Binoo Joshi
J K News Today Commentary
There is more at stake than meets the eye through which new Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha is seen – conducting surprise visits to secretariat , sending stern messages against the unprofessional attitude and approaches , drenching his trousers in the flood-hit areas , and meeting delegations , ordinary and extraordinary both in Raj Bhavan.
Development has been his mantra from the day he took over his new assignment on August 7 and all the mirror images of his visits to the districts and other places to take stock of the situation sit in that narrative . This development though seen through the ideas of connectivity , health care, education and reviving the economy being put into reality , but its objectives are to involve the people in all these activities. All this is not only official, it seeks to evoke public response – making them to air and articulate their grievances, keep a watch on the work and give a feedback- if they cannot reach Raj Bhavan, he will reach them. That is called the connect and the real mantra for making the delivery system effective, people-friendly and fruitful .
There is nothing to be read in between the lines . It has to be seen and analysed against the backdrop of what used to happen in the past – works would be done in some cases, others remained confined to the files that gathered dust after the money was drawn. And the works that were undertaken would vanish or fall into disrepair after a while .
Corruption bred disillusionment and loss of faith in the system . This had happened time and again. Political slogans were used to cover the corruption and divert attention from the real issues – the feedback was frustrated . That has kept the development hanging and the idea of people-development in air. The development was projected with wrong perception that it meant their political disempowerment .
Manoj Sinha is promoting the idea of people’s empowerment through development . All the irritants and barriers are being removed one by one , leaving no stone unturned in correcting the narrative in Kashmir where scepticism about the government and its plans was always high.
A myth is being broken : that no amount of development can compensate for the political aspirations of the people of Kashmir . Development is the way forward .
