Today the Jammu and Kashmir is going through one of the toughest phases with the ongoing political uncertainty. The mainstream political parties in Kashmir are directly on loggerheads with New Delhi.
While there is a complete silence from other political quarters, the major parties like National Conference and PDP have decided to boycott the upcoming Panchayat and Urban local body elections.
The elections are scheduled to be held from October this year. The elections are boycotted apparently by the mainstream parties in state after New Delhi refused to defend the article 35 A in the Supreme Court where its legality is challenged by “We the citizens” NGO.
In past whenever any attempt to seek its abrogation was witnessed by any party or person; the Government of India would file an affidavit in the court to seek the dismissal of petition.
However, this time it is not only fighting the battle alone, the BJP in power at centre has an open agenda of seeking its abrogation. For BJP which fought the 2014 elections in country with seeking striking down of Article 370 as one of its core agenda is again in the electoral moods which are just a year away.
It would not be feasible for the centre this time to do any favour to state and file the affidavit to safeguard the article from any possible scrapping by the apex court. Although its hearing has been deferred till January next year, but for any regional political party in Jammu and Kashmir it would be a tough decision to form the government and defend and indefensible when the emotions of common people are directly attached to the law.
Even the position of BJP while in power with PDP in state didn’t change. The position heavily cost for the PDP in its home constituency Kashmir for sharing the power with right wing party despite its open opposition to the existence of law in constitution of India.
So the decision of both the parties to strike down on New Delhi must be an exhaustive exercise to avoid any future trouble. Both the parties must be trying to bargain with New Delhi ensuring their political journey hassle free as much possible as they can.
On the other side if both the parties have set their weight and refused to budge, the New Delhi will face lots of problems in Kashmir. The space for the mainstream politics has been shrinking in Kashmir and the militancy is at its highest level.
The militancy has also witnessed an alarming growth in last several years and the figure has for the first time in a decade swelled over to 300. The separatists and the militants who are trying to sabotage the democratic exercise have already warned against any electoral process in state.
Even the Hizb commander Riyaz Naikoo in his audio clip said that they will spray an acid to the faces of those who participate in the elections. For New Delhi the only hope left to survive its democracy are these mainstream parties.
Their boycott would certainly not only put a BJP led government in Delhi to the litmus tests however, it will also jeopardise the investments the successive regimes especially Atal Bihari Vajpayee made in Kashmir to let the democratic institutions to flourish.
Vajpayee was the first Indian Prime Minister who apparently conducted the first ever free and fair elections in state. While the party remains the same in power this time, however, it would be a challenge for Narender Modi not only to sustain his political agenda regarding Kashmir besides letting the institutions of democracy to flourish. Only the time will tell.
