A Humble Suggestion!

Let’s introspect and chalk out a genuine strategy of participatory local governance

In a land where dubbing people as agents is a favorite pastime of many, it is necessary to put some provisos before proceeding further while making any suggestion. One that this suggestion is nothing more than a suggestion in good faith and secondly no election will resolve vexed Kashmir issue unless all the stakeholders are not convinced for a justified and acceptable solution.

For the last more than two decades Kashmir and people of Kashmir have faced a lot of hardships. Mayhem, killing, plunder, discrimination, exploitation and whatnot. Name any ploy of subjugation you will find that fully operational in this land of sufferers. Politics and political system is the worst victim of unending turmoil, impeding healthy politics and hitting the common man badly. Most of the elections conducted during this period were not necessarily rigged or coerced but were absolutely not true face of the aspirations of the people. Low participation of people and deceptive politicians being the only available choice lessened the significance of these elections. It is true beyond doubt that elections or any other political activity that is administration centric will never be an alternative for curing the festering sore of Kashmir dispute. However, denying the people of their legitimate right of survival and sustenance for a long drawn battle is not justified in any manner. Flawed administration and local governance by an unsound political entity that emerged during turmoil has ruined the whole system of local governance and once appreciated polity. Strengthening and further addition of dynastic politics and arrival of one-man political armies on state’s political front has made the local politics not only redundant but has added an obnoxious element of exploitation and political coercion.

 This whole shameless political scenario of exploitation, coercion and political scheming to thwart the much required resolution of Kashmir issue can be put on hold only by making the Kashmir politics more participatory and accountable. It is high time that sensible people contribute in local governance in the best interest of a robust Kashmir and a healthy Kashmiri society for an apparently long drawn battle of resolving vexed Kashmir issue. Participation of intellectually sound people in politics and local governance will obviously marginalize the political crooks who have occupied the political Centre stage during last two decades. Noninvolvement of politically mature and intellectually sound people has encouraged opportunists and exploiters to invade the political arena and hijack the apparatus of governance for their own narrow personal ends. Exploiting the fluid political situation where the learned people have willfully abstained from contributing in day to day affairs of governance a large number of politically immature and intellectually bankrupt people have established themselves and are running their writ of exploitation and loot.

Kashmir issue that could not be resolved during last more than six decades cannot be decided overnight. Particularly, in an atmosphere of political confusion and manipulation that is being patronized in Kashmir. A strong and united; economically independent and culturally sound Kashmir with empowered leadership will not only help in finding a way-out but will obviously speed up the process of resolving Kashmir issue. The biggest hurdle in resolving Kashmir conflict is the existing varied political class having no base of their own. These sponsored political agents will never allow a justified political solution of Kashmir as otherwise their exploitative political workshops will cease to exist and they will lose their pampered status of self-proclaimed VVIPs. A healthy Kashmir will never exist under the dreaded political administration of corrupt politicians who have no standing and credibility of their own. These so-called politicians who flourish in a political vacuum discourage righteous people to ensure an open field of nefarious politics and discriminative governance and for that they have stooped to the lowest levels of shameful sycophancy and betrayal.

It is high time for all Kashmiris to introspect and chalk out a genuine strategy of participatory local governance having a commanding position of facilitating justified Kashmir solution. This nation cannot afford a coercive and vitiated atmosphere of exploitation flourishing within its own system while convincing the other stake holders for a justified solution. And all this cannot be achieved unless Kashmiri people of all shades will actively back their own governance with their active support. Hope this suggestion will be considered on its merits and no conclusions of bad intentions will be drawn out of it.