Kr Swarn Kishore Singh
On 20th November, a news suddenly broke out on almost all the social networks as per which a top PDP leader and a member of Lok Sabha declared his alienation from his party. Although this wasn’t a new thing on his part as he has done this thing a lot of times earlier as well but what grabbed eyeballs was the fact that he expressed his affinity towards a new party which is supposedly flourishing these days and somehow trying to forge a non-PDP, non-NC and non-Congress govern-ment. This could have had just passed away like his earlier attempts but next day Altaf Bukhari finds some media person to inform them about the possible corona-tion of a new Government by forging an alliance of Peoples Democratic Party, J&K National Conference and Congress party. Although Congress has lately become a party which can offer itself unconditionally for fulfilling the greed for power but even then it was a hard pill to digest to find PDP and NC supporting each other over formation of Government.
In June this year, suddenly out of nowhere and within 50 days of cabinet reshuffle, Bhartiya Janta Party withdrew its support from the Government thereby rattling the Government and hence leading to imposition of Governor’s rule. Withdrawal of BJP was understandable as its constituency was suffering due to protraction of Government by sharing power with a party which stood on the other side of the pole ideologically. PDP proposed clemency for stone pelters, BJP did not exhibit any reservations, PDP called for ceasefire and suspension of military operations in the month of Ramzan, the union ministry accepted. But every time there was some proposal by ministers from BJP, PDP pushed them to the wall. Be it the case of AIIMS for Jammu or be it the issue of clearing the intrusion from forest land; PDP was never on the same page. PDP ministers were eating their hats for their dominance in the Government. Mehbooba was condescending the Government which was having BJP not just as a dispensable part but as a part which stands very necessary for the existence of the Government itself. The alliance was put together by extremely mature people having some ultimate crafts to join hugely contradicting ideological positions and make them work together for the welfare of the state. But once Mufti Sayeed left, there was no one who could have brought harmony to the political and ideological contradictions of PDP and BJP. On the contrary Mehbooba tried every test to see how far they can push before the scheme of things break. There was no one in both the parties who was having such a position across the parties to reconcile the frequent confutations, hence the slit.
BJP had to withdraw its support for failing to deliver to its constituency and the-reby getting a backlash there from. BJP respected it’s ally and that ally misinter-preted the respect as a greed for power. Somehow the respect for the ally was taken too far by BJP as during the time when BJP was sharing power with PDP, the death anniversary ceremonies of Sh. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee were also muted in the valley. So it can be easily inferred that not only the constituency but ideology too was compromised by staying in power with PDP as an ally. Once again it seemed as if the Government works for Kashmir as was the convention before this Government since accession. BJP was supposed to arrest this senti-ment as soon as possible or it would have possibly lost its popularity in J&K.
Jammu & Ladakh were given a cold shoulder by the PDP-BJP Government, therefore when they weren’t able to deliver, getting away from power was the best option available. But a good thing about the formation of Government by BJP is that it has shattered a popular perception among the people in the state i.e. BJP can’t reach the citadel of power in J&K. Now people have started believing that BJP can really reach the corridors of power in J&K as well. After BJP had withdrawn from the coalition, prospects for formation of an alternate non-BJP political alliance were explored. The Bihar model of Mahagathbandhan was also worked upon, that too to the extent of poaching legislators just to quench the thirst for power and to keep BJP at bay. Just like the collapse of Bihar Model, the fate of the probable Government could have been easily prophesied, but what transpired from this attempt was the desperation for the throne and fear of BJP.
It is ostensibly believed that ideologies are just a foothold for regional parties but the disregard for their respective belief by PDP and NC has further ratified the assumption that regional parties and their leaders are very professional practitioners of unprincipled and awfully opportunistic politics. These political outfits need to learn from CPI(M), i.e. when CPI(M) is equipped enough to understand that Indian politics is for now polarised between BJP and Congress, leaving no space for leftists, even then they are not ready to form any sort of alliance with any party just to oppose the other. Because ideology is supposed to be the main ingredient of existence of any political outfit but these regional outfits have reduced themselves to nothing but power brokers. The political convictions and credo is just a medium for them to reach the throne and then they can exploit the main party for the support therefrom. But ideally as far as the alliance and coalitions are concerned, a simple message from Mahabharatha warrants a special mention, wherein during the battle between Karna & Arjuna, a snake named Ashwasena, who was havingfierce enmity with Arjuna, appealed before Karna that since Arjuna is their common enemy, therefore they should be allies, shunning aside all the principles and idealism. Karna denied any participation in the alliance with Ashwasena since the precondition to the alliance demanded him to act in manner which was unlikely of a warrior.
The hunger for power and desperation for throne was on naked exhibition when two arch-rivals decided to come together for formation of Government and the manner in which Governor acted is really brave. Since during the Governor’s rule we have noticed that the public is experiencing significant relief on all fronts.
Therefore the collusion of the so-called opportunistic and unprincipled regionalists with a national party which is on a shrink spree was supposed to be fended off, otherwise the Governor would have been accused of passively condoning something very drastic. And not being aware or not anticipating the advancing hazard would have been equally egregious. This act of the Governor may not have pleased the politicos in the state as most of them have lost their protocols and subsequent immunities, but inaction in that crunch situation would have been surely a big disservice to 1.25 Cr populace of the state. Taking cue of the situation and desperation of few regionalists to reach the throne, Mr. Governor did rightly dissolve the assembly. Although the regionalist did show some reservations towards timings and urgency with which the assembly was dissolved; actually a pugilist worth his salt knows when someone’s on the rope, that’s when he throws a combination on the gut and left hook to the jaw, Bang! Although after the Governor dissolved the assembly, the statements of PDP and NC transpired as if after the letter from Mehbooba Mufti, the Governor was supposed to twiddle his thumbs until her arrival.
The Governor has actually showing some enormous courage and valour as we have seen him taking some strong measures without worrying for backlash of some strong and mighty stakeholders. Be it termination of Reliance health Insurance contract or the unprecedented eloquence over the recruitment scam in JK Bank & Jammu &Kashmir Public Service Commission, this Governor has shown some significant will with no signs of timidity.
Therefore if someone claims that the recent alliance would have been catalysed by some corporate just to undo what Mr Governor has done, it won’t be an exaggeration at all. But to their dismay not a faintest whiff of trepidation has been noticed for them to seize and Governor has succeeded in trampling these dramatics of these two-faced bigots who appear something in Kashmir and something else in Delhi. These things need a permanent halt and it is not only Governor but for Delhi also to understand that they should also stop discussing Jammu & Kashmir politics in some newsrooms in Noida or at the posh Lutyens bungalows of some agents of our votes. Let the people herein decide their future. Let the people in cold deserts of Drass, snowy mountains of Gurez, apple orchards of Shopian, paddy fields of Kulgam, gorges of Chenab, stony wastelands of Padder, dunes of Udhampur, green terrains of Haveli, and the plains of RS Pura decide their future not some Ravish Kumars or some Arnab Goswamis.
(The author is an advocate & legal
and political analyst)
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