‘Years of militarization main cause of floods in Kashmir’

Dissecting the discourse over the devastating September 2014 floods linked to the blunders of encroachments and other environmental issues, researchers in the Kashmir valley have highlighted that years of “occupation through militarization” was the main cause in making this Himalayan region vulnerable to such calamity.
A research based report “Occupational Hazard” underlining the dimensions of militarization of the state’s civic infrastructure, water bodies, lands, forests, higher ground karewas and meadows having led an enormous bearing on urban planning of cities leaving the people vulnerable to flood and disasters was released by Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society on Monday.
“97,000 kanals of land is under the control of army…they have mostly occupied karewas and higher lands pushing the local population in the low-lying areas vulnerable to floods,” said Shrimoyee Nandini Ghosh, a human rights lawyer and researcher.
She said while it is said that the floods were caused naturally, no one questions that the 300 convoys of military above the snowline trigger the melting of glaciers. “After the supposed demilitarization in the city, the camps were moved to the highlands. As a result the city moved downwards thus more vulnerable.”
Ghosh emphasized that under International, Humanitarian and Environmental law, occupying powers are required to exercise ‘guardianship’ over the natural resources of the territory they occupy, and are prohibited from causing extreme and disproportionate damage to the environment during warfare and armed interventions.The report was released on the death anniversary of Aasiya Jeelani, a human right activist who lost her life in an IED explosion while traveling to Kupwara to monitor the elections in 2004.
The report through specific examples, case studies, news reports and testimonies backs the research explaining the history of floods in the state, its political economy to manage floods, massive military deployment and occupation of land besides the contribution in relief and rehabilitation by locals, as the dominant factor.
Speaking at the discussion after the release of the report, Mohammad Junaid, an anthropologist and a US based researcher talked about how the ‘military exploited the space for their own interests making the people vulnerable.’
“After the floods, the occupier was left naked as we could clearly see how the cantonments were located on the safe zones and people were inundated…It is an event which woke us up from the slumber,” said Junaid.
He said the ‘fundamental mode of governance is counter-insurgency.’ “The years of warfare has not only made the people vulnerable to floods but the way momentary rain causes fear is all because of it. They are responsible for turning this disaster into a catastrophe.”
Junaid mentioned about the importance of local wisdom by giving the examples of the traditionally planned old-city which was not inundated. “The wisdom from our ancestors is embedded in our culture…ecological resistance will help in rekindling that wisdom,” he stressed.
Another speaker, also an anthropologist, Mona Bhan said the issue of Kashmir needs a fundamentally political solution.
“State government cannot hide behind the rhetoric calling it a natural disaster…While the ratio of government employees per lakh population in Bihar is 420:1 lakh, Gujarat is 800: 1 lakh, Kashmir’s ratio exceeds all with 3000 per lakh,” said senior journalist Riyaz Masroor. “Where were they during the floods?” he asked.
Breaking the ‘myth’ that tourism is the main contributor of the State GDP, Masroor said tourism contributed only 7 per cent and only three lakh people are associated with it but perception is being created that it is the only source of economy forgetting the agriculture and other sectors.
Human Rights Activist, Gautam Navlakha said: “Earlier we were aware of ecological imbalance due to occupation but in certain areas like Siachin and Amarnath Yatra as its offshoots but the recent floods have made us realize the new dimensions of militarisation. It is beyond killings, impunity to forces, occupation of land and military deployment but has more dimensions.”
In relation to the report Mir Fatimah Kath, a co-researcher of the report stated: ”This report is vital because it shows how the disaster vulnerability of ordinary Kashmiris is impacted by the political and historical context. It maps our relationship to Kashmir’s rivers and lands and how we as a society cannot afford to ignore the human rights implications of these supposed environmental concerns.”
Advocate Parvez Imroz, human rights lawyer and president of JKCCS underline that the report explores the impact of militarization which is usually invisible and least explored and studied.
The report concludes by summarizing the important substantive findings and inferences, proposing an agenda for future inquiry, research and action.