Rezwan Sultan
Jammu and Kashmir has been officially now been changed into 8th Union territory of India and Ladakh as the ninth respectively. Girish Chandra Murmu has taken the oath as the first LG of J&K (UT) and Radha Kumar Mathur took oath as first LG of Ladakh. The outgoing and the last Governor of J&K, Satya Pal Malik have been appointed as the new Governor of Goa.
Since Malik will be the last governor of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State before it was downgraded to Union territory on October 31, it is important to dwell into his spell of14 months in Kashmir and recall his time.
J&K is a place where everyone comes in the limelight due to its political sensitivities. Even Delhi media gives a good space to the region in a bid to boost its TRP. When Satya Pal Malik was appointed as the Governor of the State last year, there were very few photographs of him available on Google. Malik before being appointed Jammu and Kashmir’s governor in August 2018 was serving at the same position in Bihar. But when he took charge of the State, Google had an end flow of his photographs available. As an administrator of Jammu and Kashmir, the media coverage to Malik was inevitable that shoot him to instant prominence in the country.
Unlike his predecessors, Malik consistently appeared in media and spoke on all issues from governance to politics and even warned Pakistan of attacks at many times. This unusual position of Malik made him more a kind of politician than an administrator and courted many controversies during his tenure.
He exposed many scams like the one in Jammu and Kashmir Bank that decimated the base of Peoples Democratic Party in state. He even furthered the BJP’s mission of making traditional political dynasties irrelevant while blaming them quite often for every mess in Kashmir.
Controversial Statements of Satya Pal Malik:
After assuming charge of Governor in J&K the BJP state President Ravinder Raina was caught in a video saying that the new governor of J&K is BJP’s Man. The controversy in the Malik’s one year tenure started in November last year when the PDP led Mehbooba Mufti and PC plus BJP lead Sajad lone staked claim to form government at the same time. Both couldn’t send the letter through fax as according to Malik, the machine was out of order.
Omar taunted then the administration with a Tweet that “J&K Raj Bhawan needs a new fax machine urgently”. Just after 20 minutes without giving anyone chance to prove majority governor dissolved the assembly. There was controversy being created in the controversy. In Gwalior during his speech speaking on dissolving assembly, Satya pal Malik Said that “had I looked to Delhi I would had to install a govt led by Sajad lone”.
Another Controversial statement was given by Malik in Kargil during a festival where he told militants to “don’t kill the common people but kill those who have looted your wealth” while referring corrupt politicians and bureaucrats. After strong reactions from the mainstream leaders he later took his words back. Once lashing out at Hurriyat leaders he said that “they don’t even go to toilet without the permission of Pakistan”.
Outgoing governor was not only a governor but CM also as he once said that “Governor is not here to play only golf, I am CM too to respond the abuses”. He was the first governor of the state who openly spoke against the mainstream leaders constantly and blaming them of destroying Kashmir through corruption and giving fake promises to public. In the history of J&K may be he was the only Governor who has a bitter relation with the mainstream leaders of all parties. Even while exposing many corruption scandals and giving the division status to Ladakh, he was alleged by Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah of working for BJP from Raj Bhawan.
He also exposed many corruption scams in his tenure and even alleged the mainstream leaders and bureaucrats of looting the valley, while mainstream leaders of valley alleged him of defaming them in the name of corruption. Now, he has taken charge in Goa. Only the time will tell his obsession for Kashmir.
