Senior BJP leader and Minister of State In the Prime Minister’s Office ( MoS In PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh saying that maiden elections to district development councils (DDC) is the real implementation of autonomy and self rule for empowerment of people at the grass roots, but question can be asked does the empowerment of people in the planning and developmental processes without their legislative empowerment completes the circle of self rule and autonomy. Giving a different interpretation may satisfy the political ego of two time Member Parliament and two time MoS In PMO Dr Jitendra Singh, but such interpretations by Dr Jitendra Singh or any other functionary of the central government won’t satisfy genuine constitutional and institutional aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir under any circumstances. Since the irrefutable fact is that the self rule and autonomy are incomplete without the legislative empowerment of the people, return of the statehood with a commitment for early conduct of assembly elections can’t be denied to the people of Jammu & Kashmir being a Union Territory with assembly even this time but not without assembly. In fact legislative empowerment of the people of Jammu & Kashmir should have been preferred over DDC elections keeping in view the rising concerns of the people over the enforcement of new laws on lands and jobs without the consent and approval of their elected representatives. Even the literal meaning of self rule and autonomy means that it’s one part could be DDC elections for the purposes of people’s involvement in planning and development process but it’s vital part is necessarily the right of people to legislate their own constitutional and institutional matters through an elected assembly. The decisions taken by the central government after August 5 decisions on erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state show that overtly and covertly the BJP controlled Narendra Modi led Government at the centre has been virtually backtracking it’s commitment on the law making as it has virtually put on suspension mode the right of the people of Jammu & Kashmir to legislate their matters of constitutional and institutional interests by prolonging the commitment of restoring the statehood and conducting the assembly elections.
Unfortunately the central government is moving in opposite direction by giving the elected representative the job of a planner and keeping job of a law maker with itself without the consent and approval of Jammu & Kashmir. So the interpretations of self rule and autonomy by Dr Jitendra Singh the MoS In PMO are not only questionable but also unacceptable on all counts. Better for the politicians not to misinterpret the definitions of self rule and autonomy for winning elections and appeasement of the gullible populations of Jammu & Kashmir. People of Jammu & Kashmir have heard much about it and don’t want to hear more about it and politicians need to learn lessons from videos going viral over such issues on social media sites these days.
Under no circumstances the government can put on suspension mode the people’s right to legislate their law making and instead give them the right of involvement in the planning and developmental process. In fact planning for development is the job of a planner but not the law maker but the law making is the right of a law maker elected directly by the people. Remember plan is not a charter of demands but a technical expertise gained through knowledge, expertise and experience. Unfortunately the central government is moving in opposite direction by giving the elected representative the job of a planner and keeping job of a law maker with itself without the consent and approval of Jammu & Kashmir. So the interpretations of self rule and autonomy by Dr Jitendra Singh the MoS In PMO are not only questionable but also unacceptable on all counts. Better for the politicians not to misinterpret the definitions of self rule and autonomy for winning elections and appeasement of the gullible populations of Jammu & Kashmir. People of Jammu & Kashmir have heard much about it and don’t want to hear more about it and politicians need to learn lessons from videos going viral over such issues on social media sites these days.
