Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo
The process of the conduct of elections to the Zila Parishads, for the first time in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, ultimately concluded successfully. In the three-tier of the Panchayati Raj system, Zila Parishad (DDC) is an elected body. The chairmen of all the Panchayat Samitis under the district are the ex-officio members of the Zila Parishad. The Parishad is headed by a president and a vice-president. Block Pramukh of Block Panchayats (BDCs) are duly represented in Zila Parishad. The members of the State Legislature and the members of the Parliament are also the members of the respective Zila Parishads. The 73rd Amendment of the constitution stands operative in letter and spirit in the UT and the credit undoubtedly goes to the positive intervention of the Central Government headed by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
The people of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a new wave of enthusiasm and activism this winter, snowfall and cold. It is after a long time that such a good percentage of voters (plus 50% overall in the UT) took part in any elections in the last unfortunate three decades of death and destruction in the Union Territory. The people of J&K, particularly in the Kashmir valley seem to have been inspired by the words of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, 16th and 26th Presidents respectively of the United States of America. While the senior statesman said, “the ballot is stronger than the bullet”, the junior leader maintained, “a vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user”. The fact is that the changes are noteworthy and encouraging.
It is also after a lot of time that the first snowfall this winter in the UT has not crippled the activism of the people, they felt rather motivated to participate and conclude all the phases of DDC polls with commanding impact on the future of the UT. The political parties, their leaders and the candidates as well deserve kudos and recognition to make the elections a gear-changing successful drive for future course of action. Seeing is believing, campaigning in the remote and far flung corners of Jammu & Kashmir multiplied the interest of the people in the democratic process at the grass root level.
The Panchayat elections followed by the Block level elections developed into a new DDC election fever that picked up well in all the rural areas of the UT. The government, administration, security forces and the media perfectly played their role in the most difficult socio-political scenario in the JKUT. The Gupkar alliance has injected interesting twist in the campaign while BJP has added due charm to it; other regional groups have brought a balance in the campaign while the independent candidates have also created suspense till the results of the whole election process are over.
These elections this time are being held in the backdrop of a number of issues surrounding the socio-political atmosphere. Notable among them are post 5/6 August 2019 developments, Ram Mandir judgement, freedom from detention of the PAGD leaders, Bihar elections followed by the victory of BJP in Rajasthan and Goa DDC elections, Bengal turmoil and the farmers’ agitation. Severe cold, fresh snowfall and rains of winter season have also given a new look to the geography of the UT ground realities plus to the psychological outreach of the parties, leaders and candidates involved.
The importance of elections is always fundamental to democracy; they are the soul of democracy. People who rely on boycott politics in a democracy as a matter of routine damage their own interests, present and future. Abraham Lincoln once said about the core of elections, “the elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters”. Truly so, it is always meaningful to be a constructive contributor to the process of elections in a democracy and there can be no alternative to it, neither the bullet nor the boycott. That is what proved correct earlier and this time too amply and so well for anyone to understand and assimilate.
It is important to note in the changed scenario that the three things (As) which cost lives of one hundred thousand people in the erstwhile state at last have been buried deep down the ground in J&K, possibly, for good i.e., Azadi, Autonomy & Article 370/35A. People have already, many a time, given and will be further giving an appropriate reply to Pakistan and the extremist forces through the important DDC, BDC and Panchayat elections. The three-tier system of Panchyati-Raj has ultimately taken roots in the UT after seven decades of independence and self-rule dispensation despite initial problems and hiccups created by the earlier rulers. These rulers, irrespective of their separate identities, made it sure that the power remains concentrated in their hands and that the decentralization of power remains a distant dream though there were constitutional obligations to implement the objectives of democracy in this regard. It surely raises questions about their intent and practice regarding the democratic and constitutional traditions.
There can be no two opinions about rebuilding the state afresh that has been ruined by its own for petty interests to prove that they were the only right among all ‘rights and wrongs’. It is time to lead the state turned Union Territory into a new working unit among all such units in the country thus paving way for the generations to come in the UT to get counted in all walks of life. It will surely happen seeing the new activism in Jammu and Kashmir.
It is important to understand the administrative structure of the District Development Councils or Zila Parishads. Members of the Zila Parishad are elected from the district on the basis of adult franchise for a term of five years. Zila Parishad has a minimum of 50 and maximum of 75 members. There are seats reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and women. These councillors are chosen by direct election from electoral divisions in the district. The deputy chief executive officer from General Administration Department at district level (DC) is the ex-officio secretary of the Zila Parishad. The chief executive officer, who is an IAS officer or senior state service officer, heads the administrative setup of the Zila Parishad. He/ She supervises the divisions of the Parishad and is assisted by the deputy CEOs and other officials at district-and block-level office.
The functions of the DDC include the following: Provide essential services and facilities to the rural population and the planning and execution of the development programmes for the district.
Supply improved seeds to farmers. Inform them of new techniques of training.
Undertake construction of small-scale irrigation projects and percolation tanks. Maintain pastures and grazing lands.
Set up and run schools in villages. Execute programmes for adult literacy and run libraries.
Start Primary Health Centres and hospitals in villages. Start vaccination drives against epidemics and family welfare campaigns.
Construct bridges and roads wherever needed.
Execute plans for the development of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Run ‘ashramshalas’ for adivasi children. Set up free hostels for scheduled caste students.
Encourage entrepreneurs to start small-scale industries like cottage industries, handicraft, agriculture produce processing mills, dairy farms, etc. Implement rural employment schemes.
They even supply work for the poor and the needy people.
Their finances come from taxes on water, pilgrimage, markets, etc., Fixed grant from the State/UT Government in proportion with the land revenue and money for works and schemes assigned to the Parishad. The Zila Parishad can collect some money from the panchayats with the approval of the Government also.
We as a unit of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have a long way to cover before the sunset and there is no rest till we achieve the unachievable and achievable both. DDC elections are just the beginning. Robert Frost, the bard, in the same situation, exclaimed loudly:
The woods are lovely, Dark and deep, But I have Promises to keep, And miles to go, Before I sleep, And miles to go, Before I sleep……!
(Feedback: ashwanikc2012@gmail.com)
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