“It is for the political parties to campaign as intensely for elections to panchayats and municipal bodies as intensely they are campaigning for early conduct of assembly elections.”
Democracy at grass roots not allowed to grow as much as it deserved in the decades of popular rule was undoubtedly given the strength it deserved during last five years of direct central rule in Jammu & Kashmir. While municipal bodies have completed their five year term , the three tier panchayat system established under direct central rule for the first time in Jammu & Kashmir is yet to complete five years term and the elections for panchayats too would be due in short time now. Interestingly political parties in Jammu & Kashmir campaign more intensely for early conduct of assembly elections and less for elections to already dissolved municipal bodies and panchayats likely to complete their five term in short time. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi , Home Minister Amit Shah and Jammu & Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha as such reserve the right to claim credit for establishing democracy at grassroots which was never allowed to take roots in Jammu & Kashmir in decades of popular rule. True it is that quality of public representation was not as good as it should have been in panchayats and dissolved municipal bodies but by any standards of understandability the central Government can’t be blamed for this failure as political parties without any rhyme and reasons boycotted the municipal and panchayat elections five years ago. Had the political parties contested both the panchayat and municipal elections, the quality of public representation and consequently the delivery of civic facilities would have been better. Now when the panchayat and municipal elections are also due, it is for the political parties to campaign as intensely for elections to panchayats and municipal bodies as intensely they are campaigning for early conduct of assembly elections. Since municipal bodies and panchayats have a greater role in civic governance after their empowerment through implementation of 74th and 73rd constitutional amendment bills respectively by the Central Government five years ago, the political parties in Jammu & Kashmir would be facing test as it is them to field candidates who as per their own judgment would withstand the test of public services and curb with heavy hands the forces of exploitation and extortion hell bent upon to promote pressure groups known for using the influence of public representatives for their own vested interests.
“While Central Government has established three tier panchayat system and implemented 73rd and74th constitutional amendment bills for the welfare of the people and delivery of civic facilities at grass root, It is ultimately for political parties to raise the standards of public representation in these democratic institutions at the grassroots for improving the delivery of public services and implementation of development works in villages and towns. While it is an established fact that changes in the systems of governance changes both the working of public institutions and as well asthe public perceptions about the public representation, it is for the political parties to give desired strength to the institution of public representation at grassroots in Jammu & Kashmir.”
Let Political parties not forget that several representatives of panchayat and municipal bodies were booked by police on criminal charges during last five years and as such this bad trend speaks volumes about the antecedents of grass root level workers of political parties. While Central Government has established three tier panchayat system and implemented 73rd and74th constitutional amendment bills for the welfare of the people and delivery of civic facilities at grass root, It is ultimately for political parties to raise the standards of public representation in these democratic institutions at the grassroots for improving the delivery of public services and implementation of development works in villages and towns. While it is an established fact that changes in the systems of governance changes both the working of public institutions and as well as the public perceptions about the public representation, it is for the political parties to give desired strength to the institution of public representation at grassroots in Jammu & Kashmir.
