Back to press conference

http://www.risingkashmir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=155&Itemid=51

Attending PC is not merely reporting but having to bear the side talks, giggles and rushing with other scribes to get the free meals.

BABA UMAR

The city’s Ahdoos Hotel, many believe, is turning out a sweetheart of pro-independence politicians these days. It has seen ‘cream of the crop,’ who air their beliefs from its cosy hall, meant for meets and other gatherings. Today it was Shabir Shah—once portrayed as the 'Nelson Mandela of Jammu and Kashmir; founder, Jammu & Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP), who was back to press conference podiums after a gap of three-and-half-years. The separatist leader after several years came to public only to declare that he has realised the benefits of the ‘Unity in Diversity’—a comment many failed to swallow. Perhaps he was talking about the reunion of APHC (M) and APHC (G). But what about his place in any of the two parties? He refused to comment. His speech no doubt started on time, however, some of the scribes and lensemen seemed to have forgotten their lessons. Organisers of such meets often complain of distractions caused by the latecomers. And the side talk during the press conferences, which is a hobby of some latecomers, also irks the leaders who are supposed to be heard first. And as the separatist leader talked about the oppression and the magnitude of sufferings a common Kashmiri endures, one of the scribe’s mobile phone confirmed his statement, “Dil mein meray hai Dard-e-Disco”—the sing tone, as the cell phone buzzed. The song, actually a Bollywood hit, synchronized with the leader’s words.The press conference ended as usual. The moment one of the escorts of Shah announced the house open for freebie (Tea and Kebabs), the news gatherers in huff gathered around the long embellished table for the plates and forks. Meanwhile, a scribe joked to his fellow member, what would happen if there will be no freebies? “No news-gathering,” pat came the reply and they both laughed. Just after they stepped down the stairs, one of the scribes had an SMS, which read: Shabir Shah is floating the third APHC called APHC (S).

Imported sweets, indigenous eaters

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Talk of sweets and our mouth waters. How strange is the fact that we love sweets but when it comes to make them we just avoid them.

BABA UMAR

There was a time when indigenous sweets like ‘Busrukh, Khand-e-gazer’ used to be the essentials in marriage
and engagement ceremonies. However, the present times presents a different picture. Sweets like ladoo, burfi, gulab jamun,kolkata sweets, etc, have deeply penetrated into our culture and society. And the outside labourers are taking a full advantage of it. Many believe that local workers are themselves responsible for it. They say, workers here are talented but they have an ego problem that needs to be shelved. “Probably the outsiders are not willing to share their trade secret here,” opines Parvaiz Ahmad Bhat, who is running a confectionery shop in the Lal Chowk. Bhat also says the local bakers do not like learning this art and that is the reason why this work is being operated here by outsiders only. “My workers are all from Delhi and Jammu,” he says.
“Outsiders don’t feel shy,” says Ghulam Mohammad, who orders a kilo of sweets in one of the famous sweet shops of the city. “Our local workers are sitting idle in their homes while the outsiders collect wealth here.” He says Kashmiri workers have already lost their jobs to outside masons, carpenters, labourers and this line of work is no exception. “Even we have an attitude problem,” says the Manager of Modern Sweets, Irfan Ahmad. He says people here are not willing to change. “We can see how many Punjabi’s and Bihari’s are eating up our jobs,” he says. “Sweets played no role in our Kashmiri culture; however, they (outsiders) brought this thing in our society,” he further adds. “And we gave up.”