Elected for empowerment of people at the grass roots the recently elected DDC members are unfortunately building up a narrative for self empowerment instead of fulfilling the promises of democracy and development. Protesting for status, pay and perks only shows the myopic vision of elected DDC members some of whom sought votes for restoration of article 370 and article 35 A besides development of their territorial constituencies and many of them sought mandate for restoration of statehood besides promises on fast pacing development in their territorial constituencies. Forget about a struggle for restoration of special status and statehood, had the DDC members protested even for the constituency development funds proportionately less than the MLAs of the erstwhile J&K assembly, the people won’t raise questions over their demands which by all standards of understandabilities will result in their own empowerment rather than empowerment of the people. Public representation is all about public empowerment and not about status pay and perks of the public representatives. Demanding pay, perks and status is the right of the government employees who work round the clock for the welfare of the people but are not even heard on demands like pay and perks and instead they are made accountable for all acts of commission and omission by the Government. Rather than supporting the demands of hike in honorarium and elevation in status of DDC members the people reserve the right to seek explanations from them for changing their political loyalties immediately after the elections only for building up a narrative liked by the leadership of the political party in power at the centre and not by the people who voted for their election. Instead of becoming the saviours of democracy and development the DDC members irrespective of party affiliations tend to subvert the very basic spirit of democracy and development. The Governments both in Jammu & Kashmir and as well as at the centre respecting the demands of DDC members and disrespecting the demands of elected parliament members of Kashmir valley and former legislators and ministers is by no means a good omen for the future of democracy and development in Jammu & Kashmir.
The issue is not about bureaucracy V/S democracy but about public representation vis-à-vis democracy and development. Government would surely set a bad precedence if it concedes the demands of DDC members on hike in their honorarium and elevation in their status.
People of Jammu & Kashmir would be happy to see Lt Governor snubbing them for seeking hike in pay andperks and elevation in status and instead asking them to demand hike in developmental plans and approval for a constituency development fund for their developmental constituencies. Accusing bureaucrats of subverting democracy may be a reality in changed circumstances in Jammu & Kashmir as alleged by some mainstream leaders but leaders of popular governments are the people who as chief ministers and ministers of previous popular governments elevated bureaucrats of doubtful integrity to positions which they didn’t deserve at all and now they wield power sufficient enough to decide the destiny of even former Chief Ministers. The issue is not about bureaucracy V/S democracy but about public representation vis-à-vis democracy and development. Government would surely set a bad precedence if it concedes the demands of DDC members on hike in their honorarium and elevation in their status.
