Low turnout in just concluded four phase municipal elections in Jammu & Kashmir is a reflection of deepening alienation caused by the follies of two largest regional mainstream political parties National Conference and PDP in the state. Since the inconsistency in their policies on core issues particularly the identity of Kashmir has been increasing alienation of the people with all the mainstream political parties in Kashmir valley, the onus of responsibility for the current mess in Kashmir lies on these two largest mainstream political parties only. Till yesterday they were tending to show commonality on fight for defending article 35 A challenged by affiliates of BJP in the supreme court of the country and they may tend to show unity even today on defending this hereditary state subject law in the apex court of the country in the future also but just a day after the end of four phase municipal elections in the state they have started creating a dividing line over other issues. Omar Abdullah the National Conference Vice President accuses his arch rival Mehbooba Mufti the PDP President of trying to get Manan Wani into the trap of government forces to kill him during her reign of power but he himself did not condemn the killing of Manan Wani and instead tried to convey just a limp sympathy to the family of Manan Wani. Like Omar the Mehbooba too said that Manan Wani was a victim of relentless violence without daring to own the responsibility for the causes of the relentless violence which started and went out of control only during her 22 month coalition rule in alliance with BJP.
Both National Conference and PDP can’t deliver sermons on protection of identity of Kashmir and the current crisis deepening with every passing day in the state as they have been part of the central regimes which almost hijacked the authority of popular governments in Jammu & Kashmir during last three decades of political unrest in the state.
Not the successive central governments but both National Conference and PDP are responsible for the deepening alienation of the people with the electoral politics in the state as these largest mainstream regional political parties offered the political space to both Congress and BJP for giving them the opportunities to impose decisions of their own will over the people of the state. Alliance with National Conference emboldened the erstwhile Vajpayee Government to put to dust bin the autonomy resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir assembly and similarly alliance with PDP emboldened BJP to allow its hard core affiliate to lay legal traps against article 370 and article 35 A in the apex court of the country. The stunning defeat of National Conference in the 2002 assembly elections was the reflection of the public anger against Farooq Abdullah’s alliance with BJP for the induction of Omar Abdullah as junior minister in the erstwhile Vajpayee government and the low turn out almost matching to that witnessed in 1989 shows the public anger against both National Conference and PDP which built up a consensus for extending the new tax regime GST to Jammu & Kashmir against the whims and wishes of the people of the state. So both National Conference and PDP can’t deliver sermons on protection of identity of Kashmir and the current crisis deepening with every passing day in the state as they have been part of the central regimes which almost hijacked the authority of popular governments in Jammu & Kashmir during last three decades of political unrest in the state.
