Srinagar: In Jammu and Kashmir, meteorology has officially been defeated by political science. Nature recently unleashed over twenty terrifying cloudbursts across the Chenab Valley in Jammu and the pristine streams of Pahalgam and Sonamarg in Kashmir. Mudslides and flash floods mercilessly swallowed up residential properties, vital connecting roads, and local orchards. Yet, the true “high-pressure zone” remains firmly rooted inside the air-conditioned television studios and political stages.
While common citizens are left literally digging their homes out of thick mountain slush, people in power are entirely occupied with much louder, man-made atmospheric disturbances: political outbursts. For our leaders, a theatrical shouting match keeps them infinitely more relevant than the painfully unglamorous work of disaster rehabilitation.
Disaster management officials enjoy perfect immunity from pesky clarifications or accountability, as the leadership is far too busy navigating the shifting winds of alliances. In J&K’s unique ecosystem, the sky may crack open and wash away public infrastructure, but it is the political storm that reaps all the prime-time attention. Sky-bound clouds merely destroy livelihoods; political clouds build careers.
