Brij Nath Betab
With conflicting views about the future political affairs in the newly constituted Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir being expressed by political parties and leaders, Jammu and Kashmir is seemingly preparing to become the hot bed of political divergence. There could be no better indication of UT returning to normalcy, slow but steadily, than the formation of a new political party earlier this month followed by the release of Dr. Farooq Abdullah from ‘detention’. These measures were followed by a visit to Kashmir by S Jaishanker, the External Affairs Minister, who assured parents that their wards would be brought back from Corona virus hit China. The Minister kept his word and the government received accolades. Observers believe these are tactical moves to bring back normalcy in the UT, particularly in the Valley and garner public support to initiate political activity.
As the process of freeing politicians has started, the day may not be far away when the normal political activity will be resumed with full speed. With hordes of workers visiting Dr Farooq almost daily now, it is clear that the leader of grand old party of Jammu and Kashmir is contemplating to jump in the election fray at the appropriate time. That should augur well for the future of this erstwhile state.
As general masses have gradually started conforming to the new political reality, political landscape in the UT would have been snow white, but for the conflicting statements coming from different quarters.
A statement attributed to a former intelligence officer who claims proximity to N C patriarch says that Mr. Omar Abdullah will be the next Chief Minister. This has caused a shadow over the fairness of politics here. The question that haunts the mind is how could a former intelligence officer be so confident and foretell about who would be the next CM, when even the proverbial dust over the change of status of Jammu and Kashmir from a full-fledged state to a UT has not even settled and the process of delimitation of constituencies has been set in motion. He made this remark while the Apni Party leaders were meeting the Prime Minister in the national Capital. Regrettably it is these types of statements that have made political affairs murky in the past as voters here have the notion that it is not they who elect the Governments.
Unfortunately, some statements like these are bound to create confusion. Recently when the members of the newly formed Apni Party met Prime Minister Sh. Modi in the national capital, news came that he assured them that the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir will be restored soon. Earlier Home Minister Amit Shah had made a statement to this effect in the Parliament and said that once the situation normalizes, statehood can be restored. Senior leader Prof. Saif-u-din Soz was prompt to forward his view that restoration of statehood is not the real issue; the real issue is alternative to abrogated article 370.
Democratic foundations being very strong in our country, divergent political views would make polity healthy, but in our case divergence seems to be leading to division and deviation.
The question is why the state was made into two Union territories in the first place. Was that decision not implemented after proper contemplation? If that was done after considering all the pros and cons, then how come this ‘after thought’ of restoring the statehood emerges now.
If Government of India is serious about nullifying their earlier decision with regard to statehood, the question arises if they are aware of its fall out? What will be the status of Ladakh UT in that case. My apprehensions are that the reversal will be met with protest? One would expect clarity in this regard.
One would welcome Mr. Omar or for that matter any leader to become the CM once again but through a free and fair poll. Political power is ultimately the goal of every political party but in Jammu and Kashmir there is need to occupy the seat of power through conciliatory social objectives. People in this part of the country have heard many slogans in the past like ‘sky is the limit’, ‘Insaaniyat, Jamhooriyat’, ‘healing touch’, ‘self rule’, ‘autonomy’ etc, but the ground reality is painting a grave situation. New dispensation has to strike a balance between selling dreams and achieving the aims. An atmosphere has to be created in which all political parties have a level playing field. However for the newly constituted Apni Party care has to be taken to make the party visibly and practically different from those who have only exploited the sentiments during last seventy odd years. For every political party work has to be obvious on ground and not in press statements. Achieving this will be like climbing the Everest in inclement weather, but, well begun is half done and if the leadership of the new party sets its priorities in such a way that masses believe in them and treat them as people friendly and achievable, nothing would be impossible.
Leadership of the new combine has to strive hard to allay the fears that they are an offshoot of the ruling party at the Centre. That will be more crucial as an earlier experiment has proved to be a disaster. As Farooq Abdullah has refused to make any political statement, we shall have to wait little more to know about National Conference’s stand in the new Union Territory. However for any party the success among other things will largely depend on how they convince general masses about their sincere intent and how they persuade Centre Government and the ruling party at the centre about the need to accept the agenda like restoration of the statehood. However it should not take another seventy odd years to reverse back. This should not become a hollow slogan to grab votes. That will push us back to chaos. In this connection the statement by Apni Party that ‘we will not sell anything which is not based on the facts and whatever will be said will be the truth with honesty’ is a matter of great relief and satisfaction.
For National Conference, Congress and all other Political Parties, new one included, the most gigantic task would be to change the mindset of the general masses and make them realize the warmth of the new dawn. With the abrogation of Article 370, the newly formed union territory has ushered into a new era and the fresh sunshine of the new morning should be utilized to grow new fragrant policy flowers whose fragrance will make every household glitter as a jewel embedded in the crown of India. India has not only to treat Jammu and Kashmir as its crown but it has to become ‘Bharat ke dil ki dhadkan’,the throb of India’s heart. In contrast if conflicting reports keep on coming, the confusion and chaos shall only magnify.
Lack of any political activity during the last several months had made people sort of politically orphaned. The link between the common masses and the administration has got broken and this needs to be restored. Senior parties must play a positive role to mitigate the sufferings of masses. They must accept the reality.
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