Prof. M L Pandit
Jammu and Kashmir is unique in many ways, most importantly as the sole Muslim majority state of the Indian Union, rather dream state of the entire universe of secular nations. Despite the then ruler of the state opting for Indian accession, Pakistan did not want even this exception. In fact it succeeded in annexing a portion of the state in the aftermath of an army supported tribal raid. While India has been attempting to nourish and groom the dream of integrating the state with sweet and blood, Pakistan’s continued support to separatists and militants has become a major roadblock and a cause of wide spread resentment and unrest in Kashmir. Non-Muslim majority character of geographically much larger Jammu and Ladakh divisions adds further complexity to this uniqueness. It also reveals why separatists and turmoil are only Kashmir centered. Successive Indian Governments near exclusive reliance on Kashmir centered political parties and politicians has also snowballed into widespread discontent and resentment in Ladakh and Jammu divisions. This has rendered the task of even Government formation, leave alone governance, increasingly difficult after every election. Moreover, once out of power Kashmir based politicians and political parties themselves pose challenges to the integration process on the pretext of erosion of state autonomy and the like excuses.
Since Jammu polity and electoral outcomes are led by the national parties, Government formation with Kashmir centered PDP or NC, for instance, has become a protracted task for quite some time. It took virtually a couple of months of negotiations for the previous PDP and BJP coalition Government to take shape and form a Government that lasted just half its term. A PDP and Congress coalition Government had met a similar fate some years back. The ongoing militancy and separatist movement in Kashmir has created sharp divisions even between Kashmir centered NC and PDP as each Party accuse other of having sacrificed the interests of Kashmir for the sake of power. In fact, the possibility of a future coalition Government between these two has also become far remote, leave alone a coalition with Jammu based national parties. While separatists and militants have transformed Kashmir into a highly disturbed area for quite some time, Jammu province is made to suffer without reason or any turmoil.
As both the provinces of the state are now fighting for their pound of flesh, even decisions as to locate centrally sponsored new national level institutions or development schemes has become an impossible task. The only solution arrived at is to treat each province as a state with the blessings of a generous Union Government. Consequently, with around one percent of national population, the state has been bestowed two each of the centrally sponsored Smart cities, Central Universities, IITs, IIMs, IIMSs and the like. In contrast, states with many times J&K population have to be content with a single institute or even share it with a neighboring state. Recently formed Dogra Swabhiman Sanghathan by long time Minister Ch. Lal Singh and with wide public and intellectual support is indicative enough of the growing resentment of Jammu region not only against Kashmir centered politicians but Jammu centered national political parties as well. There, no doubt, is one silver lining here. While Kashmir has transformed into exclusively Muslim entity after the forced exodus of microscopic minorities thirty years back, Jammu province has continued its tradition of embracing and accommodating people of all faiths and groups, notably refugees and displaced persons, including Muslims from Kashmir in large numbers. Incidentally, a state where only state subjects are the legal residents, it is not Kashmir but Jammu where Muslim refugees from Myanmar have also been given shelter. In short the so called Kashmiriat has also migrated and blossomed at Jammu.
While dividing the two sharply polarized provinces into two states may be long overdue and the ultimate way out, a beginning could be made by providing space for separate Governments for the two provinces under a single governor. Without this provision, Government formation after the next assembly election under the presently surcharged atmosphere would be near impossible. And if somehow a Government is formed it would neither be functional nor would it last even half its term. The state did experiment with a Deputy CM for Jammu but it did not help. Chief Ministers for each province would not only eliminate the increasing labour pain of Government formation but also ensure better and full term for the Governments of each province, notably peaceful Jammu province. The Governments led by local politicians would be better able to address provincial concerns and local developmental and urgent issues. These Governments would be economically and politically viable as well. Economically, It would end the six monthly mass transfer of Governments and its offices between the summer and winter capitals. Politically, it would ease the growing labour pain of Government formation under highly polarized and sharply divided political atmosphere of the two provinces as also an end to frequently imposed Governors/Presidents rule. Flexibility is a democratic possibility and there is no reason why the option of two governments for the state should not be given a trial when every else option exercised over the past seventy years has neither delivered political stability nor regional harmony. Generosity of the Union Government in resource allocation can be taken as given in view of the past experiences.
(The author was a faculty at NIT Srinagar)
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