Omkar Dattatray
The recent decision of Chief Electoral Officer of Jammu and Kashmir UT has created a political storm and slugfest in politics of UT. A big controversy and upheaval is taking place in Jammu and Kashmir thanks to the decision of the chief electoral officer that the eligible outsiders residing in J&K will be enrolled as the eligible voters. This decision which is in the interests of the nation has created unnecessary uproar in the political circles. The decision to enlist the eligible outside voters in Jammu and Kashmir is not received well by the political fraternity because they smell some foul in this important decision of the Chief Electoral Officer of J&K. Since, Jammu and Kashmir is fully integrated with the Indian state as the controversial Articles 370 and 35A had been abrogated and this paved the way for the full integration of J&K with India and thus there is no wrong in the decision of the chief electoral officer of J&K regarding the decision of the enrolment of those outsiders who reside in Jammu and Kashmir. The People’s Representation Act has been superseded and the all India rules and regulations apply to J&K also and therefore the non locals residing temporarily in the UT of J&K will be enrolled and enlisted to exercise their right to vote in J&K UT who temporarily resides in the UT. Similarly the people of J&K temporarily residing in other states of India are allowed to vote from their and therefore there is no violation of the law and the constitution and as such the decision to allow the non locals to exercise their right to vote in J&K should be welcomed as a positive development. But unnecessary hue and cry is being created by the regional parties and the Gupkar declaration which oppose tooth and nail the right decision of the electoral officers of the Jammu and Kashmir to enlist the eligible outsiders in the electoral rolls and this political storm is not in the interest of the nation and so the political parties should exercise restraint and control and not blindly oppose and create political slugfest over the issue of rerolling of the eligible outside voters in the electoral lists. Those political parties which had demanded the autonomy and also those which had demanded self rule in J&K are today uneasy over the right decision of the election commission of the UT to enlist the eligible outsider voters who reside in Jammu and Kashmir. These regional champions and satraps are beating their chests over the decision of enrolling the eligible outsider voters in the voters list. The regional satraps have taken the decision of the electoral officer as an assault on the already snatched identity of Jammu and Kashmir and hence these regional political parties are uniting to oppose the said decision and they are working to create united response to the decision in question. The former Chief Minister and President of PDP Mehbooba Mufti has criticized decision of enrolling in voter lists all eligible outside voters who reside in Jammu and Kashmir and she is blowing hot and cold on this important issue. Mehbooba and NC president Farooq Abdullah smell in this decision of registering and enrolling the all eligible outside voters in the voters lists as a big conspiracy to change the demography of the Jammu and Kashmir and hence they oppose the decision vehemently. The fact of the matter is that the decision to enlist and enroll the outside voters who reside in J&K as the voters is in the national interest and one fails to understand as to why are the regional political champions making so much noise on the decision of the electoral officer of enlisting the outside people who normally reside in Jammu and Kashmir. This opposition and criticism has no value and substance since Jammu and Kashmir is now like other states of India and so the outsiders can be enlisted and registered to vote in the assembly and parliament elections. Therefore the criticism and opposition to the right decision cannot stand the constitutional and legal scrutiny and therefore the unreasonable criticism and opposition of the regional chauvinists does not hold water and it is not acceptable since Jammu and Kashmir is like other UTs of India. The enrollment of outside people in the electoral roll is not peculiar to Jammu and Kashmir UT but all states and UTs similarly enter the people residing in these states and UTs in the electoral rolls and there is as such no need and justification in raising of the unnecessary hue and cry by the political parties. In Jammu and Kashmir the mainstream political parties are up against the decision of the electoral officer to enroll the outsiders in the electoral roll and give them the right of franchise at the place they reside temporarily and so are the outsiders residing in the UT given the right to franchise and therefore for this right they are enrolled in the electoral roll and thus a constitutional and democratic right is given to all those people who reside in the state or UT and thus these sections of the people are enrolled for taking part in the elections. But unnecessarily the mainstream political parties are up in arms against the right decision of the electoral officers of the UT with regard to the decision of enrolling of the outsiders who reside in the UT in the electoral rolls so that they will take part in the elections. Those political parties who oppose tooth and nail the right decision of enrolling the non Kashmiris in the electoral rolls so that they are able to take part in the elections should know that the decision to enroll the outsiders in the electoral roll is not peculiar to the J&K UT only but it applies to all the states and UTs of the country and therefore there is no need to create hullaballoo on this important decision of the election department/commission and so the political parties should allow the smooth functioning of the electoral office and not create ruckus on the decision in question. Thus instead of creating noise and din over the important issue of the decision of the electoral officer regarding the enrollment of the outsiders in the electoral rolls, these political parties should welcome this important decision in the national interest. By criticizing and opposing the important decision of the electoral officers these political parties and their credentials are suspect and so their criticism and opposition has no substance and has no takers in the country. Since J&K is like all other UTs and so it is necessary to apply all rules and decisions which are applicable to other states and the UTs to Jammu and Kashmir union territory and so there is no need to create unnecessary heat and noise over the issue and decision of the electoral officers as it pertains to the inclusion ,enrollment and registration of the outsiders who reside in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir into the electoral rolls. This is the decision in the national interest and as such is of national importance and has a positive bearing upon the UT and so there is no substance and use in criticizing of the important decision. Thus the mainstream political parties should show their maturity and should not resort to the unnecessary criticism and opposition of the decision of the election officers as it pertains to the registration ,enrollment and inclusion of the non local voters in the electoral rolls to create a level playing field and thus there is no need to create unnecessary controversy over the decision of the government. Therefore all should abide by the decision of the government as it relates to the registration, enrollment and inclusion of the outsiders in the electoral rolls and therefore no heat, noise and dust should be created over this important issue. The decision of the election commission of enrolling the outside voters in the electoral rolls is a decision in the national interest and so no unnecessary controversy should be created which is against the interests of the nation. Let the mainstream political parties show sanity and magnanimity and welcome the decision of enrolling, registering and inclusion of outsiders residing in J&K UT and therefore no fuss should be created over this important issue.
(The author is a columnist and social activist).
