Mahesh Chander Sudan
We, the people of Jammu and Kashmir, have recently felt an emerging sense of exasperation that apparently resulted out of prolonged absence of governance and latest political developments in the Union Territory post Aug 2019. Unlike other states/UTs, the erstwhile state of J&K enjoyed unique example of regional and religious diversity that stood fast through thick and thin and proved its unity for ages. The pervading disquiet indicates its emergence from social, economic and political factors affecting normal life of the people across the spectrum of society. It is visible in villages, towns, cities and across the regions challenging workers, professionals, businessman and even the privileged class of politicians who had enjoyed immunity from ups and downs. It is disturbing to note that the youths of the Union Territory especially educated unemployed youths are stumbling to face challenge of unchecked unemployment as shown in the recent survey conducted by Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy. To be more specific, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been bearing the brunt of non-cordial relations between two neighboring states and at the same time unresolved issue of J&K increasingly conveys that the politics has exaggerated the issue instead of extinguishing it.
It evidently indicates that the recent reorganization of the state into two union territories have further widened the social gap amongst people of three regions. The socio cultural diversity of the state has been affected and mutual bondage that existed for centuries got disturbed. The people across three regions were connected with one another and thus unity bloomed out of diversity. This has not only affected diverse societies but hurt the spirit of diversity that apparently is posing a challenge to administration and to the members of tribes and clans who are voicing their concern for reservations/political empowerment. The economy of the state have also suffered on account of prolonged lockdowns both during pandemic and otherwise due to administratively forced closure of economic activities especially in the valley in the interest of law and order. It is a known fact that the two regions of JKUT are economically interdependent. Jammu acts as a gate way for Kashmir to reach other parts of the country and it thus infers that the horticulturally rich Kashmir valley sells its produce to various markets of the country through this gate way. This creates voluminous opportunity to generate employment for local people. The highest rate of unemployment ever suffered by the youths especially females of the UT, as referred earlier, has not emerged out of blue moon but is result of administrative failure to provide conducive environment for local small scale businesses and tourism to remain operational during change over.
It hardly needs any effort to indicate that political inactivation that resulted post Aug 2019 created wide gap between local leadership and the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Ordinary citizen are left with no next door opportunity to seek help from any quarter. In democracy people govern themselves through their own representatives and the absence of it drives them away from the established democratic system.
It is also a fact that the recent change of status of JK was considered necessary by party in power to handle security issues and set course of development for larger welfare of the state. However, precept and practice failed to match for various reasons. The people of JKUT have not been adequately addressed to accept the changed status and are still groping in dark owing to limited governance dispensed through LG and his handful team of advisors. Holding of local bodies elections across the UT to establish democracy at ground level have hardly created any impact and the system of governance got further complicated. This actually laid additional speed breakers in the process of rural development for want of adequate information and education to all stake holders. Administration has become more cumbersome for end user to get intended benefit that shatters his faith in the system and ultimately raises his discontentment.
No doubt, three tiers governance would enable real fruit of vibrant democracy to reach last person provided all tiers are rightly arranged and well-coordinated to churn out desired results. This therefore calls for more tenacity on the part of Union dispensation to hasten up process of forming democratically elected popular government for effectively dispensing good governance to arrest rising public discontentment for reestablishing Unity in Diversity as envisaged in a vibrant democracy. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat.
(The author is Wg Cdr (Retd)
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