MY DYING HOMELAND

Dal lake is almost past. Wullar lake may succumb soon. New generation has not even heard of Aanchar lake. Forest cover is reduced by half in recent years, instead we have grown a popular tree which gives quick money and disease.
We have not added even 500 kilometers of roads in 20 years. We have not even widened a single road in Srinagar. We have multiplied vehicles but lost traffic sense, not installed even a signal system.
We sell more Amritsar shawls than Kashmiri shawls. We sell more iranian machine made carpets than kashmiri carpets.
We don't respect elders and even don't take care of our parents. We don't care of our children and don't understand their limitations.
Almost all of us steal electricity and water. We don't pay our taxes. We sell spurious medicine. We don't charge genuine prices. We prepare 30 dishes for our guests. In routine we entertain our casual guests with a dozen items of bakery. We have concretised our agricultural land.
Not many can say the source of their wealth.
We have the distinction of being the most corrupt state in India. We have no responsive institutions. Govt is unresponsive, opposition irresponsible.
We have no industry ,educated young people leave the state in search of jobs. Professional colleges don't have teachers. For treatment of even minor ailments we have to go to Delhi or Chandigarh.
Is my kashmir dying?

khalida must be happy

9/11/2001 is a day this generation will not forget. It simply changed the world. I remember the day for another reason also. I was posted in Hyderabad and had gone for a dinner along with my wife. We had no mobile phone then. When I reached back home at about midnight, I got a strange message from my staff, that my sister had met with an accident at Hyderabad railway station and she was admitted in a hospital. Somebody had phoned my residence, there was no possibility of my sister being in Hyderabad. Had she been there, I would have certainly known. To know the truth I phoned the hospital . I was told a lady by name khalida from Ladakh was admitted in the hospital, she needed immidiate surgery but she insistsed her brother should first come.

I rushed to hospital. Khalida was seriously injured. She was a cousin. She was a proffesor in Leh. She was accompanying students on an educational tour to Bangalore She had no plans to visit Hyderabad and therefore she had not informed me. Her elder daughter was also accompanying her. We did what we could but she died after three days. Her husband in the meanwhile arrived from Leh. He was naturally pained and also worried about his minor children. Khalida's mission of life was girls' education, particularly muslim girls' education in Ladakh. She had almost dedicated her life to this cause. Her husband while weeping was saying who will now take care of education of her daughters.
God knows what we don't know. Khalida's elder daughter is a lecturer in a college and younger one became the first muslim girl of the state to qualify I.A.S.
Khalida your daughters have not only made you proud but all of us. I can imagine a beautiful smile on a beautiful face.