By Daya Sagar
PDP leadership joined hands with BJP in greater interest of stability and peace in J&K, in a way Mufti Mohd Sayeed had taken exemplary political risk when he entered into an alliance. Mehbooba Mufti too has so far stood against the tremors of political ripples and turbulences caused due to the local analysts feeding J&K PDP with signals that the party appears losing the foothold even in the constituencies where it had won (more particularly in Kashmir Valley ). People are opining that both PDP and BJP would put their core issues like Self rule or Article 370 under the mat and after five years would again befool the voter with AFSPA / Self Rule and Art-370 play cards. Lost in forgotten controversies like that of State Flag, Art-370, Art-35A the alliance has done nothing substantial worth helping people to come out of ideological pollution and material miseries.
Some PDP advisors / well wishers are of the opinion that with the coming of PDP-BJP Government , people of Kashmir are feeling insecure about their identity, culture and religion. People are opining that under PDP- BJP rule communal elements are encouraged to disturb mutual harmony among different faiths and Kashmiris in particular are harassed and Government has completely failed to protect the lives of people of Kashmir. It is time for the BJP- PDP leadership to take such opinions being carried in print media (particularly Kashmir Valley) without check very seriously as otherwise the path to stability will be a distant dream.
Some professionals are even opining that all the promises made by the PDP for employment generation have proved hollow and it appears that there is nothing on ground like a Common Minimum Program between the allies.
In March 2015 coming up of a PDP BJP government in the State was taken as a master stroke by those who were deeply concerned for bringing peace in J&K but hopes do not appear to have delivered the needed (particularly in Kashmir valley ) when one goes by the present opinions being cast in atleast in the Kashmir media..
More worrying is that now some have started suggesting that Mehbooba Mufti still has a chance to break this alliance since majority of Kashmiri’s are against BJP. But such advisors are neither well-wishers of Mehbooba Mufti nor of the State. Rather it is time for Mehbooba Mufti to even recast PDPs Self Rule document and start a fresh with a clean state and she can rebuild her cadres in remaining three years.
In case she does so NC too will not go further on the polluted path and some peaceful reconstruction may start in Kashmir valley. She has enough career ahead even to risk one election and if not done so and she has already reached a dead end it will be an impossible task for her to push her conventional “self rule” chariot ahead.
Similarly in ‘Agenda of the Alliance’ where it was promised that PDP would bring back the power projects, revoke AFSPA and will facilitate dialogue process between New Delhi and Hurriyat the text is being question very critically by those who voted for “Mufti Sayeed” party. Not only that some have started opining that they don’t feel any difference in the governance of the State, be it the PDP-BJP coalition or any other political party. Some even say that the good will of PDP has been so badly eroded that even breaking ties with BJP won’t make any gains.
(Daya Sagar is a Sr Journalist and a social activist can be reached [email protected])
