There is no doubt that the National Conference has got a decisive mandate from Kashmir Valley, and with independents’ support it has much better presence in the Jammu region than its ally Congress. The critical question before the new government scheduled to be sworn-in on Wednesday is whether it can really get statehood back or it will have to stay reconciled to the existing status of Union Territory for J&K.
It is a peculiar situation for the ruling party, in this case, it is more than clear that National Conference alone will have to carry the burden of the expectations of the people of both the regions. Congress is a marginal player in the whole game, for which no one else except the party itself is responsible . So, the responsibility of National Conference and its leadership is tremendous and they cannot dilute it in any manner . Besides carrying the burden of the failure of Congress , National Conference is also confronted with yet another challenge, how to deal with Centre which had abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, bifurcated the state into two union territories of J&K, and Ladakh .Thankfully, both Omar Abdullah who is to take over as Chief Minister on Wednesday , and his father and NC president Farooq Abdullah have been quite vocal about their sincere wish for cordial relations with Delhi , as both of them know from their past experiences that without Centre’s support sensitive place like J&K cannot be run even for a day . They have also forewarned , especially the radical elements who want NC and Delhi to fight each other , that the confrontation with Centre would be fatal for the interests of people of J&K.
The history and the structure of the landscape has such a make up in which Delhi cannot be excluded from governance and delivery in Jammu and Kashmir . Just for the sake of a reminder , it is clear that even when J&K was a full-fledged state with all the semi-sovereign powers from 1947 to August 1953 when Sheikh Abdullah was Prime Minister of the state , Centre was responsible for the security of the state and its defenses , that’s why three subjects of defense, communications and foreign affairs were with Delhi . At this point in time when the state is just a Union Territory , it cannot afford to have any cudgels with Centre, leave alone fighting Delhi on any of the issues.
In a way , BJP that rules at the Centre, and is in commanding position in J&K, where it won 29 seats in the Assembly elections , is a good thing for the incoming government of National Conference and Congress. Of course, political pundits while reflecting on the mandate have said that it has placed the two regions of the Kashmir Valley and Jammu in diametrically opposite political prism. They view it as a readymade case for confrontation between the two regions because the political narratives during the elections had communal overtones . Kashmir Valley is almost 100 per cent Muslim, while Jammu is a region dominated by Hindus .There have been several voices that have called for separation of Jammu because it is not compatible with the political, cultural and linguistic ethos and moreover geographically the two regions have a different make up . This ideology and its articulation is both provocative and rife with serious consequences , because it would not get restricted to the geographical division , there would be many more things that will happen, which the protagonists of separate Jammu state/ UT have not taken into consideration .
Look the verdict in another frame . The incoming government cannot build good relations with Jammu unless it gives due weightage to the mandate the region has delivered . Twenty-nine is a big strength in the House. The confrontation mode will be mutually harmful for both the sides. The BJP, which is riding high on the mandate that it has got from Hindu heartland , has to deliver something to its voters more than mere political sloganeering .Can it do that by being hostile to the NC government, simply because it is NC government that has come to power because Kashmir voted in a particular way .If the NC government has to move ahead and not get caught in the divisive narratives and actions , it will have to extend hand of cooperation to the leaders of Jammu before hoping for cordial relations with Delhi. And, in same fashion the local BJP leaders will have to see the reality as it is, and also realize their responsibility that they too owe something more than political slogans to their constituents . It becomes imperative for both NC and BJP to look at each other as partners in taking J&K forward .There can be no division on this highly important issue and both sides should also recognize the fact that J&K is a different landscape having its own challenges.
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