Pic Round Table Conference KCSDS Inksight 02 Feb 2012 Aab-e-Kashmir Exploitation : Roaring

Hegemonic Corporation crying civil society

and

Till the exploiter is in a position of power is there a way of making things difficult for him. If exploitation is a function of politics is there a method of coming in the way of politics without actually getting into politics. Does it make any sense that

an intervention is crafted to have significant political consequences but those who do it completely stay out of politics; they neither do politics nor hook on to those who are already doing it. Is there a way political, yet not politics. This is the anxiety that falls on ones head with the same ferocity as does the water down the height of a dam. And this is the question that wormed its way through in a Round Table Conference organized by Kashmir Centre for Social and Development Studies (KCSDS) to raise the issue of Kashmirs exploitation at the hands of the giant of an Indian Corporation NHPC. Can the initiatives like the one taken by KCSDS make it difficult for

the NHPC to continue with the exploitative deal even when the political structures responsible for this remain unchanged. Rather than answering this question in a highly theorized framework, or conducting a complex analysis of the problem, here is a small story. It is rib tickling but carries loads of wisdom with it. The great wise man of our Muslim tradition, Mulla Nasruddin is the main character of the story. Here is how it goes. Mulla met a traveler while he was on his way to China. The historic Silk Road was the rendezvous for George, a Frank, and Mulla. While travelling,

the two struck a chord of friendship. Both in the mood of friendship decided to travel together. As friends they expressed lots of good towards each other. They decided to practice this friendship during the travel by way of helping each other. One day when they were passing through an almost lifeless stretch of an arid country, they reached a town at the end of this depressing part of the journey. Hunger and thirst had taken both of them over by the time they reached the town. The only inn in the town was the place where the two

could dismount. With little money left, the two travelers, now friends, agreed to have just one bowl of milk and share it the economy of hunger! You drink your half first, and then Ill have my half, said George. Before Mulla could express his surprise on why he should have all his share first and then alone would his co-traveler drink the rest of it, George went ahead; I have just one lump of sugar left with me and that is enough only to sweeten my share. Mulla was not the kind of a person who could be conned this way. He insisted on

sharing

the

sugar

too.

But

this

insistence didnt yield George. He was adamant on having it to himself and only himself. (May be our NHPC is some descendent of that fellow!) Mullas mind, as usual went into activation mood. He rushed into the kitchen and came out with a large lump of salt. When George saw Mulla coming out with a lump of salt, he was out of his wits. You know George, I just remembered that I prefer to drink milk with salt, Mulla fired the salvo. George was bowled over. His sugar was defeated by the

Mullas salt. Silently he offered the lump of sugar to Mulla. And one by one they had the sweetened milk. Mullas act of getting the salt made it impossible for his co-traveller to have sugar exclusively to himself. He had to share it willy-nilly. Till NHPC and Kashmir dont detach completely from each other, is there anything that can act as Mullas lump of salt. A formidable Detail of exploitation and an accompanied Analysis probing into the underlying assumptions that make things like NHPC draw their

plans. With this Detail and Analysis can be formulated an Argument and mixed like Mullas salt in the larger pool comprising the civil societies of all the regions of our state Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu. Beyond this the bitter of the salt can be carried through media and legal apparatus into the Indian, and relevant global quarters. To prepare this critique of the existing condition, the discipline and the temperament of a researcher is needed. Someone very close to the problem, yet able to distance his

emotions and prejudices. For those who have undertaken this initiative one can pray success, but with that identify a good work that emerged from Kashmir just recently. INTACH undertook a project on the heritage of Srinagar and came up with a brilliant book called Shehr-e-Kashmir. It brings alive the heritage of this city to the extent that one can almost hug it. Can we expect a similar thing from KCSDS! May be Aab-e-Kashmir!

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INTACH undertook a project on the heritage of Srinagar and came up with a brilliant book called Shehr-eKashmir. It brings alive the heritage of this city to the extent that one can almost hug it. Can we expect a similar thing from KCSDS! May be Aab-e-Kashmir!