Read B A Bashir's interesting article in GK. Thanks for showing your concern. Alas! the fact is nothing will change for good and things will go from bad to worse. Every family in Kashmir will have to mourn the loss of their near and dear ones - courtesy our arrogance and pseudo- superiority complex.
I live in West Europe and would like to share something with you. Believe me I spent equivalent to around 2.5 lac rupees just on driving lessons. I passed the practical driving test in the 6th attempt and paid equivalent to Rs 30,000 towards exam fee only. You will be surprised to know that I failed the test twice for failing to the check the internal mirror. How many drivers in Kashmir know what mirrors are meant for? I failed twice for driving at 55km in a 50 mile zone.
This year I went to a driving institute in Srinagar to find out more about learning driving in Kashmir. I was shocked to learn when he confidently assured me that I would be road worthy after 18 half hour lessons. Out of curiosity, I asked him if his car had a double control system for safety (brake and clutch), he had no idea of this system. When I asked about final driving test, he honestly told me that a bit of chai would be enough.

Altaf Hassan
sultanpurialtaf@yahoo.co.in

Lastupdate on : Sun, 6 Jan 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 6 Jan 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 7 Jan 2013 00:00:00 IST