Jammu & Kashmir - Articles

Recent incidents in Kashmir valley have evoked some voices, mercifully very feeble ones, to impose Governor’s rule in the state. Nothing can be more damaging to the state than even nursing such a thought. The authors of such an idea fail to draw any lessons even from the contemporary history. This is time to strengthen the influence and scope of the role of elected representatives and not to denigrate them.

After the widespread disturbances in 1990, the state saw a long spell of Governor and President’s rule. It required quite an effort, and Governor Gen Krishna Rao’s determination and personal commitment, to prepare the state for an assembly election in 1996. There can be no going back. Those who are privy to the happenings of early 90’s and events leading to the return of an elected Government will support this thesis.

In areas disturbed by violence, the elected Government will ever remain the best medicine. It represents the will at least of a sizeable population. The party cadres provide the much-needed link with the people. Television coverage of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s well attended meeting with prominent citizens on Sunday bring back memories of early 90’s when it was well nigh impossible to get prominent citizens for a meeting and face the camera. Some feigned illness, some ignored invitations and others avoided. We have traveled a long way since. There can be no going back.

It is not the intention to hold any brief for an individual or a political party or an alliance. It is in support of a system. Any weakening will lead to serious consequences. The elected representatives can best address the trust deficit and alienation. They are the best antidotes for separatists and anti-national elements. And when ideas are churned out and flagged, they need to be heard, discussed and implemented wherever possible. We have to move forward not only by ensuring development and economic well being, but also by simultaneously attending to aspirations of the people.

There may be differing views on the quality of governance. There may be views on the nature of response to a developing situation. These cannot be reasons to destabilize the system and fall in the trap. Pakistan will surely fish in troubled waters. The policy of the neighbour is to foment trouble and create conditions so that the writ of an elected Government does not run in Jammu and Kashmir. Therefore, the elected representatives need to be strengthened. They have to be accountable to the people. The internal dialogue must continue independent of the progress on the Indo-Pak front. This is in our own interest. Internal dialogue can be a useful tool to move out of the present situation.

The therapeutic value of an elected Government in a disturbed state lies in the views it generates to meet the expectations of the people. These views represent the will of the people. Working on these views remains the basic challenge. The elected Government will lose its sheen if every idea generated by it is summarily rejected or put in cold storage. It is for New Delhi to forcefully reason out the futility of a particular argument and to simultaneously move forward to find a meeting ground on other initiatives. Recommendations of the Working Groups, Trans-border travel and trade, return of misguided youth from Pakistan, phased withdrawal of AFSPA and many similar ideas can be discussed and brought to a logical conclusion.

Any State Government, more so in a troubled state like Jammu and Kashmir, sandwiched between heightened expectations of the people and slow pace of dialogue process, will find it difficult to deliver. All stakeholders must get together in support of the elected representatives. They must not be pushed to the wall. The only gainers in such a situation will be the separatists and anti-national elements.