Why Only Internet Ban, Disallow Postal Services Also !

Was there any Internet Service in 1990’, When the Turbulence Started in J & K ?

Raman Sharma

Whilst  Prime Minister Narendra Modi was meeting with National Leaders of different Countries  there in America and pushing the case of India for permanent membership to the United Nations Security Council and while he was interacting with CEOs of global companies and Information Technology giants like Mark zukerberg of Facebook, Tim Cook of Apple,  Sundar Pichai of Google and when he was getting power point presentations on bringing high speed internet and wi-fi for different railway station in India back home population of more than 12 million people was pushed to an era of stone age just for a suspicion.  

There not only Indians but people across the globe witnessed sermons of the Prime Minister Modi regarding benefits of Social media and his claim that how does he is even famous in social networking sites in China and Israel too. I could not believe that how does the government under the leadership of such a person deprive millions of people even of basic internet facilities forget the social networking websites. Today when even the people there in the third world countries are enjoying high speed internet services without any break how does here in our state there always remain a chaos of breaking down internet services and SMS ban anytime.

Yes, on the eve of Eid,   Jammu and Kashmir  the state that have a population of over 12 million was disconnected for complete 3 days from rest of the world merely on the potential risk that some people may misuse internet services therefore  the internet services were snapped on the advise (must say diktat) of security and police authorities operating here. The method and the way the internet services were blocked and the people were left to speculate deserve highest condemnation.

This is not the 1^st time that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been dragged back to the medieval period by the government of the day, people of this state were even deprived of  basic STD telephone services on the speculation of misuse by anti-national and anti-social elements. The former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah whose love for twitter is world famous also without caring the plight of the people had blacked out SMS services from the state for a long period of over 2 years. The turbulence in Jammu and Kashmir is not creation of social networking sites, because when in decade of 90’s the violence in Jammu and Kashmir was at its peak then there was  no Face book, Whatsapp that time even a very few people had basic landline telephone services in the state.

Now, the question arises whether these bans on SMS, STD and snapping internet services help to build an atmosphere of peace in the state. Can we make hostage 1.25 crore people of the state just for the potential threat of few dozen or hundred hate mongers who may display disgust on the social media. If stopping people from interacting with each other help the country and state to bring the graph of violence down then I am sure the people would also offer the union and state government to even ban postal services in Jammu and Kashmir because that may also incite people and result into violence, also ban Radio and Television and then stop newspapers from publication because there also people ventilate their emotions and highlight the poor performance of the government which has remained a failure till now.

Are our law enforcing agencies so weak and lethargic that they cannot take action against those hate mongers who misuse internet services to spread enmity amongst different faiths and sects. Instead of taking other corrective measures, the state government and especially the failed officers who are obviously lethargic, incompetent and worthless took the extreme step and put a blanket ban on the internet services in the entire state.

I challenge the IQ of these poor officers who have advised the state government for a complete black out of internet services in the state, these incompetent officers if had even taken  few moments to realise the impact of  this ban or had they consulted some competent person who  would have informed and enlighten them about the bad affect of this ban on the lives of millions of people not only economically and physically but also  a psychological impact on the millions of other potential tourists and pilgrims who would have visited the state.

This complete shutdown of internet services In Jammu and Kashmir would compel the potential investors to rethink whether to invest anything in the state that can anytime go back to stone ages where people use to put their messages in bottles and then drove them in a river or use the pigeons to convey their messages.    

The banking sector which is completely dependent upon the internet services remained paralysed during this period, the students and aspiring candidates from the state  could not submit their online forms for various posts and examinations. The tourists who were on the visit to the state suddenly came in a state of shock when they lost connectivity with their dear ones, they could not check the status of their air and train tickets. The people  of the state too could not book their advance tickets for aerial and railway journeys. The newspapers and local TV Channels that rely on internet service for transition of their text material, photo content or even video clips too fell prey of this uncalled internet ban.

It is pitiable that at one point the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is orchestrating so loud about digitization but here back home in India, in Jammu and Kashmir , his party leaders who are partner of the coalition government making total ignorance about snapping of internet services in the state even after 48 hours of the black out. Mr. Prime minister should give some training to the ministers and legislatures of his party belonging to the state of Jammu and Kashmir who are technological illiterates.

The Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed whose party claims that he is the only statesman in Jammu and Kashmir have also not come clean to the people and pre-informed about such ban or even after the ban shared anything with the citizens about the circumstances that compelled the state government to take such a extreme step of banning the internet services.

This is nothing but a sign of weakness of PDP-BJP coalition government that instead of taking on the anti-Indian elements , it  curtailed the rights of the innocent citizens. Had this government have some guts then  it would have taken action against the people  who openly supports global terrorists from Pakistan and spill venom against India  through  their teleconferences.

Where was the so called intelligence and security apparatus of the state when these separatists marked their presence in the rallies organized by JuD Chief in Pakistan through technological gazettes. Why selectively persecute only the innocent people of the state and give special treatment to these anti-national elements.

Depriving the people of connectivity to interact with their dear ones during the festive season in no way can be justified, if there was so emergent need to put such a ban than at least the people should have been pre-informed about this and taken into confidence.

The State government on the name of attracting tourists to the state of Jammu and Kashmir every years spends millions of rupees in organizing seminars, road shows and even send its ministers and officers to various parts of the country and even abroad.  All this is done just one the name of inviting more and more tourists and bringing investment in the state but it is shocking that the same government totally disregard its own efforts when it shuts down the internet services. Today i-ways are not less important that Highways and blocking i-ways is equivalent to economical blockade by the state. 

It is such a sorry state of affairs that in this era of transparency that even today we are not aware that who ordered banning the internet services and for what period of time this ban was to remain in force a chaos was created.

We wish the Prime minister Narendra Modi all the best and hope that India gets a permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council and the global technological giants help India to build IT infrastructure  in India but I am not sure whether that investment  and digitization program in India would ever help 12.5  million poor people of Jammu and Kashmir.  Raman Sharma is an RTI activist and can be mailed [a] jkrtiact@gmail.com, M:9796811012.
Published in State Times, Early Times and others on 29/Sept/2015.

http://www.earlytimes.in/newsdet.aspx?q=159671

http://news.statetimes.in/why-only-internet-ban-disallow-postal-services-also/

Impropriety in promotions of BDOs; Raj Bhavan seeks report from Secretary RDD

Sumit Sharma Early Times Report  (23/09/2015) Jammu, Sept 22: On the basis of news report published in Early Times on 10/July/2015 regarding promotion of 23 Gram Sevaks as Block Development Officers in Rural Development Department, J&K Raj Bhavan (Governor's Secretariat) has sought report from the secretary Rural Development Department.In a communiqué dated 30/July/2015 vide letter no. 744(G)Apl/15/3944 addressed to Khurshid Ahmad Shah, IAS, the secretary Rural Development Department, OP Bhagat, Additional Secretary to governor has asked the officer for factual report in the matter. It is pertinent to mention here that in its edition dated 10/July/2015, ET had reported about the Violation of General Administration Department (GAD) circular about promotion of the in-service employees and how does the Rural Development Department had granted back-to-back promotions to some 'blue-eyed' employees within short span of their appointment. In the news report it was also mentioned that the 23 village level officers were promoted from Gram Sevaks to Inspectors and then BDOs within two years.Among the Gram Sevaks are those who were promoted twice within months, raising question mark on the credibility of the department. Their promotions were approved on the basis of acquiring higher educational qualifications. Amazingly, the degrees these Gram Sevaks submitted in their support were from the universities which reportedly do not fulfill the UGC guidelines and are not competent to award such degrees/courses. Further, no prior permission was taken by the incumbents from department to pursue further degrees, sources alleged.The news report had also exposed the RDD that was about to affect 25 more promotions on such fake or unverified degrees in sheer violation of the SRO issued by Higher Education Department, in which it has been made amply clear that only those degrees are recognized which are authenticated by Jammu or Kashmir University," sources said. Moreover the GAD had earlier issued an SRO/Circular (558-GAD) regarding promotion of the in-service employees to the next rank on the basis of acquiring higher educational qualification. In the said SRO the GAD has cautioned that all the departments have to be careful while allowing promotions and the department must ensure proper verification and authentication of such degrees. Moreover, the GAD has also asked for conducting written test for in-service candidates aspiring promotions," the sources added.Meanwhile, ET has also learnt that many a technical degrees held by the officers and officials of the RDD are fake or unverified. RTI activist Raman Sharma has demanded a Judicial Probe in this promotion scam of RDD where promotions have been approved on the basis of fake documents submitted by the officials and officers.

J & K State Vigilance Commission's Order towards Transparency in Tendering Process

Publishing Tender Details on Websites

Activist Seeks Implementation of Vigilance Commission’s Order

Jammu, 11/Sept/2015: Demanding full implementation of Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Commission’s directive regarding publication of details of every tender on the tender inviting department’s website, Raman Sharma, RTI activist has asked the General Administration department to ensure implementation of  the order of the SVC in toto.

As per circular no. 4-SVC of 2014 dated 17/12/2014, the Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Commission had directed all the government departments, Public Sector Undertakings and Government Companies and Societies owned or controlled by the state government to ensure that the tender issued for procurement of stores and for execution of works are besides publication in local dailies are also published and uploaded on the official website of the concerned department and in case they do not have the official website they should create the same. The directive of the commission also states that “it has been generally observed that the tenders are generally published in the newspapers with meagre circulation”.

Raman has dispatched a letter to Secretary General Administration department requesting him to ensure proper implementation of the above order of the SVC for by al the departments of the Jammu and Kashmir government larger public interest and to promote transparency and fair competition in the tendering process for procurement of goods and services by the different entrepreneurs and companies.

In his submission to the GAD, Sharma has also demanded stern action against the Heads of the Departments that are not implementing the specific order of the Vigilance Commission which can otherwise be a milestone towards e-governance as well.

One Moral Teacher is Equivalent to 100s of Model Schools

 Teachers Day-2015

by: Dr. Shazad Ahmed Malik

On this auspicious occasion of Teachers Day, let me congratulate all teachers and students of  India and my native state of Jammu and Kashmir. Today everyone of us whosoever he or she is; whatever position one occupying  is somewhere because of the knowledge and values imbibed by the teacher.                                                    

In our culture and in religious history of India, the Teacher or Guru has been given paramount respect and been compared with God. But it is quite unfortunate that like other professions this noble profession is also losing its sheen and Integrity in the society. There may be variety of reasons for this decline like commercialization of our educational system and digitization of information and less human interface.

Whatever the reason is, but being a Teacher, it hurts deep  when during my interaction with students, I realize this bitter  fact that gradually the noble profession of teaching is not in the desired list of professions that our younger generation wishes to opt after completing their studies. This is really a shock for me not only as a teacher at present but even as a person who desired this noble profession like many other contemporaries of mine.

As per census data 2011, the literacy rate (collective of male and female) in Jammu and Kashmir have touched 67.16 %  which is 11.64 % more than the census data of 2001, the male literacy rate  have increased by 10.15 percent as compared to 2001 census data and presently it is 76.75 %. The female literacy rate have also witnessed an upward trend during the last decade, as per 2001 census it was just 43 percent which have now crossed 56 percent as per the last census of 2011.    

In militancy infested state of ours, In a decade this spurt of  10 percent overall literacy rate is appreciable and for that we must congratulate the political dispensations but the real credit for this increase is dedication and honesty of majority of the teachers who challenged all the odds like difficult terrain, climate, poor road connectivity but helped to lit the lamp of education.

On one side during the last decade the literacy rate have increased in the state  but on the other side the noble profession of teaching have also been eclipsed with controversies and scandals. 

A decline of honour by the society has been noticed  for  teaching profession which may be attributed due to the penetration of a few dubious, unprofessional, incompetent and unskilled   persons in the profession, unfortunately in India and especially in our state of Jammu and Kashmir there is no fixed parameter to access and evaluate whether a person is fit to be a teacher or not.

To be qualified and called as a Doctor, Engineer, Lawyer and Architect besides basic academic qualification one  must possess the professional degree or diploma to render services as a professional, in these professions merely possessing an educational qualification even though with highest marks do not confer any right upon anyone  to pursue the profession unless he  qualifies  the professional course.

But in case of teacher as of now there is no such prerequisite to hold any professional degree diploma or even certificate, merely holding an academic qualification is sufficient to pursue the profession of teacher, there is not even any provision of compulsory basic training. 

It is high time that the educationists, lawmakers and the civil society join hands and try to build a consensus so that only competent and skilled people with conviction to serve the society are allowed to join this noble profession.

A person without having a formal medical degree and training cannot diagnose anyone in the government hospital similarly he cannot open a private clinic but in case of teaching profession, as of now though there are few norms and standards fixed for appointment as a teacher in government institute but in the private educational institutes specially in the pre-primary, primary, middle and High school level there is complete apathy, many such private institutes appoint faculty members even without having sufficient educational qualification forget any professional degree or diploma. It is surprising that when we do not allow a fake doctor to diagnose even an animal then how we can allow pseudo teachers to continue ruin the future of budding generations of our society without any check.

An ailing human being may be cured with modern treatment and medicine but if once the social structure of the society which up to a large extent is motivated by the teacher is dislocated then only God can help us. 

In the recent past, Jammu and Kashmir have witnessed some miserable incidents where a number of teachers have been arrayed as accused in cases of paper leak scam while others being arrested. If one have a look at the  data related to criminal cases filed against people associated with teaching professions then it comes to light that  there are variety of serious charges against them like molestation, rape, rape attempt on minor, forging documents, corporal punishment, accepting bribe, forgery etc.  We have also heard news reports of postponement of examination of not only University Level exams but even that of class 12th paper, 10th and shockingly class 8th paper as well due to paper leak. How one can forget to mention the case of the aspiring candidate for Rehbar-e-Taleem teacher who could not write even an essay on cow, ( we should be thankful to the judiciary who timely intervened in the instant case) but was so curious and confident to join this profession perhaps that candidate was sure that he would be accommodated only in this sector.  The above stated information may be painful but truth and we can’t be blind to this fact. It is not an allegation against  the teaching community of which I am also a part but it is time to introspect.

The quality of education is directly proportion to the ethics, morality and professionalism of a teacher; we may have modern schools, smart classes, state of the art infrastructure but without having  professional faculty nothing can be achieved. One moral teacher is sufficient to nurture the future of thousands of youth the task which even 100 model schools can’t do. Teaching is not a ordinary job that can be assumed only after acquiring higher qualification or good grades in academic discourse, the teacher should have the ability to learn and only then he can be a good teacher.

The intention to put the above record is not to defame any individual or profession but just to underline the neglect so that we wake up and take corrective measures but if anyone’s feelings are hurt I regret for the same.  The author is Vice Chancellor of Sai Nath University, Ranchi and native of District Poonch of Jammu and Kashmir.  He can be mailed at  shazadmalik2002@yahoo.co.in