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| Time not opportune for Assembly polls in J&K | | A step in right direction | | Rustam
JAMMU, Sept 11: The Election Commission of India did well the other day by postponing a two-day trip to Jammu & Kashmir to discuss assembly polls in the state in the wake of the devastating floods, which have brought everything in the Valley and many parts of Jammu to a grinding halt. The incessant rains and flash floods have very adversely impacted more than five million people in different parts of the Valley and Jammu province and there are credible reports that rehabilitation of the flood affected victims would take a very long time.
All the three Election Commissioners were scheduled to visit the state today for a two-day trip to hold discussions with the local administration so that an election schedule could be prepared for the upcoming assembly elections in the state. The term of the present NC-Congress coalition government will expire on January 4, 2015 and the new government has to be in place latest by that date. Since Jammu & Kashmir is a difficult state and which is also militant-infested, elections here are held in several phases to ensure smooth conduct of electoral exercise. Weather conditions are also taken into consideration while finalizing the election schedule. Even otherwise, the ECI is supposed to take on board the local administration before finalizing and announcing the poll schedule. The decision of the ECI to postpone visit to the state has to be viewed in this context.
Ironically, at a time when people of the state are suffering and crying for help and rehabilitation, NC working president and Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been advocating the need to hold the assembly elections on time. He has said floods could not be a reason for delay in elections. How insensitive he has turned! And he displayed his insensitivity On Wednesday, when he blamed the people for their distress and taunted by saying that he didn't bring rain and nor could he stop rain. It is a matter of regret that the Chief minister of the State, instead of sharing the grief and sorrow of the victims of floods, rubbed salt on their wounds by making irresponsible and outrageous statements.
If he believes that his "discredited" NC would win the election, if held on time, then it can be said that he doesn't feel the people's pulse. People across the state seem fed up with his regime. The NC, like the Congress, is destined to bite dust in the coming assembly elections. This is what most of political pundits believe and repeatedly say. But this is not the issue. The issue is the timing of the election and it would be only appropriate if the polls are postponed by a few months so that things in the Valley and parts of Jammu province settle down to some extent. The next six months should be declared a period of rehabilitation and reconstruction and it would be only proper that if the central government takes the humanitarian work in its own hands. This is a must considering the people's apprehension that the selfish elements in the establishment and ruling class would misappropriate funds meant for relief and rehabilitation work. |
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