Excommunication

Jammu and Kashmir is passing through history’s biggest communication blockade

A middle-aged person, a businessman, had somehow managed to get admission for his son in a Dhaka medical college. He had promised his son that his Eidhi along with his monthly requirement would be sent together. By the time the amount was ready, Kashmir witnessed a clampdown. Living in a locality that lacks a bank, they somehow managed to reach one bank where the systems, they were told, were not working.

The second option, the couple thought was to go to the airport and request somebody to take the cash and deposit in their son’s account.

It proved to be a risky affair as nobody was willing. Finally, a paramilitary official, who was flying home, agreed. He gave them their cell number and told them to get in touch with him, a day later.

Now the issue was how to talk. They finally reached a government facility where one can talk to a person outside the state in presence of an officer. The man was in one line with the objective to talk to the BSF official. In another line and in another office, the lady was in the line with the objective to talk to her son. Both, on their turn, could manage dial the numbers. The son did not pick up, most probably, according to the lady, because he is supposed to be in his class. The official could not get connected for some reason.

“We are sure that the official would have done what we requested him,” the man said. “But we still wanted to check, if it happened or not...There is always some crisis as things go off the script.” After spending three days in managing the “operation” that would normally take five minutes, the couple is keeping their fingers crossed.