Whiff Of Politics In Braid Chopping

By now you all must be aware of these braid chopping incidents which have been taking place in J&K. I am sure initially, like me you too, must have started hearing about such incidents when they were happening in areas of Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana. Finally, after these states this braid chopping reached J&K. It started particularly from the Jammu region and increased like a wildfire in a very short span of time. These braid chopping events turned into hundreds of cases and by now almost 250 cases in Jammu region are registered by police. However, the sad part is that up till now no one has been arrested.

In the beginning, the situation was such that every day two-three cases were getting reported in the Jammu region. Moreover, from areas like Akhnoor, Arnia, Miran Sahib, Bishnah & Samba maximum cases of this braid chopping were getting reported. Though this all was happening in different areas, very similar statements defining these incidents were given by ladies who were getting affected. Whenever the braid chopping incident happened with any lady, out of all these affected ladies some said that they fell unconscious; others said they saw nothing and while some said they saw some shadow. These same comments given by the affected ladies furthered the panic among ladies all over Jammu region.

The rumor mill started working once again and propagated the ideas like; that it is handiwork of some tantrik and several people blamed it on a group of men for such incidents. There was absolute fear among ladies who were trying different methods in order to save themselves from such an incident. While this all was happening, doctors and psychiatrists on their own lines held these incidents as a psychiatric problem and a pure case of mass hysteria among ladies. They justified their claim by reminding of earlier events when statues of God were seen drinking milk & tears coming out of portraits in many countries. 

Then came a time when these incidents slowed for some time in Jammu and many, like me, believed that it was over. But this didn't end; rather it was another beginning as braid chopping was reported from the Kashmir region. More than 100 cases till now have been reported in Kashmir. However, the most important turn came in this braid chopping incident when protests started happening over it in Kashmir region. People have started coming out on roads to lodge their protest against these incidents. In addition to it, restrictions are being imposed in many areas as people are getting injured as they are engaging with security forces. Events took an unfortunate turn when panic struck Kashmiri people killed a 70 year old innocent man in Anantnag district, believing him to be a braid chopper. 

While this all is happening one has to watch out as how the braid chopping in Kashmir is now giving out a whiff of politics. The overall feel came to me when I noticed that one after another political statements are coming in Kashmir on this issue. To start with, just see how the J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti assured stern action against the culprits. Though there is nothing wrong on her part in saying that but I believe it was deserved weeks back when all such incidents started happening from Jammu. Even a senior leader of the Congress party in J&K demanded compensation of one crore for the victims of braid chopping. The amount demanded as compensation itself shows that it is totally out of proportion and is just a method adopted to add some sympathy in this problem. It didn’t end here, as one of the women leaders of National Conference (NC) has blamed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for all these braid chopping incidents in Kashmir. Interestingly, even the separatists have joined this debate and are openly joining the mobs that are protesting against braid chopping. They are accusing the security agencies and Government of India for all these incidents. Such was the intensity of this problem in political circles of Kashmir that the J&K police constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe these incidents. Besides, police have announced a reward of Rs 6 lakh to get leads on the braid chopper.

I have a simple question – why is it that none from the political circle of J&K spoke in such a manner when these incidents were happening in Jammu? Sadly, in this case also the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) being part of the coalition government didn’t speak anything in favour of Jammu. Lethargy shown by the political set up for people of Jammu is not new. This thing is clearer ever since the BJP hasn’t been able to defend the interest of Jammu. We all can very clearly see that instead of it being taken as a social problem in Kashmir, braid chopping has become a law and order issue. Recently, the braid chopping matter reached the High Court of J&K after a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed over this matter in Kashmir. And the court thereafter has demanded action from concerned authorities over this matter and has given several suggestions to police in order to curb this problem. Perhaps a thing which is worrying is that, it is again like a spark within and the chances of it setting things on fire in Kashmir are possible.

Under Age Drivers On A Risk Point

For the first time, I am writing something which surely is the story of most teenagers in Jammu. Before that, I say it with regret that gone are those days when bicycles were a privileged gift. These days you find teenagers who zoom around on their two/four wheelers. These teenagers are given two gifts by their parents. Firstly, these vehicles and secondly, consent by their respective parents to drive/ride these vehicles without a driving license. I want to convey my opinion on this very big crisis in the most simple manner. All parents should understand that the most critical time everyday for the whole family is when any child of the family goes out riding/driving everyday without a driving license. Basically, all parents are aware that their child has no driving license. So clearly it is they who put these underage drivers on a risk point by allowing them to move out of their houses on these vehicles.

I noted that most of the teenagers presently in Jammu are riding/driving without license. The list of such teenagers is really long. All you need to do is to just start noticing this thing on a daily basis. Start it only in your locality and you will realize how serious this problem is. We all acknowledge that these days life of all people is very busy. And I believe that this is taken as a foremost excuse by all parents who buy vehicles to these teenagers in an age when they cannot get a driving license. Another factor which is adding to this problem is that some parents buy their children vehicles at a young age to keep them in ease. This all further creates an intense situation. Most of these teenagers start by going to their schools, tuitions and finally roam all over Jammu on these vehicles. In many cases they end up with road accidents as these teenagers tend to show off their driving skills by doing stunts. Even girls nowadays show the same adrenaline rush. These teenagers are not at fault completely as their state of mind in this age keeps them always in a hurry. At times the reason for accidents is that they use cell phones and even listen to loud music while driving. My suggestion to parents is that if you want to enquire about your child’s driving habits then go & ask your neighbors as they may tell you the truth. With the rising number of cases of road accidents when teens are involved they try to get away by bribing the men in blue.

I make a humble appeal to parents that you should never buy vehicles for your children until they have a driving license otherwise this can have a great impact on their future. Simply think if your child gets seriously hurt or hurts someone seriously. What all legal consequences will arise if such a thing happens in absence of a driving license? If parents become successful in stopping this then it could ease half of the problem. Before this it is required that parents must make their children aware about the dangers of driving without a license. I know it is very difficult these days because parents succumb to pressure from their children who too are acting under peer pressure. Somewhere this fault lies in the whole society, since this is like a reaction which starts from one family and reaches another family. I have seen in some families how mothers support such demands of their children. Such mothers have reasons like; their children can drop them to any place, in case of emergency they have someone who can drive etc. While doing all this, mothers forget that they are putting their children in grave danger.

Life has become easier ever since these vehicles have come on the roads but presently, all teenagers who drive without license are living an extremely dangerous life. On our part it is required that we take steps to stop them from doing it.  Some measures, if adopted, may help to minimize occurrence of such accidents. Also it is believed that every year hundreds of cases happen in which people get injured in road accidents in Jammu. I am sure like me many other people must be sharing the same concern but awareness in most cases comes only after becoming a victim of such situations. I am sure all parents have dreams for their children so let’s stop children from driving without a license. To all parents my advice is that please don’t play with the life of your child. When it comes to parenting, you have to decide whether you do your job right if you allow your child to go out without a license next time. I wish all to stay safe but sometimes we need to act immediately as time flows.