Wg Cdr Mahesh Chander Sudan (Retd)
We, the people of Jammu and Kashmir, have been moving across most experiencing period of uncertainties lodged by premature debacle of unholy coalition government formed by PDP and BJP in the year 2018, prolonged proxy central rule under temporary constitutional arrangement as a state and as an UT and resultant deficit governance dispensed through Governor and Lieutenant Governors and their teams of limited advisors. The spirit of democracy as conceptualized and experienced across the nation since our independence from English Empire is broadly compromised since 2018 in JKUT as it fails to achieve participatory governance of public resources under bureaucratic set of governance. The people of both the union territories formed vide Reorganization Act 2019 have been left to bear with rampant corruption, bureaucratic fiefdom that resulted in cancellation of large number of entrance tests conducted through state selection board out of alleged leakages in a well-designed corrupt mode. Demand for grant of Statehood and formation of popular government through established democratic process is consistently raised by the people of both the Union Territories. More recently, the leaders of Leh and Ladakh have jointly projected it to Union Government through nonviolent methods.
A flash back of pre 2018 era undoubtedly conveys that the then State of Jammu and Kashmir was reeling under security issues sponsored by our hostile neighbor, yet it calls for a diligent introspection of the changes made either administratively, politically or militarily to contain those militant acts and draw future course of actions to attain peaceful, progressive and secure avenues of growth for citizens of the UTs. Primarily, the prolonged absence of democratically elected popular government and least participation of the people in day to day governance of public resources caused a wide gap between the ruler and the ruled; no amount of noble intention of Union dispensation could improve the situation for enhancing state welfare affecting common people on the street. The most critical aspect that hurts poor people of JKUT is absence of next door avenue for redressal of their grievances in form of local leadership irrespective of the fact that the leader belongs to ruling party or the parties in opposition. It is their trust in the age old system that convinced them to seek help from their own leader, no matter whether he possesses capability or any administrative capacity to solve their issues. The ongoing system of governance dispensed remotely by Union Government through LG and his only advisor falls short of their expectations and is proved deficit in shape, size and strength to democratically reach them at their door step despite various well-advertised programs like back to village or My Town My Pride.
It is also in right perspective to address the issue of public services rendered by the government machinery to its citizens, civil services like water supply, public health system and standard of education provided in the government run schools. The prevalent state of most critical life supporting water supply remains far from satisfaction though in varying proportions at rural and urban areas. Insufficient and irregular supply of water coupled with erratic power supply is most troubling feature of public life in urban areas with few exceptions of colonies where Government servants and bureaucrats reside. The condition in the rural areas is beyond the scope of expression as most of the country side depends on their own bore wells or hand pumps and is yet to be connected with supply of drinking water by Public Health Engineering Services. There is hardly any government initiative seen on the ground in this respect. The public health services provided by government of JKUT especially in rural areas are though large in size and shape but lack quality, the government hospitals at Primary and sub division levels lack infrastructure, updated lab equipment, latest test equipment and this all affects the quality of medical care given to rural areas of the UT. Application of scientific advancement in the field of medical services has progressively increased the life expectancy and therefore critical absence of advanced medical practices in rural area not only affects health care services of rural area but denies its benefits to the people.
It has recently been seen that inadequate governance prevalent in the Union Territory of JK resulted in cancellation of various recruitment tests that has potentially enhanced unemployment in the UT. Recent cancellation of recruitment for two border battalions at the final stage suspiciously indicates about rampant uncontrolled corruption in the recruitment process. It is expected that the Union Government would understand beyond doubt that bureaucratic monopoly in governance of public resources owing to deficit governance and dislodged democracy would invite unhealthy practices in public life and works contrary to the participatory governance of public resources as expected in a functional democracy like ours.
Politically designed move of dissolution of Legislative Assembly and further imposition of the President Rule in year 2018 followed by territorial reorganization of erstwhile state of J&K served no good on ground and it created a sense of helplessness in the mind of people who have continuously been denied their democratic right to exercise mandate for forming popular government to attain participatory governance of public resources. It not only denies democracy to the people of J&K specifically but also hurt the youths heavily as they have suffered victimization of bad and deficit governance that failed to conduct recruitment tests fairly to employ them and especially those who have gone overage for government jobs for no fault of theirs. Delay in holding election process in the JKUT for no technical reasons earns public annoyance and decimates their trust in the system. Hence, dislodging democracy for uncertain period ignoring law of the land may serve political ends of the ruling party but would certainly hurt the essence of democratic governance of public resources. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.
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