Creating impact important for NC government now
Creating some kind of impact now is very important for the elected government of National Conference (NC). The crucial panchayat and municipal polls will be held shortly; time would soon start running out for the government.
It is also true that the ruling party cannot do miracles overnight, and needs due time to deliver on its promises. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah himself said that running the government under prevailing circumstances is a new experience since Jammu and Kashmir is a union territory, having two power centres, and not a state as was the case in the past. Some initial time was taken by the government in understanding the functioning in the dual power system and that process continues even now to some extent.
But people on the ground want results, and solution to their problems and issues at the earliest. That way the NC government has to settle down and create its impact. The present stance of the ruling party leadership that without restoration of statehood they are unable to function properly may be acceptable to masses for some more time, but later there will be pressure on the government to at least try to perform, where it can.
By and large the people do not want any kind of unnecessary confrontation between the central government and elected government of J&K. Because they believe that this confrontation will neither be in the interests of the two governments nor that of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The masses also realise that the NC despite its claims to fight for the restoration of Article 370 cannot do so because of its past track record. But on other issues the ruling party needs to assert. The central government leadership says that they are committed to restore the statehood but no deadline has been set for this purpose.
Only it is being said that the restoration will occur at an appropriate time but nobody except the top central government leadership knows when this appropriate time will exactly come. Some reports indicate that there is remote possibility of J&K getting the statehood back in near future. If that is the case then the Omar Abdullah government without waiting for long for the statehood must get to serious business and do whatever they can do in the dual power system. The NC government is within its rights to keep on raising the demand for statehood; but at the same time it has to work hard and extensively for the welfare of the people.
The opposition till now has not got any big opportunity to really target the NC government but is waiting for a chance. The political parties by and large rightly avoided doing politics on the mysterious and tragic deaths of 17 persons, mostly children, in the Badhaal village of Rajouri district. It is being hoped that the ongoing investigations will lead to exact cause of deaths and that the present arrangements made will prevent further loss of lives. The investigation is also expected to tell whether there was any kind of delay in addressing the serious problem initially and that was there any lack of effective arrangement to prevent deaths in the initial stage and later also as is being alleged by some people. Talking about such serious issues, and loopholes, if any, and making the concerned authorities accountable in case of lapses is not politics. However, trying to take any political mileage out of this human tragedy would be unfair. The focus should be to get to the causes of deaths and prevent further deaths through proper arrangements. Right now things seem moving in right direction but loss of 17 persons mostly the children is a big tragedy. These deaths shocked the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
People expect the government to come upto their expectations in every field of the life. When there are any lapses on the part of the government, then people make the ruling parties accountable in elections. Political parties are gearing up for the coming panchayat and municipal elections and making preparations accordingly. How the parties would perform is to be seen.
The author is senior editor, Greater Kashmir