Disket Document: Post Stadium

Cinematographer: Shaina Anand

Duration: 00:08:56; Aspect Ratio: 1.333:1; Hue: 111.779; Saturation: 0.028; Lightness: 0.466; Volume: 0.268; Cuts per Minute: 12.869; Words per Minute: 93.218

A number of historians, journalists and activists are invited to Disket in the Nubra Valley, Ladakh to participate in a "National Integration Conference". However, it appears that this was misrepresented, on arrival they are told that the actual event is the celebration of "Buddh Mahotsav", the first in a series of Nation-wide Events (the next was to be in Arunachal Pradesh) master-minded and organised by the VHP. What were a bunch of left-liberal folks to do? They performed their speeches for the good citizens and children of Disket, and talked late into the night.

This clip depicts their journey back from Disket.

A group of people comprising of Indian journalists, activists and historians were invited to Disket in Nubra Valley Nubra Valley, Ladakh (close to Siachen Glacier), to participate in a 'National Integration' Seminar. Instead, they find themselves attending a 'Buddh Maha Utsav' organised by the VHP. What was supposed to be a conference turns into a series of short intermittent speeches during a long cultural programme of sorts. This is the footage of their journey back from Diskit in Nubra Valley. A number of donkeys, cows and mules stroll around on the road at a leisurely pace, and the narrow road is flanked by trees on one side.
The majestic Karakoram Karakorum mountains loom in the background.
Nubra Valley, Ladakh
Karakoram
National Integration Conference
SA: Are these tattus (mules) on the road?
drive
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Nubra Valley, Ladakh

Nubra Valley, Ladakh
The clip shows the drive through a long deserted stretch. The Karakoram mountains lounge in the background. As the bus trundles along the narrow black road, sunlight filters in through the clouds. There is a shot of a black helicopter landing in the distance.
He said if you bungle a landing, you're gone. Because there's no way you can pull up.
Karakoram
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journey
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Nubra Valley, Ladakh
The clip opens with a still frame of grey sand and rocks, then cuts to a green field and a couple of people riding through a sandy patch, in the middle of it, on horseback.
Karakoram
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still frame

(Faint sound of laughter in the background.)

The guys who were dancing were also somewhere...

Okay, they were doing this Bhangra kind of dance. That one?

Is the road like this, or is it better?

It's better but it is curved.
Sunlight falls in patches on the mountains through the scattered clouds. A vast stretch of land, sandy around the edges and greenish towards the center, lies before them. Snatches of conversation can be heard. Someone comments on the similarity between the traditional Tibetan dance they had seen at the "conference" and Bhangra.
Bhangra
Nubra Valley, Ladakh
Tibetan
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A group of people comprising of Indian journalists, activists and historians were invited to disket in Nubra Valley, Ladakh (close to Siachen Glacier), to participate in a 'National Integration' Seminar. They find themselves attending a 'Buddh Maha Utsav' organised by the VHP. What was supposed to be a conference turns into a series of short intermittent speeches during a long cultural programme of sorts. On their way back from Diskit in Nubra Valley they stop for a while and light conversation ensues. They talk about Ashok Jaitley who was the Chief Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir from 1996-2002. MA talks about his experiences with Farooq Abdullah (CM of Jammu and Kashmir from 1986-1990 and 1996-2002), and his meeting with him during Ramadan. Ali Mohammed Sagar, the NC (National Conference) Leader is also mentioned.
KMC: Many villages in Kashmir don't have electricity. When I went to Ashok Jaitley, he said that he couldn't do anything about the electricity. But he called the telephone department in front of me and asked them to arrange a meeting tomorrow to talk about putting phone connections in the area.

Rep: There are many such villages where... there are many such villages, sir.

KMC: He was saying that Chattisinghpora doesn't need phone connections or electricity.

MD: There is one thing about Farooq Abdullah. In my personal experience I've found... Once we were all sitting together and he came, wearing his cap, and he said, "Maulana Sahab, do you know I'm superior than you?" I said, "Is it because you're the Chief Minister?" He said, " No not like that. It's because Indian Muslims are converted while I'm not." Then he went outside to meet some other people and... You can never trust his promises. There is a saying about him in Kashmir that he is neither a Muslim nor a Christian because he eats pork and beef both. So you never know which side he's on. But there is one person who is quite straightforward, Ali Mohammed Sagar.

KMC: But he's said clearly that he eats it. And he does.

MA: He definitely eats it. During Ramadan at around 4 o'clock, the fast was to be broken at 6 o'clock, I had met Mufti and then I went to speak to him, Sagar was also there. When I started asking him some questions he got up and said it's time for him to break his fast (two hours before due time), so he's leaving, and that Sagar will answer the rest of my questions. So I asked Sagar which fast is this. He said it's his business and he can't really comment. And anyways, he was the Chief minister he could leave whenever he wanted.
Kashmir
Nubra Valley, Ladakh
Ramadan
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electricity
farooq abdullah
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villages

MD: But Sagar is an honest man.

Rep: There are people like that but there are also many islamparast (believer of Islam) people too.

MD: No, it is not about islamparasti. Everyone has made money.

Rep: Yes, that's true.

MD: Mia Bashir Sahab and his boy Altaaf, first he was given social, then he was given health. All these talks of honesty and godliness aside at the end of it everyone takes bribes. People consider the governor rule better than this. Everyone has made money, except a few people no one is honest.

KMC: That's the cause behind Kashmir's present condition. The union has put a lot of money in, but it never reached the people.

MD: Yes, it never reached them.
Nubra Valley, Ladakh
The conversation focuses on the prevalence of corrupt leaders in the Kashmir political scenario.
benefited
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KMC: And the others too. Gilani sahaab has such a magnificent house. When I asked him about it he said it wasn't his house, it belonged to the jamaat (group,community or congregation).

Rep: No, he has his mureed.

MD: No, it's not about mureed. Lone saab has how many mureed? The first time he gave me eleven thousand Rupees, Shankaracharya Ji was about to come....There is a tradition here that when asyyed (means the descendant of Prophet Muhammed) goes anywhere, they are given some token money. So he gave me eleven thousand rupees and I was very amazed. Later, I spoke against him, and when I went to him after that, he gave me five hundred rupees. And I was wondering, "what happened?"

KMC: At least he didn't ask you to return the eleven thousand he'd given you.

MD: No, he didn't say that. But after those five hundred rupees he never gave me anything else.
Nubra Valley, Ladakh
There is an impassioned conversation about the different degrees of corruption in the Indian political leaders, notably focusing on Shankaracharya. Further links about the same came be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Parties_Hurriyat_Conference and http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Kanchi_Shankaracharya_Jayendra_Saraswathi_in_custody.
beautiful
bribes
conversation
corrupt
dishonest
leaders
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MD: Everyone has it. Everyone.

Rep: The Hurriyat leaders have it too.

MD: They have a lot of money.

KMC: It's the poor that suffer in all of this.

MD: ___ he is a ruffian. He takes money to cut trees. How many sheep did he slaughter for his sister's wedding? Some 500 - 600 sheep.

Rep: Even more than that.

KMC: _____ has robbed a lot of money off people.

Rep: Their commander _____ used to be a militant earlier and now he's a minister. He's an MLA now, he's not a militant anymore.

KMC This is what I wrote about surrendered militants. That earlier they didn't have licensed guns and now they do. Otherwise there is no difference.

MD: Someone once asked me my views on democracy and I said it's all fine. Phoolan Devi has taken the place of Indira Gandhi and Sarojini Naidu what could be better for democracy. It's the same everywhere.

KMC: Not Phoolan Devi, Mohammed Shahabuddin! He's involved in forty murder cases.

MD: Mohammed Shahabuddin. At least Rabri Yadav can read. Phoolan Devi doesn't even know how to write.
Nubra Valley, Ladakh
The conversation continues on about corrupt Indian political leaders and leaders with criminal background. Topics mentioned are Phoolan Devi the Bandit Queen, Indira Gandhi, Sarojini Naidu and Mohammed Shahabuddin.
bribe
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conversation
corrupt
criminal
democracy
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minister
money
mountain
murder
political
sheep
wedding

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