It is how flood victims divided themselves into various categories at Gupkar Road’s helipad, as they exist in our reservation system, and how I was trying to look at our lives as how it must have been like before the eyes of the Almighty...
I, along with my neighbors headed towards the rescue camp by sitting into an Army-bus. Some ladies were still sitting outside here and there in timeless wait. They were awaiting for their beloved husbands separated by rescuers as they were preferring ladies and children to come out first. That Army-bus brought us to a higher area on Gupkar Road, where in a temple or school a relief camp was set up. As I decided not to go in relief camp while all my neighbors went to the camp. Now I wanted to reach to Srinagar airport anyhow, so I could go further to Delhi. There were arrangements to send people to Jammu, Delhi, Chandigarh, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Secretariat’s helipad was being used to send people outside, which situates at Gupkar Road. This road was the only dry-patch that time in that area, as it situates on a hillock overlooking most of Srinagar. Several top officials including the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's (former now) residence is also on the Gupkar Road. This elite Gupkar Road was thrown open to the public after around 10 years.
But as I reached upward towards helipad, it was like almost loosening of all hopes. Around 8,000 people, in around 15 km long queue, were already there waiting to enter into the complex. There were two gates to enter, one was for VIP’s only and other was for common public. But till I reached there the timings for common people were closed. Situation was likely to be in that queue for some more days but I didn’t wanted to go back to relief camp. I had made up my mind to wait there, without knowing that how I was going to spend that night there on road that’s too all alone. Gratefully I found some other colleagues and alumnus of my school there. None of us had ever thought that someday we would spend a night on road like this. We were without food and without any arrangement for that chilly night. Soon we, like many other people gathered some tree sprigs from around, as it was a backwoods area too. Thereby, arranged the bonfire and could spent that night at open, dark and parky road. It was just that night, I could spoke at home (Delhi) through somebody’s mobile and could inform them that I was safe and okay.
People were quarrelling to come ahead in queue. In night the gates of complex were opened for ladies and children to sit inside. But hoard like people entered inside and occupied the nearby place of helipad. Few were still sitting silently outside the gate, as they were confident of forthcoming morning scene. They were saying that outsider’s queue only will work in morning and people those went inside would be extruded. But in morning foreigners, and ladies and children were called up to come first. In consequence, more scuffle had arisen. It was a tough situation for Army-men to handle. That concourse weren’t including human-beings and victims now. They were Foreigners, then they were Tourists, Localites, Outsiders, Kashmiris, Non-Kashmiris, Employees and so on. So many categories were there, as they are in reservation system. But here these categories were identified by people themselves, wasn’t recognized by Government. Army-men were asking to send Foreigners first and then to ladies and children. Because foreigners were our guest, and it was our humble duty towards them, and for ladies there were no toilet facilities. But some localites were arguing over this calling it a biasness towards them. Few started laying down on the helipad.
Many among other mobs, were trying to push others to come ahead and to go first. Men were even pushing women. Few pregnant women too were there, Army-people made them stand separate. But modest citizen of this country were not sparing even them. Even some elderly ladies were shoving those women. Some were fainting, men were shouting, women were crying, kids were nagging. It was becoming severe and none was ready to grok the situation. None was ready to either collaborate or to compromise. Everyone was desiring to go first, without realizing the need of cooperation. Helicopters were coming towards helipad but due to scarcity of landing space, they were unable to land there. Anyhow after spending a lot of efforts, Army-men could able to control the crowd. Eventually, they could made a helicopter to land. I would say myself extremely lucky that I was in first 20 people, who were chosen to go in first term. Perhaps due to bally-ragging I was pushed in-front, but causing the same I couldn’t flew in that term. But I managed to ascend towards helicopter in fourth term at last.
I, along with my neighbors headed towards the rescue camp by sitting into an Army-bus. Some ladies were still sitting outside here and there in timeless wait. They were awaiting for their beloved husbands separated by rescuers as they were preferring ladies and children to come out first. That Army-bus brought us to a higher area on Gupkar Road, where in a temple or school a relief camp was set up. As I decided not to go in relief camp while all my neighbors went to the camp. Now I wanted to reach to Srinagar airport anyhow, so I could go further to Delhi. There were arrangements to send people to Jammu, Delhi, Chandigarh, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Secretariat’s helipad was being used to send people outside, which situates at Gupkar Road. This road was the only dry-patch that time in that area, as it situates on a hillock overlooking most of Srinagar. Several top officials including the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's (former now) residence is also on the Gupkar Road. This elite Gupkar Road was thrown open to the public after around 10 years.
But as I reached upward towards helipad, it was like almost loosening of all hopes. Around 8,000 people, in around 15 km long queue, were already there waiting to enter into the complex. There were two gates to enter, one was for VIP’s only and other was for common public. But till I reached there the timings for common people were closed. Situation was likely to be in that queue for some more days but I didn’t wanted to go back to relief camp. I had made up my mind to wait there, without knowing that how I was going to spend that night there on road that’s too all alone. Gratefully I found some other colleagues and alumnus of my school there. None of us had ever thought that someday we would spend a night on road like this. We were without food and without any arrangement for that chilly night. Soon we, like many other people gathered some tree sprigs from around, as it was a backwoods area too. Thereby, arranged the bonfire and could spent that night at open, dark and parky road. It was just that night, I could spoke at home (Delhi) through somebody’s mobile and could inform them that I was safe and okay.
People were quarrelling to come ahead in queue. In night the gates of complex were opened for ladies and children to sit inside. But hoard like people entered inside and occupied the nearby place of helipad. Few were still sitting silently outside the gate, as they were confident of forthcoming morning scene. They were saying that outsider’s queue only will work in morning and people those went inside would be extruded. But in morning foreigners, and ladies and children were called up to come first. In consequence, more scuffle had arisen. It was a tough situation for Army-men to handle. That concourse weren’t including human-beings and victims now. They were Foreigners, then they were Tourists, Localites, Outsiders, Kashmiris, Non-Kashmiris, Employees and so on. So many categories were there, as they are in reservation system. But here these categories were identified by people themselves, wasn’t recognized by Government. Army-men were asking to send Foreigners first and then to ladies and children. Because foreigners were our guest, and it was our humble duty towards them, and for ladies there were no toilet facilities. But some localites were arguing over this calling it a biasness towards them. Few started laying down on the helipad.
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| Crowd at Helipad, and I too a part of it (A Clipping of a Newspaper of Rajasthan) |
Many among other mobs, were trying to push others to come ahead and to go first. Men were even pushing women. Few pregnant women too were there, Army-people made them stand separate. But modest citizen of this country were not sparing even them. Even some elderly ladies were shoving those women. Some were fainting, men were shouting, women were crying, kids were nagging. It was becoming severe and none was ready to grok the situation. None was ready to either collaborate or to compromise. Everyone was desiring to go first, without realizing the need of cooperation. Helicopters were coming towards helipad but due to scarcity of landing space, they were unable to land there. Anyhow after spending a lot of efforts, Army-men could able to control the crowd. Eventually, they could made a helicopter to land. I would say myself extremely lucky that I was in first 20 people, who were chosen to go in first term. Perhaps due to bally-ragging I was pushed in-front, but causing the same I couldn’t flew in that term. But I managed to ascend towards helicopter in fourth term at last.
Sitting onto pew in that Army-helicopter, there were exuberating emotions. Ladies and children were blubbering inside. And, I am with lack of words to describe the moment, when helicopter boarded from helipad. Instant on that minute, while gazing outside through the window, I was feeling something hyperphysical. Now, we were flying refusing for dying. Soon, in while we had reached to Air Force Station Airport. From there we were brought to Civil Airport of Srinagar by an Army-bus. There were separate queues for distinct destinations i.e. Jammu, Delhi, Chandigarh etc. on Srinagar Airport. My waiting ended finally in late evening when Delhi passengers were called up. Around 250 passengers of that Delhi flight were a motley cluster of foreigners, tourists, employees, laborers and others. Laborers were seemingly pleased with their first air travel experience. While flying from Srinagar, looking down through window I was trying to view the earth as how it must have been like before the eyes of the Almighty. We might are not less than the toys afore him and our lives too. How tiny our houses and our flood marooned lives were, as we were elevating from the earth. That night on 10th September, 2014 by an Air India flight (provided by Government to Flood victims) I could came to Delhi, to my home, to my family.
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