Bitter Experience Sanskrit scholar in J&K

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The bitter experience of a Sanskrit scholar in J&K

The lone crusader

By R.C. Ganjoo

 

"Shridev Sharma exhibited his scholarly acumen when in his impromptu

speech in chaste Hindi at S.N. Das Gupta College on October 11,

2003, he said "Knowledge-based industry is to be established in

Kashmir which is the birthplace of Sharda".

 

WHO is the enemy of Kashmiris? None, other than their own rulers. It

is an admitted fact that those who genuinely wanted to the extend

their helping hand to Kashmiris have always been discouraged by the

state government. The practice in Kashmir has been to treat innocent

Kashmiris like cattle and keep the flock under `stick and carrot'

rule. But how long will these innocent Kashmiris be kept at bay?

 

Just two years ago a very low profile businessman from Delhi, all

alone and without any, with no political support, plunged into

Kashmir to create economic interest among the people for their

betterment.

 

Amazingly, a person having the background of a Sanskrit scholar,

managed to carry forward his mission of giving an original look to

Kashmir with his innovative concept of an integrated township in

Srinagar; one so unique in the world where man and nature would

exist in harmony.

 

During his stay in Srinagar for one week, Shridev Sharma could feel

the acceptance of the people towards the economic zone, after having

interaction with a cross-section of the people. Hopeful signs he

could see for his project, but of course, with the active

participation of the Kashmiris. Eventually, he decided to launch on

a construction of housing complex project to house families in a

composite ambience to revive the age-old tradition of Kashmir. The

township was absolutely eco-friendly with a holistic design prepared

by The Designers, a leading architectural–planning firm based in

Ahmedabad and which has carried several infrastructure and

architectural projects. So much so, his concept was well received

when the Srinagar Development Authority who had issued the

appreciation letter (No SDA / VC/ 3991 dated October 30, 2003)

signed by Vice-Chairman, SDA to Shridev Sharma, in which it

mentioned that SDA would obtain proposals from interested developers

for this mega project "and the department is shortly going for

invitation of expression of interest".

 

But the state government wanted to put this project on a different

track. According to knowledgeable sources, Chief Minister Mufti

Mohammed Sayeed and Housing Minister Gulam Hassan Mir handpicked one

private developer, OMAXE Construction Limited from New Delhi for

this mega project, obviously on mutual understanding. Thus on

January 7, 2004, SDA offered 4,200 kanals of land for this project

to OMAXE putting the cost at Rs 550 crore and excluding the cost of

land without following proper procedures and formalities. Shridev

Sharma could not raise his voice against this injustice meted out to

him. However, his silence proved disastrous for the government when

it had to eat humble pie in the assembly on this alleged scandalous

issue. After a furore in the state assembly the Housing and Urban

Development Department circulated a tender notice in leading

newspapers on February 1, 2004 to save their skin.

 

However, due to inadequate response to the Housing and Urban

Development Department's tender notice from real estate developers,

this project could not take off. According to P.G. Dhar, for this

project, which is in "for the time being the project is kept in

abeyance. As soon as the land is cleared from legal hazards, a fresh

tender will be circulated."

 

Meanwhile, Shridev Sharma's project has got a new life when an offer

came from seasoned Kashmiris that he must contest the 2004 Lok Sabha

election from Baramulla constituency. It was beyond anyone's

imagination that the proposed project would introduce economic-cum-

political welfare in Kashmir. It is noteworthy that in J&K, a non-

state subject can contest for Lok Sabha but not for the assembly

elections. As a Sanskrit scholar he can exhibited his scholarly

acumen when in his impromptu speech in chaste Hindi at S.N. Das

Gupta College on October 11, 2003, he said "Knowledge-based industry

is to be established in Kashmir which is the birthplace of Sharda".

Without any hesitation he said that film and fashion industries will

be set up in Kashmir as God had bestowed natural beauty to it. He

received an overshelming response from the people of Kashmir.