B L Saraf
Jammu & Kashmir has come under Governor’s rule, after political parties failed to cobble together a popular Government. That Governor exercising executive power in the State , without aid and advice of the council of Ministers, is constitutionally permissible; but it does not have a democratic flavour. It is a constitutional remedy to be applied in special circumstances, taken as a temporary diversion of the democratic stream. The democratic flavour is a pleasant blend of constitutionalism and the real politics. In J&K Context, the political component, often, outweighs the constitutional remedy. What compounds the situation, here, is that the Governor’s rule is generally read synonymous with the direct Central governance. It carries different connotations and interpretations in the state which, often, are couched in a motivated discourse. The political elements, inimical to the democratic process, will use it as a handle to whip up anti-national hysteria and give a much needed cause to the extra- territorial forces to go breast beating around the world.
J&K is one state, in the Union, which can ill afford a Governed Raj.
The Governor, himself , may not do much to see revocation of his rule. Onus is on the political parties -particularly, on the major players like PDP and the BJP. True, every political party is driven by a desire to assume political/executive power, to full fill its agenda. But in J&K, where numerous issues confront the state-often cross cutting one another, the desire to have the seat of power must always be tampered with the a recognition of the realities obtaining on ground.
Whatever happens in Kashmir reverberates with high decibel noise, around the world. Neither PDP nor BJP could be faulted to nurture such an aspiration. But BJP, being a ruling party at the centre, has to understand it in a rather wider perspective, and keeping in view that it does not have a pan-state mandate.
It has to yield some space to other political parties if it has to go in for Government formation and expansion of its influence to the unchartered areas. Or, in the alternative , it should leave field open for the other political formulations to claim the chair , and ensure that the Central Government lends a helping hand to it in the matters of good governance. In no case should this party be so intrnasigient or cavalier as to make things uncomfortable for PM Narrandra Modi, and distract his attention from good governance agenda . Kashmir on the boil, is last thing that PM Modi would want to see.
PDP will be best advised not to go with an inflated ego. This election should be an eye opener for the party. Comparatively, numbers may be in its favour, but it, too, doesn’t represent a pan- state sentiment. The party can’t claim all the political space. But being a largest party in the Assembly, PDP has a duty to make a serious effort to ensure that a popular Government is in place, soon. While as the voter’s sentiment has to be respected, taking an extreme position on certain issues will not work for the good of the people. Surely, it won’t advance the cause of democracy.
In view of the peculiar geopolitical considerations, every political party – big or small-has a role to see that situation doesn’t get destabilised in the state, and that the stream of democracy flows freely.
They should not muddy the waters. Occasion demands that every political player plays his game , positively . The Governor’s rule must be short lived and, at best, used as an interregnum by the political parties to come out of euphoria, detoxify the election rhetoric and reflect calmly on the evens likely to unfold in times ahead. And, then come to the terms with the available situation, in the larger interests of the state.
It shouldn’t encourage us that people in the State , particularly in the Valley, have not adversely reacted to this move : nor the fact that some have welcomed it. Given the volatile nature of Valley’s politics and super active fault lines, underneath, hostilities to the Central rule may appear any time, negating the gains which have accrued on account of the recently held free and fair election to the Assembly.
We have a case of former Governor , Jagmohan , who was profusely praised by a common Kashmiri for his good job done in 1986, when he was in charge of the state administration . Come 1990 , such adulation gave way to his furious castigation , by the same people , for a much better job done to protect the country’s sovereignty and integrity. Lesson must not be lost.
(The author is former Principal District & Sessions Judge)
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