Silence of the lambs
Though being an oldest political party in Jammu and Kashmir, the National Conference has failed to fulfill its role, both while being in power and out of it. The party which should have set out a role for itself for both the situations is directionless with no clear cut policy statements coming from the top leadership.
One of the reasons for the party’s dithering or no stance at all over crucial issues in Jammu and Kashmir is the lack of unanimity over crucial issues that confront the region post August 5 when Jammu and Kashmir lost its special status besides several other privileges.
Though its top leadership has been set free, barring a few party leaders no important policy decision has come from the party on crucial issues. The Junior Abdullah, Omar since his release has been active on some social media platforms but his statements have remained confined to rhetoric like fighting the Covid and so on and so forth.
Even his father and the party president has maintained a silence over all issues with the party leadership even preferring to remain mum when it comes to critical issues like the domicile act and recruitments in Jammu and Kashmir.
National Conference over the years has been failing to leave a mark. One thing is clear that the party knows to be in power and once out of it, the party becomes directionless. This is the reason that the party leadership is not even able to focus on the role it has to play.
The party has a formidable presence in Jammu and Kashmir. Even in the Chenab valley and other belts the party has a good number of loyalists who still vie for the leadership and can be ready to stand with the party. But the leadership has been so confused that these die hard workers are feeling let down.
We agree that not only Jammu and Kashmir but the entire world is faced with a unique situation and nobody is even sure about him escaping the wrath coronavirus has unleashed on the human race. But that does not mean that the leading political party will keep its eyes and ears closed to the drastic changes and developments that are taking place here.
The centre did not wait for announcing the changes it has already committed itself to be it the domicile issue or even the reservations and other matters related to opening up jobs for those who are now eligible for permanent domicile in Jammu and Kashmir.
The party should have fixed its eyes on Jammu and Kashmir which is presently going through a bad phase. Killings, unending violence and a different narrative is filling the air in every nook and corner of the state.
The political parties who claim to represent the people had an important role to play as the situation is turning out of hand. These parties held the key to various such solutions that could have been offered, but the inaction has made them all the more irrelevant to the demanding situation, with NC being no exception.
Mainstream politics has been rendered irrelevant in the present scenario but that does not mean the mainstream politicians forget about their required role. They need to be relevant even if it means taking a hard stand.
KV Network
