It has been already two weeks since Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took over as Chief Minister of state and the new PDP-BJP collation government is well saddled, and all set to work on it’s much hyped, carefully and painstakingly drafted CMP. But the first two weeks of PDP-BJP government saw minsters and party spokespersons busy on television screens trying to wade through controversies that marked the start of this alliance. The first controversy that kick started new alliances campaign in restive J&K was when Mufti Sayeed thanked militants, separatists, and Pakistan for safe conduct of elections in the region. It boomeranged giving opposition and Indian media fodder to corner the edgy alliance partners. And before Mufti’s government could sail through this crisis, release of separatist Masarat Alam added fuel to the fire. This time the uproar surrounding Alam’s release snowballed into a major crisis leaving PDP’s alliance partner BJP in a dock. It gave the almost dusted Congress party a new lease of life, though momentarily, to corner Modi’s BJP government at the centre. The congress lost no time in dubbing the BJP as soft on separatists for sake of sharing power in J&K. They (Congress) went to the extent of accusing BJP of compromising “national security” for their vested political interests. The helpless BJP, in order to bring some order in the on-going parliament session, issued a detailed statement distancing itself from Mufti’s move.
But that was not all that took place in last 13 days of PDP-BJP alliance. Mufti was ready with another shocker. In a move, that many political analysts believe is aimed at making both NC and separatists irrelevant, issued an order making use of state’s flag mandatory for all constitutional authorities of the state. This recent order to restore the lost glory of state’s flag is seen as part of first step towards regaining the lost ground viz-a-viz special status of the state, something PDP’s alliance partner fought tooth and nail to get repealed, since last 60 years.
But if we look at the state of affairs in the state, particularly in Kashmir, then more than these symbolic gestures that Mufti is offering, people need some serious and visible governance. The way post flood rehabilitation was handled is pathetic. Six months have passed and nothing was done to restore the dignity of those who suffered. The state of roads, including the highway, is such that it takes nearly 2 hours to reach Srinagar from Pampore, which is just 12 kilometres away.
In last six decades Kashmiris have seen enough of political posturing and know quite well how much difference such rhetoric makes on ground. So the best way to balm people’s wounds would be to give them good governance. Politics can wait. Life cannot. Let’s get back work as the clock is ticking fast.
