For a long part of their modern history Kashmiri people have simultaneously lived a life of two extremes – intense scepticism and hope. Cognitive and behaviour psychologists have always struggled in trying to decipher the miracle of living these two extremes. Anthropologists, I believe, are yet to decode the exact pattern of social and political outcomes of this state. Most Kashmiri characteristics and behaviour are not unique by any standards. They are just human. Tormented life is long known to give birth to complex people and extraordinary behaviours. So here we are. The miracle of a life of contradictions is that it continues to make living possible, albeit with deep pain. But what on earth actually explain these extremes and contradictions? Quite naturally, it would take a several-volume book for anthropologists and behaviour psychologists to explain that. What, however, is sometimes useful is a reflection on the mundane. The mundane can tell a lot about the people and the place. So what mundane do we choose? How about Kashmir’s streets? And the vehicular traffic? Silly? Not so. The state behaviour has always had a profound impact on the psyche, behaviour and the feelings of scepticism and hope of Kashmir’s citizens. So let us take the state first. One can safely say that the extent and the quality of rule of law are a direct reflection of the street behaviour of vehicles run by the state and its functionaries on the streets. We often see government vehicles without registration number plates, and never questioned and penalised by the law in Kashmir. This is one significant indicator about the exceptions law has for the state. Most government vehicles carrying government officials ply on the streets treating normal citizens almost second class. The implied messages are these: anything of the state has the first right on the road. There is no equality before the law. Stopping on red signals is discretionary. Common citizens are always expected to give them the way. They will never ever be fined for wrong parking. They will never ever be fined for breach of law. And apply these to all other spheres of our life, one can bet, every falsification test would fail. In Kashmir you observe that creating alternative possibilities for what judiciary in principle forbids is easy for the state. All of us know that there is a Supreme Court of India judgement that bars the state vehicles using any invisible material on their glass windows. Now look at those curtains that make things invisible, yet conforms the law! Kashmir happens to be one of those rarest places on this planet wherein we see traffic officials manhandle minor law-breaking citizens. Is that impunity or part of state culture? The displayed state behaviour often impacts common citizens’ conduct and behaviour. A disregard to rule of law then has a psychological ripple effect. Respect for traffic laws by common citizens is rare in Kashmir. People who actually respect traffic laws by choice are few. That tells us that there are actually few people who are willing to play by the rulebook. And that is what is the case with all the spheres of our life. People who prefer to drive and conduct themselves by the rulebook often pay a price and lag far behind from those don’t respect the rules. They are overtaken by those who don’t wait for their turn and who don’t give opportunity to pedestrians to cross the road. Humanism is rarely appreciated. And that is what is the case with every sphere of our life. One of the most severe diseases of our society is ugly opportunism. Opportunism in our society has many manifestations. We don’t mind exploiting personal opportunities in situations of collective crisis. And our roads duly reflect that. When ambulances carrying the sick or the injured zoom through the traffic, the trail passage they create behind is often fought over by everyone else behind. Creating opportunities in moments of death or suffering seems normal. Something even more brazen happens too. Government, Army and other security forces’ vehicles generally bulldoz
Posted on: Sat, 03 Aug 2013 23:05:58 +0000
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