Published December 8th, 2017 by Fida Iqbal

Democracy and plight of Prisoners!

The recent happenings make us revise the text of democracy

The worst conflict, particularly during last more than two decades has brought Kashmir to a perilous situation of death and destruction.

Indian democracy is now seven decades old. In comparison to its immediate neighbours, it has flourished swiftly with the active participation of common man. However, even after seventy years, Indian democracy cannot be termed yet complete and perfect. Lack of education and poverty are the main reasons for common man not enjoying the absolute equality and fairness. Within a democracy safety of the citizens (read subjects) is the paramount duty of its rulers more so when the citizen is in its custody. Even autocratic rulers would consider the safety of their subjects as the essence of their ‘Rajdharma’. Many abrasions are bound to occur in an emerging democracy but guarantee to someone’s life, honour and property are fundamentals of fairness and the ultimate duty of the state. Many incidents of custodial deaths and harm to inmates in the country over the period of time are well documented and in many cases, the perpetrators were rightly and adequately punished as per the law. The worst Bhagalpur blinding of undertrials in 1980 in the state of Bihar put the then budding Indian democracy to a strenuous test. And at that time the apex court had to intervene and in a landmark judgment order compensation to the victims.

Published October 30th, 2017 by Fida Iqbal

The theatrics of Interlocution!

Kashmir requires a well-defined roadmap with clearly identified parameters and stakeholders to whom the interlocuter should relate.

Optimism can be the only way to counter apprehensions. And at this point in Kashmir when bells of dialogue have started ringing virtually out of the blue, all have to be optimistic but careful. let me also embrace little optimism and hope for a while! Kashmir is an issue and that too a political one and has been acknowledged by almost every political entity in the country. The present political dispensation at the federal level played hide and seek with Kashmir problem for three years of their tenure and tried their best to prove that Kashmir is a non-issue—a simple law and order problem. But after exhausting all armaments in their political arsenal reverted back to the square one— the dialogue (exchange of ideas). Everyone should and positively will welcome the efforts of negotiation. Though, these crucial parleys on Kashmir require a well-defined roadmap with clearly identified parameters and stakeholders to whom the interlocuter should relate. However, the big question is who is negotiating. What are his credentials, attributes, and the credibility?

Published October 4th, 2017 by Fida Iqbal

On braid-cutting

Psychological war or just a political stunt!!

If we dissect the present braid chopping ploy it seems to have succeeded in its agenda of creating an atmosphere of extreme fear and helplessness among the people mostly the rural folk.

In Kashmir we are in the middle of a conflict and unrest, so expecting rot from any of the warring groups is not surprising. A seven-decade-old issue—an offshoot of the bloody partition, catalyzed more forcefully for the last two decades has exposed this tiny homeland to all kinds of distress and sufferings. So, by that standards braid chopping is not that big a deal, but as it has hit our honour and dignity, we feel shaken. Nevertheless, the present crisis is not the first of its kind. A few years back witches were making rounds in the valley. But that fizzled out quickly because of poor planning and timing. We have also faced attacks on our dignity and distinctiveness way back in the late sixties and early seventies when widespread fire incidents mostly in rural areas frightened the entire valley. The whole administration of that time remained clueless and never succeeded in bringing the culprits to book. Interestingly, a particular socio-political organization with insignificant presence in this part of the country was then designingly named to be behind that fire weaponry and to make the situation more complicated the organization was accused of kidnapping small children for organ trade (that is at least what I was made to believe then by the elders who innocently became part of the rumor mill). Gullible Kashmiri people, as usual, took it for the truth and the politicians succeeded in their game plan to divert the public attention and opinion from their failures. But it was peacetime then and the episode passed without leaving any permanent mark on the psyche of common people.

Published September 27th, 2017 by Fida Iqbal

Cracking down on corruption

Unless these loopholes are plugged properly, the monster of corruption will haunt us.

(An open letter To Mehbooba Mufti)
It’s good you reach people and listen to them. Hope you continue the momentum and come heavy on corruption so that we get a clean system

After remaining engaged with political disturbance for quite some time you have rightly started concentrating more on approachable governance. In this direction, your recent visits to far-off areas of the state to personally reach and listen to public grievances, particularly, from those who have very less access to higher echelons and corridors of power will definitely open a new chapter of better governance. Your recent detailed visits and overnight stay at district headquarter of Pulwama and Kupwara districts reveal your government’s paradigm shift in administrative strategy. Anyways, may Almighty give you enough strength to deliver more efficiently and sincerely to the best satisfaction of your people. In this reinvigorated process of better governance, your recent statement terming corruption ‘as a scourge that eats up the vitals of the society’ and a passionate appeal for support to eradicate the peril of corruption is a welcome step.

Published September 12th, 2017 by Fida Iqbal

A moment to think: Is Kashmir safe for genuine activism?

Activism is essentially an inborn trait and fewer people turn to activism after experiencing injustice in their own life.

Kashmir because of its fluid political situation has suffered a lot on almost all fronts of life, particularly for impartiality and equality.

May be inappropriate, but I am constrained to put a rider of genuineness with our version of activism because very few people crusade genuinely in this land of devious mindset. Activism is essentially an inborn trait and fewer people turn to activism after experiencing injustice in their own life. All along activists face condemnation at the hands of exploiters and at times are unable to gain the trust of common people even for a genuine cause. Anyway, whatever the reason and circumstances to disparage the noble work of activism in the present-day avaricious world, the activists are the real torchbearers of exploring justice and the realities. Democracy empowers people! And empowerment is the soul of crusading.

Published August 3rd, 2017 by Fida Iqbal

Here lies the rub

Is Kashmir the subcontinent’s political fodder?

Within Kashmir, various political entities have always described the Kashmir issue to the best of their ideological comforts, except the so-called mainstream political groups, who always deal Kashmir issue proportionally to their own political interests.

Only British and their collaborators know better why they facilitated the creation of Kashmir problem in the first instance! A lot has been said about their intentional unjustified division and demarcation of erstwhile Punjab province at the time of partition—ambiguous Radcliffe Award in connivance with Mountbatten’s to be precise. Beyond Nehru’s close relations with Mountbatten family, his possessiveness about Kashmir influenced the divisional anomalies and subsequent Kashmir conflict. Anyway, whatever the reasons Kashmir issue is a hard fact acknowledged world over by almost all and even after seven decades stands unresolved posing a great threat to the peace in the region. India and Pakistan the other stakeholders of Kashmir other than the Kashmiris from the day one of their freedom have regrettably positioned their politics and patriotic agenda on their egoistic approach towards Kashmir issue. And till date, no one on either side of the fence has ever risked to propose or seek an amicable solution of this apparently intricate but otherwise, a simple humanitarian issue that annihilated hundreds of thousands of people through open and proxy wars, lest their own political positions get compromised.

Fida Iqbal.com