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| Concerted move towards separation, onslaught on Indian Constitution | | State Election Commission -- II | |
STARK REALITY
RUSTAM
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Dec 12: The decision of the National Conference-Congress coalition government that state election commission would be set up is fraught with dangerous ramifications. The draft bill, if becomes an Act of legislation, would put in place a set-up across the state that would operate under the direct control of the ruling elite, which has never allowed democracy to flower in the state. The beneficiaries would be the ruling elite and the sufferers would be the common people.
Secondly, the controversial and ill-conceived decision, if given an effect to, would ultimately lead to the situation as it existed in the state before 1966-67, when there existed a sort of a local oligarchy and when the people had little or no say in the governance of the state or when the electoral exercises were no more than a farce. It would not be out of place to mention here that the National Conference has all long stood for a separate Election Commission. The jurisdiction of the Election Commission of India to the state was extended only when the Congress was ruling the state. The December 10 decision of the state government could be construed as a major step forward as far as the establishment of Jammu and Kashmir as an autonomous state is concerned. This is the National Conference’s most cherished goal. What is not understandable is the concurrence of the Congress or the Congress’ support to the idea of a separate election commission for the state.
Where was the need for the ruling coalition to take such a controversial decision? There was no need. For, there already exists a system under which elections to the local bodies, including corporations, municipalities and Panchayats, are held, may be occasionally. It is basically the job of the Chief Electoral Officer and he discharges his obligations as and when the state government takes a decision to this effect. It is the Chief Electoral Officer who has always organized elections to the local bodies. And, it is only rarely that he is asked to undertake such an exercise. He discharges his duties during the general elections and elections to the state assembly because he has no other option but to obey the instructions given to him by the Election Commission of India. Otherwise, he has nothing in hand to do because Jammu and Kashmir is one state that seldom witnesses elections to the local bodies.
It is not only the Chief Electoral Officer in Jammu and Kashmir who organizes at the behest of the political government elections to the local bodies. This is true of all the Chief Electoral Officers in the country. The need of the time was to strengthen this institution. That the state government has not done so and that, instead, it has thought of a counterpoise to the system that prevails throughout the country should leave no one in any doubt that the National Conference is thinking in terms of playing a big mischief. The disturbing aspect of the whole situation is that it is planning to play the mischief with the fullest possible cooperation of the Congress party, which is already at the receiving end not only in Jammu province, but also across the country.
The Congress needs to review its stand and put its foot down. It must ensure the collapse the proposed legislation. Similarly, other parties need to take cognizance of this disturbing development. (Concluded)
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