The Hindu : The people's priorities

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 21, 2002

Opinion

Opinion - Leader Page Articles

The people's priorities

By Firdous Syed

Government formation in Jammu and Kashmir should not be perceived as the culmination of a process. It has to be a beginning - for the better.

ELECTIONS 2002 in Jammu and Kashmir will be remembered for a plethora of reasons. Notwithstanding the boycott call given by the separatist circles which had inherent threats in it, thereby limiting these elections as free, the polls have nevertheless attracted the tag of fairness lending the exercise not only credibility but also giving the people a sense of empowerment — they too can effect a change.

Unfortunately, change, which has all along been the buzzword in these elections with people being very vocal about it, has suddenly encountered a few hurdles — at least in the sense that political permutations and combinations are yet to come up with the replacement that would manifest change on the ground. And now that the National Conference has made it clear that it too is in the race for Government formation, the desperation of those who voted to ensure a change of guard can only be imagined. Given that it is for the first time the State is face to face with such a situation wherein the new Government is going to be an amalgam of political groups and ideologies, the delay in Government formation needs to be viewed in this very context which is peculiar to the situation.

A tremendous sense of alienation together with alarming levels of cynicism among the population requires that the process of Government formation is expedited. But those who have been propped up by the ballot to lead and represent the people appear caught up in non-issues. What is inopportune is that without worrying about what impact the raking up of non-issues will have on the popular mindset, those at the political helm are simply buying time in a bid to bargain for more. While this haggling for coveted posts and berths is going on in political circles, the common people are watching the developments with bated breath. For them, who heads the Government is not important as long as it is not the NC. What is important is who comes to their rescue to provide them the respite they have been craving for.

Apparently, the biggest problem confronting the State is the armed militancy sponsored from across the border. Indeed this is a major worry, but there are other problems that are as grave and as potential a threat for the overall health and well being of the State. For instance, within the State, the voices preaching trifurcation or the reorganisation of the State on regional or ethnic lines are growing shriller with every passing day. Although the people of the State, by voting against these voices, have been able to stem the rot for the time being, the growing complacency about this momentary success is foolish. The secessionist tendencies remain. If Pakistan-sponsored militancy is a threat, the danger originating from the dissent within too is equally potent and needs to be dealt with the same urgency.

The row being raked up about a Chief Minister from the Jammu region being unacceptable to the popular sentiment in the Valley is totally unfounded and uncalled for. It is, if anything, an imaginary creation of those who want to use it as a bargaining chip to secure the coveted post for themselves. As far as the common people are concerned, it hardly matters whether the person comes from Jammu or elsewhere. Their worries are graver.

The priority, of course, is to keep the NC out of power. If the current delay is prolonged, there is every likelihood of the NC turning the tables on those who have created much hype promising an end to its hegemony. Should it happen, it will be an insult to the voters' intellect and they will be justified in feeling cheated, and the Congress and the PDP will have to share the blame.

The Jammu region has all along been complaining about getting a "raw deal" from the rulers coming from the Valley. Therefore, if this time round, there is someone from Jammu to head the Government — someone the people of the region can easily identify with as their own — it is only in the interest of the State to give it a try. Besides, the people of all the three regions of the State share not only the legacy of misrule, they also share the relationship of pain and suffering and agony.

It is therefore impossible to comprehend why a person from Doda will be unacceptable to the people of the Valley. People want change, a change from the governance of mediocrity to a vibrant, clean and responsive administration and whosoever can ensure this will not only be acceptable to the people but will be also viewed with pride. Political strife together with inefficient and corrupt administration is the major cause of alienation in the State. Any replacement that tackles the problem using a people-friendly administration as a lever can arrest the erosion of institutional credibility and restore the people's trust in the system.

Once this happens, most of the problems plaguing the State will die a natural death. The task before the new dispensation is not only to provide a clean and responsive administration but also to create a popular support base to enable the new leadership to take hard and difficult decisions.

Militancy has curtailed civil liberties. The corrupt and inefficient police regime compounds the problem. Corruption stands institutionalised today and has eaten into the very vitals of the state apparatus. Corruption combined with the lack of a healthy work culture is not only aggravating the sense of alienation but is also giving birth to social tensions. People who have suffered due to the turmoil have not been rehabilitated properly (the Government does not even have the exact number of orphans and widows). A section of the youth, which has been at the receiving end for the last decade, feels frustrated, with a deep sense of injury. The ongoing militancy has tarnished the social fabric and has created fissures and sharp divisions.

The gravity of the situation requires strong corrective measures. The deep sense of alienation ingrained in a large section of society needs to be addressed. It cannot be left to mend itself. Enlarging the scope of civil liberties, respecting freedom of expression and improving the overall human rights scenario will be of great help and must be a priority for whosoever dons the mantle of power.

The youth have lost focus and a sense of belonging. The cynicism prevailing among the new generation deprives society of the inflow of fresh ideas. They are drifting towards destruction and lawlessness. The new Government, when it comes up, has the responsibility of arresting the drift and infusing among the new generation a sense of belonging and responsibility. The need of the hour is a movement for social reform for the reconstruction of society.

The situation in Jammu and Kashmir is no doubt complex, traumatised and extraordinary. It requires special attention, a strong leadership, clarity of thought and an unambiguous commitment to the welfare of the masses. These are the priorities the common people have fixed up for the new dispensation. Government formation should not be perceived as the culmination of a process. It has to be a beginning — for the better.

(The writer is president, Kashmir Foundation for Peace and Developmental Studies, Srinagar.)

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Opinion

Stories in this Section

A grisly act

Rise of the Religious Right

Making the Kashmir verdict work

The people's priorities

Sangh Parivar above the law?

Triangular diplomacy: phase two