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| Face-Off On Cards | | | As the forthcoming Autumn Session of the Assembly is scheduled to commence on September 21, the opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir are mulling to corner the Omar Abdullah led government over issues like job outsourcing, rising unemployment, and the ruling party’s alleged failure to fulfil electoral promises.
The session is going to be stormy as the opposition parties, including the BJP is getting ready to train its guns on the government.
Opposition parties have a legitimate responsibility to question the government on various issues. It needs to ask the helmsmen what concrete steps have been taken to create employment opportunities, encourage private investments, support entrepreneurship and strengthen sectors such as tourism, horticulture, handicrafts, information technology and small industries.
The ruling National Conference had made several commitments during the election campaign. The opposition is naturally expected to seek a status report on these promises. This is an essential part of democratic accountability. At the same time, the government should use the Assembly floor to distinguish between promises already implemented, those under execution and those facing administrative or financial constraints.
The BJP, as the principal opposition force in the Assembly, is likely to adopt an aggressive posture. Other opposition voices too may raise region-specific and public-interest issues. Such scrutiny is healthy for democracy, provided the debate remains focused on governance rather than descending into disruption.
The government, for its part, should not approach criticism defensively. The Assembly is precisely the institution where difficult questions must be answered. Ministers should come prepared with facts, figures, timelines and measurable outcomes. If there are shortcomings, acknowledging them and presenting corrective measures would strengthen rather than weaken the government’s credibility.
The people of Jammu and Kashmir have high expectations from the elected Assembly. They expect debates on employment, development, inflation, public services, infrastructure, education, healthcare and regional balance—not merely political accusations and counter-accusations.
The September 21 session therefore carries significance beyond its political temperature. A stormy Assembly is not necessarily a bad Assembly; an unproductive one is. The real test will be whether the government and opposition can convert confrontation into constructive scrutiny. Jammu and Kashmir needs an Assembly where the government is held accountable, the opposition is heard seriously, and public issues receive solutions rather than headlines. |
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