So you are a Manipuri? Yes, I am. But then, why don't you have 'chinky' eyes? How can you speak Hindi so fluently? These are the common questions which I have been shot at wherever I go. Then the whole process of explaining my identity takes place. It goes like...well, I am a Manipuri, born and brought up in Manipur, but my origin is of Punjab. As soon as they hear this word Punjab, their level of curiosity rises and before I could complete my explanation, they would shoot another one - Punjabi, you?
Yes, I am a Punjabi as well as Manipuri, I would reply every single time. My ancestors came to Manipur eight decades ago from a village called Majitha located in Amritsar, Punjab. Surprised to know my origin, they would react, 'Great! now, we know the secret of your Non-Chinky eyes'.
The curiosity of this inquisitive lot doesn't end here. They would question me more as if they are some CBI agents and I am an accused of some murder case or so! For instance, they would ask, Why your ancestors left Punjab? Why they came to Manipur? If you are a Manipuri then do you eat pork and dog? Well, I failed to understand how they so beautifully connect Manipuri or any other Chinkies with dogs and porks. Perhaps, they might have come across people who enjoy eating those non-vegs or is it that Chinkies do not have any other unique features apart from their chinky eyes and being dog-eater ? I can only wonder. May be, these lot aren't aware of the progress that these chinky eyes people have made. May be, World Boxing Champ Mary Kom, CWG Gold Medalist Suranjoy Singh are just another dog-eaters for them.
While wondering which one to answer first, one would again question me, Have you ever tasted dog meat or pork? Annoyed with their stupid questions, I would reply promptly that I am a Muslim and pork is haraam (forbidden) in Islam. Silence would prevail for some time, and I know what made them speechless. Yes, I being a Muslim is another shocker for them.
Even if they are confused with my identity so far, they would never stop inquiring. Now, their target is to find out what I speak- Urdu is what you speak, right?, they would ask. Big no is always my reply. I know it's a common confusion that Urdu is the language of Muslim. Here, I would like to clarify that Urdu is not every Muslim speaks (though majority knows the language). I speak Manipuri as it's my mother tongue and a Muslim in Kerala would converse in Malayalam, same goes with Kashmiri Muslims, they would obviously talk in Kashmiri not in Urdu.
To satiate their curiosity of my origin, I would start explaining my family tree. Basically, my ancestors were Hindu of high caste from Undivided Punjab. Yes, they were Brahmin and converted to Islam way back in 19th century. During the partition, my great grandfather preferred Manipur to any other place in India or rather Pakistan as Manipur then was a tranquilled land ('was' because the adjective is no more valid with the advent of militancy) and is really close to nature. Shocker again for them, this time it's the Hindu connection that was surprising to them.
Confused with the bombardment of information, they would ask me to stop. And they would conclude by themselves that you are a Punjabi Manipuri Muslim now residing in Delhi. Ammm...No, I said and corrected- I am a Hindu-turned-Muslim-Punjabi-Manipuri now planning to settle in Delhi. And that's my identity or is it an Identity in crisis? I wonder.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Kashmir: 'Hell' on Earth
27 killed including children in just four days
Bullets, teargas shells, stones, fires, cries, shouts, liveless bodies,blood, blood and more of blood are some of the features that aptly describe once tranquilled valley, Kashmir, the Paradise on Earth. However, with the current crises giving no sign of end, the valley is fastly becoming 'Hell' on Earth.
It is to be noted that the people of Kashmir are on mass protests for more than a month now due to the killings of innocent people by the security forces. The killing of a 17-year-old-boy Tufail Matoo while he was on the way to home from his tuition classes on June 11 triggered the protest.
This time not only the infamous Separatists but also the civilians are on the roads demanding freedom from India and shouting anti-government slogans. It is due to the merciless killings of innocent people by the Armed Forces Special Powers' Act backed cops.To control the crises, the Government brought in 2000 troops in the state. However, in the name of restoring peace, these forces are on a kiling spree that too of innocent people. "In spite of the public stand advising the security forces restraint, people are getting killed," says Shahidul Islam, a moderate separatist. In the battle of bullets versus stones, it is obvious that the stone-armed ones are the vurnerable lot to death. 27 deaths in just four days is what the valley people is getting from the government who rather preferred the para-military forces to their own local cops for handling the crises.
Deployment of these forces should have been the last option to tackle the situation, instead the Government should have reached out to the people for a talk and should have consider their reasonable demands. This act on the part of the ruler has worsened the scenario and people, youth in majority are defying the system and have adopted the words of the Moderate Separatist Leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who said, "Protests are a fundamental right of the people and cannot be denied to them. He further said that if government uses any force against them, it will be responsible for the consequences. And now the government is facing the 'consequences' with the protest still going on.
People of Kashmir have seized the belief from the new government with a promising leader, Omar Abdullah as their Chief Minister. All their expectations led to heartaches when the CM brought in CRPF to control the angry crowd. This deployment added fuel to the fire; the already tormented people either by the government or the militants felt more tortured. The promises made to bring peace and harmony to the state during the election campaign proved to be just another fake promises by any xyz politicians. Everytime Kashmiris are ditched, that's why they have plunged in to this never-ending protest this time. And the age-old blame-game have started with everyone blaming everyone. " The problem is the gap between promise and performance." Islam says. While J&K Congress President Saifuddin Soz says, " Omar Abdullah cannot be entirely blamed as there are many actors and factors."
In the midst of this blame-game, it is only the people of Kashmir who were, are and still will be suffering. It is a high time that the rulers pull up their socks and come up with a new approach to handle this unfortunate situation before the things go out of the hand and the situation get worsened than ever. Not only these so-called leaders but also the people should get involved in bringing peace and harmony to the valley and make Kashmir once again the undoubtable Paradise on Earth.
Bullets, teargas shells, stones, fires, cries, shouts, liveless bodies,blood, blood and more of blood are some of the features that aptly describe once tranquilled valley, Kashmir, the Paradise on Earth. However, with the current crises giving no sign of end, the valley is fastly becoming 'Hell' on Earth.
It is to be noted that the people of Kashmir are on mass protests for more than a month now due to the killings of innocent people by the security forces. The killing of a 17-year-old-boy Tufail Matoo while he was on the way to home from his tuition classes on June 11 triggered the protest.
This time not only the infamous Separatists but also the civilians are on the roads demanding freedom from India and shouting anti-government slogans. It is due to the merciless killings of innocent people by the Armed Forces Special Powers' Act backed cops.To control the crises, the Government brought in 2000 troops in the state. However, in the name of restoring peace, these forces are on a kiling spree that too of innocent people. "In spite of the public stand advising the security forces restraint, people are getting killed," says Shahidul Islam, a moderate separatist. In the battle of bullets versus stones, it is obvious that the stone-armed ones are the vurnerable lot to death. 27 deaths in just four days is what the valley people is getting from the government who rather preferred the para-military forces to their own local cops for handling the crises.
Deployment of these forces should have been the last option to tackle the situation, instead the Government should have reached out to the people for a talk and should have consider their reasonable demands. This act on the part of the ruler has worsened the scenario and people, youth in majority are defying the system and have adopted the words of the Moderate Separatist Leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who said, "Protests are a fundamental right of the people and cannot be denied to them. He further said that if government uses any force against them, it will be responsible for the consequences. And now the government is facing the 'consequences' with the protest still going on.
People of Kashmir have seized the belief from the new government with a promising leader, Omar Abdullah as their Chief Minister. All their expectations led to heartaches when the CM brought in CRPF to control the angry crowd. This deployment added fuel to the fire; the already tormented people either by the government or the militants felt more tortured. The promises made to bring peace and harmony to the state during the election campaign proved to be just another fake promises by any xyz politicians. Everytime Kashmiris are ditched, that's why they have plunged in to this never-ending protest this time. And the age-old blame-game have started with everyone blaming everyone. " The problem is the gap between promise and performance." Islam says. While J&K Congress President Saifuddin Soz says, " Omar Abdullah cannot be entirely blamed as there are many actors and factors."
In the midst of this blame-game, it is only the people of Kashmir who were, are and still will be suffering. It is a high time that the rulers pull up their socks and come up with a new approach to handle this unfortunate situation before the things go out of the hand and the situation get worsened than ever. Not only these so-called leaders but also the people should get involved in bringing peace and harmony to the valley and make Kashmir once again the undoubtable Paradise on Earth.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Stop blame-game, let's act !
They say, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” However, this may not be the case with the beauty of our Loktak Lake. The future of this God-gifted lake is bleak! The deteriorating scenario of our lifeline is of great concern. Conservation of the lake is the need of hour.
However, the big question mark that pops up in everyone’s mind is how, how can we immediately start conserving this floating lake?
For the last many years, everyone is blaming everyone! For instance, A (government) blames B (public), in retaliation, B blames A then C (media) blames both A and B and the blame game goes on and on. In the midst of this blame-game, we have forgotten that we are losing our grip on this beautiful lake. Instead of blaming one another, we should act right away from sunya (scratch) to save this means of livelihood of thousands of people.
Though there are many reasons for the failure of saving the Loktak, however, in my opinion, the lack of awareness programmes among the people of Manipur is the main reason of its worsening.
People should be well-informed about the pivotal role that the lake plays on their lives. Awareness programmes like organising campaign to save the lake on various levels, involving common men in the talks and discussions relating to the conservation and sustainability of the lake, the concerned authority such as Loktak Development Authority should organise symposia, seminars and other related activities frequently involving not only the intellectuals but also the public, and lectures on the significance of the Loktak Lake should be held in different schools and colleges among others.
Of course, the Government should take up strict measures to stop dumping of wastes, polluting the lake, spreading of toxicants et al on the lake. A mere paper work and forming so-called monitoring committees to conserve the Loktak will do no good for the conservation of this beautiful lake. The verb ‘act’ is what we need towards the saving of the only fresh-water lake in the north-east India.
Besides, time to time media introspection apart from the above will surely help save the lake. No one can stop the conservation of the lifeline of Manipur if the Government, the public, various NGOs and the media among others come together and start working earnestly towards saving the Loktak Lake.
Let’s stop the age-old blame-game and act now to conserve our life, the Loktak Lake.
WELCOME JUDGEMENT
CONVICTED: Five awarded death sentence for honour killing
In a landmark judgement, Karnal sessions court on 30 March convicted five people who were involved in an honour killing in 2007. It took almost three years for the court to take up action against the killers, such step should have been taken much earlier; however, better late than never. This is a historic moment for the people of Haryana particularly those who have been the victims of a heinous crime called Honour Killing.
Honour killing is an atrocious crime where a family or a khap panchayat (caste council) kills individuals who marry in the same gotra (sub-caste).This brutal crime is done to save the honour of a family or a community.
The crime has been in existence for so many years without any interference from the government’s side. And the reason behind this irresponsible act of the government is the fear of losing its votebanks which are mainly contributed by the khap panchayat as it acts as the opinion leader of a village.
For its own benefit, the government tried religiously to avoid the issue for so many years. However, the pressure from various NGOs, civic societies, victims’ families and other pressure groups force the government to take up stringent measures to curb honour killing. That’s the reason behind the conviction of five people who were involved in the brutal murder of Manoj and Babli in 2007 in the name of honour. As their gotra was same, they were declared brother and sister by the monstrous khap panchayat. This council has not only killed the two souls but has also been torturing their respective family members too.
“We have been ostracised by society for more than two years...but the authorities never approached us to listen to our grievances,” Chanderpati, Manoj’s mother.
Even though the justice has been done in Manoj and Babli case but still there are innumerable Manojs and Bablis whose justice have been denied and whose families have been silently suffering from the atrocities of the society for the sake of honour.
We need similar judgements and strict laws from the authorities to help prevent the growing menace of honour killing.
In a landmark judgement, Karnal sessions court on 30 March convicted five people who were involved in an honour killing in 2007. It took almost three years for the court to take up action against the killers, such step should have been taken much earlier; however, better late than never. This is a historic moment for the people of Haryana particularly those who have been the victims of a heinous crime called Honour Killing.
Honour killing is an atrocious crime where a family or a khap panchayat (caste council) kills individuals who marry in the same gotra (sub-caste).This brutal crime is done to save the honour of a family or a community.
The crime has been in existence for so many years without any interference from the government’s side. And the reason behind this irresponsible act of the government is the fear of losing its votebanks which are mainly contributed by the khap panchayat as it acts as the opinion leader of a village.
For its own benefit, the government tried religiously to avoid the issue for so many years. However, the pressure from various NGOs, civic societies, victims’ families and other pressure groups force the government to take up stringent measures to curb honour killing. That’s the reason behind the conviction of five people who were involved in the brutal murder of Manoj and Babli in 2007 in the name of honour. As their gotra was same, they were declared brother and sister by the monstrous khap panchayat. This council has not only killed the two souls but has also been torturing their respective family members too.
“We have been ostracised by society for more than two years...but the authorities never approached us to listen to our grievances,” Chanderpati, Manoj’s mother.
Even though the justice has been done in Manoj and Babli case but still there are innumerable Manojs and Bablis whose justice have been denied and whose families have been silently suffering from the atrocities of the society for the sake of honour.
We need similar judgements and strict laws from the authorities to help prevent the growing menace of honour killing.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
for the sake of 'honour'
Every year 5000 females are killed in so-called ‘honour killing’
Honour killing is one of the many norms of some communities where one has to pay one’s life on violating the rules of the society. In India and some other countries, females in a family are considered the honour of the family. When such women go against the family wishes specially when they marry or eloped with their partners belonging to different caste or community ; the members of the family or the society ’ kill’ them for the sake of defending their honour.
In India alone, hundreds of women if not thousands are killed in the name of honour. 13 females per day are killed for the sake of honour worldwide, according to a UN report. However, the reports of the killings go off the record and the culprits or the perpetrators leave unpunished. Honour killings are not always committed by the kins of a family, the announcement of the brutal punishment is done by a Khap Panchayat (Prominent in western UP and Haryana) or a Caste Panchayat, a court which protects traditional norms of a particular caste in a village. Even if a household agrees to the will of their children, this panchayat does not go with the decision of the family; instead such families are asked to leave the village.
Ravinder Singh Gehlout’s family is the recent target of Khap Panchayat at Dharana village in Haryana’s Jhajjar district in which the family has been asked to leave the village as Ravinder has married a girl called Shilpa who is of his gotra. Same gotra means sibling like relationship so according to the khap, the marriage in the same category is equivalent to incest. This is one such instance in Haryana where family is being asked to vacate their house. However, in some cases like Ved Pal Maul’s case, on July 22, the man has been murdered brutally by the members of the panchayat at Singhwal, in Jind district when he came to take his wife back whom he had married to against the consent of the girl’s parents. Also, there is no trace of the well-being of the girl. In this case, there was no issue of different caste or same gotra, it was just that they opted for ‘love marriage’.
There are innumerable cases like Ved Pal’s or Ravinder Gehlout’s. If, in 2007, the murder of Manoj and Babli shocked the region, in 2004, a pregnant woman, Sonia, and her husband, Rampal, of Asanda village in Jhajjar grab the attention of the masses when they were almost forced to declare each other brother and sister. Last year, in Bhiwani, two girls were burnt alive just because they went to greet some male friends on Diwali.
Despite of knowing the consequence of such acts, there are some girls in Haryana who get married secretly in courts and never confront to their parents as they know they will be killed the very moment they open their mouth. According to a local girl, she secretly got married to her lover of different caste a year back but she is continuing to stay in her paternal house as she knows her confession about her marriage will only lend her into the worst.
These caste panchayats are illegal in nature but still people dwelling in villages continue to obey their rulings. According to P Chidambaram, Union Home Minister, “Caste panchayats are informal bodies and have no legal status as such. Often, villagers give precedence to the judgement of a caste panchayat rather than that delivered by the courts of law.”
Honour killing is not limited to Haryana only, it is prevalent in western UP and Punjab as well. In the name of tradition, the caste panchayats reward murder of a married couple or declare the man and woman as brother and sister or even sit on an indefinite protest to throw out a family from a village. These acts are done in front of everyone’s eye but nobody is taking that needed extra step to stop such a crime.
As honour killings do not come under the National Crime Bureau, there are no enough records on this dreadful act and that is why the culprits are roaming around the town without any hesitance. It is due to the lack of government’s intervention, this heinous crime is increasing day by day. The policy makers in the government knowingly stay away from these issues to satiate their political desires. They know that if they interfere in this matter, they will lose a handsome vote banks from the region. With such malice prevailing in the society, the country can hardly progress and will be unable to compete on international platform.
Honour killing is one of the many norms of some communities where one has to pay one’s life on violating the rules of the society. In India and some other countries, females in a family are considered the honour of the family. When such women go against the family wishes specially when they marry or eloped with their partners belonging to different caste or community ; the members of the family or the society ’ kill’ them for the sake of defending their honour.
In India alone, hundreds of women if not thousands are killed in the name of honour. 13 females per day are killed for the sake of honour worldwide, according to a UN report. However, the reports of the killings go off the record and the culprits or the perpetrators leave unpunished. Honour killings are not always committed by the kins of a family, the announcement of the brutal punishment is done by a Khap Panchayat (Prominent in western UP and Haryana) or a Caste Panchayat, a court which protects traditional norms of a particular caste in a village. Even if a household agrees to the will of their children, this panchayat does not go with the decision of the family; instead such families are asked to leave the village.
Ravinder Singh Gehlout’s family is the recent target of Khap Panchayat at Dharana village in Haryana’s Jhajjar district in which the family has been asked to leave the village as Ravinder has married a girl called Shilpa who is of his gotra. Same gotra means sibling like relationship so according to the khap, the marriage in the same category is equivalent to incest. This is one such instance in Haryana where family is being asked to vacate their house. However, in some cases like Ved Pal Maul’s case, on July 22, the man has been murdered brutally by the members of the panchayat at Singhwal, in Jind district when he came to take his wife back whom he had married to against the consent of the girl’s parents. Also, there is no trace of the well-being of the girl. In this case, there was no issue of different caste or same gotra, it was just that they opted for ‘love marriage’.
There are innumerable cases like Ved Pal’s or Ravinder Gehlout’s. If, in 2007, the murder of Manoj and Babli shocked the region, in 2004, a pregnant woman, Sonia, and her husband, Rampal, of Asanda village in Jhajjar grab the attention of the masses when they were almost forced to declare each other brother and sister. Last year, in Bhiwani, two girls were burnt alive just because they went to greet some male friends on Diwali.
Despite of knowing the consequence of such acts, there are some girls in Haryana who get married secretly in courts and never confront to their parents as they know they will be killed the very moment they open their mouth. According to a local girl, she secretly got married to her lover of different caste a year back but she is continuing to stay in her paternal house as she knows her confession about her marriage will only lend her into the worst.
These caste panchayats are illegal in nature but still people dwelling in villages continue to obey their rulings. According to P Chidambaram, Union Home Minister, “Caste panchayats are informal bodies and have no legal status as such. Often, villagers give precedence to the judgement of a caste panchayat rather than that delivered by the courts of law.”
Honour killing is not limited to Haryana only, it is prevalent in western UP and Punjab as well. In the name of tradition, the caste panchayats reward murder of a married couple or declare the man and woman as brother and sister or even sit on an indefinite protest to throw out a family from a village. These acts are done in front of everyone’s eye but nobody is taking that needed extra step to stop such a crime.
As honour killings do not come under the National Crime Bureau, there are no enough records on this dreadful act and that is why the culprits are roaming around the town without any hesitance. It is due to the lack of government’s intervention, this heinous crime is increasing day by day. The policy makers in the government knowingly stay away from these issues to satiate their political desires. They know that if they interfere in this matter, they will lose a handsome vote banks from the region. With such malice prevailing in the society, the country can hardly progress and will be unable to compete on international platform.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
‘Encountered’ Manipur
Would a judicial probe suffice Manipur’s angst?
Finally, the state government of Manipur ordered a judicial inquiry into the fake encounter of Mr. Chungkham Sanjit on August 27. The decision came after a month of turmoil with bandhs, protests and curfews in the state due to the alleged fake encounter. The judicial inquiry commission will be headed by Retired Justice, PG Aggarwal of the Gauhati High Court.
However, the Joint Action Committee or Apunba Lup, formed in connection with the killing of the youth, is of the notion that there is no need to form a commission when it is quite evident from the photographs taken by the Tehelka magazine that who all were involved in the fake encounter. The Lup is asking the government to take immediate steps without going into judicial probe by punishing all those involved in the encounter.
It is to be noted that on July 23, Ch Sanjit ,a former militant and Th Rabina, a pregnant woman were killed and five others were injured during an encounter at the busy Imphal market. Tehelka, a national news magazine exposed the fake encounter in front of the nation. Due to the Tehelka’s exposure, the truth came in front of the public and for a month now, the people of Manipur have started strong agitation by staging protests, bandhs, strikes and the like. People are protesting against the insensitive attitude of the system, they are raising slogans like ‘Stop killing innocents’, ‘ Stop fake encounters’, ‘CM should resign’, ‘Suspend the commandos’, the famous old slogan – ‘Repeal AFSPA’ and the like.
To combat the agitation, the state government imposed indefinite curfew all over the state which is still going on. Besides, security has been alerted in and around Imphal town by deploying armed forces at strategic locations. Also, during the relaxation hour of curfew, gathering of four-five people is prohibited.
In all these developments, it is the civilians of the state who are suffering and are stuck in this vicious circle of regular killings of innocent people, bombings, fight between the system and the so-called freedom fighters (insurgents) of Manipur. According to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Manipur reported the second highest number of fake encounters after Uttar Pradesh during 2008-09. A senior home ministry official said, "The rising figures could well explain the current public unrest in Manipur where people have been on the street against trigger-happy cops ever since the state witnessed the killing of two persons in an encounter on July 23.”
It is so unfortunate that today’s mainstream media do not have enough space to cover these grievous situations where 2-3 persons, mostly civilians, are killed on a daily basis in this part of the country. Instead they give importance to some potholes developed on a city road, the minor mishaps happening in a metro city, celebs’ quarrel and many such trivial issues.
It is to be observed how effective the said commission would be in probing the fake encounter; specially, when the people of Manipur have stopped believing in such commissions and the system itself. They want quick result and quick justice from a responsible government. “We demand punishment of accused police commandos”, Phulindro Konsam, Spokesman of Apunba Lup said, “otherwise we’ll launch various forms of agitations.”
Finally, the state government of Manipur ordered a judicial inquiry into the fake encounter of Mr. Chungkham Sanjit on August 27. The decision came after a month of turmoil with bandhs, protests and curfews in the state due to the alleged fake encounter. The judicial inquiry commission will be headed by Retired Justice, PG Aggarwal of the Gauhati High Court.
However, the Joint Action Committee or Apunba Lup, formed in connection with the killing of the youth, is of the notion that there is no need to form a commission when it is quite evident from the photographs taken by the Tehelka magazine that who all were involved in the fake encounter. The Lup is asking the government to take immediate steps without going into judicial probe by punishing all those involved in the encounter.
It is to be noted that on July 23, Ch Sanjit ,a former militant and Th Rabina, a pregnant woman were killed and five others were injured during an encounter at the busy Imphal market. Tehelka, a national news magazine exposed the fake encounter in front of the nation. Due to the Tehelka’s exposure, the truth came in front of the public and for a month now, the people of Manipur have started strong agitation by staging protests, bandhs, strikes and the like. People are protesting against the insensitive attitude of the system, they are raising slogans like ‘Stop killing innocents’, ‘ Stop fake encounters’, ‘CM should resign’, ‘Suspend the commandos’, the famous old slogan – ‘Repeal AFSPA’ and the like.
To combat the agitation, the state government imposed indefinite curfew all over the state which is still going on. Besides, security has been alerted in and around Imphal town by deploying armed forces at strategic locations. Also, during the relaxation hour of curfew, gathering of four-five people is prohibited.
In all these developments, it is the civilians of the state who are suffering and are stuck in this vicious circle of regular killings of innocent people, bombings, fight between the system and the so-called freedom fighters (insurgents) of Manipur. According to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Manipur reported the second highest number of fake encounters after Uttar Pradesh during 2008-09. A senior home ministry official said, "The rising figures could well explain the current public unrest in Manipur where people have been on the street against trigger-happy cops ever since the state witnessed the killing of two persons in an encounter on July 23.”
It is so unfortunate that today’s mainstream media do not have enough space to cover these grievous situations where 2-3 persons, mostly civilians, are killed on a daily basis in this part of the country. Instead they give importance to some potholes developed on a city road, the minor mishaps happening in a metro city, celebs’ quarrel and many such trivial issues.
It is to be observed how effective the said commission would be in probing the fake encounter; specially, when the people of Manipur have stopped believing in such commissions and the system itself. They want quick result and quick justice from a responsible government. “We demand punishment of accused police commandos”, Phulindro Konsam, Spokesman of Apunba Lup said, “otherwise we’ll launch various forms of agitations.”
Monday, July 6, 2009
Kashmere Gate
“What’s there in a name”, they say. Nevertheless, it has something to do when it comes to Kashmere Gate as it has a deep meaning in itself. Yes, Kashmere Gate, the Mughal Architecture; got its name as the royal processions used to pass through it on their trips to Kashmir during summer. Also, it is said that it has been christened like that as it faces towards Kashmir, the Heaven on Earth. And it has a great historical importance as well.
Nowadays, Kashmere Gate is not just a historical monument but a locality too. It is a well-known place in North Delhi. In its ambit, there are places like the famous St. James Church, the oldest Inter -state bus terminal (ISBT), the recent metro station, General Post Office (GPO),Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, the Chief Electoral Office, the Chief Administrative Office of Northern Railways and so on and so forth.
Talking about the Kashmere Gate , the monument; it is said that it was constructed by Shah Jahan and it forms one of the four existing gates of his empire, the other three being Ajmere Gate, Delhi Gate and Turkman Gate. All of these gateways are in fragile condition. They need an immediate attention from the concerned authorities. The structure has been greatly damaged during 1857 Uprising, the British force stormed in Delhi through this gate and the cannon holes are still visible in the structure. It serves a major historical importance as it is the symbol of the Great Mughal Empire. And it is through this gate that the Mughals used to pass by and later on by the British too for their any trips.
However, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is looking into this site for conservation purpose. According to Mr. K K Mohammed, Superintendent Archaeologist ASI, Delhi; “Conservation and preservation work is in progress in Kashmere Gate. It has to be conserved and beautified so that tourist can relish the historical significance of this site. For this purpose, we are also developing a garden as a resting place in this hustle bustle locality. We have set up railings too all around the monument to protect it. Further, we are planning to develop antique and handicraft shops as well.”
As this locality is situated near Old Delhi, one can always enjoy the rich heritage of Delhi such as the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Sunheri Masjid, Hanuman Mandir and the like.
St. James Church or Skinner’s Church is one such site worth visiting which is located in the middle of Kashmere Gate. The religious structure was built in 1836 by Colonel James Skinner. When he was lying on a battlefield, he made a promise that he would build a church if he survived. On the north is the Skinner family's burial ground. At the rear, the Tomb of Thomas Metcalfe can be seen; Metcalfe was an Agent and Commissioner during the British rule. “This church is one of the fourteen important heritages of India. And keeping Commonwealth Games 2010 in mind, renovation work will be carried out as many Britishers will be heading towards it to offer prayers”, an official of the Church mentioned.
The oldest and one of the biggest inter-bus terminals of India lies in Kashmere Gate, it is called Maharana Pratap Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT). The bus service from here operates between Delhi and other nearby states like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and the like.
The place has also the privilege of not just having a metro station but a junction which serves the Red and Yellow lines. The Kashmere Gate metro station also serves as the Headquarter of Delhi Metro. With the advent of such a technologically advanced transport system, the commuters are heaving a sigh of relief for they are free from traffic jams and pollution.
General Post Office (GPO), the Chief Electoral Office and the Northern Railways Chief Administrative Office are the significant government offices that are located in this part of North Delhi. Also, Old Delhi Railway Station, the oldest railway station in Delhi city, is few metres away from this place.
Coming to the educational set-ups in this area, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU) is worth mentioning. Earlier known as Indraprastha University, it was set up in 1998 by Government of NCT, Delhi. It is standing tall in the building where once Delhi Engineering College used to house. Within a span of ten years, the University has been able to well-established itself as a productive State University. It is a professional University with more than 70 professional courses being imparted in various affiliated institutes and on the university campus as well. However, there is a talk doing the rounds on shifting of this campus to Dwarka as the current campus is a temporary one. And in its place, Ambedkar University is shifting in.
Besides, there is Indraprastha College of Delhi University, which is located just 2 km away from ISBT.
With a small market called Bada Bazaar just opposite to St. James Church, people residing in and near Kashmere Gate can get anything of their choice. For the hostellers of GGSIPU, it proves worthy for their immediate need. One can avail juice, fruits and vegetables, fast food, cosmetics, electronics, clothes and many more from this market. However, if one wants to indulge in western food; this place has the solution to it as well, for Parsvnath Mall in the metro station catering to such cuisines in their outlet of Nirula’s and Mc Donald.
Besides this, Ritz Cinema fulfils the need for entertainment to the workers and labourers residing in this locality.
Keeping in mind the security of women, the Delhi Police has set up its women’s wing, Kashmere Gate for providing safety to the female residents and hostellers putting up in this area.
Accommodation for the tourists is not at all a big issue as there are lots of cheap hotel and motel available around the place. And also, Municipal Corporation of Delhi is planning to build good budget hotels for catering to the people coming to the terminus.
Despite of all the aforesaid features, Kashmere Gate area has become susceptible to deterioration with encroachment, slums, pollution, traffic jam and the likes of problem. The monument itself has been under the vigil eye of Archaeological Survey of India for some years now. ASI is planning to bring greenery around the gate on the same lines as that of India Gate. With the development doing the round in all over Delhi, the concerned authorities should take up some measures to enhance this historically significant place without damaging the old structures.
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