How BJP was checkmated in J&K

Naeem Akhtar
Former Minister, J&K

The Governor's action has understandably evoked sharp criticism from political parties, commentators and experts. The Raj Bhavan fax machine has, in fact, become the new metaphor for subversion of the democratic process in the state and extended to the rest of the country as well in the context of allegations against the Modi government's attempts to compromise institutions. The social media has had a great time inventing a fresh response to the developments.

It is unfortunate that the BJP is guided by its own narrow kiryana vision of the biggest political challenge to the country. While it is an established fact that democratic deficit has been a big reason for Kashmir having become what it has, the current ruling party has refused to learn the basic truth of it: that J&K must have a government chosen by its people rather than that made in Delhi. This has been grossly violated and unabashedly justified in the present case.

End of PDP-BJP coalition 

The PDP-BJP coalition was hailed as historic by none other than the Prime Minister himself. How it was destroyed after three-year attrition is history. But it did not stop at dismantling only a legitimate democratic arrangement. Going a step further, it started a mission to destroy the party, the PDP, itself by attempting defections through the lure of money, power and intimidation. It even used state institutions to twist the arms of PDP legislators. What, however, is more shocking is the fact that the BJP and its local Trojan horse openly declared the 'support' of legislators from other parties, with the PDP being the main target. What was it if not horse-trading? 

The ruling party at the Centre made it clear that it was setting up a government through defections and its pointman for the state Ram Madhav, who incidentally was involved in stitching the earlier alliance, made frequent trips to Srinagar, holding meetings with some PDP legislators and deliberately circulating them on the social media. Such an atmosphere was built for an expected government through intrigue that even businessmen of Srinagar were called to pay 'tribute' to the new leadership. The allout effort to elect a mayor of Srinagar, identified by the Governor even before the elections through questionable means proved to be the proverbial last straw. More important than that was the fact that the Damocles sword of the state's special status continued to hang on them through an unending string of litigation. They know if these laws are scrapped or even diluted, the mainstream politics in Kashmir will be buried for good.

Hobson’s choice

The Centre clearly tried to push the mainstream parties, the NC, PDP and Congress already working in life-threatening conditions, into a corner. They had a Hobson's choice: either be stifled to death or try and fight back. Mehbooba Mufti, with her gracious offer to the seniormost leader of the state and NC patriarch to head the proposed coalition or Omar Abdullah to head it, was reciprocated with equal grace by the NC. The Congress came on board soon. This was an unprecedented assertion by the Kashmir-based parties which buried their political differences and got united for the protection of the special status. 

Had it not been stymied by the Centre, the political dividends of such an arrangement would have been immense, given the fact that it was a response to popular sentiment shorn of any separatist shades. It would have been the glorious moment of mainstream politics of Kashmir amid a depressing and gloomy winter of desperation. 

But even with the stillborn attempt, mainstream parties in the state, except the BJP, have reinvented themselves. They have now discovered a larger horizon of possibilities when it comes to making coalitions in a state where local parties, being bitter rivals had to look up to the national parties for support. That may be a blessing in disguise for the state.

Even as Ram Madhav and local leaders of the BJP accused the NC and PDP of taking instructions from Pakistan, the Governor brought in the security aspect into government-formation by the non-BJP 'terror friendly' parties. That is a completely new dimension to democracy in the state. Would the parties in the state have to pass the security test for government-formation even if they secure a majority? Is it not an idea from Pakistan where ideological scrutiny of the prospective representatives is done?

Coalitions in this country have, by and large, become ideology-neutral. But it appears that the BJP in the process has hit itself so badly that it may forget the dream of ever getting into the state Secretariat in the foreseeable future. Its allies will have to come from Kashmir and no party will possibly get near it without the risk of being wiped out. It made lavish use of money to fight and 'win' local body and panchayat elections without votes to please only itself. It thought boycott could see it through the Assembly elections as well. But given the new realisation about the party's real intentions, it is likely to spur greater participation by voters, even if only to thwart BJP plans. To that extent, the BJP may have cooked its own goose in J&K on Thanksgiving Day.

Governor Satya Pal Malik complained that even his cook was not available in the Raj Bhavan because of the holiday on the Prophet's birthday (even though J&K Raj Bhavan has the dubious distinction of not having a single Muslim employee). Who knows, he might have been busy roasting the goose for his political masters!