With greetings to everyone on our fabulous marathon run of 75 years and the much-awaited clarion call of ‘INDIA FIRST’ given by our Prime Minister from The Red Fort on the eve of our Independence Day, today I come in front of you to lay a few facts that I intend to analyse objectively in order to project a clearer picture.
Before I unfold the topic, I wish to make a statement with respect to the political turmoil in the region of Jammu and Kashmir, especially from the PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti on the tweet from the office of Lt Governor of J&K. In a press conference the lady argued vociferously on how the current changes are going to harm the state. The pain and the built up of crocodile tears may woo any ill-informed viewer but it surely will not affect the citizens of Kashmir. Today, people are not afraid to blame the past political set up of the erstwhile state for the pathetic condition they have brought upon the innocents of the valley. Even if one may argue about the deep undercurrent running in the minds of people of the disputed region, I have personally seen a sea change in the attitude of the common people of Kashmir with respect to nationalism as a whole. Sadly, most of the earlier active leaders and their mentors who have deprived development and prosperity to the valley in the name of self-determination are at that end of a flame which makes one last desperate effort to glow before it flames out. Post abrogation of the article 370 of the Indian Constitution, there has been a lot of hue and cry not only in the ruling class of Pakistan but also sadly and deliberately in the erstwhile diminished leadership of Kashmir. Many people suggest that the close nexus of both the families from India and the power-hungry ruling class of Pakistan fear that they might lose their existence. Today the young generations of the valley are subjected to acts such as Right to Education, Right to Information Act, Panchayat raj Act and many more which earlier were deprived to the citizens of the state due to this article 370 and 35A.Let’s just take the example of the above three acts and sec how do they affect the erstwhile ruling class of Kashmir.
This act was passed by the Centre in the year 2002. This benevolent act of the Constitution of India provides free and compulsory education to all children in the age group of six to fourteen years as a Fundamental Right. This act was not taken up by the then ruling party The Peoples Democratic Party headed by Mufti Md Syeed f/o Mehbooba Mufti. I fail to understand how does such a novel act for a country like India which is fighting illiteracy since independence prove useless in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The only logical explanation that I can see is, if my people get educated, then the pen will be mightier than the stones. An illiterate mob is easier to manipulate than a literate society.
This act was passed by the Center in the year 2005. Under the provisions of RTI Act, any citizen of India may request information from a public authority which is required to reply expeditiously or within thirty days. The Act also requires every public office to computerize their records for wide dissemination and to proactively publish certain categories of information so that the citizens need minimum recourse to request for information formally. This act was not taken up by the then ruling party The Peoples Democratic Party headed by Mufti Md Syeed f/o Mehbooba Mufti. The only plausible explanation that we can derive is that the ruling class was terrified with the repercussions that they might face for the corruption and the pro terrorism stance their forefathers once embraced.
The original Panchayat Raj Act was passed in the year 1994 and was later amended in 1999 to suit the needs of modern India. This act empowered elected representatives at the grass root level to work for the betterment of their own villages. They were entrusted with some financial powers. This helped increase transparency in administration in rest of India with an exception of UTs and State of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Panchayats receive funds from three sources namely- Local body grants from Central Finance Commission, Funds for implementation of centrally sponsored schemes and Funds released by the State Governments on the recommendations of the State Finance Commissions. It was aimed at producing accountability as the elected representatives were in direct contact with the beneficiaries. I believe had this been implemented in letter and spirit pre abrogation of the articles 370 and 35 A by the ruling class of Kashmir, it would have been the last nail in their coffins.
When I hear blasphemous statements about the nation from such veteran and seasoned politicians at a time when the entire nation has finally arrived at one national goal of India First, it pains my heart as a Kashmiri Muslim. I have just one question as a closing argument to the stakeholders of previous political regime. When kids from my Mohallas took up arms and indulge in stone pelting. Where were your kids in the so called fight for self-determination?. It needs no more explanation that the ruling class has played with our emotions to fulfil their personal desires. When our homes were greeted by Janazas of our young boys their younger generation was learning abroad. Now it’s on to us to understand the game plan of the previous class and align with the changed political set of the Union Territory.
