If democracy is merely about voting and electing representatives, then Jammu and Kashmir is a quintessential example of this reality.
The fundamental principles of democracy have diminished in significance across the entire subcontinent, including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. This is attributable to both the first secular leadership and the current right-wing rulers of India.
Liberal democracies appear to be failing, often seen as the perpetrators of curtailing human liberties, especially in smaller regions like Jammu and Kashmir.
In the context of historical political dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, the current ruling dispensation in the centre desired to create the drama of farcical elections and elect representatives who do not even have the authority to address the petty issues laid down in the election manifesto.
It is high time that the local ruling party exposes the directors of this drama and tells the world how a region, once called a 'Kingdom of Kashmir', has been managed and betrayed since 1947 when it acceded to India with the condition of maintaining its internal sovereignty unchanged, says Shahid Butt, a leading worker of the ruling National Conference who seems disgruntled by the timid approach of his leaders.
The National Conference government appears incapacitated due to the region's Union Territory status, leaving it with limited powers to resolve the issues it had previously promised to tackle, aside from enjoying the perks of expensive cars and the cosy rooms of the official workplace, the Civil Secretariat.
Who will determine whether it does not want to act or finds itself stripped of its ability to act, as important decisions have remained the prerogative of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, under whose control the entire administration appears to still operate?
Voters of the recent assembly elections were shocked that the National Conference (NC) government could not change the list of official holidays, which had excluded the holidays on the birthday of its founder and stalwart leader, Sheikh Abdullah.
How, then, could the party restore the region's dignity? During the election campaign, it promised to restore Article 370, knowing the state had been reduced to a truncated Union Territory.
A few days ago, the J&K administration released the list of official holidays, prepared by the BJP's Lieutenant Governor for the last five years, excluding Martyrs' Day on July 13 and Sheikh Abdullah's birthday on December 5.
It was hoped these holidays would be reinstated after the formation of a democratic government, but despite the National Conference government, this was not done. The NC then dares justify this by stating that Abdullah's personality transcends mere holidays.
However, the public has reacted strongly, raising voices for the restoration of the July 13 holiday, emotionally tied to the political legacy of this historical dispute.
Seventy per cent of the electorate was confident that Omar Abdullah's government would at least restore the Martyrs' Day holiday. The day is not only associated with the Kashmir freedom struggle but also emotionally tied to the historical event when 22 unarmed civilians were shot dead during public protests against Maharaja Hari Singh, laying the foundation of the Kashmir freedom movement.
On July 13, 1931, a declaration of war against the Dogra Maharaja's despotic rule was launched, later supported by India's National political party, the Indian National Congress, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
Since the partition and Instrument of Accession with India, July 13 has been observed annually as Martyrs' Day and has been a public holiday in the calendar, despite the objections of right-wing activists.
Paralysed Party or Spectator
NC activists are no longer complaining that their party, the National Conference, could not restore Sheikh Abdullah's birthday holiday but are deeply agitated that the party is not even offended by the distortion of our history, upon which the party itself is based to this day.
Opposition party PDP leader Waheed Para says the National Conference cannot even dare assert its rights, whether on Article 370, restoring holidays, or rationalising the reservation policy. The party has become paralysed, watching the region's destruction like a spectator.
"The opposition political parties offered cooperation and requested a united front as our dignity and honour are at stake. The ruling party ignored it. We are demanding our rights within the ambit of our Constitution. Why are we treated as 'others'?" says Waheed Para.
Many analysts predict internal differences have surfaced in the National Conference, as evidenced by the recent youth protests, which could lead to a possible split in the future.
The party's MP, Agha Syed Ruhullah, participated in a demonstration with Open Merit students outside Omar Abdullah's house on the controversial reservation issue. Representatives of opposition parties were also present. Nobody from the ruling party joined the protest to show solidarity.
It was an embarrassment for the ruling party when many arguments and counter-arguments surfaced among its members on social media.
Because of his strong commitment and representation of the majority's aspirations, Member of Parliament Aga Ruhullah challenges NC leadership, especially Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on the demand for Art370.
During the electoral campaign, Aga Ruhullah emerged as the star campaigner for the NC, which had previously suffered significant setbacks in North Kashmir, where Omar Abdullah was a Parliamentary candidate and was expecting another defeat in assembly elections due to the party's poor credibility and survival crisis. Aga Ruhullah worked hard and wooed people, especially youth, to vote for NC and Omar Abdullah.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was pressured to either take the initiative to demand political and constitutional rights from the Indian leadership or expose the hybrid system created by the BJP so that the public would think about other options to get their political rights.
Some even said that if former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal could go to jail for his people, then Omar Abdullah could at least expose the anti-Kashmir policies of the BJP government or resign from the government with dignity.
Given this pressure, Omar Abdullah called his first press conference a few days ago. It was unexpected of him to speak about trivial issues while ignoring the central plank of his election manifesto. He did not mention the restoration of Article 370, as people were waiting for him to speak about it.
Instead, Omar Abdullah requested the central government to restore statehood. That was a signal to legitimise the stripping of J&K's internal autonomy. His reference to Pakistan-administered Kashmir was too sarcastic.
He asked the BJP government if it believes that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir has been resolved now and what its plan is for the other part of Kashmir.
Political analysts called this point-scoring and irrelevant when people demanded the right to live with dignity and honour. His non-serious and insensitive approach towards voters was debated on social media platforms.
The press conference revealed his helplessness. He could not even assure his voters that he would fulfil his promise of giving free units of electricity to people experiencing poverty. People are losing faith not again in NC but in India's electoral democracy.
The BJP is gloating over having not only buried the long-standing dispute of Jammu and Kashmir, silenced Pakistan, and subdued the international community but also reduced the fourteen million-strong population to a voiceless, powerless, and unsupported non-entity.
(The author is a noted broadcaster and a renowned journalist)
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