Municipal, Panchayat polls strengthen democracy NC seniors want elections for ‘self’

Priya Sethi

In about past fifty years when National Conference (NC), Congress or People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ruled Jammu and Kashmir State for maximum time, workers of these political outfits could taste power of democracy only once. This was because elections to Urban Local Bodies (ULB) were hardly held here in the name of ‘troubled torn state’. Last time it was after 23 years in 2005 and now after 15 years in 2018 that elections to ULB were held yet both PDP as well as NC preferred to keep their workers away from polls depriving them of their legitimate right to see powers getting decentralized right up to grass root level.
Apprehending scrapping of Article 35-A which is a sub-judice matter in Supreme Court (SC), National Conference decided to address to its constituency and asked workers to stay away from ULB polls. There was no hearing in Supreme Court and no verdict was announced but during the course of time elections were held and workers’ career sacrificed at the altar of Article 35-A. After having missed the bus NC chief Omar Abdullah now has dropped hints to participate in assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir if fresh elections to the state legislature were announced in near future.
After having left the ground open for political outfits during recently concluded local body polls and deprived their workers of golden opportunity that knocked their doorsteps to be part of system for overall development of their wards, elections for ‘self’ has become important for National Conference (NC) because it will give their leader ministerial births and leave workers to fend for themselves. Even if NC participates in the next assembly polls, their workers will still continue to be dependent upon elected representatives for smallest of works and won’t be partners in decision taking bodies like Councils, Corporations or Town Area Committees.
The tweet of Omar Abdullah that minus NC and PDP all other political parties got control of a handful of towns and cities especially when Congress did a poor job of putting up a fight, he’s not going to give a walkover to anyone in next assembly polls is not only correct but speaks of party’s betrayal with its own people who had been working since the time of late chief minister Sheikh Abdullah. Yes! It was definitely a space provided by NC and seconded by PDP that enabled not only BJP but People’s Conference (PC), several independents as well as Congress workers to be part of a democratic system that has now empowered them to decide about their fate for themselves.
One wonders how could a political outfit like NC which has been mandated to represent people stays away from polls. Another interesting fact is that People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which claimed to be an alternative to corrupt forces like NC could side with its adversary and not be part of democratic system for which its founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed left Congress to float PDP. Both PDP and NC not only betrayed their workers but also proved that they never wanted to decentralize powers or prepare a new set of leaders who could replace them.
These two regional parties wanted Centre to mount a strong defence of the constitutional provision before the apex court over Article 35-A of the Constitution, which guarantees exclusive residency rights to people of the state only and till then keep their workers away from polls. Had they been sincere, they could have sent their legal luminaries part of ongoing petition and fought the case legally. Instead they opted to sacrifice aspirations of their workers majority of whom still contested polls against the wishes of party superiors. That’s ironical! Now if the present situation continues, Jammu and Kashmir State will go under direct president’s rule on December 19 leaving those who forced their workers to boycott polls high and dry.
Both NC and PDP need to adopt a positive approach for the simple reason that they are registered political outfits with Election Commission of India and desire to see peace dawn here. For that matter none of them should trade peace with anyone as they themselves have to become harbingers of peace and are representatives of people whom they can convince not to throw stones, seize progressive opportunities, be part of development, participate in democratic process and make state proud of their achievements.
It was very recently that Omar Abdullah in a summit at London asked Pakistan to do a bit of soul searching in terms of addressing legitimate concerns that India has. He also went to tell Pakistan that letting Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed roam free or release 20 stamps glorifying militant like Burhan Wani won’t help. Omar was also concerned about youth whom he described as alienated for which they are joining the ranks of militancy.
He must know that it was his prerogative as chief minister to win over masses – a bus that he missed. Instead of winning over masses, previous governments in J&K State remained busy insulating their parties against any aggression. PDP which could have participated in polls or ensured equitable development of all three regions also remained region-specific thereby abandoning all other works of strategic importance. Strangely, PDP lost much as compared to NC for the reason its workers today are disillusioned.
Now that India has moved on to develop on all fronts, anyone joining militant ranks or Pakistan desiring to hold talks is in no way going to threaten our nation or diminish us. Those joining militancy are destined to meet their fate at the hands of valiant soldiers and so far as talks are concerned they cannot go while gun culture prevails or Pakistan remains epicenter of militancy. Its high time people realize their potential and instead of getting misled pave a way for peace and progress of their wards for whom entire nation is a playfield and waiting with open arms.
Though at the same very conference held at London, AS Dulat, former Intelligence Bureau (IB) Special Director and former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief hoped that dialogue would be re-initiated between India and Pakistan yet there seems to be no such move at least till last gun falls silent in J&K State. Peace is a prerequisite and nothing less than that will help break ice. Meantime, mainstream political parties who prefer to stay away and then claim to have given a space to others to make inroads must introspect as to who blocked whose space in these ULB polls.
(The author is a former Minister,
MLA and Spokesperson BJP J&K)
feedbackexcelsior@gmail.com

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