Union Govt’s rehabilitation package of Rs 2,437 Cr seems to have not gone well with various sections of the society in Kashmir. Terming it too little and too late the traders in Valley see it as a humiliation. No where a state hangs on relief like Jammu and Kashmir and the 2014 floods which hit Valley had equal impact on Jammu region also with some of the villages vanishing from the map of the State and their existence is only on revenue records. But Kashmir has kept on crying hoarse. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are facing the nature’s wrath every year during monsoon. Never heard these states crying for relief especially when the farming community bears the maximum brunt. The rehabilitation package which was announced for Jammu and Kashmir is besides the already announced relief. Keeping the widespread encroachments of forest land and unauthorised constructions which had sprung up in Valley in recent years, without giving any consideration to rules of the land, the compensation cannot be justified and thus not paid. Before this Kedarnath too faced such wrath which left thousands dead and property worth corers damaged. Here also majority of the damages recorded were of unauthorised constructions around the temple and surrounding area blocking the natural flow of the water. Today life has returned back and pilgrims have started coming to the temple. Kashmir too saw the inundation because of such random constructions but even after over nine months has not come out of it and is looking forward to relief from Centre. Is it not the politics of relief ? Of all the people traders of Kashmir have been vociferous over the relief released by the Centre. What this section of the society must have construed that the Centre would dump the funds without asking for the spending or is it the idea that Kashmir is the only region which needs the utmost care leaving rest of the State in the lurch? The State should learn to raise funds of its own like North Eastern or the other states which too have faced inter turmoil, militancy and unrest almost of the same tenure of over two decades. Yet they do not cry for funds. It is going to be nearly a year people should be able to sort the problems at their own end and not wait for Govt freebies especially the trading community, which is nowhere poor for rehabilitation. The natural calamities should not be made a financial mockery to get some mileage in any sense.
