Back to Village Phase-II initiated in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir irrespective of the quantum of achievements in its first phase, denotes seriousness and for all intents and purposes, about reaching out to the people in rural areas . It assumes significance when officers and bureaucrats visit villages themselves with their teams and listen to the problems of the people. In short, it could be termed as governance at doorsteps. If we stress upon the fact that village as a unit for development as per the wishes of the inmates has got due recognition by establishing Panchayati system of governance in Jammu and Kashmir, it would only be appropriate. Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu recently visited one of the Panchayats in Reasi district to get a feedback on the spot about how phase 2 of “Back to Village” programme was going on. Such steps lend lot of credibility not only to the ongoing programme but how much important a village and a Panchayat were in the process of overall development of the country.
Despite certain hiccups , especially in certain few pockets in Kashmir valley , Panchayati Raj System , overall has gained legitimacy and relevance as never before in Jammu and Kashmir which the Lt. Governor also referred to by feeling that the system was in the process of taking roots in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir . Since it takes two to tango , people too must come out and speak about their problems, difficulties, suggestions for improvement not only during the currency of the programme but even thereafter through their respective Panchs and Sarpanchas as Panchayats have a prominent place in governance . They must , in fact , supervise the execution of developmental works on ground. In fact, Panchayati Raj is now nothing but a system of governance , the village Panchayats being the basic units of local administration. In fact , the crux of this system is that each village is responsible for its own affairs.
Due awareness among the people about slew of schemes run by the Government was necessary which primarily was the job of the elected representatives of the Panchayats , awareness was also necessary to bring home on comparative analysis, the change in the style of governance where programmes like ‘Back to Village’ were started to give a feel as to how villages were important in the process of development . Since most of the villages are confronted with drinking water problems , a new scheme was on the anvil in this regard going to be launched by the Union Government known as ‘Har Ghar Jal’ which was aimed at ensuring tapped water to every household in the country.
Since such ambitious and people friendly programmes were taken as severe affront to their nefarious and anti people activities , militants are aghast and lost that more of such programmes and participation by the people would render them quite irrelevant and worthless non entities , hence they appear to be bent upon indulging in acts of violence ensuring thereby that public participation was not there. Recent attack on one of the Government functions on November 26 in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district resulted in the death of an officer and a Sarpanch . Perhaps, it is known to them only as to how such threats and creating of fear in a few pockets in the valley would help their diabolical cause , the fact remains that people are participating in such programmes although still not on expected lines. Stray incidents , though very few , do create fear and sense of insecurity and it would be in the fitness of things to provide security to the officials visiting very sensitive and vulnerable areas.
Launching such ambitious pro people programmes intermittently was going to imbibe a spirit of belongingness by the people in the system of governance . There could be lukewarm response from isolated areas due to reasons extraneous to the objectives of the said programmes but that definitely should not dampen the writ of the governing apparatus in furthering its objectives aimed at by programmes like ‘Back to Village’.
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