KASHMIR FLOODING

Granted that the devastating flash floods of Kashmir caught the administration unawares, throwing off communication lines, vehicles, ambulances etc. The CM did not have a government as the capital city itself was paralyzed. Granted also that the splendid job the defence forces did was due largely to their preparedness and availability of appropriate relief and rescue infrastructure.

But how does one explain the following:

a. Nearly all the doctors and para-medic staff of several hospitals – including that of the largest maternity hospital of Srinagar, the LD Hospital – abandoned their posts and ran off leaving the patients alone

b. From executives, to officers, to workers of the government, the establishment did not act proactively and kept awaiting orders. From every account the government employees just vanished. Could the police, home guards, civil employees in their individual capacity not have acted to rescue people on their own?

c. Of what use was the state’s disaster management apparatus?

d. Much worse and far more shameful: rampant thieving and robbing is going on right now, even as the rescued flood affected people abandoned their homes and shops

Is this the character of the community that lays its claims on the Taj Mahal, the Mughal saltanat, the Persian Empire, the 1000-year rule over India, the “best people” Allah created for the humanity?

Fellow Muslim friends, think. Compare with the character of the people and of the communities that are thriving today. And then ponder this assertion of Maulana Hali:

KHUDA NE AAJ TAK US QAUM KI HALAT NAHIN BADLI
NA HO JISKO KHAYAL AAP APNI HAALAT KE BADALNE KA
[God never changed the destiny of those that did not act to change it first]

Yes, there were stray examples of admirable heroism and chivalry. But that all of the above happened and that such sterling examples were exceptions rather than the rule, does bother me. Doesn’t it bother you?