Mir Mukhtar Ahmad
Decision in hurry: The deciding Factor is not Intellect. Voters & followers of state politics have a wavering attitude. Dr Shah former IAS officer has entered into active politics recently, but majority of peers of politics were against this decision. The public in general are of the opinion that, he could have served the needy better way if he had been in the administration. Though he had got a good response in his first ever political rally in his home town & now in Capital , but alone he can not change the system all at once.
To join politics or to contest elections in this subcontinent is not an achievement. Here rules are moulded for blue eyed & public gets rot in the political system. Here Criminals, illiterates, rogues, dishonest, smugglers & anti social elements are accommodated for personal reasons by the political parties. Same people when get elected misuse their positions. Height is that even honest & intelligent civil servants are dictated by this worst & rejected class of goons.
Governance & eradication of social evils: People have never got good governance through their representatives . Eradication of social evils have never been their goals. It is only some individuals, citizen groups, a sprinkling of committed officers and the judiciary who are working for eradication of corruption in the society.
Corruption cannot thrive in an environment where the public is informed as to the true extent and nature of abuses of power. The biggest reason is the erosion of the rule of law. We have legislatures, bureaucracies, police & courts to provide voice & justice to the people. But unfortunately these institutions are corrupt.
Mindset of Voters: The mood of the voters particularly in our valley is unstable. We have majority of the voter population of wavering mind, which is considered to be the deciding factor and this too consists of illiterate, poor, cheap, fraudulent, criminals & cunning. Sometimes innocent people are too deceived by these merchants of politics. Also for influence, people look to fellow-members of the same caste, religion or region. This works better than appeals to high principles. This in turn elevates group politics and devalues intellectual principles. Here people are captured by money, muscle or influence, caste, religion & region. See here police seem incapable of catching resourceful criminals. Those caught and tried die of old age before being convicted beyond all appeals. Criminals fill state legislatures and Cabinets precisely because the organs of state cannot jail them. Unfortunately influential people get edge in every aspect.
Rule of law & Space of Intellectuals in politics: The rule of law has broken down, and people need influence outside the formal institutional framework. This is a key reason for the rise of identity politics. Political parties are representing rival ideologies. Mere conducting of elections periodically doesn’t prove that we are republic and have an effective democracy. It is the way elections are held, the quality of people elected, their performances that make our democracy effective. In current scenario, the widespread disillusion in our political system is well visible. The poverty, unemployment, illiteracy levels indicate the inefficiency of our political system. We need to reform society and its subsystems. This is where electoral reform becomes important.
This emphasis on the universal task of the intellectual and its presence as a socio-political figure in the public space reinforces the distinction between “intellectuals” and “academics”. Moreover, with “intellectuals” the focus is not only on the transmission of ideas, but with the act of universalizing awareness through a process of questioning. In other words, the critical mode of questioning which is proper to the work of intellectuals is an engagement with the problem of questioning itself and not only the capacity to question and to doubt.
There can be no question that an anti-intellectual political environment is fertile ground for demagoguery. The simplicity of us-versus-them rhetoric, the cult of personality, the use of fear—it’s all textbook, and it’s starting to look familiar. Unfortunately influential people get edge in every aspect.
Disintegrated Society: Jammu & Kashmir has a history of disintegration. We have never been united on important issues. Be it Mainstream or Separists camp, we have never been serious on our main concerns. Our Civil Society has not been able to take the responsibility of public issues. Another fact is that no one among the population wants to come in limelight, due to the interference of certain unknown Agencies working secretly here. Even family members don’t believe each other. We are watching each other through the prism of arch rivals. There is certainly a trust deficit. We are unable to take decisions on our own. In recently held ULB & Pyt elections, civil society was kept on God’s mercy. Had there been any communication between civil society & Separists camp, the situation could have been better. On the other hand our intellectual lot has kept silence over the years due various facts, known to everyone. They are never taken on board, whenever an issue arises. Both the ineligible politicians as well as the other camp asides them, due to their personal weaknesses. Better to unite all people & work for the long pending issue of Kashmir. Have consensus on a common Agenda , acceptable to all. Build pressure on New Delhi to understand the situation around the region. Political parties both Main stream & Separist camp should shun their previous grievances & lead people to a better future.
( The author is a freelancer. Views are his own)
