Vimal Sumbly
Right now the stakeholders in the Jammu and Kashmir after the recently concluded elections are caught in a terrible dilemma of choosing between idealism and pragmatism. As always, this time also, the pragmatism is most likely to triumph over the idealism, which is mostly misplaced and mainly aimed at political posturing only, and the stated principles of the stakeholders. And there is nothing wrong in balancing ‘the idealism’ with ‘the pragmatism’. Because, hardened positions are never advisable in politics. More so in a State as diverse as Jammu and Kashmir with three distinctly divided regions in terms of history, geography, language, culture and religion, that got abundantly manifested in the electoral verdict.
Not surprisingly the three regions have voted quite differently. On the whole it may appear to be a fractured verdict, but looking from the respective regional perspective, the people from these regions have given a clear and decisive mandate to a single party each, with the Valley going decisively with the PDP, Jammu region with the BJP and Ladakh region with the Congress. PDP, BJP and the Congress have won 60, 67 and 75 per cent of the seats respectively in the three regions they contested. That is why it is not appropriate to say that the verdict is fractured as people at the regional level have pronounced a decisive verdict. And the verdict is that the people of the State have mostly voted ‘for’ the PDP and the BJP and voted ‘against’ the National Conference and the Congress.
The only stable Government that can be formed in Jammu and Kashmir today is an alliance Government between the PDP and BJP, which is very much probable despite their respective positions on various issues. For two parties to come together, it is not necessary that their ideologies must be similar. If that were the case there will be only one party everywhere. Diversity is the hallmark of a democracy. There are strong differences between ideologically similar parties like BJP and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and there is a working cohesion between the two ideologically different parties like the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab. In fact, it is the existence of political parties with different positions that necessitates an alliance and these alliances do actually work. Apparently because, such alliance partners have different core support basis and they do not have to poach on each others’ constituencies.
Also, an alliance between BJP and PDP has the other major advantage as it will not have any effect on the functioning of the two parties at their respective grass-roots level. Because, the two parties have mostly not confronted each other at the constituency level as both the parties had mainly the National Conference and Congress as their main opponents and in very few constituencies the actual contest was between the PDP and the BJP. Otherwise, the grass-root rivalry between the cadres makes it difficult to reach an alliance and understanding at the top level. PDP and BJP are spared of this problem, at least as on now.
The 2014 elections have thrown up a golden opportunity for the dominant political parties from the Jammu and the Kashmir regions to come together and understand each other. Till now, there has been a genuine grievance from the people of the Jammu region that they were consistently discriminated against by the Kashmir dominated Government. The representation to the Jammu region was always just symbolic. That has already changed. Now it will be a perfectly balanced Government with equal stakes from the Kashmir and the Jammu regions. Ladakh region, which has four MLAs, can and must be represented through the Legislative Council if and when the Government is formed between the PDP and the BJP.
The Jammu and the Kashmir regions have never so far voted so differently and distinctly. Voting ‘differently’ from ‘the other’ should not mean voting ‘against’ the other. And if and when the two parties, one voted by the people from Jammu region and the other voted by the people from Kashmir region, come together it should not be construed as betrayal of anyone by anybody. Politics is driven more by pragmatism than the cherished principles and ideals. That was seen during the previous NDA regime under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, when the BJP abandoned the contentious issues like the Ram Janambhoomi, Article 370 and Uniform Civil Code, to name just a few. Even this time, the party in the General Elections sought votes for ‘good governance’. So did it in the recently concluded Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. There is nothing wrong in drawing a balance between your basic and cherished principles and what is pragmatic, practicable and achievable.
A Government consisting of political parties with different stated positions on Kashmir is always better than the one with the parties having similar positions. Once in Government, it will be easier for them to work out a solution together while reconciling their different stated and contradictory positions. While at the same time running day to day affairs of the State should not require any ideological reconciliation. There cannot be a more representative Government in Jammu and Kashmir than the one comprising of the PDP and BJP and possibly, the People’s Conference even.
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