B.K. Chum
What next in Jammu and Kashmir? The question arises due to the history-making turn state politics has taken with the PDP and the BJP forming coalition Government headed by the PDP’s patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. Though unthinkable in Indian politics prevailing polarizing environment, the coming together of Mufti’s Muslim majority Kashmir-centric PDP and the Hindu majority Jammu-centric BJP to form the Government cannot be described as a negative development. Mufti has described it as coming together of the North and the South poles.
This, however, does not erase the impression that the new ministry has been born under malevolent stars. Its critics are already raising questions about its durability and ability to provide efficient and corruption free governance. Though it will be hasty to draw any conclusion, one cannot shut one’s eyes to the fact that the coalition comprises partners inheriting clashing ideologies and conflicting political interests. Both the allies compromised on the issues they have traditionally been fighting for. For instance, the PDP, a protagonist of self rule, did not want to lose the opportunity of again ruling the state and compromised with its ideological “foe” BJP. For Mufti, it may prove to be the proverbial case of “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”
On the other hand, the saffron party which had long lost its title of being a “party with a difference” also wanted to spread its wings to the Muslim majority Valley. It compromised on its basic stand for abrogation of Article 370 which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir. It agreed to maintain status quo as the coalition’s Common Minimum Programme stipulates. Idealism loses to pragmatism for the sake of power.
The recent developments have also shown that politicians occupying even top constitutional positions seldom feel shy of adopting opportunistic approach for the sake of power. This has been demonstrated by both the Prime Minister Modi and the PDP patron Mufti Sayeed. Admirers of Modi’s oratory skills must have felt let down by his contradictory stands on dynastic politics adopted during his election speeches and later by joining hands with the “father-daughter duo” for power.
In telling comments at BJP’s campaign rally at Kathua in November Modi had asked the gathering: “Are there no more sons and daughters in J&K? Will only one father-son and father-daughter run the Governments here? Do you have to always remain in their tangle? Don’t look at those father-son, father-daughter duos. Look at your own sons and daughters. Herein lies your benefit. Dynastic politics can never become the voice of the people.”
In another election rally at Kishtwar he said “The youth need jobs. For 50 years, you gave Jammu and Kashmir to two families. Can only two families rule here? ……These two families have destroyed everything. They are having a mutual understanding. We will rule for 5 years then you come then we will come. There is a five year contract to loot Kashmir.”
Now with Modi’s patronage his own BJP has promoted dynastic politics by forming an alliance with the “father-daughter duo” dynasty the prime minister had targeted during his election campaign.
On the other hand, Mufti gave credit to Pakistan, Hurriyat Conference and militants for the smooth conduct of assembly polls. His statement evoked widespread criticism. Causing embarrassment to the coalition partner, the BJP had to publicly dissociate with his statement. Prime Minister also disapproved Mufti’s comments during his Rajya Sabha address.
The two incidents again prove that irrespective of their clashing ideologies and conflicting political interests, politicians can hug each other for the sake of power. Politics is undoubtedly the art of the possible!
While giving credit to the separatists and those across the border who have been sponsoring and supporting militants actions in Kashmir, Mufti perhaps forgot that it were the people of the state and the security forces which ensured the smooth conduct of elections. The security forces counter-terrorism campaigns and curbing of infiltrations have substantially brought down number of militants operating in the state. Besides, the large turnout of voters was also facilitated by separatists and militants relatively muted poll boycott calls following the poll-eve arrests of a large number of separatists. Mufti perhaps also forgot that polls boycott calls and threats by the militants in the past had not stopped people from thronging polling stations during the Lok Sabha and other democratic bodies elections.
The question arises why Mufti, a seasoned politician, made comments eulogizing separatists, militants and Pakistan for the smooth conduct of elections. One reason perhaps is that the PDP may have started experiencing pressures in the Valley, its main support base, after it took a u-turn on its attitude towards the BJP. The party had run its election campaign on an anti-BJP plank. It now wants to placate its constituencies. Besides, the separatists also might have softened towards PDP to help stall BJP’s possible large scale inroads into the Muslim majority Valley.
Although the polls outcome has undoubtedly shown that the PDP has emerged as a dominant player in the Muslim-majority Valley, it, however, does not mean that the National Conference and the Congress have lost their traditional support bases in the Muslim-dominated Valley. They have been demonstrating this in the past through their election victories.
In the backdrop of these developments the issue of providing efficient and corruption-free governance acquires added importance as it will not take long for a failure on these fronts to destabilize the Government. Even Omar Abdullah has advised the ruling allies to stop squabbling and start governing as the new Government had a shaky inauguration after stepping into controversies within days of its formation.
The issue of ensuring effective governance also assumes importance in view of the possibility of the militants resuming infiltrations after the passes becoming accessible with the melting of the snow and the need for rehabilitating the flood-affected people and providing them the much needed means of livelihood.
Given the foregoing realities, the coalition partners need to act on the economist/philosopher Kenneth E. Moulding saying “Peace is the skillful management of conflict”. (IPA)
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