The Problem in Kashmir Valley

I feel, the reactions to the Pulwama incident have been over the top by and large, hyped by the media and possibly due to the enormity of the tragedy & the looming Elections.

This was a terrorist attack in which terrorists got lucky with such a newsmaking target. The terrorist organisation will be the beneficiary.

Although, AFSPA is still operational in J&K, the Forces feel constrained by the Courts which ultimately decide on cases. Protests and restrictions on the use of pellets are also a burden but Forces have to act within the framework. Although, Politicians keep asking for repeal of AFSPA, as a routine, such appeals need to be ignored.

So long as the population is alienated, not much can be achieved. Kashmiris have always felt alienated due to a number of reasons. In terrorist affected areas, carrot & stick is always the better policy. This Govt, thinks they can browbeat Kashmiris by eliminating terrorists but for every terrorist eliminated, many more join. Have been studying this since late 80s, whenever, the State appears to be gaining control, one odd incident changes the equation.

Have always felt that, so long as any particular religion dominates in the Valley, there can never be peace. But who will have the gumption to repeal 370?

There's no doubt that Pakistan actively aids and abets terrorism in the Valley, having failed elsewhere.

India should tackle Pakistan by exploiting the Indus Water Treaty and the inherent faultlines in Pakistan's regions. Nothing seems to be going in that direction

Finally, A Hole in One

What could be so very difficult putting a golf ball of the diameter of 1.68 inches into a hole of 4.25 inches diameter on a manicured green grass surface? Well, ask a golfer whether amateur or professional and you could be listening to stories all day.

Now translate that to putting that ball into the hole over a distance 160 yards with a few trees and bunkers thrown in and you will get the idea that this indeed is a miracle which happens to a select few.

I have been golfing for a real long time, although without any formal training and enjoy my thrice a week outings to the Course in the mornings in Pune. 23 December 2015 was one such day. The four ball I played in wasn't  having a particularly great day at the Course although on other days we do play fairly well.

As we arrived at the 15th hole, leaving all the rather difficult holes behind, we did hope for a change in fortunes. I picked up a 6 iron as I normally do for this hole and hit a good shot. It was nice to see the ball soaring high over the trees and begin its descent. On its descent the ball dropped almost vertically hit the base of the trunk of a tree close to the green and could not be seen from the tee. That was good enough, since on many occasions in the past, the ball was found lying close by in the grassy area. As I walked to the area where the ball should have been, I just could not locate the ball. Two of the caddies were standing in the same area but both said that they didn't know where the ball went. After the mandatory search, losing a ball on the fairway is a terrible thing for a golfer, for a few minutes, I gave up and played another ball as a provisional ball and chipped it on to the green. I awaited my turn to putt as another golfer was putting being further away from the pin. Since his putt came close to the hole, the three of us almost unanimously said Given and his ball was picked up. Now it was my turn, and I putted, again very close, almost 2 inches, from the pin and the same Given comment prompted me to pick up my ball. As I was doing this, I couldn't help but notice that a ball was already lying in the cup and as I said this, I picked up the ball in the cup and was thoroughly surprised to see that the ball had my initials on it and in fact was the very ball that I had teed off with. Suddenly, the atmosphere was electrified and everyone was congratulating me for a hole in one while I was thanking my stars having found the ball till it began to sink in that the miracle of a Hole In One had finally happened to me.

The Golfing Gods had finally showered their mercy on me and I got my Hole In One. I do hope that this is just the beginning although I am very happy with this one and will forever treasure it.

Striking Water in Pune

            Settling down in Pune has become the choice of very many, after all it provides a decent place to settle down, good weather, connectivity, unmatched educational facilities and employment avenues. No wonder with so many preferring to settle down here, the realty sector had to do well and the residential property prices keep going up. In their search for newer areas to build houses, the builders and the Corporation, explored the areas outside of the original Pune without any thought to the requirements of infrastructure especially roads and water.

            I live in one such Society in Kondhwa area of Pune. Our Society, miraculously  had good supply of  PMC water till the builder handed over the Society to the Committee and then the water supply began to diminish to such an extent that we became totally dependent on water tankers for our daily requirement. A quick read of the sales deed, who reads that document while purchasing the flat anyway, showed that the PMC had washed its hands off the responsibility of supplying water by saying that the permission was being given with the proviso that the builder/Society would look after the shortfall. Even a meeting with the Municipal Commissioner did not yield any promise of improvement since he said that we should have read the document while buying, giving no credence to the argument that one does expect the PMC/ Govt bodies to provide such amenities after a few years.

            The dependence on tankers led to an increase in the contributions to run the Society which hurt everyone. Although efforts made earlier to sink a bore well had not yielded results, finding such a source became all the more necessary to avoid the huge expenditure on water.

            After some research on the net, it was clear that identifying a spot for a bore well was rather a dicey exercise, relying more on the "expertise" of the person than any scientific method. Fortunately, a person from Daund who had a 90% success rate in identifying such a spot was called. He came with a pair of copper wires, carried out his job with us watching anxiously and in what appeared to be sheer magic, identified two spots telling us clearly the depth at which water would be struck and what bore to use.

            Based on his hunch, we immediately contacted a drilling party recommended by him. Surprisingly, almost all drilling vehicles available even in Pune are registered in Tamilnadu and with the crew also from there or Andhra. One fine day, at the height of summers, they arrived at 6 AM and began to drill at the spot which had been identified. Some of us from the Society were watching this operation with anticipation to see if the money was going down the drain or would actually yield water. After about 2 hours, at about 315 feet, water was struck much to our collective joy. The prediction, dont know what else to call it, was within 10 feet!! After going a little further, the bore well was ready for commissioning. Water was tested, found to be good enough for general use, and the bore well was ready to be utilised.

            The well is working well, yielding a good amount of water and has reduced our dependence on the water tankers to a large extent. Now waiting for the second site identified by the person and hoping that it too will be successful.

            This whole episode told us a few things

• ·         Read the fine print while buying a house in Pune, while the areas within the city get full supply of water from the PMC, the others are left to fend for themselves especially after the builders sell the flats and hand over the running to the Society.
• ·         There is no choice but to sink bore wells till the PMC takes the responsibility of supplying water to all parts of the city. Why it does not do so is a mystery. The fact that most of the tanker owners/suppliers are local politicians is probably the reason.
• ·         Contact a good person to identify the spots, go by his track record and have faith. Like someone from our Society said, lets dig in 10 places if we have to, if even 3/4 spots give us water the expenditure is worth the effort.
• ·         Use the bore well water judiciously and yes rain water harvesting is a must.  

SOME CAREER CHOICES IN GOVT

I was born in a fauzi family and later went on to join the Sainik School at Satara. These two events sealed my career choice even before I realised that there could be other careers as well. Joining the armed forces alone became the goal in life; after all getting ones name on the roll of honour at the School was and probably still is a major achievement.  Having now retired after serving in the Army and later in a public sector undertaking, one looks back with nostalgia at some of the career choices that are available in the Govt.

Armed forces will remain at the top of the choices for the simple reason that it was the chosen profession. Life in the Army (similar aspects would hopefully apply to other two services) is challenging yet enjoyable. One forms strong bonds which last a life time, with coursemates, units and formations served in or even places as small as Gachham. Life in the services is unique in that one has to work hard and serve in all sorts of places, in peace stations or field. The wives  and the children bear the brunt of it especially when the person has to go to the field station leaving them behind, but then the organisation looks  after the members all the way, even after retirement. . Having recently attended two get togethers, the feeling of nostalgia about the time spent in the unit and enjoyment of meeting long lost friends was really to be seen to be believed. Army is not all about playing and partying though, there is plenty of training to be undergone as well as to impart. There are also a variety of jobs that one is required to undertake with meagre resources and time constraints and all this keeps one on his toes. The move up the chain is very competitive since its a very steep pyramid out there and if 9 is not your boss’s favourite number and not your lucky number as well, your professional competence alone may not be of much help. But the respect that Fauzis still command in the Society proves that at the end of it all, armed forces remains the preferred choice of many.

All India services like the IAS, IPS etc were earlier quite prized careers. Although the selection process is similar, albeit with a higher educational requirement, their service graph is entirely different to the Fauzis. Earlier, they had to deal with the vision of the politicians and ensure its delivery to the citizens. Somewhere down the line and with the passage of time, there was and is no vision and the all India services people have become the servants of the political masters. Imagine being posted to states ruled by some of the regional parties who know they cannot last more than one term in office and one can imagine the plight of such govt servants. One thing in their favour though, they have a hand in all the decision making and get the best of the deals for themselves. Also their move up the chain is guaranteed and they have great prospects at post retirement placement within the govt, enjoying even more perks and status than they did while in service. And if they land up in lucrative ministries, who knows, even the likes of ambanis pick them up.. One may never see an all India services person settle in the neighbourhood after retirement since they are the chosen ones and get land and housing at subsidised rates along with the politicians. And when they decide to join politics, there is not much of a hue and cry unlike when a Veteran does.

  

 A small note about PSUs, I happened to get in to one in 2003 but could never understand the need for the kind of politicking and the rivalry between various cadres that existed. Working there, one realised that one is expected to go with the system, not work too hard and let matters be. On the contrary, trying to work hard was looked down upon and got one in to trouble. Going up the chain there too is much easier, its getting the prize postings where knowing people got better dividends. People are good too but there is no incentive to work hard, do I sound like a person for free enterprise?

That brings me to the politicians who are there to “serve the people.” Immediately after independence, most leaders were visionaries, had given up lucrative careers to join the movement and their lives were full of sacrifices for the cause of the nation. They are the ones who laid the foundations of the country. Two or three decades down the line, things changed so very much that being a politician became a dynastic right of the privileged few,  starting at the very top. We now know who the next MP/MLA/Corporator will be because the choice sare limited to families on either sides. Success is no longer measured by how many institutions/facilities have been created but by how much the wealth has grown from one election to the next. When reservations of seats for women was announced, the ladies of the house also came out but we all know who continues to wield the power. Politicians get to establish Universities and Schools, sugar and other cooperatives and also win contracts for their near ones. Now in the age of visibility, the birth days of all members of the family are well known since huge billboards with photos announcing the dates and good wishes of other hopefuls are put up all over, without caring for rules and regulations. Apart from all this, the politicians get to make rules for themselves and get their pay, perks  and pensions enhanced from time to time without much discussion, after all jiski lathi usiki bhains!  If a person really wants to look after generations to come, politics in India provides the one real choice. Of course life in that field too must be tough and then people like Arvind come along and spoil the fun.

So at the end of it, when I look back I know I made the correct choice of leading a life of dignity, living by the rules and ensuring that, one served the Nation and ensured that the persons who served in the units and formations got what they deserved and needed to carry out their tasks. And I continue to enjoy life as a Veteran.

THE BUS RIDE AFTER AGES

I travelled by a bus in Pune after a real long time. So long, that i dont even remember when was the last ride. Must have been sometime in 1976 because soon thereafter, i bought a Lambretta, Red Color,and have never been without a vehicle except for about a year when the Janta party stopped the sale of scooters thru the Canteen and the Chetak took a long time coming... eventually never coming my way, since the supply thru Canteen started again with the change of Govt and i got mine. Those were the days of long waiting periods and heavy premiums even on the second hand 2 wheelers. The present generation may not know the trying times we went thru due to quotas in every sphere which was the policy then.

The ride thru Pune for a demonstration in front of the PMC brought back memories which are still fresh. Whenever, i was at home in Pune Cantt on leave from Sainik School or the NDA, my favourite activity used to be to pick up the cycle in the evenings and ride around Pune, exploring various parts. With very little traffic on the roads but for cycles it wasnt difficult to go round Pune in short span of time. Now the same roads are choc a bloc with 2 and 3 wheelers as also cars of all sizes and shapes. Many of the owners of these vehicles seem to have graduated from the cycles straight to the present day and retain that mentality with the result, driving around in Pune has become a nightmare.

Back to the bus ride, the non ac bus was as rickety as they come and took a most circuitous route thru Shankar sheth road, bhavani peth, rasta peth, kumbhar wada to reach the PMC. Fortunately, on the return journey, he brought us by the Jangli maharaj road, Tilak road and Shankar sheth road.

It was while going thru the city that i saw that Pune has really not grown in the old city areas. Dilapidated buildings, narrow roads, lack of traffic discipline and pedestrians everywhere except on the footpaths made the drive a nightmare. No wonder that now a days we rarely go to the City. The PMC has totally failed the people, the lack of planning, total absence of traffic police and the couldnt care less attitude of the janata was evident all through the ride. However since we had hired the bus, at least we got seats and there was no one standing, a look at the PMC buses was horryfying to say the least with every available, except the roof tops, space taken up by people.

Its another matter that the purpose of the bus ride was not achieved since all fauzis amongst us failed to cross the hurdle of policemen at the PMC gates while most of the civilians managed to get thru under one pretext or the other. Guess we have to refresh our knowledge of infiltrating behind the “enemy” lines for the next time.

And oh yes, while we waited for the return ride, the bus had a flat tyre which needed replacement, fortunately the driver had one and we were back home after a forgettable bus ride to and fro PMC. Am i looking forward to another ride? No, not all. Volvo bus is another thing but the city buses NO.

                                                                                                                            

Road Journey from Durgapur to Delhi

First View of the Ganga

Clear Blue skies and a great NH 2 make the drive worth it

We have always been keen road travellers ever since we bought a Maruti car in 1991 and have travelled all over North India, where the road conditions were not bad at that time. In the absence of internet and other information facilities, we often relied on road maps and information from bus operators or other driving enthusiasts. Information gathering has now become so much easier. Having read such reports, I joined various web sites and read the travelogues of enthusiasts who seem to have made travelling by road their pastime. Good for all of us.

After reading such reassuring reports, I showed them to my wife who too found the idea of a long road journey exciting. We planned a long trip from Durgapur to Delhi, Delhi to Pune and back to Durgapur in the months of July and August. Our apprehensions of the journey through Jharkhand, Bihar and UP were allayed after reading these reports. My wife took on the additional task of record keeping apart from driving on the highways. As part of the preparation, we went over various reports on the journeys on these roads and the preparation made by others. We got the car (Ford Fiesta, Diesel) serviced and bought a tubeless tyre puncture spray and a fire extinguisher from Kolkata. Since we are music enthusiasts, we also got a sub woofer fitted from Asansol. Nylon ropes, torch, first aid kit firmly in place we were ready for the adventure.

DAY 1

We started for Varanasi (500 kms) on the first day of our trip early in the morning at 5 AM. Driving in the early mornings is always better, since we are early risers, we always follow this routine. There is lesser traffic, in case of towns/cities the hustle and bustle of the schools and school buses/pooled vehicles is avoided and even the animals on the roads are not a hindrance since they too are either sleeping or too lazy to go and sleep in the centre of the road. Our drive through Jharkhand was uneventful. We had packed some sandwiches which we had while travelling. On to Bihar, the apprehensions of bad roads/safety were proved wrong, the journey was smooth. The road from Sasaram to Aurangabad was rather bad and slowed us down quite a bit. Enroute we had one halt for some tea and pakoras , more so to stretch the legs. At about 12.30 PM we were at the outskirts of Varanasi. Getting in to the city is always the tricky part, luckily we were guided well and entered Varanasi immediately after crossing Chandauli. Going through Mughalsarai was a bit of an adventure but we managed it. We reached our place of stay and after a light lunch took a well deserved rest for some time. Some of the pictures taken during the drive are given below, the drive was very enjoyable especially in view of the greenery and wide and separate roads for fro and to

Traffic

In the evening we took an auto rickshaw, the safest mode of transport there by all accounts and went on a guided tour including the Vishweshwar temple and the Ganga Arti. Getting a darshan was cumbersome more so because of the Kawadias who in spite of the long pilgrimages undertaken by them were in excellent spirits. The darshan don, after a rather long wait amidst heavy police presence, we proceeded to the Ganga Arti ghat. However, due to heavy rains, we could not go on a boat, even then, the Ganga arti was a delight. After a nice vegetarian meal and a benarasi paan we called it a day.

DAY 2

Continuing our stay in Varanasi, on day 2 we went to Sarnath and saw the lovely Budhdhist temples there, including the Mahabodhi temple. The temples are well kept although the road to Sarnath is not very well maintained. A tip for those interested in shopping, good Benarasi items are available in Sarnath where the car parking facilities are surprisingly good.

85 feet tall statue, quite majestic

DAY 3

Although we were to proceed to Delhi, we had no deadline to meet. Sightseeing and enjoying the drive was our main purpose. With this in view, we had consulted many people in Varanasi on the condition of the direct route to Lucknow as well as to Kanpur and thereafter to Lucknow from Varanasi, apart from reading the reports. Since we had never been to Lucknow, we decided to take a two day halt in Lucknow again for sightseeing and shopping. We started at 6 AM and took the NH to Lucknow instead of going via Kanpur by NH2. This proved to be good decision since the road to Lucknow is fairly good although nowhere near the NH2. The journey was uneventful except for a scene straight out of a movie when a convoy of 4 Scorpios all white in colour and with similar number plates flying the party flags zoomed past us. We got behind the convoy for some distance till a railway crossing forced us to stop when out came a lot of security personnel from the vehicles in no particular uniform. Reminded me of a scene straight out of the movie Omkara. We managed to go past the railway crossing after it opened, tagging behind the Scorpios but soon lost them since they seemed to be in a hurry. Another incident was when two persons on a bike who were coming in the opposite direction, made a U turn after going past our car after about 100 meters and I thought, followed us for some time. After some time, they seemed to lose interest and went about their way, may be the ARMY sticker on my rear glass dissuaded them although I am not sure what their intent was. Anyway, there was traffic all over the NH and nowhere did one feel lonely. We reached Lucknow at about 12.30 PM. After settling down and a little rest, we again hired an auto who took us around Lucknow, statues of Dr Ambedkar and others and of course the shopping. In the evening, had a yummy meal with Galauti kebab and Chicken Lagaan.

DAY 4

The day was spent in Lucknow, where we hired a cab, for sightseeing. Went around to the Bara Imambara, Bhulbhulaiya, Residency, and the Art Gallery, the time was well spent. Had a nice meal with Tunde Kebabs and went around for the mandatory shopping. A word of advice, there are a number of outlets of so called Sewa organisation all specialising in chikan work, it is better to carry out some research on the genuine one before shopping.

Day 5

We were back on the road at 5.30 AM heading towards Kanpur to get on to NH 2 again. The road from Lucknow to Kanpur was good, although we had to face a little bit of rain, for the first time on this drive. At Kanpur, it took us quite a while to get onto the NH 2, the sign posting could have been better. Once on the NH, the road journey was good, although the condition of the road was noticeably inferior to the stretch up to Varanasi. Gradually, the traffic also was heavier. We reached Mathura at about noon and kept an eye for the Mcdonald’s outlet since the place was mentioned in many write ups. We enjoyed a nice meal although, it may be of interest that there are a number of such eating joints around the same place. As we entered the NCR, traffic and the road conditions became a nightmare, especially Faridabad. After a long drive, the actual entrance in to a city is usually the terrible part and it was no different in Delhi.

We managed to reach Greater Noida at 4 PM and landed up at our daughter’s place unannounced thus giving a pleasant surprise to her after a long and wonderful journey.