Beyond Electioneering
Abodh Sharma
Jammu, May 3: Amidst claims, counter claims, allegations, counter allegations and a bitter war of words between the politicians that at times threatens to hit below the belt, the fact of the matter is that the pompous political class in Jammu and Kashmir has failed its people miserably and the mud- slinging over each other is nothing but a deliberate attempt to defer the attention of the voter from the issues of his vital concern.
While every third of the contesting candidates in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir is a billionaire, with the wealth of the noted politicians growing upto 500 percent since the last elections, the per capita GDP in Jammu and Kashmir has never touched double figure mark in the last 10 years. Interestingly, the per capita income in J&K in 2011 was calculated at a mere 33056, which is less than a meager Rs. 100 per day.
The unemployment rate in Jammu and Kashmir is highest amongst all north Indian states. Despite literacy rate increasing from 55.5 percent in 2001 to 68.74 percent in 2011 census, the unemployment has climbed on to 5.3 percent and the head count of the educated unemployed has reached over 5 lakh mark.
Despite liberal funding, J&K has done little to plug its T&D losses and power revenue realization system has become a mafia. Because of the unholy nexus in power sector, the people in all the three divisions of the state have to fight prolonged power curtailments in extreme climatic conditions.
Peripheral roads in the state have turned into death traps with more lives lost on the roads than to militancy or any other disease. Despite death count in road mishaps increasing every year, successive Governments have suffered policy paralysis in providing safer roads and a viable public transport system to the people both in cities and peripheries.
The corruption has been institutionalized in the state while the intuitions set up to check the menace of corruption were systematically decimated to save noted politicians and bureaucrats whose names figured in most infamous scams in the state.
With the rising din over Autonomy, Self Rule and debate over Article 370 getting emotional, the people of the state have been deprived of basic amenities like adequate power and drinking water, good roads and public transport system, good and affordable healthcare, quality education and employment, security, Justice and an accountable system of governance. Successive Governments have failed to improve the lot of the common people of the state, who have been fraught with multiple challenges.
While BJP is accusing Article 370 for the miseries of the people of the state who according to it have been deprived by the development in rest of the country due to this discriminatory constitutional provision, inside J&K, ruling National Conference shall have to take major blame for the plight of the people of this 'special status' state for it held the reins of power here for close to four decades. |
