Home minister Amit Shah sounds poll bugle in Jammu and Kashmir

By Farooq Wani

India is the world’s largest democracy and its success lies not only in its linguistic and religious diversity, but also in its encouragement of people’s participation in matters of governance. It is a country where elections are essential to sustain and keep democracy alive. Our leaders have understood the value of political stability and that rules need to be framed or repealed to maintain it. In a democracy, it is only enlightened citizens who frame a just system of administration.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in an interview to a TV channel, has said that elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held within six to eight months of the conclusion of the delimitation exercise.

The region is currently a union territory under the rule of a Lieutenant Governor following the abrogation of Article 370. The central government has also declared Ladakh a union territory.

Following the abrogation of Article 370, a number of changes have taken place in the system of governance and the delimitation process is one among them. The delimitation panel has proposed an overhaul of the Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in the UT.

Elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held after completion of the delimitation process and statehood will be restored once the situation in the region normalises, Home Minister Shah said.

“Elections are needed to keep the administration at every level of governance accountable and to deliver better services to the public,” said Dr Hubbi, a senior politician. “It is good to conduct elections in Jammu and Kashmir and it shows the genius of Home Minister Amit Shah, who stands on his commitment, which he had assured the Parliament when Article 370 was being repealed,” he added. 

The delimitation of legislative assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir was last done in 1995 on the basis of the Representation of People’s Act, 1957, a law enacted by Parliament to provide for the conduct of election of both Houses of Parliament and to the Houses of the Legislature in each state.

As such, central laws and caveats in the past have never been applied during the carving out of constituencies. The current delimitation exercise is aimed at redrawing several J&K assembly segments in a manner that would allocate six additional seats to the Jammu division and one to the Kashmir division. One additional constituency is proposed in the districts of Kathua, Samba, Rajouri, Reasi, Doda and Kishtwar in the Jammu division and in Kupwara in the Kashmir Valley.

Changes are also proposed in the Baramulla, Kupwara, Srinagar, Kulgam and Anantnag districts of the Kashmir division by realigning of constituencies. So far as the Lok Sabha constituencies are concerned, the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri have been added to the Anantnag constituency.

Politicians from the J&K are trying hard to raise temperatures in the UT in order to maintain their hold over the region to whatever extent possible. As the opposition from the Kashmiri leadership intensifies, the time tested methodology of getting caste in the equation and accusing the Centre of attempting to create a communal divide is expected to gain momentum.

There will be talk of this redrawing of constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir becoming another 1987 moment in Kashmir. It will also be cautioned and warned that once the governor’s rule is withdrawn and the UT legislature is in place, the policies of the present dispensation will be reversed. All of the above constitutes petty politics played by politicians and will be rejected by the people.

The overall impression is that the Delimitation Commission, by bringing about a much needed balance in the electoral constituencies of the UT, is correcting a wrong perpetrated by devious means seven decades back. The artificial shackles created by repressive unconstitutional means are now being replaced with more inclusive democratic norms. 

Shah also made a mention of India launching its first “District Good Governance Index” and said that in this regard, Jammu and Kashmir is a priority for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and multipronged efforts are being made to ensure the all-around development of the union territory.

In highlighting the government’s achievements, he further said that under previous administrations’, Jammu and Kashmir had received just Rs.12, 000 crores as investment in the last 70 years, but in just one year under the present regime, Rs.12,000 crore investment has come in and out of this Rs.2,000 crore has used for ground breaking development so far. Altogether, Rs.50, 000 crores is expected to flow in as investment for development initiatives in Jammu and Kashmir.

He also revealed during his interview that Jammu and Kashmir’s budget has been increased from Rs.9, 000 crores to Rs.21, 000 crores. “No other state has got such a two-and-a-half hike in its budget allocation. It shows that Jammu and Kashmir is a priority for Modi,” Shah said.

“But to sustain democracy, peace is necessary for Jammu and Kashmir. I want to appeal to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir not to get instigated by the vested interests. I want to tell the youth to have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to have faith in the Jammu and Kashmir administration,” he added.

Lauding the UT administration’s efforts, Shah said: “Jammu and Kashmir is currently ranked fifth among all states and union territories in implementing central government development schemes. Terrorism has reduced, stone-pelting has is not visible anymore. I want to assure you that strict action will be taken against those who want to ruin the peace in J&K; no one can obstruct development here. It’s our commitment.”

He added that 4,500 youth clubs have been registered across Jammu and Kashmir, out of which 4,229 youth clubs are in rural areas. “You can imagine that 4,229 youth clubs are working to connect the youth of rural areas with some or the other activities of development and sports. This is a new beginning.”

“From fear, terrorism, corruption and family-based politics to peace, development and prosperity, the youth of Jammu-Kashmir have to bring positive changes and has to play tremendous part in building Jammu and Kashmir,” Shah said. 

(The author is Editor – Brighter Kashmir, TV commentator, political analyst and columnist. Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of Financial Express Online. Reproducing this content without permission is prohibited).