Chetna Verma

Twenty-one year old Mohammad Hassan, sporting aleather jacket and denims, is deep in conversation with agroup of village elders in more traditional attire, all squat-ting comfortably in the verandah of his mud-plasteredhouse. He is oblivious to the fact that this seemingly ordi-nary scene represents an unusual milestone in the journeyof change that this border village in India's northern-mostregion is embarking on. For this dusty, non-descript villagein the Himalayan Ranges has seen much over the cen-turies, from its role in the historical Silk Route, to familiesdivided by the wars with Pakistan in this strategically-sen-sitive region and the more recent Kargil War. The conver-sation turns to the dismal state of education in the village,to the dreams and aspirations of its impatient youth, anddevelopment and rights - all matters not usually ponderedover in the struggle for survival in this challenging high-alti-tude terrain. The transition from past to present and a hope-ful future becomes evident when Hassan's firm, youngvoice responds patiently to the elders' raspy questions.

Village Hunderman Brok, where this animated chatteris being witnessed, is not alone. Nestled in one of the mostpicturesque regions, Hunderman Brok is merely ten kilo-meters uphill from the main Kargil town in Jammu and Kash-mir, located near the international border that India shareswith Gilgit-Baltistan (PoK). This village, like others in theKargil region, remains cut-off from the rest of the world foralmost six months a year due to extreme climatic condi-tions.

Located in close proximity with the town, the develop-ment scenario of this border village that was included inIndian Territory by the Army during the Indo-Pakistan Warof 1971 still reflects a dismal picture.

"During 1947, Pakistan Army had their bunkers in Zan-skar but soon they were pushed back by the Indian Army.During spring, a Pakistani officer came and took away hisarmy members from Zanskar but before Losar (BuddhistNew Year), Pakistani Army seized Hunderman and stayedin control for the next twenty five years. In 1971, Indianforces pushed back and regained control of the village. Inthis cross-border conflict, we suffered the most," shared anoctogenarian, also Hassan's namesake, referring to thedivided families across the borders.

"We haven't come a very long way from the past. Then,we had only a single school in Brolmo Village (now in Gilgit-Baltistan). After the war in 1971, we remained deprived ofeducation for three consecutive years. In 1974, after thevisit of the local administration, the first primary school was

constructed which was later upgraded to a middle school,"says forty eight years old Ahmad Hussain.

During those three years, when there was no education,a trend emerged across the village where youth sought outthe livelihood option of being hired by the security forcesas porters. The trend became popular and so lasted throughthe decades. The third generation, to which Hassanbelongs, has managed to get some education. "In Class 6,I was shifted to Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Leh. With apoor educational background, it was really difficult for meto keep up with the rest of my class. It is a problem I con-tinue to grapple with, even in college," says Hassan whois currently pursuing graduation from Government College,Chandigarh and wishes to come back and work for thedevelopment of his village after his post graduation.

Hassan was fortunate enough to find a way to garneran education. Not everyone else in the village was as for-tunate. After middle school, which offers no quality educa-tion, children have to go to town but there is no no roadleading there. The so called road that connects strategical-ly-located Hunderman Brok to the rest of the world wasconceived under the Central Government's flagship pro-gramme 'Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY')during the tenure of the previous Government and was tobe completed in 2011-12. But for reasons unknown, workon the road lies abandoned.

"We live on the border and yet are completely ignoredby our government. In 1971, after the Indian Army took over,we had no identity for almost a year. Gradually, we tried tomove on and adjusted with what we had. Today, childrenof Hunderman Brok are unable to get quality education anda major hindrance in achieving this is the absence of roadand transport facilities," rues Hussain.

Acknowledgement of the role of the Indian Army is all-pervasive: "Whatever we are today is because of the Army.They support us at each and every step," is echoed by all.

The middle school is being looked after by the localadministration and Army plays no role there. "As part ofOperation Sadbhavana, the Army sponsors education ofchildren from remote villages and also sends them to Pune.But I don't know why none of our children have been giv-en this kind of opportunity so far," said Hussain.

In the absence of road and transport facilities to reachKargil, children are forced to either leave the village and renta room in Kargil or stay with their relatives in town. But onlya few can afford this; the rest simply drop out of school.

Those living away from home to study are not happyeither. "I stay with my relatives in town to attend school. Butit's difficult to study here as during study hours, I have to

help them with their chores like filling water. Parents, backhome, always cooperated during study hours," says 22-year old Iliyas who has failed one of his Class 12 exams.

Villagers believe that if transport services were availablethen children from the village could have had better accessto education after middle school. And better future perspec-tives!

The Planning Commission, in its plan for border area

development, realizes the fact that people of Jammu and

Kashmir living close to the international border have to deal

with special problems arising out of their distinct geo-phys-

ical situation and concomitant socio-economic conditions.

People face hardship because of inadequate and/or lack

of basic infrastructural facilities. Also, due to adverse cli-

matic conditions, the working season remains very short in

the state, resulting in low levels of development. Therefore,

it is necessary to meet the special needs of the people of

the region. On the other hand, villagers rue that border schemes

hardly reach them and are utilized in the town only. "OurNumberdar is elected from Poyen Village which is not locat-ed near the border. I think that is the reason why despitebeing located near the border, we are unable to benefit fromthe schemes designed specially to cater our needs," saidIliyas.

Children in Hunderman Brok, undoubtedly, belong to alesser God. They will be the first to face the fall-outs of anywar like situation arising at the border, yet they are the lastto be taken care of by our government. They need a fairchance to live a dignified life; all they need is a road thatleads to their dreams! Charkha Features

Lalit Gupta

From a sleepy transit town of 1950s-60s, Jammu, theprimate city of the region has witnessed a great transfor-mation. Alongside the phenomenal urban sprawl, thecityscape has also undergone a sea change in the culi-nary sphere. Over the last few years, Jammuites, especial-ly the Gen next has begun to relish exotic cuisines. A lothas changed - not just in food but people's palates andtastes as well.

While the recently opened international food chain out-lets in the city like McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Café Coffee Day,Dominos, Smoking Joes, etc as moderately fashionablefamily restaurants are seen as a haunt of the upper-mid-dle class youth who have money to spare, it is the road sideeateries serving whole new range of fast foods, which aredefining the new taste of Jammu’s burgeoning brigade ofteenagers.

This silent revolution in the cultural landscape is a totalcontrast from days of roadside squatting neighborhoodvendors and small kiosks selling pakoras, dwaraas,seviyaan, boiled black grams, raitaas, seasonal kanji, jal-jeera, etc. Now the list includes momos, thupkas, chowminand soups. Dished out by roadside vendors operating fromrehris and improvised outlets, these fast food items notonly cater to the changing taste buds of new generation butalso an expression of food as a social ritual.

The samosas and various kinds of handmade breadslike parathas and puris along with Punjabi favourites, suchas golgappas, chhole-bhature or chhole-kulche, tikki anddahi bhalla, remain favorites with older generations whogrew up in a conventional fare of sugar-heavy and oily diet,the new types of fast foods are being savored by high schooland college going students as a gesture identified withmodernity.

Surprisingly it is ‘momos’, the morsel-sized food itemwhich is giving competition to and easily beating the goodold pakora and samosas among the younger generationJammu. From high-end restaurants to roadside stalls, ithas become ever-present in the city. Sellers of these canbe spotted in the markets of old city, in colonies located insouth and west of winter capital like

Gandhi Nagar, Shashtri Nagar, Trikuta Nagar, ChhanniHimmat to Janipur and Roop Nagar.

Some five years back, not many locals knew of this dish,

which is preferred by the people in Tibet, Bhutan, Sikkim,

Nepal, and Ladakh and some parts of Himachal Pradesh.

But a platter of momos which emerge out of steam along

with the accompanying tomato and red chili sauce guaran-

tees to make the taste buds transcend the flavors of oily

foods, has become a hit. Originally, these used to be a non-

vegetarian delicacy, but are now available for pure vegetar-

ians with vegetable and paneer stuffing. Despite the mushrooming of lavish restaurants and food

courts, Jammuites, in particular ladies, take pleasure in try-ing out the road-side delicacies. No one is embarrassed ofpicking up a quick bite on the streets. Rather, it' is a com-mon practice to gulp down golgappas or eat kachaloos,

while doing shopping in old city areas like KachhiChowni, Pacca Danga, Fattu Chowgan, Purani Mandi etc.

Jammu’s unique importance as the winter capital of thestate, industrial hub, centre of education, destination forlatest medical facilities, has made it a truly a regionalmetropolis where Dogras , the original inhabitants are shar-ing space with Kashmiris, Gujjars, Paharis, Bhadarwahis,Kishtwaris and Ladakhis. Living in a melting pot of cultures,the city dwellers of Jammu are showing a remarkable traitof lapping up alien culinary habits.

With floating population of thousands of daily commuterscoming to Jammu from adjoining villages, towns as far asSamba, Hiranagar, Kathua, Udhampur, Katra, for work,study, or on official business, there is a great demand forfood joints. With the result, today, the street vendors withtasty fast food delicacies to serve can be easily encounteredin and around the schools, colleges, office areas, and atother places where people congregate.

Along with customary puris served with chicken peas(white channas), aaloos, and auria, the stuffed nans, pran-

thas, or bread and omelet, is popular breakfast for studentsliving in hostels and office goers. The reasonably pricedlunch served at number of dhabas compromising of roti,dal, kari, vegetables or non-veg mutton and chicken cur-ries, remains a standard choice for everyone includingthousands of pilgrims coming to holy cane shrine of ShriMata Vashinodevi ji.

The Kashmiri wazwaan, previously confined to the Res-idency Road area famous for hotels like Cosmo, Premierand restaurants like Naaz, Moughal Darbar, etc, is beingserved at different hotels and non-vegetarian dhabas ofthe city. Unlike the olden times when ‘Ojari’-offal and ‘khar-ode’-trotters and boiled eggs, were few non-veg items soldby roadside vendors, the growth of large number of kiosksdishing out fried and tandoori chicken, mutton kababs andvarieties of fish item, speak of the growing tribe of non-vegetarians amongst the city population.

Gandhi Nagar, which has emerged as the address forbrand shopping in the city, is also now a favorite haunt forfoodies who during evenings gather around some of thebest roadside food stalls in the city. The easy to eat to takeaway fare includes varieties of soups, Kalaadi–Bread, nutrinuggets, chicken and mutton dishes along with tandoorbaked Handi Biryani.

But it is the fast foods like momos, thupka (a Tibetan

noodle soup), chowmien, sandwiches, wraps and rolls, par-

taken by mobile lot of youngsters between the traditional

meal hours—is in high demand. This new food trend as

the symbol of multicultural sensitivities and cosmopoli-

tanism, is also increasingly becomes a major emblematic

substitute for the native culture.

WORD OF CAUTION

Fast foods, per se, can be incredibly healthy meals,

depending on the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the

cook. However, the term has, in recent times, become

almost synonymous with junk food, which is only appeal-

ing to the palate, loaded on unhealthy calories and has

little or no nutritional value. While healthy fast foods, such

as salads or soy burgers, are recommended for a whole-

some daily diet, unhealthy fast foods (junk food), such as

commercially sold burgers, aerated drinks, pastries and

candy are harmful, and should be consumed in moder-

ation. Children's appetite and taste -- notoriously difficult

to control -- can be severely affected by continual con-

sumption of junk foods. The calorie-filled junk foods lead

to obesity, which aids and abets numerous, more seri-

ous diseases.

SUNDAY, JULY 21, 2013 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/magazine

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DREAMS IN SEARCH OF A ROAD!

CHANGING TASTES OF JAMMUITESDespite the mushrooming

of lavish restaurants and

food courts, Jammuites,

in particular ladies, take

pleasure in trying out the

road-side delicacies. No

one is embarrassed of

picking up a quick bite

on the streets.

Located in close proximity with the town, the development scenario ofthis border village that was included in Indian Territory by the Army during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 still reflects a dismal picture.

Excelsior-Rakesh

Unfolding the tales of the changing times.