Amit Khajuria
J K News Today
The focal point of Kashmir politics at the moment is Apni Party chief Syed Altaf Bukhari , whose politics is rooted in listening to the ground , airing what he hears and then seeks redressal of the same. In short, he has saved J&K from getting lost into the quagmire of political vacuum . It is not a mean feat in these pandemic times .
Airing of people’s grievances, ranging from the plight of the stranded passengers, plight of the fruit industry, woes of traders, ever-deepening problems of stakeholders of tourism and repeated articulation of the sufferings of the jobless youth , may appear small issues in the Valley’s traditional political lexicon where emotion -stoking slogans are accorded more .
The political currency nowadays in the traditional political circles is, restoration of special status of Jammu and Kashmir that was scrapped August 5 last year . There is a document of August 22 named as “ Gupkar Declaration -2.0, claiming that an alliance of six parties , National Conference, PDP, Congress, CPI_M, People’s Conference and Awami National Conference, will keep their political activities “ subservient to the restoration of August 4, 2019, position of J&K.”
Bukhari has a clear stand on these issues. He wants these issues to be settled by the Supreme Court , where a number of petitions challenging the abrogation of the Article 370 and 35 A are pending. Or, there is an alternative that let any party at the national level get equal or better mandate than the current dispensation , and commit to undo the August 5 decisions .
Why is he saying so ? Because there is no third option available . And till such time the SC delivers its verdict on the subject; no one has any idea as to when the apex court will do so . Till such time , the people cannot keep their things on hold with no one speaking for them. This would add to alienation of the masses . How could that be justified when all the time, there is a lip service to end their alienation and impoverishment .
These are critical times , made more critical by the pandemic of Corona Virus . The deadly disease has not only brought everything to a standstill but also cut the branches of sustenance and survival to a large extent.
Altaf Bukhari is speaking for the people and keeping the political narrative alive for the people in which their economic , political, social and health concerns are in the lead.. That is where , his supporters and critics alike think, lies his importance.
