JK News Today Commentary
All through there was a pertinent question across the political spectrum within the country, and in particular in Jammu and Kashmir, as to when Assembly polls will be held in the Union Territory which has been without a political government since June 2018? There was an equally pertinent answer , “ the elections will be held in J&K , but the call has to be taken by the Election Commission of India.” This answer was repeatedly affirmed and reaffirmed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah , who had played a critical role in abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi .
And the Election Commission of India took the call on August 16, 2024 . The Commission announced three-phased Assembly polls starting from September 18 to October 1 and in between the second phase scheduled for September 25 . Technically and constitutionally , it was the responsibility of the ECI to take a call on polls and announce the schedule , and there could be no other alternative , the government could only provide the security and other logistics to facilitate elections in J&K. That’s why the Supreme Court of India , too, had directed the ECI to hold polls by September 30, 2024 . India has vibrant institutions and these owe their accountability to the constitution and public trust which these have to live up to.
There is a need to recall some of the announcements that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah made in the run up to the August 16 announcement of polls to J&K Assembly . Modi, on several occasions , had declared that Jammu and Kashmir will be having its own elected government, chief minister , ministers and MLAs Prime Minister , during his first visit to Srinagar, after assuming office for a third time in row after the general elections , had made an announcement in specific terms ,” the preparations for the ( Assembly) elections in J&K are underway, the people will have their own government and thereafter statehood would be restored.”
These specifics , if studied closely , will show that there was a gradual shift from the elections will be held to the preparations for the polls. This showed that the Modi government had changed gears toward bringing J&K closer to the Assembly polls that all political parties were asking for, and the people aspired . The democratic project in a changed situation of Kashmir had to be in tune with the times and aspirations .
Now when the ECI has rolled out the schedule , which will enable the political parties to test their strength with their respective narratives , here what is crucial is what will be the future outlook for the people of the Union Territory . In any case , it cannot and should not be at the cost of what has been gained in the past five years , especially after the abrogation of Article 370 . Yes, it is a fact that this is going to be the first election after the revocation of Article 370 , but is that everything about it. No, it is an election on a ground that has been changed by miles in the past five years, it is a Kashmir which envies itself when it looks back to the cold old days of darkness in which life was as choked by shutdowns , stones and bullets , not only that there was uncertainty in giving birth to new generation and the about the young generation pushed to graveyards . Kashmir has been pulled out of the era of tragedies . This election , it is expected should , help in bringing about an outcome in which peace and development remain the permanent dream and reality .
This vision has been outlined by Home Minister Amit Shah, who while welcoming the announcement of the J&K Assembly polls had a piece of friendly advice to the people of J&K “to actively participate in the election and vote in large numbers to form the government that will sustain peace and development and ensure a brighter future for the youth.”
This is an appeal of promise that the Central Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi translated into reality in the past 10 years. Shah remarked in his post on social media platform X, “In the last 10 years, the Modi government through a series of relentless initiatives, has created a new era of peace, development and strengthening democracy in J&K. This Assembly election will further strengthen roots of democracy, opening the door to a new period of development in the region.”
