Pitfalls of a directionless policy in Kashmir

After the conduct of panchayat and municipal elections last year, the governor’s administration amid cries for conduct of early assembly elections from the opposition parties both within and outside Jammu & Kashmir has given a major push to the process of conducting elections to block and district panchayat councils obviously to further prolong the process of assembly elections in the state. Knowing that institutional and administrative empowerment of the panchayat and municipal bodies through ordinances and not proper legislations requiring the approval of the state assembly can’t be a substitute to the placement of an elected government in the state, the central government presently exercising direct control over the governor’s administration in Jammu & Kashmir has no legal and constitutional mandate to fix solutions to the contentious issues in the absence of a popular government in the state. Unfortunately the contradictions of the governor’s administration in its policies on security situation, restoration of popular rule and war against corruption show that the incumbent central government is pursuing a directionless policy on Kashmir. While the government takes pride in claiming improvement in the security situation in the wake of killing largest number of militants during last one year in Kashmir valley, the very claims of the improvement in security situation are disputed by the ban put on the civilian traffic on Kashmir highway for the security and safety of amaranth yatris.
Never ever the government in Jammu & Kashmir was forced or prompted to ban civilia n traffic on Kashmir highway for the security and safety of amaranth yatris and it did not happen even in early nineties when militancy erupted in the state. It is for the first time that Jammu & Kashmir Government amid claims of improvement in security situation banned the movement of civilian traffic on Kashmir highway for the security and safety of amaranth yatris. As regards the government’s pronouncement of zero tolerance against corruption, the governor’s administration had won accolades when it removed Parvez Ahmad from the prestigious position of Chairman Jammu & Kashmir Bank on charges of irregularities in the bank but the Jammu & Kashmir Government came in for sharp criticism from almost all public quarters for granting extension beyond retirement to two top bureaucrats whose performance has become an issue of public debate in recent years and one of them facing trial in a very huge land scam is now facing a legal challenge over extension of one year granted to him by the central government on the recommendations of the state government. Extensions to bureaucrats beyond retirement on positions directly connected with any election exercise shows the intents of the government to govern Kashmir on ideological lines of a particular political party.