From Political exploitation to genuine reform
By: Shahid Ul Islam
Since the partition of India in 1947, Jammu and Kashmir has been a battleground for regional parties seeking to exploit the region’s complex political landscape for their gain. These parties have frequently employed the Kashmir issue as a vehicle for their respective political interests, thereby making tall promises without addressing the people’s genuine needs whom they presuppose to represent.
This exploitation, which has been perpetrated for decades now, has only created a cycle of unmet expectations and broken promises, where the brunt is continued to be borne by ordinary citizens, especially farmers and workers.
Two most conspicuous actors in this whole drama are the National Conference on one hand and the ruling People’s Democratic Party on the other. The leading indictments have centered on charges of manipulation by both parties. The NC, formed in 1932, commanded enormous influence in the region but was criticized by many for placing its power over public welfare.
The Article 370 and Article 35A, used as a basis to show that it protected Kashmiri autonomy, in actuality, the Articles were more used for consolidating the powers of the NC instead of addressing the actual needs of the region. This led to increased political and social tensions, hence an unstable society.
On the other side, the PDP, which was born in 1999 to bring about reforms and new leadership, has equally been fingered for failing to get at the core causes of conflict and violence.
In fact, criticism has been hurled against both the NC and the PDP for creating an environment where terrorism and unrest can exist, often for their own political benefits. The leadership and their kith and kin enjoy foreign education and elitist lifestyles, while the common Kashmiri faces continued hardship and neglect.
On the other hand, it is fair to say that the BJP government initiated a spate of reformative and development processes in Jammu and Kashmir. The emphasis here has been infrastructure-building, good governance, and investment flows into the region.
It has been quite a departure from the status quo thus far, which earlier regimes had managed to see through while development was occasioned rather asmuch by political competition and vested interests.
This BJP government has done in ‘somewhat’ short-term what others could not: provides a marked contrast to the NC and PDP’s failures. These false promises and pursuit of power by previous parties have resulted in grim contributions to the legacy of the state, which was further obliging the case of violence and miseries among its commons. Still, at least their effort, in contrast, they showed promise of crossing beyond rhetoric to bring about actual change.
One of the most important leaders in these changes has been the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, who has worked tirelessly for four years from the grassroots level upwards.
His administration was pragmatic on development and more on reforms, which in itself has seen recognition and respect. The deliverables by Sinha have been practical improvements in all respects of life in Jammu and Kashmir in regard to problems that previous governments either overlooked or could not resolve.
This struggle in Jammu and Kashmir underlines the requirement for a political system where the interests of the citizens come first before the ambitions of the political leaders. The BJP had made efforts to work in development and reforms, but the region still presents a challenge because of several elements that benefit from continuing the status quo, divide and rule.
Anything less than a conscious effort to overcome the baggage of historical grievance and political one-upmanship will not succeed in bringing lasting peace and prosperity to Jammu and Kashmir. In fact, the need of the hour is striving towards a new paradigm inclusive of genuine progress.
(The author is a Law student and author of two book. The views expressed are his own)
KV News
