Panchayat elections in the State proved red rag to the bull. Militants and separatists found that through the instrument of Panchayat Raj the state was trying to reach the grass roots. It essentially meant inducing the vast rural population of the State to actively join the democratic process. We all know that democracy and expression of free will stand in diametrical opposition to the philosophy of violence and unleashing of brute force. Government’s vigorous pursuit of going ahead with Panchayati Raj plan met with equally vigorous reaction by the enemies of democracy. This led to the creation of another war front between the State and the militants.
The militants did not remain content with issuing warnings to the prospective candidates desirous of fighting Panchayat elections. They struck at vulnerable places and on vulnerable persons. A number of precious lives of Sarpanchs and Panchs were lost. Militants succeeded in creating a wave of fear among the peoples’ representatives who now struck every nerve to obtain security cover from the Government. Talking practically, no Government can provide physical security to each and every Sarpanch and Panch whose total number runs to the tune of 34,000 persons. For sometime unrest and unease prevailed among the elected representatives. But then the measures taken by the security forces to protect their lives began to shown positive results.
Sarpanchs and Panchs are elected by the people. As such they enjoy majority support from their respective constituencies or halqas. Majority support in itself is a dependable security for an elected representative. Nevertheless, miscreants even if numerically insignificant can become the source of disruption and mayhem. Therefore more vulnerable representatives were provided personal security guard.
Enforcement of Panchayati Raj is a major development in political activity of the State. It is almost what is called mass mobilization. Apparently Panchayati Raj is extension of overall development programme for the entire State pursued through the instrumentality of local people and their representatives. But seen from political prism, it is a major step towards firm rooting and strengthening the functionality of democracy in the State which has been going through two decades of turmoil. The point is that if the State understands the significance of mass mobilization through democratic process then it must devise adequate strategies to ensure that the process is not derailed. Empowering Sarpanchs and Panchs or assigning them the responsibility of executing works of development in their respective areas or benefitting from their consultative role are all the means of strengthening democratic process. But slackness in making insurance scheme operational in their case is not acceptable. The Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj floated the idea of insuring the Sarpanchs and Panchs way back in December last. Ours is the only State in the country that initiated the scheme for the first time. The idea found favour with the Government which went to the length of announcing the Expression of Interest in January this year and four companies offered to undertake the enterprise. But the entire scheme got stuck up at the level of Finance Department which returned the proposal to the Rural Development Department raising certain questions and asking for clarifications and more discussion on the subject. From January onwards, there is no movement on this case and it looks more or less it has been shelved. Knowledgeable sources say that the Union Minister for Rural Development, to whom the State Government approached for financial support to launch the insurance scheme has maintained silence. The simple inference is that the State Government is not in a financial position to meet the expenses on account of insuring 4,128 Sarpanchs and 29,707 Panchs in the State.
Two aspects of the case are under focus. One is the feasibility of the scheme and the other is funding. Both go hand in hand. As far as the question of feasibility, the threat to the lives of the Sarpanchs and Panchs has not diminished. They continue to receive overt and covert threats regularly. The Government cannot provide security to each of them as that is not possible for any Government. At the same time, the Sarpanchs and Panchs have a family and social life. The Government cannot turn a blind eye to these facts. Insurance cover is in fact a mechanism of providing sustenance to their family members in case of a fatality happening at the hands of the militants. The Union Minister of Rural Development has to understand that the Sarpanchs and Panchs in the state and especially in the valley are functioning under very difficult conditions. His Ministry must adopt very flexible and realistic approach to the question of providing insurance cover to the endangered segment of civil society that has been called upon to render meritorious service in strengthening secular democracy of our country. We hope the Union Ministry does not let down the State Rural Development Department in a matter in which national interests are at stake.
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