Jammu goes through horrific times, what next?

Jammu region has been living through horrific times for the past over two weeks. It continues to be on edge as there is forecast of more rains. The region is in news for all the wrong reasons. More than rains, flash floods, swollen rivers and all the devastation these forms of nature’s fury caused, there is something more worrying about what all has happened so far and threatens to happen in future. There is a question mark over the system whether it worked to perfection in crisis.

My childhood memories rushed through my mind. In late 1960s Anantnag district witnessed torrential rains. The floods ravaged farm lands, orchards and struck hard at the connectivity. There was waist deep water everywhere. The movement had become difficult. It was a huge crisis, especially when there was nothing like internet, smart phones with which we are equipped today.The communication was primitive.

Deputy Commissioner, popularly known as DC, had to shoulder all the responsibility. He had limited staff, but his reach was immense. He, by his instincts and training knew the whole district, its geography, demography and everything else like the back of his hand. He knew all village heads and civil society leaders and also had fair idea of the potential of the political leaders. He was guided by his sense of responsibility and accountability.

The boundaries of Anantnag district of that era stretched from Qazigund – that is from Jawahar Tunnel to edges of Srinagar district. In today’s geography, it translates into four districts in south Kashmir- Anantnag, Shopian, Kulgam and Pulwama.

As a child, I could not comprehend that how the crisis was overcome, and what worked and how? The answer was explained to me by my teachers. They explained to us that there is something called system, which is responsible and accountable. It has to take care of the people, their properties and also to save the public and private assets in times of crisis. Most of the things were beyond our understanding, but we got an idea that a responsible and accountable system can work wonders during the crises. Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq was chief minister, who knew each and every thing about Jammu and Kashmir. Bhagwan Sahai, former ICS officer, was the Governor. He, with his vast knowledge was a guiding hand to the government that time.

Nineteen sixties (1960s) were not easy times in Kashmir. The Plebiscite Front was hyper active. But the political system and civil administration worked effectively. The political leaders of different affiliations and their workers joined hands in overcoming the situation. It was the local ethos that guided them.

Today, when I reflect on those times, I feel that the nature has done what it did, but no less devastating is the ugly spectacle of undermining of the political and administrative and institutions.

Jammu’s tryst with tragedies of August 2025 started with a cloudburst at Chashoti, which sits enroute to Mata Machail yatra. It was August 14. No one could estimate the scale of the losses. It was particularly worrying because the devotees were involved. There were plenty of tweets, but on the ground it was left to the locals and officials to deal with the situation. In disasters like this, it is natural that the first responders are the people in the vicinity.

On the first day of the tragedy in Chashoti, Kishtwar, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah directed the officials to launch rescue operations in all earnest. He reached the spot next day – soon after the Independence-Day, parade was over. It was his national duty to hoist the national tricolour. He was the only leader visible on the spot, making his assessment of the situation, living up to his reputation of leader with scientific temperament and dealing with the crises.

Two BJP leaders – LoP Sunil Sharma and Shagun Parihar – both representing their constituencies. They fulfilled their responsibility of being MLAs of their respective constituencies.

In such crises and more which followed, there was an outcry that sufficient relief has not been given. The elected government was targeted. Genuine criticism is good in a democracy. But when the institutions are hauled on coals simply because they belong to different political affiliations, it is a dangerous sign in a democracy.

All the leaders, particularly the elected MLAs, are expected to know the standard operating procedures during such crisis. First is rescue , second is relief and third is rehabilitation . The initial amount announced for relief is not the last word on it. Such politicians believe that undermining the democratic institutions is the only way to serve the people . They should not be forgetting that by doing so, they are helping inimical forces across the border.

There is a lesson for Omar, too. He should have taken a cue from his father Farooq Abdullah’s way of governance. In September 1988, Farooq Abdullah after seeing the fury of flooded Tavi, captured by Raju Kerni, ace photographer for Kashmir Times, and reported by me, rushed to Jammu. On his arrival, he made an assessment of the situation, and them convened an all-party meeting and interacted with the leaders of civil society and business community. May be this time, the speed and recurrence of the nature’s fury did not give him time to do all this.

I believe that the Centre should be taking note of the times like 1960s and the way the administration used to work then. There has to be revival of the system of coordination, knowledge of geography, and demography to keep the things moving; especially during crisis like Jammu is undergoing at the moment .