JAMMU: PDP tried to pull a fast one when its Pulwama MLA Waheed Parra attempted to introduce a resolution on the first day of the Assembly session, opposing the revocation of Article 370 and demanding that the repealed constitutional provisions be restored in their original form. That is to say, the party wanted clock to be reversed to August 4, 2019, as the Article 370 -35 A were revoked on August 5, 2019 . On the same day, the State of Jammu and Kashmir was split into two Union Territories of Ladakh and J&K itself. Ladakh got what it wanted and J&K’s status was demoted to UT with a promise that it would get its statehood back at an appropriate time.
There was a larger game plan at play in this resolution – it was to put National Conference in dock . NC had fought Assembly elections with a promise to work for the restoration of the Article 370 and to begin with it talked of bringing resolution in the first session of the Assembly seeking its restoration . In the election time heat , many things are said, which the promoters of the slogans know cannot be fulfilled , but the parties attempt to tap public sentiment .
PDP took advantage of this. It held NC accountable to its election-time promise. It knew that the NC, which is now the ruling party of the UT, could not open its session with the resolution as it wanted the focus to stay on Lieutenant Governor’s address to the House constituted after historic elections , detailing its future plans and commitments made to the people in their manifesto. Particularly, it wanted the statehood issue to be in closer focus . That was adequately reflected in the LG’s speech .
For PDP , the statehood was never an issue as it believed that the restoration of Article 370 would automatically bring back the state and that too in its original form, that’s Ladakh region included. And it also knew that Article 370 restoration is a delusion, but there was no harm in using these illusions to pin down its rivals. National Conference is the only reason that made the PDP to take birth in 1999. There is a long history to its pre-birth story, but it is known to all that the PDP had only one ideology – to oppose National Conference and its dynastic politics.
Waheed Parra sprang a surprise . He attempted to introduce the resolution immediately after NC veteran Abdul Rahim Rather was elected as Speaker of the new and first Assembly of the UT of J&K. The business of the day had no time slot for private members’ resolution nor was there any zero-hour. But the politics is never guided by the rule book. Its existence lies in breaking the established norms
In line with this norm-breaking introduction of resolution , PDP was aware of the immediate consequences – NC would try to wriggle out of the situation by taking one or the other plea ; BJP benches would raise a lot of din and noise over it, the house would witness ruckus and cameras would capture the whole scene. PDP wanted its agenda to be set like this – making itself heard and seen as champion of the restoration of Article 370 in much brighter spotlight than National Conference.
After having made its point, and achieved what it wanted to do on the first day of the session, a question must be asked to the PDP leadership , what next? What is the blueprint? Is decrying NC and arousing sentiments a way out for the people who are desperately looking for resolution of their basic issues related to connectivity, water, electricity, easy access to education and health care centers .
It fell on BJP legislature party leader Sunil Sharma to remind both PDP and NC of a stark reality that at this stage the UT Assembly cannot do anything about Article 370 -its restoration, as the Parliament alone is to do something and Parliament has already given its approval to the abrogation of the constitutional provision. In reality, he also reminded the NC that its resolution on the restoration of statehood though had the basis of the promises made by the BJP leadership, it too required the approval of Parliament.
Having said this, a question arises why PDP is making itself look like a culprit in engineering waste of the precious time of the Assembly, which has come after a long wait of more than six years. Rabble-rousing will yield nothing except return of some dark shadows of the past. Act responsibly.