Prof. A.N.Sadhu
Elections to J&K Assembly are being talked of for sometime now. In fact, the political parties of the UT are gearing up for the exercise and making rounds among different regions and refreshing their public contacts . It will take sometime before the actual date of the elections is announced, but hopefully the elections will be held in 2023 as the period of LG’s rule has become prolonged and different voices against this have already been heard. In a democratic polity. It is neither desirable nor justified to have LG’s rule for a very long period. Even when some statements are made by the politicians of the ruling party, there is no clear indication about the time when these elections will be held but people do seem to be very keen to get an early opportunity of exercising their franchise.
The party in power, at the centre is working hard to form the next government in the erstwhile state of J&K, now reduced to the status of a UT. The central government feels that it has brought about an outstanding transformation in the political scenario of the erstwhile state not only by reducing its status but also by creating a new awareness among the electorate about their political and economic advantages by voting for an alternative arrangement as against their traditional political set up. How much has this awareness caught up with the people, is a big question as no meaningful exercise has gone into this and no convincing data is available except loose statements and counter statements from time to time. The situation is more confusing than indicative of a vivid political response. The politicians have a professional compulsion of making tall claims in their favour irrespective of the ground realities which are either ignored or assessed inaccurately. The people are left guessing about what time, the elections will be held or not held for the time being. Their concerns are pressing which they feel will be addressed in a better way, by an elected government. However, they are faced with a countdown and left with no alternative than to stand and wait.
The political parties are making their existence felt among the people, more by statements through electronic and print media which also get circulated through social media networking but there hardly is visible any effective ground work. The traditional mainstream parties as also the new political arrangements are heavily dependent upon the public response which is not very clear. The ruling party at the centre is directly incharge of the administration of the UT and claims success on all fronts including the security environment as also economic development. The traditional parties hold on to the view that nothing has significantly changed during the LG’s rule. They can’t deny that violence has reduced but their main plank is that it continues and scares the people in the same measure as before. A new dimension has been added, that of targeted killings which not only has harmed PM package employees but even outsiders who come to valley and take up different jobs across the whole valley. This is intriguing that after complete harmony and peace, in which PM package employees worked during last over ten years, have suddenly been targeted during the last one year. No convincing explanation is given by the security strategists leaving it to people to believe that terrorist network is still very active in the UT. The politicians also talk of unemployment and explosive inflation which has left people no better than they were before the current regime.
The election is not just casting of a vote and its counting thereafter, it is a more encompassing exercise wherein every voter gets sensitized about the issues faced by the electorate as also about the environment existing around him. The voter suddenly gets conscious of exercising his franchise after duly bringing it into his exercise of making a choice, in favour of an individual or in favour of a political party. Some elections held recently, have not escaped the attention of voters, where elections are supposed to be held in the days to come. The elections held in Gujarat. Himachal Pradesh, MCD and By-elections will certainly be engaging the prospective voter’s mind, to carefully exercise his franchise. The verdicts of recent elections will be analysed by the Political Pandits and that is likely to add to the dimensions of peoples conundrum, in the coming elections. The voters have become fully aware about their role in the hustings and their response may become more confusing before they finally reveal it at the Polling Booth. In J&K, people are already faced with a new political and administrative environment and they will keep all parties guessing about their choice. The change is visible in the political landscape but how effectively it will manifest at the hustings is any body’s guess.
The people at this time will not vote only for an elected government but for the future of J&K, as well. Quiet a few changes have occurred in the recent years which are exercising every body’s mind, be he a political leader, thinker or a common citizen. While voting for the future of J&K, the voter will assess its impact on the polity, society and economy of the UT ( or may be a state, subsequently ). The electorate of all the regions or sub regions may not view these aspects in a similar way but will keep these in mind, before casting their vote. The abrogation of articles 370 and 35A has actively, kept the thinking of leaders and common man fully engaged during last over three years now. Some of them feel that the J&K has been impoverished politically, and humiliated geographically by reducing the size of the erstwhile state which lowered its status, both geographically and politically. To some extent, it is a general feeling that the state enjoyed a significant strategic position in the northern extreme of the country and reduction in its geographic status has undermined the outstanding contribution of Dogra warriors who had extended the boundaries of the state by their valour. It is also felt that special status to the state was given on valid grounds and its violation is not justified. Some leaders have also made detailed exercises on examining if the special status was used, in the larger interest of people. Some also analyse, if its continuation was in the larger interests of the nation. The debate will continue, but its inconclusive results will haunt the voters in making their choice, in the coming elections. From economic point of view, the much talked about new J&K, is still not visible. Except for large number of tourists who visited the J&K during last summer, not much of industrial activity is seen. The physical infrastructure is also not picking up the required speed nor has any significant dent been made on unemployment. The Business index is also not vibrant. The people, should, however be realizing that economic investment takes time to yield the desired results but visible signs of investment into economic pursuits are yet to be seen. Socially, people are harbouring apprehensions that there may occur demographic changes to their disadvantage and lands and jobs may also be given to outsiders. The sum-up of the political scape is not very clear to the common man and he is keenly looking forward to some one who may clear him of the conundrum, he is faced with. The voter would like to make a rational choice, should the leaders guide him with a rational analysis.
There do arise historical opportunities when times demand a responsible statesmanship to rise above small gains and work hard for lasting benefits. Time and tide waits for none. The political destiny of a nation can’t be shaped by excitement or exuberance but by right thinking keeping in view the future generations and not the present glorification alone.
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