#FloodsInKashmir -- Army a Saviour - but no thanks!!

A flood that they say is the worst in 60 years - has kit the valley of Kashmir. Srinagar probably amongst the worst hit within valley - from the news emerging so far. There isn't even much news available from other parts of Kashmir as yet... In all the deluge of valley centric news, the crisis in Jammu division has been totally forgotten. Less forgotten, more ignored - as has been the historic fate of Jammu. 

From what emerges so far - the local Omar Abdullah govt has abandoned Kashmir and left it to its own fate. 

Abandoned once gain, I should say - by the Abdullah family. 

25 years ago - in 1990's, Papa Abdullah did the same in face of terrorist onslaught in the valley. Abandoned & flew off... !!

Omar is doing shade better. Abandoned and missing from action, but emerges for exclusive interviews and sound bytes for preferred news channels...

At this time, yet again - the state is left to Central govt and Armed forces... 

And as always, Army & IAF has been doing a fabulous job... but getting more stones in return for their helping hand. 

At scores of places now - over last 2-3 days, army rescue boats and helicopters have been pelted with stones - when the approached with relief material or rescue operations. 

Thanklessness of the highest order...!!!

But Army and GoI needs to do what they are doing - not because its Kashmir... but because that's what Army has always done and would do - in any other calamity across India.

That's being true to a principle and its culture, its nature...

As regards - the stone-pelters on streets of Srinagar and wisdom-pelters on social media - they are doing the same too.. Being true to their nature - biting the hand that helps.
If you observe the folks on social media who are making most noise about "army is not there... doing nothing... rescuing only VIPs and tourists... Army wants Kashmiri's to die..." - All of them entirely are folks sitting comfortably miles away from Kashmir. Folks in Dubai, Saudi, Canada, UK, US, etc - Kashmiri Muslim who have no real eye witness account of the happenings in valley nor much contact. Of course, no one from Srinagar was adding to this noise on Social media - since they didn't even have that connectivity...

Why are they doing it?

Because a sudden paranoia has struck them - what if people saved start appreciating the saviours. Damn! "The movement" will weaken. OMG...what about Azadi then? Shucks...its better more people die in floods. Let anger flare up... Anger will help "the movement", rescue will kill it. "the movement" is bigger than anything else... let more folks suffer on ground".
That's the line of thought...!!

A banner propagating the same thought has been seen in some non-inundated areas of the valley today...  So brave of the rebels to dare go put it up in area's still inundated, where army is still working actively on rescue. 

As regards VIPs/Tourists only being rescued - the Army, which has rescued more than a lakh people in last 4 days has also released lists of several thousand names rescued so far. Would request the wisdom-pelters on social media to provide the designations of these VIP people now...
Kashmir must indeed be the world's capital for VIPs...

In the first place, I am baffled as to why are people on TV complaining of "Delhi not sending enough boats!"... "need to airlift more rafts!"... "not sufficient army boats". Of any city in India - Srinagar, the famed erstwhile "Venice of the East" must have tens of thousands of boats locally available - shikara, dunga, bahatcchs or house boats - boats of all capacities... and a huge hanji community of boatmen.

Even the smallest shikara can save 5-8 people in one time... !!!

I even observed a lot of Delhi based TV channels patting their own backs for their 'exclusive' and brave coverage of J&K Floods... (more K... less J of course! But that's beyond the point here...) 

Unfortunately -Delhi media is doing more harm than good today. 

Dozens of TV channels have their reporters going around areas with barely knee deep water looking for news sound bytes... and gather angry bytes like "no relief here... Army doing nothing...No one came... no boats... no rescue" - with reporters nodding in agreement... 

Duh!!!

Didn't see one channel... one reporter share common sense that - "hey dude.. u are standing here on road talking to me... You are in luxury! You don't deserve army to come to your rescue - because Army is busy where there is 20-30ft of water..."

But...that's a bad sound byte... Bad TRP...   

Of course, the journalists themselves wouldn't go into those areas - unless joyriding on IAF sorties...

Never the less - as I said in beginning - GoI, Indian Army must do what we are doing - because that's what we would do for any Indian state. So its no "ehsaan" or "favor" or "appeasement"...

But to expect that it will result in a change of heart would be foolhardy. None of that happened due to rescue, relief and rehab work of Army post 2005 Earthquakes....!! 

None will happen now. 

We will see the usual scenes on streets of Kashmir soon... once the water drains out...

Hurriyat and co needn't worry about the risk of loosing their constituency to sincere efforts of the Indian Army... 

The foundations of their indoctrination is much deeper than what sweat of Armed forces or 20ft of Jhelum water can even soak...!!!