Srinagar: Anger, frustration and helplessness - these are writ large on the faces of those who suffered massively during the 2014 Kashmir floods. Many victims not only lost their belongings but some also saw their houses come down like a pack of cards as an angry Jhelum broke its banks to wreak havoc across Srinagar in what was the worst floods in over a century in the picturesque valley.
Several hundred people are still staying in relief camps spread across the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir hoping to rebuild their lives once again. But for the time being they have been forced to think about just their next meal and on battling the bitter winter which has already started to take its toll.
The anger is mostly directed towards the state government of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who is accused of being completely missing in action when the deluge came. In relief camps as well as colonies where floods caused the maximum damage, people complain in unison about lack of rescue and relief work by the state administration, and other interim measures to alleviate their sufferings.
They point out that none of the senior government functionary including Omar came to enquire about their well being when they were battling the floods. "All that Omar and his ministers did was to carry out aerial surveys from helicopters while the flood-hit were trying their best to survive," said a resident of Sonawar constituency in Srinagar. Sonawar is one of the two seats from where Omar is trying his luck in the Assembly elections, the other being Beerwah.
Even the interim relief amount announced by the state administration seems to be a cruel joke played on the hapless victims. The flood-hit people have been basically divided into three groups and the interim compensation announced is based on the damages they have suffered. 
While those whose houses were completely damaged are being given Rs 75,000 each as interim relief, the partially damaged house owners are eligible for Rs 12,000. Rs 3,800 will be given to those who suffered nominal damage.
Almost every flood victim not only said that the compensation amount was extremely inadequate; they also alleged that there was massive corruption in it distribution. According to the victims Rs 75,000 was not enough even to build a room with a toilet and kitchen. Even those who have received the compensation say that they got it only after making several rounds of government offices and patwaris.
In Sonawar, a retired professor Mohammad Sidiq Malik showed his damaged house where the flood waters had reached till the second floor. The 64-year-old Malik said that he was on Haj when the floods came and when he returned, he found his entire ground floor and the belongings kept there completely damaged. 
Sonawar residents say that local youths started rescuing the people when flood waters entered the area with the Army also joining in. But they angrily point out that the civil administration and the state machinery were a complete failure.
At the relief camp in Lalmandi, 75 families have been housed in just 25 tents. Battling bitter winter, lack of food, water and milk for babies has made them extremely agitated and angry. They say that they have not received any help or compensation from the government. 
One of the flood victims at the Lalmandi camp Abdur Rehman Lovdari was very vocal against the Omar Abdullah government and added that they have received help from some local NGOs and Peoples Democratic Party leader Altaf Bukhari.
He added that the civil administration once sent just two cans of drinking water to the camp. But according to him Bukhari has been helping them a lot and has provided good quality tents, food and winter clothing. A woman rued the fact that her son studying in class 10 has been forced to miss school as she did not have enough money to pay his fee.
A youngster Basharat Majid Bhat staying in the camp backed Lovdari and also added that young boys will have anti-administration sentiments as the state government and the Centre did not help them when they needed it the most. He also backed All Parties Hurriyat Conference chief Syed Ali Shah Geelani's call to boycott elections although he was quick to add that he would vote to register his protest against the state government. He also blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not helping the Kashmiris.
A local NGO Shaheen Sports Syndicate has been distributing relief material including blankets and food at the Lalmandi camp. Shaheen Sports Syndicate's Shaukat Ahmed Khanyari said that if the Centre was really willing to help the flood-hit Kashmiris, then it should provide more aid and relief material although a major part of his anger was directed towards the state leadership.
Some religious organizations like Darul Uloom Raheemiya Bandipora have formed relief committees to help the flood victims. 
Darul Uloom Raheemiya Bandipora's Jamait Ulama Relief Committee has set up prefabricated one-room houses for the flood victims in Badami Bagh cantonment area of Srinagar.
Yet they are the slightly lucky ones as the scene was pathetic at a relief camp in Batmaloo where a plastic tent with another piece of plastic sheet to cover the ground had been provided to the victims. The victims had refused to stay in the camp and shifted to an under-construction hospital nearby. But with winter setting in and elections taking place, the victims are fast losing hope of getting back to their normal life any time soon.
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