As the days go by and water levels are receding in the devastated, inundated Kashmir Valley, mushrooming growth of resurging leaders is popping out of nowhere to advise the real saviours-Indian Army, IAF fliers, IN commandoes and DMRF as what they ought to have done or what they should do. Some become more vociferous to find faults of what has been the largest rescue operation evacuating three lakh marooned countrymen without a preparatory notice, operational rehearsal and without any additional administrative structure, remuneration, risk allowance or even words of sincere recognition by the government that utterly failed, from the administration, that just vanished and the staff that deserted the scene of crisis, only to trickle back when worst was over.
The civil administration and the secretariat are yet not fully operative. All what is visible on ground are the ‘credit seekers’ shamelessly trying to steal publicity opportunity from one and the other. Media reports are full of releases of the resurging and the new cropping up leaders seeking lime light at the cost of the miseries suffered by those marooned and those who lost their homes, hearths, properties, belongings and the dear ones.
One is forced to recall a chapter from the history of Indian Navy. A gripping battle story which salutes exemplary courage and great leadership of a Captain who willingly went down with his ship ‘Khukari’ during 1971 war keeping alive an old tradition, “captains don’t abandon their ships.” He motivated generations of naval officers, Captain Mahendra Nath Mullah was awarded Maha Vir Chakra (posthumous) for displaying conspicuous gallantry and dedication to duty.
The devastated parts of Jammu and Kashmir need total rebuilding. Cracks are obvious in the utilisation, disbursement and allocation of the enormous pouring in relief funds. With State Assembly polls drawing near, these funds could always get diverted to influence elections, mustering votes or making fortunes. The Central Government should therefore constitute a ‘rehabilitation committee’ comprising members selected for unflinching integrity and impatiality, drawn from various states and assign the reconstruction, rehabilitation to them assisted by troops from various central forces drawn from other states. This could be done under Governor’s rule by postponing elections by a year or so.