A Kashmiri Ruler
Kashyap Bandhu
[Source: Desh Files procured from Sh. S. N. Gorkha, Translated from
Urdu by Prof. M. L. Kaul.]
In our land hordes of government servants from
peon to Prime Minister are labelled as rulers. Cosmic Gods live in
temples. Mundane Gods also inhabit temples, which are branded as 'temples
of sovereignty.' In matters of architecture the temples of cosmic Gods
have a broad base which narrows down till it reaches its apex. The spires
in their breadth are not more than a golden line. But architects in our
country have patterned the temples of cosmic Gods on a design which
differentiates them from the temples of mortal humans. If the temple of a
cosmic God is tilted upside down, we can discern the 'Worldly Temple' in their
impeccable design. It has the loftiness of Himalayas, flexibility of the
slender waist of a female beauty and charm of the lower limbs of a frenzied
lover. In administrative parlance such a construction is nomenclatured as
top heavy. And it is here, in such a construction that our administrative
Gods live.
In matters of classification there is no difference between cosmic Gods and
mundane Gods. The temples of cosmic gods are adorned with 'murtis'
imported from Jaipur and are seen nestling with home-made 'murtis'. But
the 'administrative temples' are decked with mundane Gods imported from the
Punjab, U.P., Madras, Bengal and occasionally from England. These imported
Gods are seen jostling with homemade Gods. The ranks of cosmic Gods and
mundane Gods are packed with foreign and locally-made Gods without any
discrimination. It is within everybody's ken that Gods of whatever hue are
oninipresent and hence cannot be differentiated on grounds of clime, colour or
race.
It is said that 'God's Wand' is slow in its movement; but movement it does
have. The 'govemment's wand' is slower than the wand of God. The
fact is that 'God's wand' reaches the earth after piercing through the blue sky
and seven oceans. The 'government's wandteaches its target after
undergoing lots of eddies of red-tapism. I also need the proverbial life
of 'Roma Rishi' and 'Kwaza Khizar' to touch its focal point. Every common
man is not fortunate enough to live a long life as that of Roma Rishi and Khizar.
Hence the flourish of the 'government wand' loses its momentum much before it
reaches its target.
Our rulers have framed and formlated laws and some of them are good beyond
doubt. But these laws seldom come to people as they are enmeshed in the
thorns of red-tapism and are lost in the depths of storm-tossed oceans with none
to retrieve them.
Very lately government has set up a 'talking shop' after the pattern of
'emporium' which peddles goods of various craftsmen. The shop remains open
twice a year and government and non-govemment members peddle their words as
shop-keepers peddle their goods. This is a new industry that has started
to thrive in our land. Common people have not yet made out the secrets of
this industry. But it is on a fast track and is attracting everybody's
attention. What is funny that the Silk Weaving Factory, Jammu Tannery,
Kashmir Sheep Farm and Drug Industry figure prominently in the official reports
of government, but the above-said industry does not find a mention as if it were
totally non-existent.
Our rulers have launched a blitz propaganda for temperance follow the
foot-prints of the Congress government which has lost power. But our
rulers cannot avoid the whiff of smell emitted from liquor and has developed an
addiction. They gulp pots of liquor openly and stealthily under the public
gaze or in solitude. There may be some exceptions here and there, but they
do not make a summer. But before laws are enacted to ban liquor sale it is
essential to frame laws to root out corruption which is endemic.
Processions in honour of cosmic Gods are organised on fixed days of a year.
The followers of Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, Prophet Mohanned organise massive
processions on the occasion of Janam Ashtami, Rama Navami and Prophet's
birthday. But the motorcade of our 'mundane Gods' does not stop till their
budgeted T. A grants do not exhaust. And since Ayyanger Sahib has
eternalised the T. A. grants the motorcade of these 'earthly Gods' never stops
and is ever on move and their twenty four hour service is deemed to lead this
land to final salvation.
Our rulers have diverse hobbies and tastes. The latest hobby is to deal
in estate. In this hobby, government patronage is quite useful. So
are the pests of 'Nambardari' and 'Zaildari'. Our rulers consider these
pests more efficacious than 'bee keeping'. Mr. Ayyanger has started to
felter these rulers through the enactment of laws that ban dealings in land.
But these rulers continue in their indulgence without dither or fear.
In the end despite all my writings you are obliged to confess that the
'administrative temple' is lit by such lights as are holier than the purity of a
spinster and more life-nourishing than the miracles of Jesus Christ. To
tell you the truth some such lights are so heavenly that they dispel the
darkness of heresy infidelity.
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