Democracy at work

First Assembly session after six years was a roller-coaster ride. However, most of the session was spent in noisy scenes over competing resolutions calling for the restoration of Article 370 and the BJP’s opposition to them. And which, in a sense, was good. It was for the first time that elected representatives of people sat together and aired the sentiments and grievances of their people. This is what democracy is all about. Discussing and at times even sparring over the need to address public issues and grievances gives people a sense of stake in the system. This releases pent-up emotions and moves the discourse towards constructive and peaceful solutions. 

The NC resolution seeking reinstatement of special status has generated bitter contestations across the political divide, with the Valley-based opposition parties and the BJP opposing it for different reasons. The parties like the PDP, the People’s Conference, and the AIP wanted a more strongly worded resolution which specifically mentioned Article 370. The BJP, on the other hand, questioned the very rationale of the resolution, considering parliament had already annulled Article 370 and the Supreme Court later endorsed it.  The NC has sought dialogue with the centre on the issue to discuss and persuade the latter for some constitutional protections. 

That said, the priority of the newly elected government is the restoration of statehood, something the prime minister Narendra Modi has promised. Home minister Amit Shah has also time and again pledged its reinstatement at “an appropriate time.” The J&K cabinet passed the statehood resolution in its first order of business which was immediately cleared by the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The CM later traveled to New Delhi to handover the draft of the resolution to the Prime Minister and urged him to restore statehood as it existed before August 4, 2019. 

Omar later told a group of officers  that he had “had successful meetings” in Delhi to hand over statehood, and received “assurances at the highest level that the commitments made to Jammu and Kashmir, particularly with regard to our governance model, will change.” Here’s hoping that statehood is restored at the earliest as that will enable the legislators across the political and ideological divide to fulfill their roles for the peace and the larger good of the J&K.