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 By Ahmad Kashmiri

Uprising- 2010, so far, beyond killings of teenagers, tortures and arrests witnessed some unique and ‘innovative’ things. Two of them, worth mentioning here, first being that of Ab Ahad Jan, a police constables shoe throwing incident on states chief minister Omer Abdullah on the eve of 15^th august. The second in vogue is the “episode” of Noor Mohammad Bhat, a college lecturer who asked a few ‘general’ questions pertaining to the prevailing circumstances of the time, while setting the question paper of “Gen English” for an under-graduate class. The pristine lecturer might have sensed apprehensions of consequences at the time of paper setting but perhaps, he might not have imagined that while he is asking for or against the heroism of stone pelters, he would him self become a hero.

Police constable, Ab Ahad Jan became hero of the day as soon as the news of his shoe-throwing spread. People, especially, youth throughout the valley praised him with slogans, Teri Jan Meri Jan Ahad Jan Ahad Jan(Your Life, My Life, Lovely Thy Ahad Jan Ahad Jan) and applauded him for the ‘bravado’ he seemingly had depicted for raising his voice against the atrocities done to kashmiris . But his heroism did not last long because just after two days he met the chief minister and the cat was out that he was worried about his promotion and perks which alone forced him to commit the shoe-throwing incident.

Noor Mohammad Bhat a least-known personality came only to limelight when the concerned Gen. English Question Paper was un-sealed and distributed among the examinees on the scheduled exam day. The candidates found a few general questions therein pertaining to the prevailing situation that dominated Kashmir for not less than 5 months. According to news reports one question asked was, “Were stone pelters the real heroes? Discuss”. Moreover students were asked to translate a para entitled “Kurfew Mein Eid”(Eid In Curfew)From Urdu To English, The Contents Included, “ Kashmir Ek Bar Phir Jal Raha Hai, Navjawanu Ka Garam Khoon Pani Ki Tarah Bahaya Jaraha Hai, Police Aur Sipahi Chhoute Bachoon Tak Ko Mar Mar Kar Halak Kar Rahay Hein. Ladkiyoun Aur Awratoon Tak Ki Chhatyaan Golyun Se Chhilni  Ki Jarahi Hein, Gam o Shehar Kay Log Dard Se Karah Rahe Hein. Hukmran Musalsal Gehri Neind Sorahe Hein. Aisa Lagta Hai Ki Who Andhe Behre Aur Goonge Hochuke Hein .” (Kashmir once again is burning, the warm blood of the youth is flown like water, police and soldiers beat even the kids to death, the kids, even the chests of girls and women are pierced by bullets, people of villages and cities are crying with pain, rulers are sleeping fast asleep, it seems that they have turned blind, deaf and dumb).

 This proved unpalatable for some people and some section of media made much ‘publicity’ of the issue, terming it ‘controversial’ question paper (QP) and soon the authorities arrested the lecturer allegedly for setting an anti establishment QP. The pristine lecturer has been arrested under Section 13 of ULA, under this Act charges of unlawful activities are leveled and the criminal can be imprisoned for 7 years.

This “episode” indeed, is multidimensional in scope for debate whether the QP could be really termed as controversial and anti establishment or the mere reflection of any conscientious person who may have lived in Kashmir during those five months of unrest. Moreover it involves large sections of the learned society ranging from students viz academicians to the parents and then the common masses. One can say that authorities made much haste in jumping over to conclusions for declaring a routine thing as controversial and anti establishment which finally ‘facilitated’ the arrest of a lecturer who for the years have rendered his professional services for the highest seat of learning- Kashmir University as a paper setter and else services that may be in the records of the univarsity.  The authorities did not wait for any possible commissioned investigations that could have been mandatory in this regard. And for that matter we during our varsity days were told that univarsity is an “AUTONOMOUS” body that deals all its issues and disputes on its own even we would see  3 English letters K.U.G written on the shoulder-bands of university police meaning Kashmir University Police.

The contents of the  specific questions asked in the QP reveal the possible time period when it might have been set, it depicts the pain and agony of that time, the sentences, “ Police Aur Sipahi Bachoon Ko Mar Mar Kar Halak Kar Rahi Hein, depicts that there is ninety-nine percent probability that the QP  was set after the killing of 7 year child, Sameer Ahmad Rah of Batamaloo Srinagar, who was beaten to death by the security forces when he was playing in the vicinity of his home lawn .

The family sources of the detained lecturer too, according to news reports have revealed that when the paper was set, it was the time when Kashmir was caught  in the  whirlpool of turmoil ant tension . When the killing of teenagers was on prowl, when the deaths exceeded the days per week. When the wrath of people was so furious that politicians and high ups of the establishment would not dare to travel by road but by air through choppers to their destinations.

 Perhaps psychology is a subject in vogue in the world of feelings and sensations of the humans, wherein the experiments and the experiences reveal that circumstances lay their impact on the living creatures and to speak of its impact on humans, the best creature of the world, Ashraful Makhlookaat. Islam has already realized this human socio-psychological need that is why our religious preachers pronounce on current situations and the remedial measures of the problem of the time even on regular Friday sermons.

 Once this author appeared in an audition test meant for communication skills in Door Darshan Srinagar wherein they had asked a then current affair question of international status that was as to discuss the Post Iraq War Situation. And later when the result was declared this author was figuring second in the list of the qualified 40 candidates. Thus the sensitive paper setters always have a keen observation of the events going on in the societies and nations and the examinees too find it interesting and up to date. This reminds me a Kashmiri phrase, “Mei Khauer” (I am safe), that means no matter if the others suffer but I must be safe and if I am safe, then everything is all right. Humorously saying, Noor Mohammad Bhat ought to have asked questions on the situations of Iraq, Palestine, Afghanistan, and Bosnia or for that matter Pakistan then according to“Mei Khauer” principle it would have been appropriate and all right. But the poor lecturer started ‘charity’ from home, violated the“Mei Khauer” principle and fell into trouble.

 Now the “Activity” is being debated for pros and cons. Some people call it politicizing of academia, some call it anti-establishment activity, some call it heinousness and the rest befit it into heroism.

If the analysis of this issue is supposed to be done by a third party, yet, for a scientific and practical analysis, the time is premature for giving a label to the actor, the lecturer, because the ‘testing-material’, the answers of the specific questions have not become public but lie encrypted in answer scripts. Experts, called evaluators, can reach the conclusions, provided, both the parties, have courage to vow the truth, that is the students must have written the answers well according to the aspiration of their consciences and the evaluators are enough brave to narrate the statements when asked by judiciary. 

Again, if the questions itself are subjected to analysis by an unbiased party or third brain, things can become clearly understandable, because the paper setter has not sided with either of the parties. He, instead, has asked to write whether stone pelters were real heroes or not and asked to translate a paragraph, the contents of which when sincerely checked for actuality are never untrue or contrary.

Infact, history reveals that in conflict zones and warring areas, things are never as easy to understand as the people are made to believe and understand. There are enormous instances in the world history that one person for one act was declared a ‘bad person’ (with any label) in an uncertain or oppressed situation and the same person for same act was latter declared a hero in the eased and independent scenario.

Noor Mohammad Bhat, for the time being, being behind bars allegedly for being an ‘Anti Establishment Element’, may be declared the best paper setter or a hero  tomorrow after Post Kashmir Freedom and his “controversial paper” may be kept in a museum. Who knows?

Evidently this case is finally to be dealt in judiciary and judiciary afterall has its own weights and measures to test the things as being harmful, harmless or for expectedness. Barring the verdict of this prospective case, it is likely to attract the attention of the people for it may indulge uniquely historians’ psychologists, psycho analysts or even endocrinologists as medical science has explored that circumstances can cause the release of hormones and hormones inturn lay impact on ones thinking at a given point of time.

Tail Piece: When any bird falls in some trouble, all other birds come to its rescue, though helplessly but they atleast raise hue and cry by shouting chirp chirp at that time, forgetting their races for that life-saving movement. The poor lecturer belongs to ‘some’ fraternity whose man power is about half million, ranging from EJAC to KUTA, and who cause tremors in the establishment by their unity when there is some anomaly or disparity in their pays and perks. But at a time when one entity of this fraternity is in trouble they did not utter even a word of sympathy(except one or two press releases) for the troubled man not to speak of pleading for his just and honorable release. Why did they kept mum, the reason may be best known to them.

(Feedback at ahmadkashmiri@gmail.com)