The flood relief operations carried out by armed forces seems to be getting closer to becoming a political game as the elections are nearing if the statements issued by leaders of various parties are any indication. Anybody or everybody has something to say like ‘need to speed up the relief operations’, ‘need more troops, people are not getting food water and medicines’ etc are the reactions one may get through media after the visit by these political leaders. Most of them have carried out air-borne review of the flood situation, but hardly anybody has met the people struck on the roof tops or marooned far-away. This is no time to derive a political mileage out of the situation what is needed is a concerted effort to take people out from waterlogged localities and provide them the much needed food, drinking water and medicines and the assurance of safety. India has risen to the occasion and the floods seem to have washed away Jammu and Kashmir’s distinct isolation due to the special status accorded to it under Article 370 of the Constitution. This one human tragedy should open the eyes and conscious of one section of the society in the State who have been espousing separatism and hatred towards men in uniform. How come these self-proclaimed protectors of Azadi have maintained silence for the last one week? These self styled leaders should have been in the forefront of rescue operations like what they used to do for fomenting trouble in the Valley? These (mis) leaders have
failed to rise to the occasion by doing so they have proved their agenda even in such calamity. Not even a single ‘leader’ of the ‘masses’ is seen or heard anywhere. Whether people of Kashmir be thankful to Govt of India for the humanitarian mission carried out in the Valley or will they still continue with India-bashing once normalcy returns is to be seen. If the past is any indication one can hope there will be no change in ground situation. And if elections are announced under these circumstances it is
sure the whole exercise would change the political and geographical contours dramatically.
