Bigger challenges confronting Mehbooba

The challenges thrown up by the killing of eight civilians on the day of  bye poll in Srinagar parliamentary constituency comprising Srinagar, Budgam and Gandebal and the student protests in  response to the police action in the Pulwama College campus forcing government to shut schools, colleges and universities for a day  are lending credence to the apprehension that an unrest like situation may re-occur this summer again in Kashmir valley . The biggest challenge for the government is its disconnection with the youth who become the targets of crowd control policing as has been witnessed in recent street protests in parts of South Kashmir and central Kashmir district particularly Shopian and Budgam. Like the previous year  Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is facing a huge challenge from the angered youth hitting the streets to protest the excessive use of force and civilian killings. The visit of the Army Chief General Bipin Rawat to the state and his review meeting with Governor N N Vohra in Jammu and National Security Advisor Ajit Dovel show the concerns of the central government on the worsening scenario of peace and conflict in Jammu & Kashmir state and more so in Kashmir valley. True it is that all depends on the actions of the Chief Minister who herself holds the portfolio of home department but closure of schools, colleges and universities and suspension of internet services are not the measures required to restore peace in the state particularly the Kashmir valley worst hit by six month long unrest last year.

 Since seething anger against the denial of a political outreach in Jammu & Kashmir has already diminished the credibility of the PDP in Kashmir valley, the political scenario developing in Kashmir is set to prove very detrimental for the future of  the incumbent PDP-BJP coalition government headed by Mehbooba Mufti . In the political scenario developing in the state Mehbooba Mufti faces the huge challenge of re-establishing the writ of the government which is missing everywhere in the state.

 

The ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) commanded and controlled by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti herself can’t control the situation by the army intervention and use of pellets and bullets in crowd control policing . Keeping in view the bitter experiences of the last year’s unrest it can be said that repeated interventions of the central BJP leadership in the working of the state government during last year’s unrest have created an impression that a popular government is not being allowed to works on the whims and wishes of the people by the incumbent central government. The repeated intervention of the incumbent central government could deprive the people of Jammu & Kashmir of the benefits of a popular government which is expected to perform and deliver on all fronts. Since seething anger against the denial of a political outreach in Jammu & Kashmir has already diminished the credibility of the PDP in Kashmir valley, the political scenario developing in Kashmir is set to prove very detrimental for the future of  the incumbent PDP-BJP coalition government headed by Mehbooba Mufti . In the political scenario developing in the state Mehbooba Mufti faces the huge challenge of re-establishing the writ of the government which is missing everywhere in the state.