Talk of today

The National Conference vice-president and former ChiefMinister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah just few days before the firstphase of polling for the Lok Sabha polls has started talking aboutSadar-e-Riyasat and Prime Minister’s post for Jammu and Kashmir.

He has triggered a new debate across the country. The PrimeMinister Narendra Modi has made it clear that reversing the clock is impossibleand Kashmiri politicians should talk about today and tomorrow rather thantalking about the past.

   

For National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party theseelections are a “do or die battle” as both the parties boycotted the panchayatand urban local bodies polls held last year. Both these parties had eventhreatened to stay away from parliamentary and assembly elections also but   after the panchayat and ULB polls were heldboth the parties took a u-turn and reversed their decision.

Now, the leaders of both these parties are trying their bestto tell the voters that if they win the elections they would bring “moon andstars” from the skies, including the post of Sadar-e-Riyasat and PrimeMinister.

They are so desperate to win that they are making plethoraof promises to lure the voters. It’s high time for our leaders to realize thatthey cannot keep on just “feeding lies” to the people and have to tell them thetruth that New Delhi is not ready to hold any negotiations over Kashmir and itsstatus.

Kashmiri leaders need to make realistic promises which canmaterialize in the future. These leaders should stop building castles in theair and muster courage to tell truth to people.

During the past thirty years Kashmir has been pushed to the edge. People who have ruled Jammu and Kashmir instead of mitigating the sufferings of the masses have always talked about those issues which don’t fall in their domain.

This has eroded the credibility of the mainstream politicians in the Valley.  This credibility has to be restored and the new faces who are appearing at the political scene in Kashmir, need to be truthful and honest. They should avoid following the footsteps of the traditional politicians, who during all these years have raised hollow slogans.

The new generation of politicians has to ensure that peoplestart relying on them. They have to lay the foundation of their politicalcareers on the basis of truth and not on the mere rhetoric. Slogans only won’twork. Politicians have to deliver to remain relevant.   

Recently, NC vice-president Omar Abdullah blamed New Delhi of creating new leaders and parties in Kashmir.  He expressed apprehensions about these parties splitting the vote of National Conference. It seems the new people appearing on the political scene have unnerved Omar and he is feeling insecure.

He needs to be reminded that times have changed and people are looking for a change. Had NC kept the promises which it had made to the people in the past today Kashmir would have been a much better place to stay.

There is no doubt about the fact that people have made uptheir minds about not to vote for only traditional parties as they want someonewho can really represent them and highlight their woes in the Parliament and atother platforms. They don’t want people who talk in one language in Delhi andanother in Kashmir.

Today’s Kashmir is entirely different from what it was just few years ago. People have matured politically and know the difference between “blatant lies” and the truth.

The changed political scenario is not good news for the politicians, who are talking about Sadar-e-Riyasat and the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. They need to put their act together and fight the elections over the issues which touch the skin of a common man.

In 2019, no one is interested in having old titles being restored. Kashmiri politicians should fight the elections on the basis of their vision for the future. They should forget the past and move on. It seems they have no vision that’s why they keep on recalling the past to lure the voters.

Young politicians have a vision and they are slowly puttingit before the people. They are the leaders of tomorrow and can bring a muchdesired change.          

(The writer is former journalist and member of JK Youth Alliance)

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