We are in August 2024 and the deadline for the holding of Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir set by the Supreme Court is a month away. The supreme court has directed Union Government to hold the Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir by the end of September after it sustained the decision of Union government of August 5, 2019 and declared constitutional amendments valid and legal.
However, restoring democracy in Jammu and Kashmir was clear cut direction from the top Court. The Election Commission of India also said that it is poised to hold the elections and in this regard the preparations are underway.
However the pace is sluggish and indicates that ECI is not interested anytime soon to allow the people to choose their representatives democratically. The last time elections in the UT were held in 2014 and after the collapse of PDP -BJP government in 2018, the UT is run through New Delhi.
Some political pundits are of the opinion that the elections are unlikely happening since New Delhi is fearing the situation may return to pre 2019 when Shutdown, protests and stone pelting was hijacking the peace.
GoI is unwilling to take any chance now after restoring normalcy with strenuous efforts. However, it is not the solution and without democracy many questions may arise in coming times.
India has a distinction of being the second largest democracy in the world. So it is high time for New Delhi to restore democracy in J&K while no guard is lowered on security situation.
