The Three Front Power Dynamics of J&K And Omar’s Challenges

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MIAN TUFAIL

A democratic set up has taken charge in Jammu and Kashmir after a gap of almost 10 years with National Conference leader Omar Abdullah heading a coalition government supported by congress party from outside. Omar, however, faces enormous challenges as Chief Minister of a Union Territory. The reorganization of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in 2019, has changed the power dynamics. Omar Abdullah faces enormous challenges on three fronts.

Omar’s current stint as CM is totally different from his first innings from 2008-2014. In his first tenure, Omar headed a stable coalition government for 6 years and enjoyed unbridled powers whatsoever as head of the government of one of the first states of independent India. Jammu and Kashmir had a unique constitutional position within the Union of India under the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which is no longer the case.

Today Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory, and the newly elected government has limited legislative and financial powers. The institution of Lieutenant Governor which reports directly to the Home Minister of the country has emerged as a strong power centre.

Ambiguities Loom Large

Several amendments made to the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 2019 vested more powers with the Lieutenant Governor. As the Union Home Ministry is yet to formulate business rules for many departments, ambiguity looms large over the functioning of the newly elected government.

With or without the business rules in place, the future of the Omar Abdullah government remains uncertain. The first challenge, therefore, remains how Omar Abdullah manages to navigate through this uncertainty particularly when the office of Lieutenant Governor holds enormous powers. Omar, certainly, has only two choices under the given circumstances.

Opting for the Kejriwal model of politics of reaction and revolt could be one choice for Omar Abdullah. To stay politically relevant, friction with the Government of India could be part of this option for Omar.

Over decades, Indian democracy has gone through many intellectual, structural and institutional transitions. Some feel that the very spirit of the democratic system has been reduced to elections, and emphasis on governance has deteriorated. The aspirations are slowly and gradually being replaced by emotions.

In any aspirational society the rulers are somehow forced to work towards fulfilling the genuine socio-economic and political aspirations and strengthen the social fabric. However, any structural, institutional and intellectual deviation from the culture and spirit of the aspirational society in a democracy has the potential to dismantle the foundations of the democratic culture.

The Options With Omar

Jammu and Kashmir region is going through a very crucial phase in its chequered history of centre-state relationship. Omar Abdullah stands at a crossroads. Though the doctrine of National Conference since 1971 emphasises, “to be on the right side of the political dispensation at Centre”, the challenges Omar currently faces are very unique. Omar just saw how his political rival Mehbooba Mufti faced the humiliating defeat in the elections for just one “sin” of aligning with the BJP.

The second option with Omar Abdullah is to work towards building a cordial relationship based on trust and mutual respect in the larger interest of both people of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian nation. The people of Jammu and Kashmir paid a huge cost for the perceived trust deficit between the Centre and the state in the past. As we stand at a very crucial juncture, Omar has to be a mature and astute politician to navigate through.

Having an understanding with the centre has dual meaning. One, enjoy the power, protocol, perks and privileges and two; safeguard the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir politically and constitutionally. Much depends on how Omar has evolved ever since his first stint as Chief Minister in 2008.

The Jammu and Kashmir society more than ever before is divided deeply by caste, religion and race, ethnicity and class. There are always sections of society not willing to accept political formation on one pretext or the other. Before the events of 2019 which changed the power and political dynamics, a very vocal section of Kashmiri separatists would delegitimize the government.

The people of Jammu and Kashmir paid a huge cost for the perceived trust deficit between the Centre and the state in the past

Of late, the division between Jammu and Kashmir seems to have deepened to the levels beyond redemption. Omar certainly faces the toughest challenge of his life in rebuilding the confidence of the people of Jammu region into the system which is numerically Kashmir dominated. And the travesty of the times is that Omar’s father and former Chief Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah was perhaps the only leader enjoying confidence across regions and religions. Over the last one decade or so, Farooq’s popularity in the Jammu region has suffered a severe blow owing to the hardening of political narratives in both the regions.

The division between Jammu and Kashmir seems to have deepened to levels beyond redemption

Challenges, Himalayan Expectations

And lastly the people of Jammu and Kashmir have Himalayan expectations from the new government essentially because there was a growing sense of alienation among the masses across the regions in absence of a democratic setup. There was some kid of suffocation as there was none to listen to the people and address their grievances.

It has been emphasised that a democratically elected setup, however corrupt that be, is much better than a bureaucratic system where you don’t have access to the corridors of power. During the last four or five years certain positive things have happened which the people could not have imagined in a democratic system.

However, what matters for the common masses, at the end of the day, is the connection and access to the power corridors. And there is no denying the fact that the already powerful bureaucracy had become arrogant. For them the abrogation of Article 370 and reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir mean complete suspension of civil liberties and fundamental rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

And for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir people across the regions, religions and ethnicities were equally aggrieved and disempowered because of the egoistic and arrogant bureaucracy. As the new government has completed almost two months in office, people’s expectations are all time high. And symbolic gestures like public durbars by the ministers could not help. There has to be a serious effort in providing a transparent administration to the people. The government should literally be the eyes and ears of the citizens.

Unemployment rate is highest in Jammu and Kashmir compared to other states and Omar Abdullah government could not simply wish it away by closing its eyes. Avenues and opportunities for employment of huge armies of educated youth must be explored.

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