An appeal has been made to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give the green signal to the Election Commission of India to hold assembly polls in J&K, live up to his own commitment to allow the people to elect their “MLAs, ministers and Chief Minister.”
There were two major reasons for the Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari to appeal to the sense of democratic values and promises made by the PM to make such an appeal, extraordinary delay of five years in holding polls in J&K, and a discourse, now audible in some quarters, it is better to continue with the current arrangement- central rule – for few more years, to stabilize Kashmir situation on a permanent basis.
In the past few days, Jammu and Kashmir watched very closely the elections in Karnataka, which went to polling on Wednesday- May 10 and will have results on Saturday, wondering whether it will ever have the same privilege to its own government. The wait of five years has inflicted excruciating mental stress as some quarters within the ruling BJP, and votaries of the direct central rule have started throwing their narrative in the public domain, why to have an elected government when things are calm and smooth, and the UT is witnessing and experiencing unprecedented development. They strengthen their argument with two premises – that the elected government (in this case they anticipate political parties of Kashmir gaining majority in the 90-member Assembly) would revert to patronage to the secessionist elements, and second they are spreading the fear that corruption would be back with ferocity. This messaging is done through inner political narratives, though in the public domain, they claim that they are ready to face polls anytime Election Commission announces.
Sensing that there were covert attempts and curated narrative to stall the polls, the political parties, have started showing their angst. They see in the Prime Minister, the saviour of the democracy in J&K. They have picked up the theme that the Prime Minister played out, during his Independence Day address to the nation on August 15, 2019, 10 days after the abrogation of Article 370, that the people of Jammu and Kashmir will soon have their “MLAs, ministers, and Chief Minister.” That, they believe was the national commitment.
They are convinced, by their experience, and also because they are aware of Delhi’s way of working as far as holding of polls in J&K is concerned, that the Election Commission of India is not the sole decision-maker. The ECI looks for a green signal from the Centre. That’s a fact, borne out by the history of this Himalayan territory that has been at crossroads of geopolitical pulls and pressures.
An all-Party delegation, led by a veteran leader and five-time chief minister Farooq Abdullah, had met the Chief Election Commissioner of India, with a petition that holds the polls in J&K as the government has claimed, it time and again that the security situation is perfect. That had led to the hope that ECI would take some steps to instill hope that the Commission is on it, but that did not happen, adding to the illusion of the non-BJP political parties.
Political parties in J&K felt that it is better to appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi than others, to have the polls in the UT. Their stakes in the elections are not all about forming the government, but there are larger issues involved – that a political system is working and the political space is not empty, because political groups alone can generate the narratives of the challenges, grievances of the people and offer a democratic resistance to the undemocratic agenda of the forces within and outside of country’s borders.
After watching a huge voter turnout in Karnataka polls on May 10, the results of which will be out on May 13, the people in Jammu and Kashmir, wondered, why Assembly elections are eluding them. In the past five years, since June 2018 when they lost their last elected government to the political pulls and pressures between the two alliance partners PDP of Mehbooba Mufti and Bhartiya Janta Party. History is a witness to the fact that the two parties, trading charges against each other in hyperbolic terms, were close allies in government, and they had committed themselves to the “ Agenda of Alliance”- the common minimum Programme. The CMP had underlined the commitment of the two parties to work together for the transformation of J&K, seeking peace, economic progress and other avenues that met the aspirations of the common masses of the ( now erstwhile) state. it Had also stated very clearly, “While recognizing the different positions and appreciating the perceptions BJP and PDP have on the constitutional status of J&K, considering the political and legislative realities, the present position will be maintained on all the constitutional provisions pertaining to J&K, including the special status in the Constitution of India.”
Now that phase is over. Much has changed since. But, during all the years that have passed, have kept a hope hanging in air that J&K would get its statehood back and an elected government will come into being. Neither has happened
While watching the campaign and voting for the elections in Karnataka, the people in J&K have slipped into thinking, whether elections will ever be held here. This is turning hope into despair, a scepticism has come to temper mood of the people, almost giving up on having elections and elected government. There is scepticism and cynicism, in which it is being expressed, though not as loudly as they could have done in the past, that J&K is being deliberately kept out of the democratic map of the country. As ever since they saw collapse of the elected government on June 19, 2018, they have seen elections being held in all states and union territories without fail, or diverting their schedule. This also has led to questions, if abolition of Article 370 has integrated J&K more into India and done away with all the security threats, and terrorism, why should it not be considered qualified enough for the elections?
The problem is multifaceted – the delay in elections on one count or the other will add to the exasperation of the people, especially the youth that is looking forward to have political say. There is striking difference between Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies elections, which it is stated, will be held as per schedule, and that of the Assembly polls. Even Lok Sabha elections will be held as per schedule, in J&K, as it happened in 2019 as well. That there is something deliberate in it, is sapping spirits of the voters who had been waiting for the voting moment for Assembly polls for the past five years.
This scepticism, the signs are already visible, will render all political parties, including BJP, irrelevant. If the political parties cannot contest the polls to form the government or reconcile to the role of playing opposition in the legislature, then what for the parties are? This is being asked. And the questions are being multiplied with every passing day. The centre is doing incalculable harm to itself.
It is for this reason that the political leadership is now urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene, for they have sensed, and they are convinced too, that the Election Commission cannot take a step without green signal from the Centre. “I have hope that the Prime Minister will realise the difficulties of the people and provide them with a chance to have their own government in J&K,” stated Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari. He also said that if the Centre is not interested in polls, it should say so, clearly, so that we could engage ourselves in social issues.
This question of not holding the polls, is answered by former Chief Ministers – Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, and also Mehbooba Mufti, that the ball is in the court of Centre, not election commission. All, they claim, know that in J&K polls are held only once centre takes a decision. That decision is not being taken, they say with a sarcasm which is reflection of their suppressed anger over the delay in Assembly polls.
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