B L Saraf
For Ananatnag – Rajouri Lok Sabha seat polling date has been deferred. The Election Commission of India (EC) issued a notification on 30th April postponing polls for the constituency, scheduled for 7th May to the new date of 25th May. Except the change in the voting date the rest of the schedule remains unchanged. The logistical and bad weather conditions have been cited by the EC to effect the change. BJP Apni Party and Azad’s outfit and some other splinter groups had sought postponement saying that due to the closure of Mughal Road and inclement whether they could not engage with the voters.
The EC order has evoked reactions on the predictable lines. While the parties which had sought deferment have welcomed the move, N C and PDP and some others have criticized it. Omar Abdullah, VP N C and Mehbooba Mufti – herself a candidate – have described the postponement as a “move to delay the election and aimed at manipulating the voting pattern in favour of BJP and its allies.” Omar Abdullah, sensing a conspiracy in the development, said “the people who are not participating in the election are talking about postponing it.” Mehbooba further said “it is to frighten the people not to exercise their franchise against the ongoing onslaught on the identity and resources of Kashmir.”
It is regrettable that the postponement exercise has landed EC in a controversy. Rightly so India takes a great pride in having been successful to conduct general and state elections on enormous scale every five years which have resulted in smooth and peaceful transfer of power .This has been made largely possible by an independent Election Commission. The Commission did ensure that the political parties and the politicians played the game by rules when seeking votes. Rightly or wrongly but unfortunately of late this impression has come under a cloud. People across the board hold a confirmed belief in the impartiality of the EC while performing its constitutional duties. Therefore it is upon the Commission to dispel the unpleasant impression and clear the air about its working.
Today when some ‘likeminded’ political parties and splinter groups have raised logistical and infrastructural reasons to demand postponement of election to the Anantnag – Rajouri Lok Sabha seat it is time to recall what was represented before the Delimitation Commission, in the year 2022, when it was on the job to redraw Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir pursuant to the constitutional changes made on 5th August 2019 – which saw J&K State bifurcated and demoted to the Union Territory status . Through written representations and media the Commission was told that It defies geography topography compactness of the area and connectivity when we club districts Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu Division with Anantnag in Kashmir Division to make a one Parliamentary constituency. It was put before the Delimitation Commission that in some way such a clubbing goes against letter and spirit of the law relevant to the situation which mandates that all constituencies shall as far as be practicable be geographically compact areas and in delimiting them, regard shall be had to physical feature existing boundaries of administrative units and conveniences to the public. The likelihood of a political fallout which would resurrect the ghost of Greater Kashmir plan was also flagged. In this connection the politics around dubious Dixon Plan to truncate J& K and severe it from India in 1948 too was brought to the notice. There is no pleasure in saying that in 30th April order of deferring the Anantnag – Rajouri lok sabha voting on the reasons mentioned therein we get overwhelmed by a sense of déjà vu.
Post August 5th 2019 the top leadership of BJP weaved a tapestry that hence forth all will be well in Kashmir and all round prosperity will replace the ” gloom ” created by the ” dynast rulers ” over the period of 70 years . No occasion was spared to condemn the past rulers of the erstwhile state and a rosy picture of a bright future was conjured up which would emerge under the BJP’s stewardship. The BJP may have its own reasons to stay off the poll battle in Kashmir but the act has given rise to an impression that when a crunch moment came the party shied away and its claim turned into a mere boast . The absence of BJP from electoral scene in the Valley raises many questions?
The BJP as a major political party on the national scene has every right to reach the nook and corner of the Kashmir Valley. For that it has to strike a right cord with the local people: care for their sensitivities and pay respect to for their genuine aspirations – without pampering to the few who still nurture extra – territorial ambitions. Bamboozling the local populace with the dazzling light and sound show and parading political turn coats and time servers as the true party workers will serve no purpose. Kashmiris have had enough of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed’s “Jashen e Kashmir “tamasha. The cosmetic euphoria created in the Valley will soon dissipate once a sense of fallibility of the BJP at Delhi starts to creep in. The meteoric rise and sudden fall of the Janata Party in 1977 – of which B J P in Jan Sangh avatar was an important constituent may provide an indicator.
Many people in Kashmir genuinely yearn for prosperity and development and in pursuit of the goal they would whole heartedly embrace a Delhi politician who they feel will deliver the goods without burdening their psyche with a rank polarizing discourse. Similarly there are good many takers of PM Narendra Modi’s developmental agenda in the Valley but what holds them back is the prevailing electoral and sectarian cacophony that emerges from the main land.
From now on till the assembly elections in J &K (whenever held) the BJP has enough time to revisit some of its policies and attune the current discourse to the local imperatives. Apart from what has been stated above the party should meaningfully and directly engage with all sections of the Valley and address their concerns well. The internally displaced Pandits had reposed great faith in BJP with the hope that the party will deliver them from the doom and ensure end of their forced exile on equitable terms. However their disappointment is writ large. Though many still retain faith in the party nonetheless murmurs of being let down are emerging from some sections of the displaced community which may not sound music to the BJP ears. Though feeble the murmurs before they gather volume need be heard with empathy and followed up by a commensurate action.
(The author is Former Principal District &Sessions Judge)
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