Politics of much ado about nothing

Politics in J&K post August 5, 2019 seems to be going nowhere. If our politicians were to count their achievements of the last three years since 2021, post-covid and post their release from preventive custody, there would possibly be little to count. Neither have they been able to enthuse the common people to any visible level of sensitivity towards political issues facing Jammu and Kashmir nor have they been able to get any fresh assurances from Delhi.

There are only two assurances which were given in August 2019 itself, elections and statehood. So, when local leaders demand talks on the analogy of north east or dialogue with Pakistan, it is delusional and amounts only to inconsequential political grandstanding because dialogue with Delhi has never been offered and dialogue with Pakistan repeatedly rejected.

The demand for dialogue with the parties in J&K should have been made in the pre-August 2019 period, particularly post Lok Sabha elections of 2019 as the top brass of BJP had already declared during electioneering, their intention of doing away with the ‘dharayein’ (constitutional provisions) favouring Jammu & Kashmir and ending ‘Parivarvad’.

And when PM himself, added  ‘sab ka vishwas’ to ‘sab ka saath, sab ka vikas’, the local leaders failed to seize the opportunity and demand for taking them into ‘vishwas’ before doing anything to the ‘dharayein’. That opportunity was missed. In his address to the newly elected MPs of NDA post election results in May 2019, PM added ‘ sab ka prayas’ to  ‘sab ka saath, sab ka vikas, sab ka vishwas’, but again our leaders faltered in not asking for dialogue.

After Supreme Court’s order of December 11 on petitions pertaining to article 370 and other decisions of August 2019, some of the petitioners are submitting review petitions. It is good thinking. Although no relief is expected, it is an opportunity to tell the court for records what they may have overlooked while hearing the petitions and where they could have erred in the interpretation of law.

For now, the local parties must only demand fulfilment of the assurances already given instead of raising new demands. Restoration of full statehood must be demanded to bring J&K at par with other big and old states in the country. This is very much in sync with the original assurance for restoration of statehood given on the floor of the House.

Special provisions under article 371 or a reformulated article 370 can be demanded and discussed only by an elected state government. So, there is more sense in not demanding dialogue with Delhi at this stage for the simple reason that Delhi will in all probability not hold any dialogue with unelected parties and persons.

It is important for political leaders not to flit from one political position to another because that shows fickle mindedness. They must know the old adage that ‘those who don’t stand for anything, count for nothing’.

It is critical for the political leaders and parties not to lose credibility because then there is every likelihood of turn coats and lumpen elements to jump into the fray which can be disastrous for the erstwhile state.

Politics in Kashmir is riven by lack of unity. All the Kashmir parties and some Jammu parties are promising to work for similar objectives, viz protecting lands of the locals and jobs, and fighting against attempts at demographic change.

But instead of forging unity for achieving these common objectives, they are blaming each other for the August 2019 events and to score election brownie points.

This internecine tug of war is bound to result in fragmented mandate with none of them in a position to bargain for and achieve the objectives that they are parroting before the people now in the pre-election phase.

Many political observers in J&K believe that there are some important political and non-political issues which need careful handling by our political leaders. First is to work for creating bonhomie between Jammu and Kashmir regions and for that political alliances of like minded parties from the two regions will be of great help.

One of the unfortunate part of political and administrative history in Jammu and Kashmir has been the attempt on the part of certain sections at different points of time in the past to pit Jammu against Kashmir and vice versa; although there has never been any hiatus between the legitimate interests of the people in the two regions. It is therefore necessary for the parties to extend political activities across regions to create unity. There is huge constituency for unity, harmony and brotherhood in both regions.

The politically sensitive issues like delimitation of constituencies, reservation in jobs and assembly seats need to be handled by all parties in a politically mature manner to prevent regional and sectarian narratives from dominating the political and electoral discourse.

Our politicians should also be able to anticipate the future and prepare themselves for the post election period. Gone are the days of lack of transparency in appointments or allotments or for that matter in any executive action.

It is no point promising moon to the constituents or political workers because now there is no scope for arbitrary administrative action and decision making. Digitalization, e-governance and e-office are the present day realities and politicians will also be called upon to work within the new systems as is happening in rest of the country.

(Khurshid Ahmed Ganai is a retired IAS officer of erstwhile J&K cadre and a former Advisor to the Governor)