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<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nQudsia Aftab
The world is moving towards AI, digital economies, and smart cities and it is tempting to think that electricity is given in every part of the planet. But in the mountains of Kashmir, there is a village where darkness is still a part of everyday life. Their story is not of the distant past, but of the twenty first century.
A recent report of BBC NEWS URDU revealed a case of the village in the Kupwara district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, where people have been living without electricity for generations. This might sound unbelievable to many readers. How will a community stay denied of one of the most basic public services at a time when governments claim about technological advances and development? The answer is found in a reality which is not always apparent in political discussions and official reports.
It is not only a nuisance to the people of this village that there is no electricity. It influences all aspects of life. Residents work during the day and perform domestic duties. Children are at school and families go about their lives. But when it gets dark, it’s a whole different story. Darkness is a hindrance to learning, work and safety.
Now think of a student wanting to be a teacher, doctor, or engineer but you can’t study when it gets dark at night. In other communities children use laptops, online learning platforms or digital libraries, but in this community many of children use firelight or their own make-shift lamps to do their homework. They’re hard working, but it’s not a hard working world. Wood fires are used by families not only for cooking, but also for lighting. This means indoor smoke is always present. It has far-reaching implications, beyond merely uncomfortable. Prolonged exposure to smoke can lead to respiratory diseases, eye conditions and other health problems. A seemingly unprovoked power outage slowly becomes a greater issue of public health.
The tale of this village is an uncomfortable one, asking the question: What is the measure of development? Highways, big projects, economic data and technological advances are commonly cited measures of progress in government. These accomplishments are significant, but development is not measurable in national averages or brandy-blowing statements. The improvement of the situation of the most remote and the most vulnerable citizens is also a test of true progress.
This is particularly important in Kashmir, a region which has long played a pivotal role in the political debate. The Kashmir issue frequently centers on security concerns, diplomacy, land-claims and geopolitical rivalry. These issues are certainly of importance. But the life of the man in the street is on parity. The child studying beside a fire, the old man struggling to find his way at night, and the mother, who is inhaling smoke while cooking \u2014 these are the entire Kashmir story. What they’ve seen ought to make us remember that human welfare must be the focus of policy. Electricity is a tool to education, health, communication and economic opportunity. But if not, communities can lack barriers that extend over generations. Some families have been waiting for such a basic service for decades, indicating a disconnect between promises and actual experiences.
The villagers of villages such as this are not demanding luxury. They are looking up for what many of us in this world take for granted, being able to turn on a light, charge a phone, have a light to help children learn after sunset, and not be at risk of having health issues from the constant smoke exposure. This is a reasonable goal but for many\u00a0 it is unattainable.
This is a reminder to everyone that the Kashmir issue is not limited to territorial and political issues. It is also fundamentally the issue of daily lives of ordinary Kashmiris and their entitlement to the basic rights and opportunities. Having no electricity in the 21st century in a community is a kind of evidence to the gap between the rhetoric and reality of development. A political agenda can sometimes be a distraction to the discussion but the true measure of progress is in terms of people’s access to education, healthcare, connectivity and a dignified standard of living. This is because any discussion pertaining to Kashmir needs to begin with the welfare and aspirations of the people of Kashmir.
The write is a student of International Relations, NUML University<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Qudsia AftabThe world is moving towards AI, digital economies, and smart cities and it is tempting to think that electricity is given in every part of the planet. But in the mountains of Kashmir, there is a village where darkness is still a part of everyday life. Their story is not of the distant past, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":203180,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-203181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t