Sir,
Outcome of Sunday’s an all-party meet on Panchayat polls is deferment because the security situation is not conducive for holding the polls. It was expected. The news is that except BJP all political parties preferred postponement because of messy security scenario. Although Panchayats are the foundation of democracy on which the pyramids of a nation-state stand but in J&K this foundation is existentially weak because of militancy.
Panchayat elections were due in March-April 2016. Had they been held on time, they would have been peaceful. After Hizbul Commander Burhan Wani’s killing in July 2016, the very idea of it would appear to be a joke. When Chief Minister Mehbooa Mufti made a startling announcement last year on 25th December to hold Panchayat elections, without taking all stakeholders on board, starting 15 February 2018, it was bound to abort. Hence the deferment doesn’t surprise any. Ever since the dawn of 2018, the situation is worsening on daily basis. Apart from Hurriyat boycott call, Hizb -ul-Mujahideen threatened that eyes will be gouged of those who contest. Cross border firing, fatalities, infiltration, terrorism and stone pelting are on the rise. Had the all party meet okayed scheduled elections, it would have been suicidal.
Though presently Panchayat election is in limbo, the hope is not lost because roots of Panchayat Raj in J&K are deep. They date back to Maharaja Hari Singh’s rule. He created a department of ‘Panchayats and Rural Development’ in 1936 to usher Panchayati Raj in J&K. I have seen Panchayat elections held till early seventies. Then there was a break of about four decades. Panchayat elections were successfully held in 2001 and again in 2011 with 80 percent polling despite militancy. The difference now is those days is ‘the militants those days were foreigners, now nearly all are local’. Their diktats rule the roost. All party decision should be welcomed because it is arrived at in an all party meet by the leaders who have risen from the grass root. At the same time evil designs of the anti-national elements should be foiled. Elections should be held in Jammu and Ladakh and areas in the valley which are peaceful. There is a precedence of having staggered elections in J&K because of weather. While we point a finger at Pakistan for skewed democracy, similar is the case in J&K for various reasons including militancy and radicalisation. The fingers will be raised towards J&K also. Hence BJP suggestion of holding Panchayat elections, wherever feasible, should be re-considered.
Yours etc…
Col J P Singh
Gandhinagar, Jammu
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