DDC vote is for grassroot ‘self-rule’
Avtar Bhat
UDHAMPUR, Nov 29: Maintaining that the days of dynastic rule are over in J&K as well as in the country, Union Minister in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh today said high voter turnout in Kashmir valley reflects people’s faith in grass root democracy and not dynastic rule.
Addressing election rallies in the hill terrain of Pancheri in Udhampur district , Dr Jitendra Singh said that this has become possible only as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has given outlet to the democratic expectations of the people of the UT where the grass root democracy was not allowed to get strengthened by the dynastic parties for seven decades after independence.
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He said the good voter turnout is the testimony to the fact that people of Kashmir valley fed up with gun culture and divisive politics want to strengthen the grass root democracy so that they can take advantage of all welfare schemes and programmes launched by the Modi Government.
He said the DDC voter turnout is higher than last year’s Lok Sabha elections in Kashmir and this reiterated the people’s faith in grass root democracy who rejected the dynastic politics and sent a loud and clear message that dynastic politics has no place in Kashmir now onwards as the people have totally rejected the family rule.
To show their solidarity with grass root democracy and Narendra Modi Government’s decision to introduce three tier grass root democracy, the people this time came in large numbers from their houses in casting their vote and rejected those politicians who misled them for decades together for their self interests by raising the boggy of “special status, autonomy and self rule”. The parties, which deprived the autonomy to basic institutes of democracy wanted the autonomy for their own families to misuse the power. They too wanted to convert the self rule as their dynasty rule while ignoring its broader contours.
Dr Jitendra said with the good turnout in DDC polls the people of Kashmir have shown the world that they don’t want to lag behind the other parts of the country and take full advantage of the development process started by Modi Government as they have seen through the game plan of the separatists as well as dynastic parties who exploited them emotionally for their own benefits.
Dr Jitendra Singh said in last Lok Sabha elections the voter turnout in Valley was less than 20 percent which has increased to 50 percent in the DDC elections this time as the people got an opportunity to give vent to their pent of aspirations and feelings. He said earlier it was grand-father, son and then grand son rule. “Even when the child had not completed the schooling his name was announced as Chief Minister and people with 10 percent votes were becoming MPs”, he added.
The Union Minister said this trend has changed now and strongly advocated that there should be a rider for an MP for the vote percentage as there are over 20 lakh votes in a Parliamentary constituency.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that the DDC vote is a vote for grassroot “self-rule” and by turning out in huge numbers, they have rejected the concept of dynastic self-rule or dynastic autonomy perpetrated by the Gupkar parties.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, DDC election will ensure autonomy for the grassroot representatives and the voter has rejected the concept of autonomy for ruling families.
Reiterating that in the last over six years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the priority focus has been on development, regardless of vote bank or other considerations, Dr Jitendra Singh said, every area and every region has been given its due, depending on its requirement and there has been a conscious attempt to undo the injustice of the past.
As for as Pancheri, Karimchi and surrounding areas are concerned, Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that the road was constructed for the first time four decades ago after a sustained struggle of the BJP Unit of Udhampur but there was no up-gradation done since then. It is only now in the last four years, he said, that through the Central Road Fund (CRF) the upgrading and blacktopping has been undertaken which will be completed in due course of time.
Dr. Jitendra Singh informed, “we had put across a demand for three Degree Colleges in the area, one for Mogri, one for Pancheri and one for Katra but when the list was out we were told that since already nearly 65% of the new Degree colleges allocated in Jammu & Kashmir had been taken by the Udhampur-Kathua-Doda Lok Sabha constituency which included remote areas like Marmat and Kastigarh and, therefore, of the two nearby stations, Mogri was given one college and we were assured that Pancheri will also be given a college.”
He said, meanwhile, one of the opposition leaders, who is also contesting the District Development Council election went to the court and got the order stayed. This only goes on to prove, he said, that the opposition is unable to digest the development works undertaken by the BJP Government and therefore they have adopted a disruptive approach to block the work.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, it is now for the people to decide whether they would vote for the candidate from a party which is relentlessly pursuing the development goals or they support candidate from a political party which affecting college work and thus blocked the future of the youth. He said, at a time when more than 75% of the population is below the age of 40 years, “we can not afford to elect representatives who are anti-development and anti-youth.”
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