New Delhi, Dec.23 (ANI): Natural calamities, freezing cold and militant threats have not deterred the people of Jammu and Kashmir from keeping their "Tryst with Destiny" and coming out to vote in large numbers during Assembly Elections, 2014.
The voter turnout of overall 66 percent is heralded as the best in the last twenty-five years, thus, opening a new chapter in the state's political history.
The state has cast away the shadow of the gun and opted to return to the democratic mainstream that was adversely affected by the cult of terrorism. There can be no bigger reason for celebration than this. It is a victory of the people of the state and the security forces who have made innumerable sacrifices to bring about this situation of near normality, as also the Indian Nation that has displayed unique resilience for maintaining democratic norms despite seemingly insurmountable odds.
There are so many permutations and combinations available for the forming of the government in the state. A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) - Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) combine would entail a large chunk of elected representatives being in government; a PDP-Congress combine is also a distinct possibility, as a National Conference (NC)-BJP alliance that has witnessed some warming up of late. The smaller parties and independents can also play a crucial role.
Logically, the PDP and the BJP that will have the maximum seats in the new Assembly are best poised to provide a stable government. Should any other combination come up, the opposition will snipe at the heels of the government, which would be counter-productive.
Also necessary in a coalition would be a near equal representation to voices of the two main regions of Jammu and the Kashmir Valley. On this count, a PDP-BJP coalition holds more weight. In case the PDP opts to go with the Congress, it would be very obvious that a segment of political leadership in the state is determined to maintain the political dominance of the Kashmir region over the Jammu region.
The crux, of course, will lie in the common minimum programme (CMP) that a set of coalition partners can chalk out. The CMP that can meet the overriding need for progress, peace and development while keeping divisive political ideologies at bay would be the most effective.
The BJP has, during the election campaign, rooted for an end to the discrimination of the Jammu region and deprivation of its rightful share in the development of the state. Beyond this, the party has promised to put the state at par with the development index of the Indian nation. The party has a strong stand on rehabilitation of all refugees in the state which includes the Kashmir Pundits in the valley, the West Pakistan refugees in the border belt of Jammu and those of the minority community who fled from their home and hearth due to the terrorist threat. The party has made it clear that it would prefer the path of public debate rather than politics of agitation and disruption on the issue of the abrogation of Article 370.
The PDP, on the other hand, has assured good governance on the basis of the Gujarat model; its patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has spoken extensively of a corruption free and accountable government with a single window system to fast track decision-making.
Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has, in his election rallies, spoken of a revisit of the good days when BJP was at the centre and he was chief minister of the state. He has consistently invoked that dispensation as the best time for the state in its turbulent history.
The PDP has an agenda of rehabilitating surrendered militants and those who crossed over to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir during time of peak militancy. The BJP would not find it difficult to support this agenda. Politically, the PDP is aligned to a system of self-rule, the implementation of which is contingent to Pakistan's policies with regard to the occupied territories.
The PDP and the BJP have almost similar view points on ameliorating the suffering of the people in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and Gilgit-Baltistan who continue to suffer intolerable exploitation and colonisation at the hands of the federal government of Pakistan. A BJP-PDP coalition has the potential of giving impetus to this important aspect.
The Congress and the NC, clearly on the back foot due to anti-incumbency, put in a lot of effort during the campaigning in deriding each other. In hindsight, it seems that if they had gone for elections together, they would have performed better. The Congress and the NC have been accusing the BJP of polarising the state on communal lines and the PDP of playing a double game so far as the interests of the Kashmiri people are concerned.
It is quite evident from the results of the elections that the people have remained unconvinced by the arguments of the two parties.
Whosoever forms the government would need to be conscious of the fact that the youth of the state (who constitute the political centre of gravity of the state) want personal progress even over development. They want dignity through work; they want the necessary skills to be able to fend for themselves not only in the national but also the global arena. Nobody is interested in the outdated political agendas of yore. This message is loud and clear.
The security situation in the state will now move into a sensitive phase. Terror mongers across the border are bound to renew their efforts to destabilise the region with all the means in their power. The need for extra vigil by the people and security forces is more now than ever. In this regard the new government will need to be extra cautious.
Jammu and Kashmir is poised to embark on a new, interesting and vibrant phase in its history. Those forming the government will have a mandate of the type that no other government has had in the last few decades. Those in opposition also will have a very positive role to play in highlighting and safeguarding the interests of their constituents. It is fervently hoped that this golden opportunity is not frittered away.
The views expressed in the above article are that of Col. (Retired) Jaibans Singh who is an analyst with expertise on Jammu and Kashmir affairs).
