In J&K elections are not won on issues concerning development, trade, commerce and the likes but on the issues totally beyond development trade and economics. As the elections threw up a fractured mandate in 2014 assembly elections, PDP & BJP despite having divergent political ideologies on Kashmir and joined hand and choose to run a coalition government under a common minimum program spelled out in a jointly scripted document of guidelines called “ agenda of alliance”. The formation of PDP-BJP government was the beginning of a new phase in Jammu & Kashmir’s mainstream politics. It was an entirely new experiment as BJP ceased the opportunity of becoming a part of government for the first time in post-1947 political history of Jammu & Kashmir state.
After taking oath late Mufti Mohammed Syed though admitted that the alliance has thrown up a huge challenge but promised that his party would try to make this challenge an opportunity for peace, conflict resolution and equitable development in the stateSince the BJP has recently take over the government at the centre late Mufti Syeed hoped that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi would extend an offer of an open dialogue with all stakeholders including separatists in Jammu & Kashmir state.Indeed this was one of the main attraction of the ‘agenda of alliance’.
Both PDP and BJP vowed to implement ‘agenda of alliance’ on ground in Jammu & Kashmir state but unfortunately they did all contrary to their assertion, and left no stone unturned to push the people to the wall.PM Modi embarked on the plank of peace and development and announced a special package of Rs 80,000 crores for the reconstruction of the infrastructure damaged by the devastating floods in the year 2014 but implementation of package did not improve the situation on ground. One the one hand BJP leaders used to assert that Kashmir issue must be resolved within the parameters of the Indian constitution, but on the other hand they started saying that Kashmir issue is just confined to three districts only. Apart from this they tried to maintain peace in Kashmir through a muscular policy. Now BJP plans to appoint a governor of their own choice with the intent of curbing the dissenting voices in Kashmir. People of Jammu & Kashmir are conscious enough to understand the intents of the Modi government to change the political narrative in Kashmur. Let it be clear to Modi and his Sangh parivar affiliates that they won’t win the hearts and minds of the people of the state through muscular policy in Jammu & Kashmir.
(The author is a freelancer. His views are personal)
