It is  true that in  a democracy, numbers matter, and matter  in a big way.  Some would say that the numbers alone matter, or matter the most. But, some times this game of numbers causes more problems than any other factor in a functioning democracy. At times, brute majority is as bad as the struggle for getting, what  is  described in a  dreamy phrase “magic figure”.  Another phrase, `coalition dharma' is born out of this magic figure, where parties  enter into   compromises in the name of   `ideological  affinity'- it is this phrase which kills the basic values of democracy.  The parties, which come together on the  like-minded ideologies, serve as extreme adversaries  as well. This is a contradiction in itself.
This, essentially is, opportunism.  Because  such coming together of the parties or groups is  driven by the greed to come to power, or  to dictate  terms to the head of the government. This is too dangerous an experiment. Such experiments have proved far worse than the previous experiments, wherein the sanctity of the polls was open to question, or when the results were manipulated in favour of a particular party  for one reason or the other. This brings with it political instability and the loss of faith of the people  in the  system. 
The  system that should have been working for the welfare of the people,  works other way around, leaving everything unaccountable.  In a   system  where the boast is all about  setting up of institutions, without giving them adequate powers and  logistic support and  where the human resources owe their existence of their political masters  or leaders who get them  appointed, reflect  helplessness of the  democracy  and the leaders who feel that they have been mandated to  do things.  That is not okay  for any nation or the  provinces in any  federal structure, particularly India.  And for a state like Jammu and Kashmir, where the experiments in the past have  only delivered  bad things and  challenged the basic definition of the democracy, as students of political science were taught, quoting  U.S. president Abraham Lincoln, “Government of the people, by the people, for the people.” Any  attempt to  shy away from the people is unacceptable.
Many have made Jammu and Kashmir as a ground for the hit and trial methods with democracy.  Such an attitude, which started with faith in some people  the mid-twentieth century, to this day of the 21st century, is pushing the state toward fragmentation, disappointment and a mood of gloom, all across the  three  regions of the society.   The kind of experiments that have  been pushed down the throat of  the political stomach of the state, have given rise to a  series of questions: is the state today  more united culturally, ideologically, politically or emotionally, or, is this state  not  geographically and politically  more divided than ever before, isn’t fundamentalism   gaining more ground and  extremists calling shots at all the places. Those who had referred to the new Pir Panchals coming up in the first few years of this  century, not consolidating these  mountains in the sense they had been talking about it.  The  state is at precipice  - this is not a pessimistic outlook. It’s a  realistic way of looking at things.
It is time to wake up. Separatists are condemned for promoting physical violence and  polluting the atmosphere. They may be working on their own or someone’s behest, we would never know, because we have yet to see a consistent policy. Should we shun them off, as the Western diplomats have done. Or, do we  walk an extra mile to  embrace them to the side of reason and reconciliation, not “Kabaddi style”  but as the tools of conflict resolution  work - through knocking their doors. It’s like knocking the door of the room of a child with whom the parents had an argument  over something.   There is no short cut to any thing. Short cuts  are bad cuts,  when you fall, you break bones, and fall you quite often. Turning over of the pages of the recent history of the state would show that  there is an uncertain ground beneath on which we are trying to build castles in one of the most  dangerous seismic zone. The state needs quake proof  elements in all spheres of life, otherwise there is a danger of things falling apart.  The days of experiments are over.

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Lastupdate on : Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 IST