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| How long will last Congress-PDP marriage of convenience | | ARTICLE | |
By: Yash Bhasin
The coalition government in J&K is all likely to complete its full
term of six years, with the remaining two years withstanding all pulls
and pressures and contradictions, as did the already expired four
years. The marriage of convenience between the Congress and the PDP,
despite strains and sourness in their relations, is not likely to
witness divorce, how much the two main partners pull in different
directions, to nurture their respective constituencies and promote
their divergent agendas-- A wonder of Indian democracy, indeed.
The prophets of gloom may prove wrong and the wishful thinkers hoping
against hope to harvest dividends of the government's fall, may get
disappointed. Yet the wrong precedents set and compromises made are
going to cost the two parties, mainly the Congress heavily in the long
run and having its fallout in the 2008 assembly elections in the state
as well as general elections in the country. Above all it are the
people in the state at large, who are to bear the burden of
contradictions in the wedlock, with two partners working at cross
purposes.
The relations between the two major coalition partners have never
remained cordial and the functioning of the coalition government even
during Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's three years term as Chief Minister was
never smooth. Various decisions of Mufti, as Chief Minister, were
opposed and successfully obstructed by the Congress ministers in the
government, including by the Deputy Chief Minister, who belonged to
the Congress. Mufti's adamance to not allow the extension of Amarnath
Yatra period to two months in 2004, was strongly contested by some
Congress ministers from Jammu, with some junior ministers even
threatening to resign, while the Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram
Sharma openly criticized the Chief Minster for "his arbitrary
decision, without taking the cabinet into confidence" in rejecting the
demand of Amarnath Yatra Board to extend the period of yatra. A via
media was found with the intervention of Congress High Command and
Union government leader, with yatra period extended to one and half
month officially while unofficially it was allowed to run for even
more than two months.
In the matter of transfers and promotions of some officers also sharp
differences between the Chief Minster and the Deputy Chief Minster and
ministers from two parties came to fore. Deputy Chief Minster, Mangat
Ram Sharma on several occasions walked out of the cabinet meetings
forcing adjournments and postponements of decisions, with ultimately
scoring his point. Even in the elections to the Lok Sabha seats
Congress leaders at local levels openly worked against the PDP
candidates in Kashmir valley. A major conflict between the two parties
was witnessed at the time of introduction of a constitution amendment
bill in the state assembly, aiming at circumventing the decision of
the J&K High Court to entitle the females to the right of permanent
state resident, even after they are married to a non permanent J&K
state resident boy. The Congress MLAs including ministers, along with
MLAs from Jammu of other parties opposed the bill tooth and nail, with
Deputy Chief Minister spearheading the opposition. The bill was lost
and the Congress scored a point over the PDP.
In respect of vital issue of state's accession with India and the so
called Kashmir dispute, the Congress and PDP stand poles apart while
the leaders of the former in the state invariably reiterate the
party's committed stand that J&k's accession to India is final and
irrevocable and that J&K is an integral part of India, the PDP harps
on the need for final solution of Kashmir problem, conveying loud
impression of their subscribing to the view that Kashmir issue is
disputed and Pakistan has locus standi in the matter. Again, PDP
slogan of self-rule and demilitarization of J&K has often been
rubbished by Congress leaders, including Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi
Azad, stating that J&K already enjoys self-rule, with people's elected
representatives governing the state and that demilitarization can only
follow the end of terrorism as the presence of forces is the dire
necessity in the present scenario of terrorists from across the border
striking in J&K and secessionist violence continuing in the state.
While PDP is Kashmir centric and it has to cater to its constituency
in Kashmir valley, its main concern is alleged human rights violations
by the forces and is at pains to project itself as soft towards the
separatists and even the militants and hence advocates concessions and
sops to the "lead astray boys" the Congress, which has broader
perspective of country as a whole, finds inconvenient with these
overtones overtures of PDP. Having won most of the seats from Jammu
region, it cannot afford to not honour the sentiments of the people of
this region and identify itself with their aspirations, while at the
same time being careful that there is no adverse reaction of its
actions in the country as a whole where it is the leading party in the
ruling coalition. Under there circumstances pulls and pressures and
the two pulling in different directions is but natural.
Any major surrender by the Congress to the PDP, only to save the
coalition government from fall can cost it heavily not only in Jammu
in the next assembly elections, but also in the country in the general
elections three years ahead. The BJP may be in disarray at present and
hence no immediate threat to the Congress or the UPA in the country,
but the allegation of soft pedaling by the Congress towards
secessionists and its friendly parties in Kashmir coupled with its
inept handling of terrorism can become a rallying point for the BJP to
regain its last ground.
Though the Congress in J&K has the advantage of National Conference
always waiting on its wings to come to its rescue in case the PDP
pulls the rugs from under its feet, but choosing between the PDP and
the National Conference by the Congress is like a choice between the
devil and the deep sea, in view of NC too having lately taken pro
secessionist stance and running a race with the PDP in this behalf
realizing that it alone pays in the context of Kashmir. Under the
circumstances the continuation of coalition, with Congress leaders
even going to the extent of ridiculing the PDP slogan of self-rule
meaning rule by the party leaders and thus aimed at hoodwinking the
Kashmiris at large can go to the advantage of NC whose slogan of
greater autonomy is less vague is easily understood by the Kashmiris
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