Page 40 - Tehelka Issue 14E

KASHMIR

tion debris and the muck cleared from n July 7, the BURHAN WANI LIVES ON TWO the first to do so in three
the road gullies was left on the side of second death decades of militancy and so
the road. In case of heavy rains, the anniversary of he instantly hooked people,”
same waste material will block the the popular Hiz- YEARS SINCE HIS DEATH said Naseer Ahmad, author
road gullies again.” Hadley, a Bangalore O bul Mujahideen of Kashmir Pending. “But this
resident, sums up his woes, “The biggest commander Burhan Wani, doesn’t completely explain
issue is for motorcyclists as it becomes Kashmir was under a tense Amid shutdowns, tight security and efforts to the shift that followed. What
very dangerous when all of a sudden lockdown. Security curbs thwart any move of the sympathisers, nothing also played a role was a deep
a big bump appears from nowhere on were at their most stringent sense of siege, disempower-
these flooded roads. If you are aware of in South Kashmir and the could deter the Valley from observing the second ment and alienation that
where the bump is, you will slow down downtown Srinagar. Large death anniversary of the Hizbul commander, had taken a deep root by the
only to be splashed with dirty rainwa- contingent of the forces was reports RIYAZ WANI time Burhan emerged on the
ter from a car next to you. The situation deployed on the streets to scene.”
is bad and although everyone is aware reduce the protesters’ ability This sense of alienation
of it, no action is being taken. Pathetic • Road to progress There is a dire need for a mer in the Indian sub-continent, rain is to organise. In Tral, Burhan’s has only grown deeper
road conditions are prevalent even on sustainable mechanism to manage the annual welcomed as a blessing from the skies. hometown, his grave was since the killing of Burhan.
expressways and bridges where one monsoon season In a country like India, with its extreme made out of bounds for the And his legend has corre-
pays toll tax to use the road. So where is and varying terrain, roads form a life- people. Security personnel spondingly grown. One big
all this money really going? Is it robbery line by being the most flexible means of also dotted the road leading factor in this is believed to
in plain sight by our authorities?” absorbed by the soil. With the onset of transport as they can handle high gra- to slain commander’s home. be “the militaristic, muscular
Contrary to popular perception in rampant and indiscriminate urbani- dients, sharp turns, et al. The condition Separatist leaders were put
India, the subcontinent is not the only sation, most areas are now paved. As a of roads during the monsoons gives under house arrest and JKLF In the past two
region at the receiving end of unrelent- result, very little rainwater is absorbed a true picture of their quality. The dif- supremo Yasin Malik was de- months alone,
ing rains. The UK is a developed country into the ground. Even at one inch per ference can be seen in roads managed tained at a police station. But
where it rains all throughout the year. hour, the drainage system is coping by BRO (Border Roads Organization), despite all these measures, 20 youth
According to recent estimates, 12 per- with almost twice its intended capacity. which face extreme weather and still the protests marked the day. are estimated
cent of UK roads are in very poor condi- remain in better condition than some There was also a complete
tion. Though the figures are better than A way out big city roads. While those maintained shutdown in response to the PHOTO: FAISAL KHAN to have taken
India, sources say it would take about Though efforts are being made to find by urban civic authorities are often separatist call. otherwise been declared free • Rebel troubles Burhan Wani led up arms
14 years and £9.3bn to repair Britain’s lasting solutions, they are too few and ridden with potholes; these are not If anything, this state of of militancy over the past one the new age militancy in the Valley
roads properly. This proves the wrath the implementation is too tedious due just minor potholes, but big craters at affairs shows how Burhan and a half decade.
of nature spares no-one. to the extent of the problem and the red many places. Governments change but continues to loom large over In the past two months of anonymity and aggres- approach” adopted by the
There has been no major upward or tape involved. A scientist near Banga- the condition of our roads doesn’t. The the Valley two years after his alone, twenty youth are esti- sively used the social media centre towards the state. The
downward trend of rainfall for the last lore is working on self-healing roads only changes occur is names of policies, death in an encounter with mated to have taken up arms. to propagate militancy. This clamour in Kashmir is for a
few centuries but a decrease in rainfall that resist heavy rains, intense heat and e.g. from Jawaharlal Nehru National the security forces. Kashmir Burhan’s influence has caught the fancy of the youth meaningful political ini-
in the last two decades, with a contrast poor drainage. Some experts suggest Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM) to has not been same again been fundamental in altering who until then used to hear tiative geared to address the
record of increasing floods, has been replacing Bituminous (BT) roads with Atal Mission for Rejuvenation of Urban since. In 2016, his killing not the dynamics of the situation. only distantly about the Kashmir issue.
experienced in cities like Chennai, Kolk- Cement Concrete (CC) roads, which are Transformation (AMRUT). only triggered a five-month- Security and the civil society militancy through reports “A sustainable political
ata, etc. Thus, the oft-cited reason by the more durable and easier to repair. But Alas, the governing authorities can- long unrest leading to the opinion largely trace the new of their deaths in a far away process which addresses
administration for urban floods-heavy the real need of the hour is urban rain- not be held solely responsible. To avoid killing of around a hundred age militancy in the Valley to encounter.” itself to achieving a political
rainfall in a few hours - does not hold. water harvesting. Recharge wells and the wrath of the rains, we need to em- people and blinding several the advent of Burhan and But many Kashmiri settlement on the state will
It is only an excuse for bad planning in harvesting ponds need to be construct- brace the monsoons rather than try to hundred but it also lent a his popularisation of the observers don’t think that certainly deprive militancy
the cities. The number of water bodies ed in low-lying areas as well as around fight against them. A sustainable Pri- disproportionate boost to militancy as a glamorous the social media alone set of its raison and address the
in all major cities of India has drastically storm water drains, to collect excess vate Public Partnership (PPP) model is the local militancy. Accord- occupation through a deft off Burhan’s legend and public unrest,” said Ahmad.
come down over the last three decades. rainwater. In countries like the Nether- required to manage the monsoon sea- ing to a security estimate, use of social media. that he alone ushered in the “Security approach may keep
The floodplains and lakes in the low- lands, the roads are constructed with a son in urban areas. If public and private more than 65 local youth “Up until 2014, the militan- new militancy in the state. militancy in check but it will
lying parts of a city did not just fulfill the material that absorbs rainwater, which entities take charge of managing rain- have joined militancy since cy was a largely underground “Legend of Wani wasn’t a not end it as its trajectory
water needs of a city but also drained also allows for recharging of ground- water in their respective areas, by con- January, among them the phenomenon. They had no product of Facebook alone. over the past three decades
it off the excess rainwater that poured water. This can be a boon in agricultural structing feasible water harvesting and PhD scholar from Aligarh public or media presence. Indeed, his Facebook pictures tells us. In the existing situa-
there. When construction blocked the states like Punjab, where the ground- drainage systems, the burden on storm Mannan Wani, son of the They hid their identities and and videos made a differ- tion not only will Burhan live
path of water, it led to water-logging water levels have reduced to alarming water drains and road gullies would re- top separatist leader Ashraf masked their faces if at all ence. They also gave face to on and remain an inspiration
on the city roads. The blame then fell levels. New roads should be designed to duce and the problem of water-logged Sehrai, an IPS officer’s their pictures were taken,” a name and made visible a but new Burhans will also
on the storm water drains which in incorporate the needs of the local ter- roads will go away by itself. brother and also a youth Abid said a police officer not wish- reality that is supposed to keep emerging.”
most cases, were designed very long rain, climate and population. Hussain Bhat from Doda in ing to be named. “But Burhan operate in the underground.
ago, assuming half the water would be After a harsh spell of a typical sum- LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM Jammu province which had changed it all. He opted out The fact is that Burhan was LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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