Arvind Kumar
After an exercise of many years, Government of Jammu-Kashmir has decided, on February 1, to go ahead with the formation of new administrative units. That too, in accordance with the recommendation of newly formed seven members Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC). Seven members of the committee included three from NC and Congress and one from JKDPN, an associate member of Congress. If everything goes well, first time in the history of Jammu-Kashmir we would have an unbiased Governmental exercise i.e., always neglected Jammu and Ladakh regions. This Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC) on creation of new units has given due share to all three regions of the State including Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh while recommending 659 new administrative units in the State.
Yes! This creation of new administrative units by and large can be considered satisfactory. But becoming satisfied with the transformation of Congress-NC collision would be like fooling yourself. NC is the same party, formation of whose, lies in the Kashmir or more preciously Muslim centric policies. And Congress is the very same party which kept mum when Kishtwar riot planner and executer Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo was being reimbursed as HM of State, which was quiet on the issue of SC’s reservation in the Valley and is quite on the rights of women and OBC of the State.
There are main four points which should be taken along while looking at the new administrative formation. These are (1) United and well coordinated nationalist forces in Jammu-Kashmir (2) Continuously increasing influence of BJP in Jammu-Kashmir including Kashmir Valley, after declaration of Narendra Modi as it’s Prime Ministerial candidate (3) Recent ongoing discussion on usefulness of Article 370 and (4) Coming Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly election in high anti-incumbency wave.
After Amarnath Andolan of Jammu-Kashmir, which even forced the Government of the State to go along nationalist path, patriots have decided not to be silent on the anti-national and anti-people policies of the Government. Amarnath Andolan not only gave a new life and strength to the nationalist people of Jammu-Kashmir, it also cautioned Government for any wrongdoing. Kichloo’s resignation was another won fight for the nationalists. So is the case behind the awakening of Jammu-Kashmir Government in this case. Fear of outrage of nationalists after the biased Ganie report impelled Government to thrash it and form CSC.
Along with this, challenge of increasing influence of BJP in it’s Kashmiri vote-bank made NC-Congress collision to behave rationally and impartially. Forget the general people even separatists have started to think that BJP is honest in dealing with the issues of J&K. Last month, addressing Press Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Chairman Hurriyat Conference (M) mentioned “It was during the tenure of Atal Behrai Vajpayee as the Prime Minister of India that he had declared Kashmir a humane issue which should be addressed within the ambit of humanity.” It did not end here, Mehbooba Mufti of PDP stated that a “section of people in J&K believe that BJP PM nominee Narendra Modi can take some “positive” and tough” decision on Kashmir”.
Using even this episode, shamelessly, Omar tried to put Article 370 in good light. In the interaction with reporters while releasing the report he said “We do not need to take on board automatically all those amendments which are made in New Delhi without considering which are beneficial to us or not”. He also said, “We have always mentioned that one of the advantages Jammu and Kashmir has is that we have our own Constitution.”
Last week Organiser was more than right while terming the threat of resign by CM Omar Abdullah a scripted rumour. On the other hand NC is also paddling hard to make some ground out of Kashmir Valley. So, in the drama of last week, Congress and NC played supplementary to each other.
This winning effort of nationalist people is appreciable but a long fight is needed to get deserving shares in Government jobs, which are highly biased towards Kashmir region, and in the region wise expenditure of funds. In the Jammu-Kashmir State there are severe anomalies in the electoral structure of Jammu-Kashmir which undervalues the votes of the Jammu region giving partial edge to Kashmir region. Therefore, instant needed fight is for the electoral reforms.
