The Hindu : For a feel of the real India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 18, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

For a feel of the real India

By G. Mahadevan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. Jan. 17. Khalil Ahmed is 16 years old. For the first time in his life, he was able to walk about without fearing landmines or having to dodge bullets. Khalil is not alone in experiencing such freedom. With him are 39 other school children from Jammu and Kashmir who have come to tour south India under the `Bharat Darshan' programme organised by the Border Security Force (BSF).

This is part of the BSF's Counter-propaganda Action Plan aimed at giving children from Kashmir a feel of life in the rest of India, as opposed to the things they hear about the country from TV and radio programmes from across the border. All these children, from remote villages in J&K have been exposed, in varying degrees, to the militancy problem in J&K.

Khalil is from Poonch district. He dreams of becoming a school teacher. `Most Government schools in our State do not function properly. In many places teachers do not come for fear of the militants. Someday this has to change,' he told .

Saddam Hussain from Udhampur pointed out that the staff who do turn up to teach are not at all qualified to do so. `We also need a high school,' the 14-year-old said.

When asked about the other problems they faced back home, the group was quick with their answers. `If and when we complete our studies, we don't get any jobs,' volunteered Abdul Salem from Poonch. `only the rich people get jobs, for only they can afford the bribes,' he said. `In many villages there are no roads, many houses have no electricity and there is an acute shortage of drinking water in many places,' said Sukhinder Lal from Kathua. `To top it all, the upper caste people make life difficult for the low-caste people.'

The children said they felt that many Kashmiris took to militancy because of the poverty and some because their relatives were militants. Now, however, most people are facing the attendant problems of militancy. Kashmiris, specially the youth, now look forward to a peaceful life, proper education and good jobs, pointed out Saddam Hussain whose aunt was killed when she stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and Farooq Ahmed whose uncle was gunned down by militants. Some children argued that the Governments in J&K and in Delhi should reach more money to the panchayats so that developmental activity can take place at the grassroots level.

The children were accompanied by a six-member BSF team led by deputy commandant, T. K. Periyat. `This is the fourth year that the BSF is organising the Bharat Darshan programme. We select 80 children. While 40, are taken to tour places in north India, the rest come to places in the south. We provide clothing, food and lodging for the 17-day trip,' he explained.

After visiting the Shangumugham beach, the group left for Kanyakumari this afternoon. Though the children were scheduled to meet Chief Minister, A. K. Antony, on Friday, they were unable to keep the appointment as the Himsagar express arrived in the city two days behind schedule.

From Kanyakumari, the group will travel to Chennai where they have an appointment with the Chief Minister, J. Jayalalithaa. The children will also be meeting Chief Minister, S. M. Krishna, in Bangalore. In Delhi, a meeting with the Prime Minister is also on the cards. The group will be back in Jammu on January 28.

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