news details |
|
|
| Congress believes success has many fathers | | |
That the state unit of the Congress is yet
to get rid of factionalism became evident
when senior Congress leaders tried to seek credit for raising the retirement age of Government employees in Jammu and Kashmir.
The announcement also revealed cracks within the ruling coalition.
These cracks became visible when Chief Minister,Omar Abdullah,tried to take the credit for increasing the retirement age of employees by two years and that for recruitment by three years. Within hours of this announcement the PCC Chief, Saif-ud-Din Soz,claimed that he was the author of the pro-employee policy adding that Omar Abdullah had not accepted his(Soz's) suggestion on increasing the retirement age of employees.
Soz even has gone to the extent of telling Omar that he should give credit to the NC and the Congress for the decision to increase the retirement age.While the issue between Omar and Soz was yet to be settled a new twist was given by the Deputy Chief Minister,Tara Chand,who claimed that the real author of the scheme to enhance the retirement and recruitment age of the employees was Ghulam Nabi Azad when he headed a coalition Government.Tara Chand has claimed that Azad had mooted the matter around 2006-2007 and had not the PDP withdrawn its support,leading to the fall of the Azad led Government,the employees' demand would have been accepted in 2007.
The drubbing of the Congress in the recent Lok Sabha elections from two seats in the Jammu region and one seat in Ladakh does not seem to have made the Congress leaders in Jammu and Kashmir wiser than they were before the polls. Those who support Soz and those who are loyal to Azad continue to be engaged in severe infighting. The sharp differences between the two factions surface even on minor issues.Since Tara Chand belongs to the faction headed by Azad he lost no time in projecting his political mentor as the author of the pro-employee scheme when Soz had taken the credit for framing the policy.Now the party high command plans to reorganize the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir one thing needs to be taken into account.
Factionalism cannot end if Soz is replaced by Azad or Soz is retained as the PCC Chief.Before embarking on any course to revamp the organization the party high command should try to bring about unity between Soz and Azad.It may prove of some help if both Azad and Soz are kept away from the state unit and given party work in some other states.If Azad is to head the PCC it would be necessary to send Soz as inchare of Congress affairs in some other state.And if Soz is retained as PCC chief Azad should be given work as general secretary in the AICC with no role to play in Jammu and Kashmir.
Another positive impact of the latest decision of the Government to increase the retirement age of its employees is the parity that has been restored between the state employees and those working in various central Government departments. This way Article 370 stands amended either by default or inadvertently.
Hitherto the state employees had been demanding parity in retirement age between them and the central Government employees but the state Government did not want to emulate the centre as it could mean amendment to special status.
Even without amending the state constitution the NC led Government has favoured bringing about parity between the state and central Government employees as far as retirement age is concerned. Already several hundred central laws have been made applicable to Jammu and Kashmir and that too with concurrence from the state legislature and there seems no justification for breast beating over any demand for revocation of Article 370. A state that favours special status should first of all raise its internal resources so that it does not have to bank on financial support from the centre. Before seeking political autonomy the NC leadership should first of all achieve financial autonomy. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
