First two phases of Lok Sabha polls have ended in Jammu and Kashmir. In Jammu region, people came out to vote in large numbers but in Kashmir response was not upto the mark.
Politicians in Kashmir should introspect why people in the Valley don’t trust them anymore? Why is it that politicians appear only during the elections? It seems people in Kashmir boycott polls as they have been betrayed since long.
The new breed of politicians, who during the past few yearshave appeared on the scene, should learn from the mistakes which have beencommitted by their predecessors. They have to reach out to the youth and tellthem that they can become their voice and represent them at every forum. Theyhave to work towards making the youth believe that they (youth) are the futureof Kashmir and they cannot be ignored.
There is every possibility about Assembly elections beingheld in Jammu and Kashmir soon after the Lok Sabha polls end. The youngpoliticians need to ensure that they take youth into confidence and make thethings work so that boycott factor is weeded out from the system.
Kashmiri politicians, who have ruled Jammu and Kashmir since1947, should realize that times have changed and mere lip service won’t helptheir cause. Most of the politicians in Kashmir have got a chequered past andthey need to get over it. They should realize that raising slogans and makingtall promises are not enough to make people vote. They have to remember thatit’s due to people that they reach the Parliament and Assembly and commonpeople are the fountainhead of the power. Their policy of ignoring their votershas been rejected by one and all and today they are struggling for survival.
The young leaders in Kashmir are carrying a huge baggage andthey would have to work very hard to get rid of it. At present the traditionalpoliticians are facing a stiff challenge from the new faces. These leaders havetried their best to dismiss the emergence of the new people by calling them “novoices” and “green horns” but the fact is that they are finding it hard tocounter their narrative.
The National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah has made plethora of promises during the ongoing election campaign. He has promised moon and stars to people. But someone needs to remind him that he had made similar promises to people in 2008, when his party won 28 seats and he got an opportunity to become the youngest Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
After assuming power he couldn’t do anything to set up the Truth and Reconciliatory Commission, revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act and much more. Omar and his party paid a heavy price for breaking the promises.
The “Grand Old Party” of Jammu and Kashmir only managed to win 15 seats in the 2014 Assembly elections in the state. Omar won the Beerwah seat with a thin margin.
There was time when people used to swear by their affiliation with National Conference. They used to participate in the NC rallies in huge numbers. But their faith and belief has been eroded during the past years. Today NC leaders have to look for the people who can come and attend their rallies.
Peoples Democratic Party, which had emerged as an alternative for the National Conference, couldn’t live upto the expectations of the masses. It crumbled under its own weight. The PDP committed the same mistake which NC had made. It tried to lure the people by selling illusions and dreams. It’s unfortunate that leaders in Kashmir lack the courage to call “spade a spade’ and just keep on beating round the bush for their political interests.
Had PDP leaders told the people that they can only provide governance and their domain ends there may be PDP could have done wonders? But the PDP since its inception has been telling the people that it’s the only party which can resolve the Kashmir problem.
And the time has proved that PDP cannot play any role vis-à-vis Kashmir. This problem has to be settled by India and Pakistan and mainstream leaders have no role in it. One hopes that the new generation of leaders tells truth to masses and promises them what it can deliver.
(The writer is member of JK youth Alliance)