpoint of Kong Door; you were deep in your thoughts, and we all at a short distance could read a clear off your face, for all of us and other fellow Kashmiries, ‘I am proud of you, being so bold, and really sorry for inconvenience’. During that one and half-hour you were so impressed by the beauty of Kashmir (Gulmarg and its flower in particular) and its inhabitants; you called for me and instructed to arrange for making a good frame of the scenic view visible from there. (Which I dutifully did later on to the best liking of Mufti Sahibs, specially through a leading old hand photographer, octogenarian Mr. Prakash Sony of famous ‘Prico studio’).
During my interactions with you I could feel your keen interest and love for nature, the guiding force behind your rejuvenated ideas and proposals. Your interest in apparently small but aesthetically vital issues, like condition of lawn around historic church at Gulmarg, a dilapidated drain around club building or eroded and denuded patches in and around lush green meadows of Gulmarg.
Briefly I found you a humble, calm, introspective and indefatigable person with a multidimensional personality bestowed with good administrative traits and leadership abilities, possessing least of attributions like tantrums and ego, common with traditional politicians.
Respected Mufti Sahib, this was my honest and unexaggerated assessment of your great personality, adorable and admirable leadership traits and qualities. Now with your kind permission may I have the liberty to make you aware of other facts regarding the sorry state of affairs of government (about your day to day governance)?
After cession of autocracy in 1947 (when Maharaja got packing) a new breed of unscrupulous opportunist with dishonesty, sycophancy and hypocrisy as their hallmarks had invaded, and made place in the corridors of power, were wielding enormous clout. These hawkish creatures never compromise with their clout and can go to any extent to pursue their agenda of corruption, fleecing poor just to full fill their unending materialistic appetite. This value and virtue less community practise sycophancy to the extent, where remorse is a far cry, they don’t even shy or feel ashamed of glorifying awkward and nasty behavior of their so called masters, extolling the same, and entangling them in the webs of venality. They make people to believe in what really is not believable (unbelievable), have baffling attitude, keep changing masters with change in guard, and usually go for scathing attacks on earlier masters and friends to prove their loyalty. These make believers (otherwise deceivers) is an amalgam of dishonest; inefficient government servants, opportunist businessmen, cut to size failure political and social activists, unscrupulous writers, and some so called elite (otherwise mean/ordinary people with dubious character).
People of Kashmir were of the opinion that, you being in command (holding reigns of power) will make a difference for these unscrupulous opportunists and common man will have a sigh of relief. In the first six months of your tenure this progeny of Satan was apprehensive about the prospects of their future. But their tenacious and cunning natures made them to come out of their holes revitalized and put in action their modus operandi and make their targets susceptible to opium of corruption. Surround and entangle people (in authority) by using their weapons of dishonesty, sycophancy and wickedness. Baffling the legitimate power centers, circumventing rules of justice and reinterpreting laws of equality as per their choice and requirement. Majority of this clan of opportunists have seeped into and now made inroads into the corridors of power making poor common Kashmiri souls to speculate about their future; chances of prosperity, and having an honest, impartial, sincere and just society. These ‘bad guys’ are pursuing their agenda slowly and steadily.
Respected Mufti Sahib,
These elements and their Gurus have been fleecing the state and robbing its people for time immemorial, but since 1947 they have put on a much softer, silky robe of democracy. Developed huge estates, palatial mansions, amassed enormous wealth, glittering automobiles and above all made increase in their dearest never diminishing clout. Your abhorrence to oligarchy is known to all, which understand you, gauge your integrity rightly and know your style of working. At the moment these elements are busy creating a situation rife for corrupt practices, exploitation, favoritism and nepotism, that can lead to an anticipated undercurrent of suspicion and hostility and can be quite perilous. You and your just system of governance are getting alienated from masses because of the growing influence and clout of these unscrupulous elements. Mafia is back in order after some earlier jolts, with a complete chain of exploiters, sitting on coveted posts, and making other’s elevation to the same, but against a price. They are privy to all major government policies and decisions, making them more power full and able to create initially a situation of stalemate then weaken the governments belief and proclivity towards better governance, and ultimately culminating into congenial atmosphere for their choice of exploitation, and———collapse.
They have rendered your frontline slogan, ‘healing touch’ counterproductive by giving people shocks of dishonesty, partiality, injustice and callousness.
I hope your good self will initiate to check these unscrupulous elements in earnest to avoid the colossal damage they can inflict on the state, its subjects, and to your image.
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