My apprehensions on Kashmir and the poll outcome
It is now the case, in the political circles and in the media that democracy is once again on the rails in Jammu and Kashmir. Well. It is difficult to argue otherwise given the fact that the elections to the State assembly, held amidst apprehensions of separatist violence and in the context of a call by the various groups in the valley for poll boycott, witnessed considerably moderate polling.
The people, in their own way, went about casting their votes and threw up a hung assembly. And we now have Omar Farooq Abdullah as Chief Minister. But for a determined Sonia Gandhi and her party’s Government at the Centre, Jammu and Kashmir would have remained under Central rule for a few more months and that would have facilitated the Congress to continue pulling the strings in the valley from the back-door.
It is another matter that with the dependence of Omar Farooq on the Congress for survival as Chief Minister, the National Conference will have to accommodate the Congress party’s interests in the State. It is also a fact that Omar has given sufficient signals that he will, in doing so, limit himself to dealing with the Congress party in New Delhi and continue to hold the Congress leaders from Srinagar at arms length. It is also likely that the People’s Democratic Party, responsible for the elections now (since the party withdrew support to Ghulam Nabi Azad and thus pulled the Government down) will now make things difficult for Omar.
Be that as it may. There is now the central issue of how much democracy has been restored in the State. Recall the events in Srinagar and in Delhi some 22 years ago. In 1987, Omar Abdullah’s father, Farooq Abdullah, swallowed all his anti-Congress diatribes and entered into an alliance with Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress. It was still better than now because it was an alliance before the elections. And that led Mufti Mohammed Sayed, to walk out of the Congress, join V.P.Singh and much later found the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The PDP, we know, won a large number of seats and formed a Government with the Mufti being made the Chef Minister and supported by the Congress.
The National Conference-Congress alliance in 1987 and the elections then marked a watershed in the history of the crisis in Jammu and Kashmir. The NC-Congress victory was obtained by resort to unfair means both during the polling and at the time of the counting. The Muslim United Front, that consisted of a whole lot of young political activists such as Yaseen Malik and many such others were defeated in the polls by this unfair means and drove them to where they are now.
Anyone who has watched Kashmir in these years know that the present state of crisis has to do with the 1987 events. And that is where one finds this post-poll alliance between the Congress and the National Conference a cause for concern now. It is difficult, hence, to agree that democracy is now firmly on the rails now. The alliance between two parties that fought against each other and teamed up only now is not all that exciting and democratic so to say.
There is, then, the issue of the manner in which Omar Farooq Abdullah was chosen as Chief Minister. His father, Farooq Abdullah too was chosen the same way in the early eighties. In other words, Farooq Abdullah was nowhere among the people of Kashmir in 1982 when his father, Sheikh Abdullah anointed him the Chief Minister of the State. Sheikh Abdullah, indeed, was the leader of the people but his son was not. And Farooq Abdullah’s effete administration and his total lack of belonging led to the beginning of the alienation of the people from the democratic stream.
He allowed himself to be dismissed in 1983, played along with the opposition parties for a while and agreed to team up with the Congress, the party that was responsible for his dismissal in 1984, only in order to become Chief Minister in 1987. And the democratic people on the valley had to pay the price for all that. And once out of power, Farooq would fly off to London! Omar’s only claim to fame is that he is Farooq’s son and Sheikh Abdullah’s grand son. This does not qualify him to a position of power and that too as Chief Minister of a minority Government if democracy is to be the ruling doctrine.
Hence the apprehension; and Omar has only confirmed this fear when he said that he will deal with Rahul Gandhi from now. This certainly raises a lot of fear. I will be happy if my fears are proved to be unfounded!
It is now the case, in the political circles and in the media that democracy is once again on the rails in Jammu and Kashmir. Well. It is difficult to argue otherwise given the fact that the elections to the State assembly, held amidst apprehensions of separatist violence and in the context of a call by the various groups in the valley for poll boycott, witnessed considerably moderate polling.
The people, in their own way, went about casting their votes and threw up a hung assembly. And we now have Omar Farooq Abdullah as Chief Minister. But for a determined Sonia Gandhi and her party’s Government at the Centre, Jammu and Kashmir would have remained under Central rule for a few more months and that would have facilitated the Congress to continue pulling the strings in the valley from the back-door.
It is another matter that with the dependence of Omar Farooq on the Congress for survival as Chief Minister, the National Conference will have to accommodate the Congress party’s interests in the State. It is also a fact that Omar has given sufficient signals that he will, in doing so, limit himself to dealing with the Congress party in New Delhi and continue to hold the Congress leaders from Srinagar at arms length. It is also likely that the People’s Democratic Party, responsible for the elections now (since the party withdrew support to Ghulam Nabi Azad and thus pulled the Government down) will now make things difficult for Omar.
Be that as it may. There is now the central issue of how much democracy has been restored in the State. Recall the events in Srinagar and in Delhi some 22 years ago. In 1987, Omar Abdullah’s father, Farooq Abdullah, swallowed all his anti-Congress diatribes and entered into an alliance with Rajiv Gandhi’s Congress. It was still better than now because it was an alliance before the elections. And that led Mufti Mohammed Sayed, to walk out of the Congress, join V.P.Singh and much later found the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). The PDP, we know, won a large number of seats and formed a Government with the Mufti being made the Chef Minister and supported by the Congress.
The National Conference-Congress alliance in 1987 and the elections then marked a watershed in the history of the crisis in Jammu and Kashmir. The NC-Congress victory was obtained by resort to unfair means both during the polling and at the time of the counting. The Muslim United Front, that consisted of a whole lot of young political activists such as Yaseen Malik and many such others were defeated in the polls by this unfair means and drove them to where they are now.
Anyone who has watched Kashmir in these years know that the present state of crisis has to do with the 1987 events. And that is where one finds this post-poll alliance between the Congress and the National Conference a cause for concern now. It is difficult, hence, to agree that democracy is now firmly on the rails now. The alliance between two parties that fought against each other and teamed up only now is not all that exciting and democratic so to say.
There is, then, the issue of the manner in which Omar Farooq Abdullah was chosen as Chief Minister. His father, Farooq Abdullah too was chosen the same way in the early eighties. In other words, Farooq Abdullah was nowhere among the people of Kashmir in 1982 when his father, Sheikh Abdullah anointed him the Chief Minister of the State. Sheikh Abdullah, indeed, was the leader of the people but his son was not. And Farooq Abdullah’s effete administration and his total lack of belonging led to the beginning of the alienation of the people from the democratic stream.
He allowed himself to be dismissed in 1983, played along with the opposition parties for a while and agreed to team up with the Congress, the party that was responsible for his dismissal in 1984, only in order to become Chief Minister in 1987. And the democratic people on the valley had to pay the price for all that. And once out of power, Farooq would fly off to London! Omar’s only claim to fame is that he is Farooq’s son and Sheikh Abdullah’s grand son. This does not qualify him to a position of power and that too as Chief Minister of a minority Government if democracy is to be the ruling doctrine.
Hence the apprehension; and Omar has only confirmed this fear when he said that he will deal with Rahul Gandhi from now. This certainly raises a lot of fear. I will be happy if my fears are proved to be unfounded!
posted by Krishna Ananth at
5:47 AM
2 Comments:
Dear sir; i would like to submit my some humble views regarding this much talked issue of democracy in Kashmeer. I feel that not only political bargaining among various political parties but also d massive denial of civil and political rights in Kashmeer can derail d whole democratic process in d state.Democracy cannot flourish under threat of "curfewed nights"as d term coined by Basharat Peer. This election has also given alarm regarding emergence of sepratist forces in d state. I Stronglyfeel that if NEW DELHI is really honest for triumph of ballet over bullet; it must show respect regarding real issues regarding Kashmeer,otherwise, this much talked democratic phenomenon will prove psuedo democracy and bargaining festival for some vested interest group as it was earlier happend in history of Kashmeer.
Dear Vijay Kishor,
I agree with you. And wish the way you do. And please avoid such expressions like ``humble'' when you comment!!!!
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