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| End and not add to peoples' problems in Jammu & Kashmir | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, June 28: When the Union Minister of State, Dr Jitendra Singh, stated that Article 370 was very much alive in the party's poll manifesto it was an indication of the BJP trying to secure as many seats from the region of Jammu as can be possible for the party that has been plagued by factionalism, gradual emaciation in its vote bank despite its victory from the two Lok Sabha seats in the region of Jammu and from one seat in Ladakh.
In fact if the state unit of the BJP, which has lost its political weight and vigour, won the three seats it contested from the regions of Jammu and Ladakh it was the result of Modi wave that had hit these two regions. It was simply the magic of the Modi wave that a political heavy weight like Ghulam Nabi Azad had to lose to a light weight Jitendra Singh. Yes, factional feud within the state unit of the Congress had also contributed to the BJP victory but essentially it was the Modi wave that motivated people, rather voters, to vote for change, which had been promised by Narendra Modi.
By saying that the BJP may whip up the issue related to abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India, that grants special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir within the union of India, the BJP seems to be keen to win a majority of 37 seats in the Jammu region. Without dilating on the issue Jitendra Singh has obliquely indicated that the BJP had no intention of making a determined bid for registering its presence in the Kashmir valley which it could do by winning atleast three to five seats from the Valley. The inference is clear because majority of people in the Kashmir valley are opposed to abrogation of Article 370.
Even the Valley centric mainstream politicians have already voiced their anger when Jitendra Singh stated a month ago that the process for abrogating Article 370 had been started. This statement, notwithstanding his quick denial, set the river Jhelum in Kashmir on fire. At one stage the National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah said that the state of Jammu and Kashmir may not remain part of India if Article 370 was abrogated. Omar Abdullah, Mufti Mohd. Sayeed and Mehbooba Mufti and others berated the BJP led NDA Government for framing the plan of abrogating Article 370.
Jitendra Singh has said Article 370 is 'very much alive' in the manifesto of the BJP. "Article 370 has not been dumped and it is a very much alive in the manifesto of the party and will be an important issue in the upcoming Assembly elections," Singh has stated. Though the Union Minister did not clear the dust over abrogation of the Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir but hinted that it will be an important subject and on priority in the Assembly elections. This indicates that the BJP may not desist from raking up the issue of repealing Article 370 which may find support from majority of people in the region of Jammu. In the 2008 election the BJP had won 11 seats against one in 2002 poll.
No doubt the BJP had been including abrogation of Article 370 in its poll manifestos this time the raking up of the issue has an added meaning because of the fact that this time it is the BJP led NDA Government in the Centre. One feels amazed over the way the BJP is trying to rake up certain controversial issues for mere electoral gains. Already peoples' expectations from Modi led Government stand belied with BJP led NDA Government's failure in arresting price rise. Instead of bringing down prices of consumer items the price level has registered an upward curve since the change of guard in the Centre.
The proposal to increase rail fare and freight can be another burden on people. The Government's plan to hike the prices of LPG after three months is another issue that is bound to create anger against Modi. Hence it is time for the BJP leadership to avoid raking up issues that are bound to lead to conflict, misgivings and anger among people in a sensitive state like Jammu and Kashmir. Let the BJP include the issue pertaining to abrogation of Article 370 in the Assembly poll manifesto, as it has been doing during the last 40 years or so, but a comment from a man who man's the PMO is bound to trigger conflict. Let the Modi led Government resolve peoples' problems and difficulties instead of adding to their woes. |
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