Wisdom provides capacity to solve the real life problems and if we want to live meaningful life, it is important to acquire Wisdom. As we live through life and its experiences, it is vital that we reflect on such experiences to make our subsequent steps. As Immanuel Kant, a famous philosopher said that “Science is organized knowledge. Wisdom is organized life.”
The wisdom of the government to set up Jammu and Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (JKIDFC) to speed-up pending infrastructure development projects in J & K need to be highly regarded and cherished by one and all. These initiatives shall soon be recognized by the common people as many of the projects are in completion mode. I have watched the video of engineering marvel of twin tube tunnel around 8.45 km long (Qazigund-Banihal) and many of us will reap its fruit. Almost all major hospitals have sufficient oxygen plants and other infrastructure to meet health care challenges. Plants are running in three shifts and they are manufacturing 2000 cubic metre oxygen daily for medical use.
Hopefully, AIIMS Awantipora shall also be taken up on priority and few more medical colleges to be made operational. There are other projects which need to be completed for public as post pandemic will witness their urgent need.
The JKIDFC have been transforming systems and promoting unprecedented levels of transparency by institutionalizing J&K Infrastructure Monitoring System (JKIMS). The system enables real time monitoring features like geo-tagging, image uploading facility of finished projects, dashboard for monitoring of progress thereby adding to transparency and accountability.
In Jeddah (KSA), on construction sites display boards used to display, “days left for completion” and if the contractor fails to meet the deadline, he goes with empty hands.
It is strange to know that after inauguration stone laying ceremonies in presence of public, number of essential projects which include healthcare infrastructure, extension/ construction/ widening of roads, bridges, water supply schemes, entrepreneurship development institutes, sports and education infrastructure were kept pending for decades. What they used to speak on those inaugural functions could not be reproduced; I wish I could have attended a few. Nonetheless, few are being blueprinted by some local news channels, that schools constructed in nineties are without roofs and hospitals constructed years before are without doors and windows. One newspaper nicely reported that 6-storey building of the Nursing Home adjacent to the GMC Jammu was closed for years for public use after short-circuiting and seepage issue. Road widening from SKIMS to Kashmir University viva Malbagh is as old as I am and I remember inauguration stone was fixed just at the gate of Unani Hospital of Kashmir University. Since this is of vital importance to NIT Srinagar, Kashmir University students that on emergency, our Ambulances take usually this road. The good thing is that people have left the land. There are many instances of old languishing projects. There are many humorous stories of some vital projects which are being brought to public by the vibrant media.
For more than 60 years, we were having only three Medical Colleges, one curtsey of a local eminent scientists, but within a short period of two years, the number is around 10, including Ayush. One of my neighbors once opened one medical college, admitted even two batches of students but was later closed for unknown reasons. Thanks to Hon’ble High Court who later adjusted those students in Govt colleges and relieved hundreds of families. Recently, one philanthropist late Dr. Javid wished to open an innovative university, it took around an year for two principals to provide feasibility certificate, could not visit the site just 15 kilometers away. It is all just a history of 6000 old languishing projects, of 6000 foundation stones. It took only a decade to Harvard/Cambridge/Stanford for its completion but Central University of Kashmir was running on rented shops for more than a decade and probably still in doldrums. What a strange and abnormal mechanism and management. A renowned philosopher stated, “A wise man can learn from another man’s experience; a fool cannot learn even from his own.”
Shah M A teaches Nanotechnology at NIT Srinagar