Government Job Aspirants Flooding Coaching Institutes

Go out any day and you will find government job aspirants flooding coaching institutes in Jammu’s several localities. This phenomenon has transformed many residential areas into bustling commercial hubs, known for these ‘teaching shops’. Numerous institutes in the city serve students preparing for government employment exams across different services. The surge in demand for government positions stems from limited job opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir’s private sector.  Moreover, the government is the biggest employer in J&K and lack of job security in the private sector is another key factor for youth looking more towards government. Consequently, these institutes are filled with lakhs of aspirants seeking government jobs.  Nevertheless, attending these coaching centers can be challenging, as they charge steep fees. The commercialization is to such an extent that even basic facilities are missing at some of these institutes which operate in tight lanes of old Jammu city. 

This raises an important question: who bears responsibility for this situation - the government or society? Regardless of the answer, one clear outcome remains that unemployment has silenced the cries of struggling families and young people eager to find work and earn a livelihood. It is essential to sense the issue and seek lasting solutions, as Jammu and Kashmir faces a significant job crisis.  Some argue that employment generation is underway since industries have begun operating, which should boost job opportunities in coming months. However, those pursuing this belief overlook the gap between ‘policy commitments’ and ‘actual results’. In J&K, for instance, MBA graduates are working as salespeople for just ten to fifteen thousand rupees monthly. While there are others in rural areas with master’s degrees who are attempting to find jobs through government initiatives like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). 

Such situations, combined with youths' desperation due to job scarcity, contribute to the rise of the ‘coaching culture’, as these centers promote the notion of 'guaranteed success’. Unemployment needs to be addressed urgently by the newly formed government in J&K. The recent example of over 5.59 lakh candidates in Jammu and Kashmir taking exams for 4,002 police constable vacancies reflects that timely employment opportunities must be created for aspirants to qualify for government jobs. Additionally, some families these days are involving counselors and psychologists to provide psychotherapeutic help to children suffering from stress or depression due to rising unemployment. Moreover, the increasing cases of student suicide and the need to save young people from being exploited by this ‘coaching culture’ underscore that reform in the existing system of recruitment examinations could help reduce unemployment pressure.

Mere implementation of the guidelines in J&K will not fix the problem for the government. It should be ensured that all government department vacancies are monitored periodically, and those department heads not conforming to the timely recruitment process must face action. To address these challenges, the Jammu and Kashmir government should not only strengthen the infrastructure and adopt advanced technological interventions but also work to reduce the level of competition in these examinations by creating more employment avenues. According to the India Employment Report 2024, the share of youngsters with secondary or higher education among the total unemployed youth has nearly doubled from 35.2 percent in 2000 to 65.7 percent in 2022. Let’s hope that the current crisis will prompt much-needed reforms in the J&K government sector and bring relief to young people.

Limit Screen Time For Young Children

Our everyday life is so much monitored and controlled by technology that young children too are getting overexposed to technology at our homes. Technology penetration is so much that it is hard to avoid the negative effects of screen time on children. At a much younger age, especially between the ages of one to six, content on smartphones, tablets, television, video games, computers, or wearable technology is being played during mealtimes at many houses for children. Technology has become a means of ‘social learning’ for this new generation. However, many scientific reports have proven that this early screen exposure affects children’s physical and social health. Still, parents don’t pay attention to this and actively play content for their children for many hours every day. 

The impact of screen time on children in early childhood can have damaging health outcomes. The first five years are said to be crucial years of a child’s brain development. And more time in front of a screen can also influence the brain’s growth. This could result in poor social skills due to lack of interaction, language development, learning, reading, poor control of emotions, attention deficit, sleep problems, obesity, myopia, poor posture, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, chronic cardiovascular problems in the long term, etc. This all goes unnoticed in many houses and this problem should be fixed to reduce the harm being caused to children's skill development.

Parents should make functional changes in their homes to prevent young children’s exposure to screens.  Moreover, it is not the sole responsibility of parents to do this but also of school management and staff. Because this ‘screen trend’ has entered kindergarten/preschools where children of two to six years are exposed to more than one hour of screen time every day.  All parents don’t realize the real impact of screen time because their calculation of screen time is just being done at home without understanding their child’s exposure at kindergarten/preschool. With this excessive total daytime exposure, addictive behavior can be developed at a young age.

Let’s make sure that parents as decision makers take steps to regulate their child’s screen time and keep them away from technology. It is also important that steps are taken to regulate present-day traditional settings in kindergartens/preschools. This will at least have a moderately positive effect on children using gadgets to ‘watch’ and ‘play’.  Rules will be there at home and in kindergarten/preschools, but the need is to develop things that help children interact and learn also while staying away from the world of technology, games, etc. So, what can parents do? It's important to offer children alternatives because your child will complain about being bored or unhappy without access to technology.

Some suggestions are that firstly, you must develop confidence within your family that entertaining your children doesn’t have to be done through screens only. Secondly, work on the type of content your child is being exposed and for that, you can limit their exposure by playing only interactive stories, educational games, and social games. Thirdly, encourage your child to watch programs in your presence about nature, science, arts, music, or history to build their knowledge. Fourthly, plan weekly time for hobbies, outdoor play, and activities with your children. Although it might be challenging at first, consistent efforts can greatly enhance a child's health and wellbeing, ultimately leading to a better quality of life.

Time To Reinvent Jammu

The newly elected government is back in Jammu and Kashmir. If you didn’t vote for any party and candidate that has formed and supported this government in J&K, then also Omar Abdullah will remain your Chief Minister. Now it is time for you to hold this government accountable as the role of opposition cannot be overlooked in the democratic process. However, while setting new expectations with this government don’t forget that things take time. In 2014, Jammu was assured that there would be an end to the legacy of regional oppression. Then in 2019, after Article 370 abrogation Jammu region became confident that the right time has emerged and now Jammu will be at the 'top'. 

But even until 2024, things didn’t reach up to people’s expectations and anger was visible many times among Jammu’s different communities over many issues. This regional political imbalance in the last ten years will again be a significant point of contention during Omar Abdullah's government. Also, for many decades, the Jammu region has struggled with policies in jobs, sports, agriculture, education, and other sectors that were unfairly implemented. Moreover, let’s not forget that Jammu has been subjected to higher tax collection while Kashmir received more funds. Such circumstances caused internal divisions within the Jammu and Kashmir regions. It is time to reinvent Jammu and craft a new narrative that in real terms brings Jammu and Kashmir closer. 

Jammu has its wish list which will be presented to Omar Abdullah once again through various platforms. The wish list will reflect simple desires to implement policies in jobs, sports, agriculture, education, and other sectors that end the unfair treatment of the Jammu region. And to replicate the success stories of other states with models of good governance and transparency, revival of law and order, the success of tourism plans in Jammu, achieve industrial success, and infrastructural achievements.  Everyone should work with this new government to end a long-standing issue of ‘inequality’ and ‘exploitation’ of the Jammu region. It will be a big task but by doing so, it will reflect the National Conference (NC) being responsive to the needs of the Jammu.

The way cabinet ministers from the Jammu region have got portfolios shows big 'hope' from NC and suggests that there is a positive change on the horizon. To do this, many new things must be tried, tested, and implemented by the NC. Jammu needs the leadership of Omar Abdullah to prove this all within his competencies and seize the political opportunity NC has got. This needs exemplary governance to end stagnation and shift political priorities to bring on-ground effectiveness in people’s lives. With less political pressure in Jammu & Kashmir’s apparatus, change can also come with the help of legendary officers known for their integrity, honesty, and strategic vision so that the government can deliver to the needs of the people and just not act like tarot card readers.

This time Jammu must regain its rightful place under the NC’s governance model. It is not just an 'aspirational thought' but very much feasible if an optimal balance is struck between the central government and the J&K government so that our population's long-term concerns are addressed. The framework for reinventing Jammu exists, previously it was with BJP leadership, and now NC is keen to give Jammu its rightful political place that it once occupied with tremendous pride. It is incumbent upon Jammuites to arrive at a crucial recognition that Omar Abdullah can solve our problems and fulfill our inherent demands. Time and again he has made gestures during the recent interaction with the media and in a way appealed to Jammuites to allow his party to deliver. These advances extended in good faith should not be rejected but held upon as a pivotal solution in shaping the future of the region.

Politicians Participating In Healthy Democracy

Life in politics seems like a walk in the park, but it is not. It seems like social work, but it is not. Like other professions, it is one where you find people from many social, educated, and uneducated backgrounds fighting for social-political power associated with politics. There is always a lot for any politician to deal with, from long day hours to controversies to heated debates to enmities. Many complexities are involved in the political-social life of people in this profession. Don’t forget to add bullying, abusive behavior, and harassment from opposition parties at times to the family members as well. Sometimes things can become too much for people in politics and they go to jail for political decisions.

This is a critical light on the issue of toxicity in politics. But all that goes along and many politicians face this to manage and survive with the only desire to enjoy power, feel important and personally gratified, and gain financially by working within respective political organizations or through facing voters and winning elections. This all is set to return to Jammu and Kashmir as on August 16, the Election Commission of India announced the dates for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. The last Assembly elections were held in 2014 and after ten years every party will utilize its full strength to gain lost political space. 

While parties are busy with election preparations and different strategies for both Jammu and Kashmir, voters too are excited to deal with the election process once again. This will be the first Assembly election after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and so much has changed since then.  In the 2014 Assembly elections, there were 87 seats now the number has increased to 90. And Ladakh is now a separate Union Territory. The permanent resident certificate has been replaced by the domicile certificate and it is unacceptable to many till now.

The successful hosting of G20 meetings, global investments, and Bollywood coming back, over the past four years made J&K more appealing. Many rail-road infrastructure projects have enhanced connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir. Some represent these major achievements as pivotal chapters in the history of J&K. At the same time, former chief minister Omar Abdullah, a few days back told NDTV in an interview that, “the first order of business of the elected assembly should be to make it known not just to the rest of India but to the world at large that the people of J&K don't agree with what happened to us on 5th August 2019, and then we start undoing what was done to us”. 

Our democracy has a process for voicing disagreement or disapproval so what these newly elected members of the assembly will do or not do, will also be part of politicians participating in a healthy democracy. This was not an isolated political episode since the poll process was set in motion. Shuffling, resignations, switching political sides, and Ghar-Wapsi have begun. Congress has announced the replacement of Vikar Rasool Wani with Tariq Hameed Karra as its new chief in J&K to gain political sentiment in Kashmir. Also, Ex-minister, J&K Apni Party founder Choudhary Zulfikar, who has previously been associated with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) joined Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) to improve further BJP’s presence in Rajouri-Poonch. In contrast, the BJP faced revolt and resignations from many districts after the ticket announcement.

Likewise, Former minister Taj Mohiuddin declared his decision to quit the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) led by Ghulam Nabi Azad. This signals the weakening of Ghulam Nabi Azad’s political value in J&K politics. The Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in three phases from September 18. Until then, the political pot will boil much more and become a daily affair in Jammu-Kashmir politics reflecting even a ‘disturbing level of anger’ and maybe the politics of ‘divisiveness and exclusion’. You may or may not appreciate some political developments in the coming days, but we must collectively and loudly condemn the sort of political behaviors that have no place in our society irrespective of our political ideology.

Food Safety At Stake

If you also buy products more which you see are endorsed by celebrities. If you are also getting lost in the advertisement with no values and unhealthy ways to influence you, this piece is important for you. These days brand endorsements are done for all kinds of ‘processed foods’ which in a way is creating an appeal for ‘junk category’ foods. The celebrities acting as ‘brand ambassadors’ influence people to buy unhealthy products that they won’t use for self-consumption. Is it then correct to get influenced by these celebrities? Celebrity endorsement increases the value of foods whose primary ingredients are salt, sugar, and mostly palm oil which are the cheapest commodities. 

To understand all ‘processed foods’, before buying try to always read the labels on the pack and the nutritional quality of such products. From biscuits to cakes to juices to milkshakes, everything being sold has unhealthy ingredients added that are harmful for adults as well as children. A simple example to realize this is a 200 ml mango drink which contains almost 30 gm of sugar which equals seven teaspoons of sugar. Now think what would happen if you gulped that much sugar in a go. It's crucial to understand and know the impact these products can have on your life. 

Moreover, adding to this problem is rampant food adulteration in India. A few weeks back several samples from a famous masala company were found to have traces of poisonous substances. This is surely not the only company; it signals many such companies are marketing products in India having unsafe ingredients with the help of high-level brand campaigns. The citizens are exposed to substandard, unsafe food items despite “The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006” under which food safety agencies like the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the State Food Safety Authorities work. These safety organizations have a shortage of safety officers and hence is the result of the mass selling of unsafe products in the Indian market. With such a prevailing scenario, Indian consumers cannot avoid food items injurious to health. If agencies cannot take hard steps against these corporate giants, then why not aware the consumer about manufacturers selling unsafe food?

Contrastingly, the products of brands that are household names in India are flagged by food regulators in foreign countries. The European Food Safety Authority report released in April this year stated that turmeric, chili, peppercorn, and dried beans from India contained ethylene oxide. This was not the first instance as there have been multiple instances of Indian products found non-compliant in these countries. Aggressive marketing techniques are growing the consumer base for several brands, but the negative outcome of these unhealthy diets is diseases like diabetes and hypertension. These days there are children commonly found having anaemia, high triglycerides, and getting overweight because of non-nutritional processed food consumption. 

The surge of these diseases is due to increased consumption of packaged foods. Why do we accept such foods so easily at our homes? Are we not allowing innocent children to be impacted? We must ensure a fine balance to protect our family's health. The silence of the brands and the poor regulatory environment is the perfect combination to serve and increase the appeal of such food items. In the end, with food safety at stake, we still hold immense power by regulating ourselves and differentiating between beneficial and harmful food. A meaningful decision will always protect the health of the individual, as a packet of chips is tastier, but a bowl of fresh fruits or salad is healthier.

J&K Sikhs Searching Their Political Leader

The history of Sikhs in J&K takes you back to the partition of India in 1947 and the pain associated with partition. It took the entire community many decades to progress and prosper here again. They were put in a situation where they always looked back but continued moving forward. From one generation to another Sikhs in J&K took small steps to become an important part of the social system. This wasn’t easy and came at many crossroads for many families where they faced many challenges and still survived. That is a clear example of Sikh spirit, which is wonderful and till today doesn’t need any proof as the entire community, be it here or anywhere in the world is hardworking and believes in ‘Sarbat Da Bhala’. 

Despite social presence and being great contributors to many sectors of society, the Sikh community in the last seven decades wasn’t successful in the political circles of J&K. Because Sikhs kept fighting for their social survival, they were largely content and never tried to play a vital role in the political field and as a result were just used as a vote bank by the political parties. There could have been many people from the community who could have achieved political prominence. Still, they didn’t take political direction and operated only in the fields of academics, science, bureaucracy, law, and business. These ‘non-interested’ intellectual minds of the community gave a chance to some people within the community who have had financial success to make inroads in the political field of J&K. This was witnessed both in the Jammu and Kashmir regions.

The entry of such people into politics never proved fruitful for the political empowerment of the community. They were not ‘leaders’ who began their career by participating in dharnas, sit-ins, marches, petitions or fought for political causes of the Sikh community in the last many decades. More so, because there were challenges faced by the Sikh community and a lack of will on the part of ‘learned minds’ to take political roles, these financially sound people were able to fill in the ‘political void’ for the community temporarily. Such a scenario for J&K’s Sikh community was a pure case of ‘internal’ and ‘external’ factors that blocked the emergence and growth of any political leader.

The internal factor for Sikhs was that they gave precedence to wealthy people over someone having an intellectual mindset or having grown due to participation and struggle in the political process. This preference shift from ‘political leadership’ to ‘socio-religious leadership’ led to the failure to develop Sikh political leadership in J&K. These so-called socio-religious leaders presented a poor model on many occasions and youth rejected them as they made the political needs of the community subservient to personal needs. Then came some moments where instead of joining hands on issues that erupted and needed a unified approach for handling, these socio-religious leaders walked in different directions all for individual survival and further eroded the Sikh cause. 

The community started facing external challenges when political parties realized the approach adopted by the J&K Sikh community. This posed a new threat to the Sikhs in J&K.  All the political parties then started grooming socio-religious leaders while eyeing control over Sikh social and religious institutions by accommodating these leaders in their political organizations. This step never turned advantageous for the Sikhs in any way. This led to more struggle and conflict within the community to gain control of Sikh institutions and emerge ‘bigger’ in front of these political parties for further personal growth. This process hasn’t finished even after the era of some of these socio-religious leaders ended.

A new group of such socio-religious leaders has suddenly emerged in the past few years, and all these are very much again inclined to fill the political void for the community. This continuous pattern has caused a lot of damage and the growth of many political problems for Sikhs. All because we don’t walk the talk, instead we just talk the talk on community lines, the internal and external factors continue to harm the political interest of Sikhs in J&K. It's tough enough to change but when will the steps to change start? When will we see an elected representative from the community in the Assembly or Parliament? Will delimitation of constituencies be of any use for Sikhs? Let's not forget that just relying on these socio-religious leaders always contradicts our message to have a ‘political leader’ and makes us powerless in political circles. 

If we continue to use socio-religious leaders as a ‘label’, we will never be empowered politically in J&K. Only doing press conferences, back-channel talks, or third-party mediation on Sikh political matters will not lead us anywhere. To gain something out of the political circle, Sikhs need to end the search for political leaders by electing Sikh representatives at all levels in the democratic system to lead the community always on political causes. The community needs to wake up especially the youth who hold transformative power and are fundamental to the growth of political leadership. This is nothing based on emotions but on ideas tried, tested, and proven by philosophers, and political and social scientists for centuries to improve the status and political standing of different classes of people. Still, before that, the need is to develop a united thought and then act! 

BJP To Work On Coalition Strategy

June 4, 2024, results for Lok Sabha elections brought third term victory for the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and to make complete sense it was the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coming back to power. That day it also turned the clock for the BJP because by not getting a majority after ten years of government they felt the true need for its allies in the shape of NDA which helped Atal Bihari Vajpayee as well. The verdict of 2024 has made the BJP dependent on the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janta Dal(U) entirely. Despite being suddenly in such a situation, looking ahead BJP celebrated the results of Lok Sabha elections across the country. 

But with such results the internal dynamics of the new government vis a vis BJP will be different in coming months. To state that simply, BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have taken a route of consensus this time as till now PM Modi has never had a chance to run a coalition government.  Although PM Modi in his maiden speech after the election results declared that NDA would continue to make big decisions in its third term, but BJP may have to keep aside its core issues while running the NDA government and reinvent the idea of cooperative federalism. The task of running a coalition NDA government is now on PM Modi because many difficult decisions the PM may take could be blocked by the allies if it impacts their voter base in any way. 

Because of this, the new political dynamics that PM Modi & Home Minister Amit Shah invented while running a majority government will be visible a little less this time. Such changes can be witnessed within the new cabinet formed. Because of power-sharing many of BJP’s major faces were dropped from the new cabinet.  Let’s also not forget that some prominent cabinet faces of previous Modi government were defeated because of several political reasons on ground. This has brought mixed feelings for BJP as instead it inducted new OBC, and women faces in the newly formed cabinet. It reflects the BJP’s plan to face combative opposition in the Parliament this time led by the Congress party. At the same time, BJP’s narrative of giving a stronger government wasn’t achieved which has given Congress an edge in the Parliament.

For BJP the results in the Jammu region were on expected lines as Jammu and Udhampur seats were retained by the party. However, on both seats of the Hindu majority region, the results witnessed a dip in victory margin. So, this significant dip this time will be an area of concern for the party. On the other side in Kashmir, the Muslim majority region, voters threw a shocker by making jailed terror funding accused and independent candidate Engineer Rashid victorious against Omar Abdullah in Baramulla. Similarly, the Mehbooba Mufti faced defeat at the hands of National Conference’s Mian Altaf Ahmed by around 2.81 lakh votes in the Anantnag – Rajouri seat. With this, both key faces of the Abdullah and Mufti families were left out of the important political battle of 2024.  Because on both regional sides sentiments were different after 2019 and the results are a message for the new government in Delhi. Besides, it became more important as the BJP-backed candidates Zaffar Manhas of Apni Party and Sajad Lone of J&K Peoples Conference lost on both Kashmir seats.  Jammu & Kashmir voters have spoken boldly through votes but silently to reclaim the political space in their respective regions.

For the BJP, who must be preparing for assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Jharkhand, these results will set a future path where the focus on the past will remain present in their plans. One of the different tasks this time for BJP will be to work on coalition strategy because explosive statements to communicate narrative during campaigning won’t pay to the NDA and in some situations may instead cause moral defeat to this alliance. Therefore, the entire politics of BJP this time will embrace many new things not witnessed in the last ten years.

Develop Heritage Consciousness In Youth

The talk of ‘cultural heritage’ always puts reflection on the history and identity of every society. And let’s agree that ‘cultural heritage’ faces increasing challenges in the era of ‘smart cities’. Why so? All because the modernization in the name of ‘smart cities’ in times to come will decrease the interest of the younger generation towards their cultural heritage. The lack of formal and informal education contributes to this phenomenon also. The importance of ‘cultural heritage preservation’ should become a priority to preserve cultural heritage for future generations. Among other things that majorly damage cultural heritage are uncontrolled development activities, climate change, and natural disasters. Another challenge is the limitation of conservation resources and the absence of experts due to the lower positioning of ‘heritage preservation’, resulting in a loss of interest and participation in conservation efforts. These many things lead to the degradation of heritage sites and the loss of valuable artifacts.

To begin with, especially among the younger generation, it is required that we raise ‘historical consciousness’ and ‘historical literacy’ in them so that we can preserve cultural heritage. Simply speaking, understanding the past and strengthening a sense of connection to that past need to be done in many ways. With this, the youth can be positively influenced and a perception building towards cultural heritage can be done easily. Besides, this will be a step in the right direction to raise their willingness to participate in preservation and conservation efforts by contributing in their ways. It will play a crucial role in developing communities that understand their history and culture, and the ‘past’ and the ‘present’.

For ‘historical literacy’ museums and heritage sites play a crucial role in promoting cultural knowledge in the younger generation and allow communities to engage with cultural knowledge. Therefore, this literacy on the conservation of cultural heritage should start among high school students in India as this period can play a critical role in influencing the engagement of the younger generation in heritage preservation. Moreover, on a very high note developing educational programs and public policies to enhance students’ participation needs to be developed as a part of the theoretical framework. This will raise ‘historical consciousness’ in the youth across the country. The current and most popular scheme launched by the Government of India – ‘Smart City’ can become an example of the ‘sustainable preservation’ of cultural heritage among the youth.

To champion the cause of heritage preservation, one basic question arises in the era of ‘smart city’- Are we ignoring the history and culture of a place? Depending on the ‘value’ and ‘beauty’ of cultural heritage at any place the answer will come correctly for this question. But the need is to ask this ‘question’ everywhere because only offering illuminating lights and building gates in markets won’t complement developing historical consciousness and proactive heritage conservation endeavors in the younger generation.  Jammu enjoys a rich heritage with many historic monuments, buildings, and sites; for this reason, more money should go into the conservation of heritage work. Only transforming the city with different ideas of urban improvement and not preserving the old Jammu city would defeat the idea behind having ‘smart cities’.

The conservation issues are complex but unless this happens, our ‘smart city’ won’t be sustainable.  And that will also fail the idea of shaping Jammu’s informed youth who will become custodians of heritage.  At the local level in Jammu high-level coordination is required between different government departments to resolve pending works. Sometimes bringing these departments together is a little difficult for different reasons, but if done, the conservation of these heritage buildings in Jammu will provide a sense of identity and continuity for future generations. It will also support the local tourism industry.  The prevailing situation makes it imperative for Jammuites to participate and raise issues for conserving our heritage. The onus now lies on us to support smart heritage-inclusive cities and not let things be forced on us in the name of ‘transformation’ while the heritage of Jammu City remains isolated in the name of ‘change’.

Anantnag-Rajouri Seat And Shifting Political Dynamics

Even after facing stiff opposition from the Gujjars and Bakerwals, Paharis became successful in getting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status in Jammu and Kashmir. Paharis have fought a long battle for reservation before seeing this success. Ten percent reservation has been given to the Pahari Ethnic Tribe, Paddari Tribe, Kolis, and Gadda Brahmins in J&K which was approved by the Parliament in this year’s budget session in February. The Gujjars and Bakerwals were already enjoying a ten percent reservation in Jammu and Kashmir under the ST category. With this new addition, total reservations under the ST category have gone up to twenty percent. However, Gujjars and Bakerwals continue to believe that Paharis didn’t deserve reservation as they belonged to a socio-economically empowered group. With this new ten percent reservation for the Pahari community, Paharis will now get their share in government jobs and various seats in educational institutions. Paharis have a large population in the Poonch and Rajouri districts of the Jammu region and around ten lakh new people are going to get new ST reservations as Paharis have a presence even in North Kashmir’s Baramulla and Kupwara districts.  

This new reservation has seen large political activity around it from protests to internet blockades to political allegations. Most opposition party leaders in J&K believe that this reservation only results from the BJP’s ambitions of expanding in the Muslim-majority Rajouri and Poonch districts. Moreso, because nine assembly segments in the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly after delimitation are now reserved for ST. Before the delimitation of constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, the Jammu region had only thirty-seven assembly seats while the Kashmir region had forty-six. Surprisingly, after delimitation, Jammu got an additional six seats and Kashmir saw only an increase of one seat, taking the total tally to ninety seats in the J&K legislative assembly. So, this allegation of opposition parties shows some reasoning for it. But as they say ‘politics is number game’ so this reservation appears more of a socio-political plan of the BJP to extend its footprint especially in these two districts.

According to the 2011 census, the total population of Paharis in the Pir Panjal region is fifty six percent. Moreover, the BJP has registered victory in the assembly segments of Nowshera and Kalakote falling in this region and retained that lead in both assembly segments during the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In this prevailing political scenario and with this new ‘reservation’ granted, BJP is banking on the consolidation of its traditional Hindu vote bank and expand more with Muslim Paharis vote to score big again in this belt as well as in assembly segments like Uri and Karnah in Kashmir region. BJP is planning to gain with ‘reservation’ even in some pockets of south Kashmir where Paharis are present in significant numbers and this region is known for low-voting percentage in elections.  Firstly, BJP wants to test and achieve out of this ‘new reservation’ and low voting percentage trend in the newly carved out Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary seat having eighteen assembly segments, including Anantnag, Anantnag West, Budhal, Devsar, DH Pora, Dooru, Kokernag, Kulgam, Mendhar, Nowshera, Pahalgam, Poonch Haveli, Rajouri, Shangus-Anantnag East, Srigufwara-Bijbehara, Surankot, Thannamandi and Zainapora.

BJP wants to create a strategic political push on this seat as it is the first-ever Parliamentary seat stretching in both the Jammu and Kashmir divisions. With the impact of the Pahari reservation on this Lok Sabha seat, the BJP’s plans will be little smooth. If we go by simple math that if south Kashmir doesn’t vote in high numbers again this time and Pir Panjal witnesses Hindu and Muslim Pahari vote consolidation in favor of BJP, then BJP will be in favorable condition in Anantnag-Rajouri parliamentary seat, and it may convert this into its maiden electoral victory in the Kashmir valley. Meanwhile, let us also admit that it is easier said than done because of the opposition parties contesting against the BJP on this seat and the traditional strong political hold of the National Conference, Congress, and PDP in the Pir Panjal region. Considering the newly carved Rajouri-Anantnag Parliamentary constituency and the shifting political dynamics in this constituency vis a vis historical voting trends, every single vote will be crucial in determining the future representation on this seat which may become a turning point in Kashmir's electoral journey.

Temple & Modi : A Dominant Social Force

For BJP supporters there was no parallel to LK Advani’s rath yatra in 1990 which propelled BJP firmly into Indian politics. But after the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in Ayodhya which became a socio-religious-political event, the old sentiment of rath yatra is left far behind now. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is the protege of LK Advani proved his determination further. BJP supporters are firmly propagating that post-1947 India hasn’t seen this kind of sentiment in the country which united all Hindus. In the Modi era, the Ram moment also became a Modi moment, and we can say that PM Modi has showed his mettle in this event management. The consecration of the Ram Lalla idol will further thrust the BJP in 2024 Lok Sabha elections as this event saw religious fervor, media frenzy, and high emotional sentiment across the country. 

The Lord Ram’s temple & PM Modi have turned into a dominant social force as well. A persona has been continuously built around PM Modi by his supporters after the abrogation of Article 370, the Balakot air strike, and after hosting the G20 summit in India. With all this happening in PM Modi's term, he has secured a place in the history books. In the democratic setup many believe in him as king of Hindu hearts after PM declared that 1000 years from now people will talk of January 22 as a date of Hindu pride and emotion after performing rituals in the Lord Ram’s temple in Ayodhya. Previously, the coalition politics of NDA forced it to go soft on the Ram temple, but PM Modi blurred the line between State and religion in his era and infused new energy in supporters of Hindutva. The temple construction matched the 2024 election calendar after the favorable decision of the Supreme Court to build a temple in Ayodhya. The carefully chosen month, with Sadhu Samaj in the audience cheering the PM Modi has given a new lease of life to BJP to go ahead in 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

With temple inauguration PM Modi has given a call for “Ram Rajya” which reflects that India will ensure equal treatment to all citizens with no fear for other communities, especially minorities. The question is - will this match the minority's mood in the nation? In the last 10 years, we saw many time weaponization of ‘Ram’ and minorities being threatened leading to communal tensions in some cities of India. Also, we have seen many instances where hate speeches were made for a social and economic boycott of minorities. PM must ensure that in his third term (which is likely to happen) the legacy he is trying to build should not become a hollow promise for minorities in India as many BJP workers are openly making calls for Hinduism as the official religion of the Indian republic which creates a toxic social environment. This also gives tools in the hands of fundamentalists who work only to create polarisation in society. Though these things become ‘headline-grabbing’ in politics but whenever the political system stirs social divide it always leads to differences which at times leads to hundreds of deaths in the name of religion. Amidst the whole thrust put by the BJP on PM Modi’s personality to secure hat trick for BJP government, delivering on security for minorities can be the beginning of a new India where an inclusive nature symbolizes the political achievement of any party rather than just a 'soft target' of receiving votes in the election season.  

Four Years With Covid 19

As of 1 March 2024, there were 1001 active Covid 19 infection cases in India according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. For almost four years now, we have been watching the number of newly infected vs. the number of recovered and discharged patients each day in India. It seems Covid 19 statistics have become part of our lives. But have you ever met someone who got Covid 19 infection six times in the last four years? I met one-person last week who recovered from a cold and flu and while telling me this, he laughed that he should be a ‘subject of research’ because in the last 4 years during annual seasonal outbreaks in the winter months, his rapid screening tests always gave him Covid 19 positive reports. Fear was absent in his eyes. This incident took me back four years when fear ruled in the name of Covid 19. Do you remember March of 2020?

I remember that I was involved in a heritage conservation program in the first week of March 2020. Interestingly, after the event a retired IAS officer said that there was a ‘coronavirus’ going around in India so keep a check and plan your next schedule accordingly. And he said it's a pretty ‘serious virus’ at least for ‘retired people’ and everyone laughed together. However, I reassured him that it was nothing to worry about and that we would probably conduct a session in a few weeks with him being the resource person again. Well, I was wrong.  The virus took the shape of a complete global pandemic and on March 24, 2020, we faced lockdown. Soon, ‘coronavirus’ became ‘Covid 19’ that brought the entire planet to a halt. And this halt made a big impact on our lives. There was no contact with anything or anyone. No handholding or patting someone on the back. During that lockdown, we realized how very important is our mental health and how important it is for us to be connected to friends and family or be part of a crowd at a marriage function.

We all are ‘survivors’ of this pandemic where devastation was the only word explainable and attributable to Covid 19. The death from Covid 19 remains an ongoing and serious risk. Many people died during the Omicron wave than in the supposedly deadlier Delta wave. Then came the new Covid 19 variant JN.1 with new increased volume of reinfection and new symptoms and deaths as well that caused the most concern. This has resulted into long covid, with symptoms like fatigue, memory loss, chest pain, diarrhea, and rapid heart rates. Some researchers have suggested that it can lead to a higher risk of lung problems, fatigue, diabetes, and certain other health problems which is result of long covid only. A lot of materialistic things are still not affordable for us, but ‘life’ should be taken as the biggest luxury after seeing all this.  Perhaps we learned to appreciate the many things we took for granted after lockdowns.

No one wants that loneliness to return to our lives. No one wants to stay in that isolation, especially our elders. The pandemic has made us better people, and more willing to lend a helping hand. Covid 19 brought the societies together which were drifting away due to introduction of technology in our life. We learned that humility and kindness should reflect our lives. However, the sad part is how quickly we forget and now no fear or sense of threat prevails in our minds. So, this should not end up with us just being a ‘survivor’. It’s important to remember that we battled loneliness, sick children, parents, in-laws and so much more. Today as we stand, we need to stay hopeful that we continue to thrive and live life full of community and new experiences. For all this, don’t forget to thank your God who helped you through this!

Live A Healthier Life

If you look around, you will find several people these days who spend time online to find diets and ways for weight loss to become healthy. Honestly, I know many people who search for answers for such personal aspects of life on the internet. During conversations with them, I realized that after reading a lot they yet had no clarity about diets and ways all because such people get over-exposed to the information on the internet and later cannot explain to themselves, what information exactly they found. It's nothing surprising because many times this online weight-loss diet knowledge is completely the opposite of each other. When faced with such a situation, the trust and confidence of people touch another low as they feel that weight loss is something that happens rarely. They lose hope and then even preach to others that we should enjoy eating and be happy with our body weight, which is God’s gift, or ‘his way of life’ designed for them.

Although it's a personal choice to maintain weight. But all those who want to lose weight need the right approach and guidance to stay on track. To raise your confidence, let me disclose that the only thing that must be looked for in healthy weight loss is a 'nutritious diet' that comprises vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products because without it no weight loss can be achieved.  Of course, there is also a lot of proven evidence that documents that a 'nutritious diet' for weight loss works only if we stay consistently on it. Often, the adult in us says something else and the child in us takes us off track in this weight management plan. So, let's talk about a simple guide to make an informed choice by keeping note of some basic facts.  

To start with, limitation needs to be made on everyday salt intake in our meals be it with fruits, vegetables, or healthy nuts. In addition to it, the nutritional value of the diet matters a lot, and this is impacted by the protein sources we have in our daily food plan. For this, if you are taking non-vegetarian foods, you can have your protein share through egg, chicken, fish, or any other type of meat (only a small portion), and for vegetarians, protein sources are beans and legumes, soy, nuts and nut butter, tofu, quinoa, grains, soy milk, spinach, mushrooms. For vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians, one of these protein sources should be taken every day along with every main course. Adding to the problem is a common thing i.e. sweetness, which we all look for after meals. But it means transportation of unhealthy options inside the body while doing weight management as the use of artificial sweeteners after every meal deviate weight loss plans. 

While doing all this, let me tell you that we need not follow one diet plan for the rest of our lives. There is always the need to bring variation in a diet after 2-3 months otherwise it brings medical problems, especially nutritional deficiencies, and metabolism defects in the body. Besides, the reason behind this approach is also to shut doors for short-term weight loss plans. I watched people getting results with extreme dieting and sadly in every case weight came back in less than 3 to 4 months. Extreme dieting is impossible to follow for long and hence, weight gain. The diet that you need to follow should bring healthy results and not the ones that may later invite medical problems. Another trend has been witnessed of taking multivitamins to become healthier without even knowing the need for it. In the present day, it’s an exception to take calcium and Vitamin D supplements as vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets don't fulfill the intake requirements for these nutrients. Otherwise, a healthy diet can supply you with necessary minerals and vitamins that you need to sustain a healthy body. In other words, it's always important to choose something right for yourself.  

Further, while doing a nutritional diet plan, it is equally important to limit your calorie intake by limiting trans fats mostly found in packed foods as well as junk food, a favorite alternative, especially for millennials. To limit calorie intake, people feel that fasting is a path they should take to cut high-calorie intake done in previous meals. But that's basically a myth and something which harms your body again. A few hours of fasting in one day will not help if, on the remaining days, nothing has been done to help the body in a healthier manner because a sustained effort is needed to be made to keep body healthy. To do all this, a long-term commitment is needed to develop eating habits that bring change and a gradual adjustment in the body's metabolism.

A new normal must be created with these basic health lessons which are crucial, and they become a foundation stone to practice a healthy lifestyle.  After all, no diet is a perfect diet until you exercise or do some physical activity as part of this process. It would help to keep body weight away. For this, do some workouts in the gym, running, or even a brisk walk for 45 minutes every day along with your healthy eating routine. Whatever you choose, just choose not to cheat/miss a day. More so, due to a reasonable exception if you miss a day then don't worry as every routine should motivate you enough to follow back and not make you feel guilty. Try to live a healthier life but if you have certain health issues or take medications then check with your doctor always before planning to jump into weight loss plans. Everyone has a goal to remain healthy and it is never too late. But to achieve it, only a few people take steps that bring immense happiness and reduce the anxiety caused by clothes that suddenly feel tight.

Reset Jammu's Security Mechanism

In the last few years, the Kashmir region has witnessed a weakened anti-India ecosystem. This needs to be appreciated. The first major sign of improvement in the situation is that the stone pelting has become a thing of the past. Kashmiris no more pelt stones on Indian security personnel near any site of a gunbattle between militants and security forces. Previously, teenagers in Kashmir were being used by their handlers for carrying out such stone pelting attacks near almost every site of gunbattle. Secondly, in the last four years calls to boycott any elections in J&K have stopped. Although an "era of peace" is yet to be achieved and could be far still the central government is firmly taking steps like declaring ‘Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, J&K (TeH) as an 'Unlawful Association' under UAPA. Moreover, for the first time in the last many decades, the New Year celebrations took place at Srinagar's Lal Chowk on December 31 and people were seen enjoying the Lal Chowk without fear.

The working security machinery in Kashmir has been remarkable and never seen in the past 3 decades. Amid the developing peace in Kashmir and the rising spirit of nationalism across the country, let's not shy away from acknowledging another fact that the Jammu region has been witnessing an upward trend in militant activities since 2019. A process has been set into motion to take the Jammu region back in time. Simply examine the year 2023 which started with a massacre at Dhangri village of Rajouri in which 7 civilians, including children, were killed on January 1. After that, IED recovery was made at Kheora Rajouri, then twin explosions in two different vehicles at Narwal Jammu in which nine civilians were injured. Apart from what all started building in 2019, the year 2023 hinted towards infrastructure ready for maintaining the troublesome situation in Jammu province. It would be too 'liberal' if we forget that the year 2023 ended with the martyrdom of four soldiers in the Poonch district when heavily armed militants attacked an army vehicle at Dera Ki Gali. After this incident, another internal security conflict erupted when three civilians allegedly died in Indian army custody which triggered a massive public outcry.

After the year 2021, these border districts have seen targeted killings of security forces personnel. Despite efforts by security forces, the militants struck again and again in the Poonch and Rajouri belt which surely now is the prime focus of militants. Addressing the year-end press conference in Jammu, DGP R.R. Swain also said that foreign terrorists are still getting some support from “our territory”. This may also point towards the critical challenge slowly but steadily built in the Jammu region in the last few years. A question arises here- Is Rajouri-Poonch going back to the late 90s? Surely no. However, the recurring nature of attacks shows that the intention is purely to revive militancy. With these attacks, anti-India forces intend to dispel the perception that peace has returned in J&K and for that reason, these civilian killings and attacks are significantly done now in the Jammu region.

Another big reason behind this change of tactics is that militants are finding it very difficult to operate in Kashmir so for that reason these anti-national activities have been taken out of the Kashmir valley to maintain the momentum. The government is saying that there is peace in the Jammu region but despite such claims, the reality remains grim as fear now prevails among civilians.  These areas in the past saw a change of demography and with a renewed threat prevailing in the region, this may silently start happening once more. With two elections coming for J&K in 2024 and a hanging hope to see full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir at an "appropriate time", it's the right time to reset Jammu's security mechanism and the government should weigh all the strictest methods to prevent Jammu from becoming another Kashmir 'living in the sense of fear'.