SRINAGAR | VOL: 06 | ISSUE: 22 | PAGES: 4 | RNI REGN. NO.

JKENG/2014/63007 MONDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2020

BLOOM
3-DAY FESTIVAL WEAVERS: THE
OF ISTAQBAAL-E- EXTRAORDINARY
CHILA-E-KALAAN ARTISANS OF
CONCLUDES FAREWELL 2020 KASHMIR

Culture Notes PAGE 3 PAGE 3 GAASH PAGE 4

www.kashmirink.in

‘Changing face of
J&K’s historical monuments Government schools’ a new
fall prey to land mafia, buzz in Kashmir
unauthorised constructions Teachers contribute voluntarily to make
schools a new attraction

NAZIR GANAIE make it a tourist attraction and at SYED RIZWAN GEELANI

least save it first from getting into

S T
everal Archaeological Survey
of India (ASI) listed protected
monuments and historical
sites in Jammu and Kashmir are
allegedly falling prey to the land
mafia and unauthorised construc-
tions.
“Unauthorized constructions
are going unabated at several his-
torical monuments across Jammu
and Kashmir region,” a senior ASI
official, wishing not to be named,
told the Greater Kashmir.
“We have been reporting such
incidents to the concerned district
administration and Deputy Com-
missioners, however no concrete
measures are taken, which is
highly unfortunate,” the official
remarked.
He said that whenever there are
any such incidents reported by the
concerned site officials, the ASI
takes up the matter with the con-
cerned administration, “but it falls
on the deaf ears”.
Sarai in Shambles
Khanpur Mughal Sarai (Inn)—
an ancient Mughal route, used by
travellers from South Asia during
Mughal period, located at Khanpur
area in central Kashmir’s district
Budgam is in a shambles with land
mafia continuing their vandalism
at the prized heritage site.
“This heritage site has been
ruined and ironically the local
administration doesn’t seem to
be bothered about it,” Tawheed
Ahmad, a local, said.
“This isn’t just the site but it is
a history that is telling our story to
the world. Unfortunately, the land
grabbers and the local mafia have
been given freehand to vandalise
it and claim some portions of the
site,” he said.
“If we have such a historical
place in our area, shouldn’t the
administration take extra efforts to
the hands of the mafia?” he asked.
Similarly, the pre-historic mon-
uments at Burzahom, on Srinagar
outskirts have been vandalised to a
great extent, sources said.
According to the UNESCO, “the
Neolithic Site of Burzahom brings
to light transitions in human habi-
tation patterns from Neolithic
Period to Megalithic period to the
early historic period. From transi-
tion in architecture to development
in tool-making techniques to intro-
duction and diffusion of lentil in
the north-western India, the site of
Burzahom is a unique comprehen-
sive story teller of life between 3000
BCE to 1000 BCE.”
Experts said that vandalising,
encroachments and unauthorized
constructions have added the “ven-
erability” of the site.
The experts have raised the
alarm over encroachment and
unabated vandalism at the
5000-year-old civilisational rem-
nants of Kashmir.
“To our surprise, we got to know
that a senior police official recent-
ly inaugurated a cricket tourney
at the Burzahom site. This isn’t
just shocking but it also made us
believe how indifferent our offi-
cials are towards preserving our
cultural remnants,” said a senior
professor at Department of Cen-
tral Asian Studies, University of
Kashmir.
“We take sadistic pleasure in
eroding and erasing our rich cul-
tural past. That is sad indeed,” the
professor observed.
Another official at ASI said that
there are many sites which were
handed over to the ASI under
“defective” titles. “Some places
were handed over to us and most of
the historical sites remained with
the erstwhile state government. In
certain cases, some sites couldn’t
be transferred fully to ASI, reasons
known to the then government and
officials,” he said.
He said in several places across
Jammu and Kashmir, the histori-
cal sites are either encroached,
roads blocked, or even the drug
addicts have taken over the sites.
Earlier in a brazen violation
of environmental and heritage
norms, an ancient Chinar adja-
cent to a 600-year old Masjid at the
Khanpur Mughal Sarai in central
Kashmir’s district Budgam was cut
down recently. The move evoked
strong resentment from conserva-
tionists and archaeological experts
who accused the locals of “vandal-
ising” the majestic Chinar and the
historical sites.
Former chairman, National
Monuments Authority of India
and convener Indian National
Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage
(INTACH), J&K chapter, M Saleem
Beg had informed the Budgam dis-
trict administration regarding
the vandalising of the Chinar and
a threat of encroachment to the
Masjid premises.
Beg including other conserva-
tionists have expressed concerns
over the axing of the Chinar.
According to ASI officials,
several illegal constructions and
encroachments have sprung up
around historical monuments, here
in the past few years.
Superintending Archaeologist,
Vinod Singh Rawat told Greater
Kashmir, that ASI follows the
Standard Operating Procedure
(SOP) whenever any complaint
is received. He blamed the local
administration for “not cooper-
ating” and also allegedly giving
freehand to the local mafia and
encroachers.
“Whenever we receive any such
report from our site officials, we
immediately alert the local admin-
istration, police and the local
Mohalla and Intezamia Committee
for taking any immediate steps,”
Rawat said.
Advisor to Lieutenant Gover-
nor, Baseer Ahmad Khan, told the
Greater Kashmir that he would
take up the matter with the both
the divisional administrations in
Jammu and Kashmir. He said that
such illegal interventions should
be immediately stopped and the
violators must be punished under
the law.
“Regarding the Khanpur Sarai,
I haven’t received any inputs yet.
But the Divisional administrations
led by Divisional Commissioners
and all the concerned Deputy Com-
missioners must take note of such
incidents and take prompt action.”
he slogan- ‘changing face of the
government schools’ has become a
new buzz in the Valley with teach-
ers floating up new initiatives to increase
the enrolment in the government schools,
particularly at the kindergarten section.
The move has come after years of
denial from teachers in increasing the
enrolment in government schools. How-
ever, the new initiative taken by the
teachers is proving fruitful with parents
seeking admission for kids in government
schools.
With this, the government schools are
in the limelight having more than one
lakh new admissions of students across
the valley. The new admissions were done
in the past one month during the commu-
nity mobilisation program and the enrol-
ment drive started by the department.
Education Zone Chandoosa of Baram-
ulla district is a case in place. The schools
in this zone have become a new attraction
and the first preference for the parents for
seeking admission for their kids. The zone
has witnessed new admissions of more
than 800 students. This was all possible
with the personal efforts of the teachers of
the schools and the resources persons of
the zone.
While the teachers have somehow
succeeded in motivating the parents schools. The teaching staff of the schools
for enrolling their kids in government and resource persons of the cluster have
schools, the official apathy of the govern- taken an initiative of decorating and
ment in building proper infrastructure painting the walls of the classrooms,
for students plays a spoilsport. In rural making them attractive with paintings
areas including the Chandoosa zone in and drawings.
Baramulla district, the school here sans The walls of the classrooms are
the four walls for students to attend their declared with the letters, numbers and
classes. With no classrooms available, the other drawings to look pleasing for kin-
students here mostly are forced to take dergarten students. During the past few
their classes under the open sky. Not only days, the school had new admission of
this, there are other institutions in the over 20 students.
zone which sans benches and desks for the “The school staff has borne the expen-
students. ditures to make this school a new attrac-
“Teachers alone cannot change the nar- tion for students. Teachers are doing their
rative about government schools, but the bit to make government schools a choice
government has to play its role as well. for students, but the government needs to
We can motivate students to take admis- prioritise the infrastructural up gradation
sion in the schools, but the government so that these initiatives last long,” said
has to provide facilities for them as well. Umar Rashid Bhat, a teacher.
Then only they will continue studying Teachers believe that ambience and
here,” a teacher said, adding that the the proper infrastructure of the school
success stories of enrolment drives will become the main attraction for the par-
turn to short-lived happiness unless the ents, which motivates them to enrol their
government does not equip schools with kids in government schools. “Private
basic infrastructure and facilities for the schools are mostly preferred because of
students. infrastructure and other recreational
“The schools should look attractive facilities. Government schools have quali-
to the students. They should not get any fied staff, but our authorities need to focus
negative feelings while studying in these on upgradation and modernisation of
schools,” the teacher said. infrastructure as well,” Bhat said.
While the government initiatives of The personal initiatives of teachers and
up-gradation of school infrastructure and their volunteer contribution towards face-
equipping necessary facilities has taken lifting of school buildings have yielded
a back seat, the teachers in Government good results in most of the areas. The ini-
Middle School of BandiPayeen of zone tiatives can become a sustainable move-
Chandoosa have started doing volunteer ment provided the government comes
contribution for the face-lifting of the forward for infrastructural up gradation.

CAMPUS ROUND UP
Law students seek deferment of
exams; say exams should be conducted
through online mode
GKNN
The students of Kashmir
University’s law depart-
ment have demanded the
deferment of their exams
with the change in the
mode of the exams as
planned by the department.
A group of aggrieved
students said the varsity
was planning to conduct
their exams from Janu-
ary 01 which was not pos-
sible given the prevailing
covid19 pandemic.
“When the department
had a chance to conduct
an exam, they delayed to
the time when now we are
around six months late.
There is a pandemic going
on in the whole world,
and they want to conduct
our offline exam, which is
totally unacceptable,” the
students said.
The students argued
that colleges and universi-
ties throughout the world,
particularly in India, con-
ducted exams successfully
through online mode. But
we fail to understand why
KU is adamant to hold our
exams offline,” the stu-
dents said.
The students said the
decision to hold exams in
offline mode was illogical
as they have attended the
classes in online mode.
“Till early December,
KU stated that no exams
would be held as per some
guidelines but then all of
a sudden they said exams
would be held from Janu-
ary first week. The varsity
administration should take
decisions considering the
ground situation,” the stu-
dents said
The students said the
department was in a dilem-
ma and could not decide
the mode of exams and
later decided exams will
not be conducted unless
the situation improves in
the Valley.
“Whenever we try to
mentally prepare ourselves
for any mode of examina-
tion, they change their
decision. And now when
we finally decided that
exams will be conducted
after the situation will
improve, they issued the
date sheet for our exams,”
the students said. The stu-
dents said they were sub-
jected to mental torture by
the department.
“We urge the authorities
to conduct our exam online
but after giving at least two
weeks time to students for
preparation of exams,” the
student said.

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