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| Is PDP capable of carrying Jammu with-II | | | Bashir Assad
srinagar, Oct 12: The aggrieved people of Jammu instead of chanalizing their political aspirations are still lost somewhere in national politics and that too in the era of regional political dominance in the national context couples with the fact that the political parties of national character are loosing their sheen. This unique political posturing over the years was fraught with even more dangerous consequences. Though on developmental front, the region particularly the urban Jammu showed some progress but it remain unrepresented or under-represented as for the participation is political decision making was concerned for the main reasons that the people continued to rotate the mandate between Congress and BJP. However, BJP could never become a partner in governance and Congress played second fiddle for last thirty years or so.
So in an era of regional politics and active participation in democratic setup, Jammu suffered a huge disempowerment because of its insignificant influence in decision making. On the other hand the national parties-they voted for in many successive elections- suffered a gradual erosion and had to play on weak and sticky wickets. Secondly; a variety of regionalist ideological positions were taken by the regionalist and state-based parties shaping into a full fledged struggle for empowerment of its peoples. However, the political parties which are personalistic in character and centered around one leader could do little for its people.
Now in case of PDP, the compulsions of electoral politics force that party into presenting some arguments. However, it has the capacity frequently combine the regionalist and non- regional arguments in order to explain their raison deter to the electorate. Post 2008 land row it has been doing well and the people have legitimizing its existence.
As for accepting PDP as an alternative to Congress and BJP by the people of Jammu, invocation of regional pride and marks of regional identity should be the moot point. . Regional arguments involve demands pertaining to regional culture, history and language. The demands for formation of state or inclusion of certain territories into a state are potent weapons of mobilization. And PDP has certainly an edge on others for having a comprehensible document on addressing the regional imbalances. But at the same time Mufti has to understand that priorities keep changing and the bigger political issues have taken a back-seat in Kashmir context while as the governance is on forefront with corruption and unemployment becoming even more bigger than issues we have been raising for years by now. And remember, corruption in administration is an issue of concern for the people not the one at the highest level.
Last but not least regionalist ideological position takes the form of demands for state's development. Such regionalism deals less with issues of identity and more with issues of backwardness, investment and industrial progress. Regional parties variously use these arguments- identity, statehood, autonomy and development-. The National Conference, Akali Dal, DMK, often combine identity and autonomy arguments. Parties like Biju Janata Dal (BJD) or Trinmul Congress (TC) emphasize the development arguments. The TDP emerged on the basis of identity argument but Chandrababu Naidu has led the party quietly to the development argument. By invoking regionalist arguments, a regional party like PDP can easily identify with the different sections in the regional society. Its language of identity appeals to the intelligentsia and the masses alike. Besides, identity discourse also benefits the materially dominant sections of the society about whom we made a mention earlier. |
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