Running out of issues due to the dismal performance of two successive governments headed by Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti respectively the Kashmir’s two top mainstream political parties are getting a new agenda for ensuing Lok Sabha and assembly polls from the controversial decisions taken by the Governor Satya Pal Malik day in and day. The grant of division status to Ladhak is though an attempt to divert attention of the people from continuing spree of militant and civilian killings in Kashmir to regionalism but the decision has also given both National Conference and PDP an issue for the poll campaigning in Kashmir valley and muslim dominated Chenab valley and Pir Panjal areas of Jammu region. Creating rows over regional imbalances in Jammu & Kashmir can’t reduce the deepening alienation of youth in Kashmir as Kashmiris are not in any way opposed to the demand for division status to Jammu & Kashmir. For the people of Kashmir the grant of union territory status to Ladhak could become an issue of protest and anger but they know as long as article 370 is in operation, no government at the centre can take away any part of the state including Ladhak and declare it a union territory or a separate state of the Indian Union.
Creating regional imbalances and amending laws won’t neither change the public perception about the failures of the Modi government’s in Kashmir nor the territorial position of Jammu & Kashmir state.
Knowing that Modo government is running out of issues to withstand the pressures of the opposition over host of issues including the national security, agriculture economy and unwarranted intervention in the working of state governments in non BJP ruled states, Governor Satya Pal Malik just is enforcing controversial decisions and amending laws in the absence of a popular government in Jammu and Kashmir just to allow the Modi government to use Kashmir as a trump card in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections and interestingly his actions have given issues to Kashmir’s two top mainstream political parties National Conference (NC) and Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) the time when they were running out of issues ahead of the ensuing lok sabha elections in the the state . Creating regional imbalances and amending laws won’t neither change the public perception about the failures of the Modi government’s in Kashmir nor the territorial position of Jammu & Kashmir state.
