In these columns it had been repeatedly pointed out that the solitary International Flight being operated by Air India between Dubai and Srinagar is having teething troubles and may be soon discontinued. Well, the prediction has come true. However, the moot point is whether the flight has been discontinued for genuine reasons of non-viability or there is more than what meets the eye. Of course there has been total apathy from both the State and the Central Government to honestly take charge of this pioneering and historical initiative which had ended Kashmir’s isolation from the global market but in our case there are always over-riding considerations. It is like cutting off the head of a person suffering from headache to get rid of the problem once and for all! No one has realised the true import of this important confidence building measure which could go far in removing the grievances of the local population regarding the lack of connectivity to the outside world. Unfortunately, most of the CBM’s in Kashmir are for show and not for real substance. If one examines the other CBM’s like the cross LOC bus and cross LOC trade, the situation is same. These are getting stalled due to the insensitive and aphetic attitude of the authorities on both sides. Incidentally, the authorities on two sides blame each other for the stalling of these measures. For quite some time no body was travelling on the cross LOC bus due to cumbersome clearance procedures. There were thousands in the waiting list. There have been reports that the procedure is being changed and on spot permits at the crossing points may be issued. If true, it is a first welcome step. As regards the trade, the less said, the better. It is a blind barter trade. In fact, recently the traders refused to send goods because of numerous handicaps. Unfortunately, the final say in all these matters rests with the security bosses. Bureaucrats on this side and the Generals on the other side! They have their own biases, prejudices, and above everything their own individual agendas. Political leaders, Civil Society members, and the Captains of Industry seem to have a very little say. “National Interest” and “Security Reasons” are the last refuge for not doing anything worthwhile and people friendly. The situation is bound to continue as such until the trust deficit between the two neighbours is removed. That may take an awfully long time to happen! Two generations of Kashmiris have already passed into history waiting for that mutual trust to materialise. God alone knows how many more generations have to wait for this trust, bonhomie, and love to develop for their bondage of centuries to end?

As regards the International Flights, one fails to understand why of all places it is essential to have a flight only up to Dubai? In real terms, for Kashmir a flight to Jeddah would be more sensible and in fact very lucrative for the Airline. Moreover, why should operation of such flights be a prerogative of a sinking airline like Air India? A number of private carriers including the Kingfisher Airlines had shown interest in operating International flights from Srinagar. For reasons best known to them, the Central Authorities are very reluctant to allow private carriers. No doubt, Dubai was a good starting point but one has to move on. At the time of starting the flight Dubai was considered an easy destination to operate. In fact, we had supported the operation of this sector both for tourism and trade. However, the operation had to be commenced after a lot of ground work. Unfortunately, nothing of the sort was done. How many FAM tours of the Travel Agents, the Tour Operators, the Airline Representatives, and above all of the Media personnel from the two destinations were conducted? Probably none? In fact, Kashmiri Travel Agents went on their own to Dubai to solicit some business. In the absence of Government backing, they were not able to achieve much. Merely, declaring an Airport as an International Airport by starting a solitary weekly flight between two least connected destinations even though at the lowest rates is not going to work. People cannot just by tickets, board the flight, and fly off like they do on the domestic flights. This is because the two destinations are in two different countries requiring visa and immigration formalities. It is a pity that no one is taking interest in sorting out these basic requirements.

The greatest misfortune of Kashmir is the lack of commitment on the part of our leaders of all hues and shades. The mainstream ones are extra sensitive and fully pre-occupied in either keeping themselves in power or getting it somehow back if they are out of it. They cannot go against Delhi in any case as it is the real source of power for them. The opposite camp is totally obsessed with the abstract “Azadi”. They do not seem to be concerned at all with the interim period. They are simply waiting for “Azadi” which has been eluding Kashmiris for more than half a century. The urge for “Azadi” is not going to diminish or get diluted if they concern themselves with other burning issues faced by Kashmiris. Environment is one of the most pressing problems. After the destruction of our environment “Azadi” would be meaningless! Similarly, there are umpteen other issues like the language, history, social set up, and so on which need immediate attention and intervention from all members of the society. An important topic for discussion could be the connectivity of Kashmir. One has to forcefully point out the jokes being played on Kashmiris in this regard. It is a subject on which all parties irrespective of their individual agendas need to unite. There can be no better CBM than restoring Kashmir’s connectivity as it existed in ancient times. All connections within the sub-continent as well as to Central Asia. The easiest way without any hassles is the aerial connection. At least these could be restored to various countries of the sub-continent and to the neighbouring countries in Central Asia, Middle East, and South East Asia. There should normally be no problem in starting these flights as a replacement to ancient land routes. Unfortunately, the authorities instead of opening new ones, plan to close the already started solitary route. This needs to be resisted by one and all. It would be a cruel joke on Kashmiris if an International Flight started after a wait of decades is just called off simply because of load factor. There are many other places especially in the North East, where the Airline is suffering worse losses. In contrast to that Kashmir has immense possibilities of operating many viable International Flights if the authorities sincerely and honestly want to do that. They will have to do it if the local stake holders too show sincerity and honesty. Let us pray that people on all sides do that, and we do not let the solitary swallow to fly off! We are probably witnessing advent of summer after a long time!