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| PDP working as whistleblower for democracy in J&K | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 11: To pinpoint the lapses of a party in power is the constitutional duty of the opposition in a democratic set up. The People's Democratic Party (PDP) has been discharging that responsibility with maturity and alertness.
The recent incidents of custodial death of a youth in the Valley and the murder of a civilian in the Poonch district are horrible and shocking. The PDP has taken the government to task for these incidents and in no democratic set up can a responsible opposition remain silent over these shameful and unpardonable criminal acts.
Mehbooba Mufti, the president of the PDP tried to go to Sopore at least two times to console the bereaved family and on both occasions the state government used its might to restrain her from going to Sopore town. When the delegation of the PDP legislators and senior leaders reached the town there was natural anger against their visit. It was somehow projected by the state government as anger against the PDP and its leadership. The fact of the matter is that anger was basically against the system of which the PDP is an integral part. The anger was against the party in power as also those discharging the role of the opposition in the state. It was an anger that is amply justified given the fact that a father lost his only son to the brutal torture of the policemen who had picked him up in the name of law. When law is taken into their on hands by the men in uniform the only possibility is what happened in Sopore on July 31.
Holding a press conference immediately after their return from Sopore, the PDP leaders did not hide themselves behind the PSOs provided for their security. They said they would be again visiting Sopore to express solidarity with those who had lost their loved one at the hands of those policemen who believed they were beyond the reach of law.
Again after the Surankote incident in which a mentally deranged person was killed, the PDP president voiced her anger and concern. Addressing a press briefing in Srinagar, Mehbooba Mufti said unless the state government changed its attitude there was every possibility the fragile peace in the Valley could be upset. She also voiced her serious concern against the beating of the Kashmiri traders who had been agitating against the increase in taxes. The state government, the PDP president said was at war with every section of the society in the state.
The state government employees are also at loggerheads with the government for their long pending demands regarding payment of arrears as per the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission. The contractual lecturers in Srinagar have been on hunger strike for the last fortnight and the only relief that the state government has in mind for them is what the higher education minister told the meeting of senior officials in Srinagar.
Instead of addressing the problems of the contractual lecturers, the higher education minister has told the administrative department and the various college principals that they must make alternate arrangement to ensure that the duties discharged by the contractual lecturers are discharged by other persons engaged on academic arrangement.
This is really shocking. How long can a government in power continue to act against the very people who voted it to power? There is growing disenchantment against the government and today almost every section of the society appears to be at war with the government. This is a dangerous situation for any democratic set up. There is no political activity that would be really people participative. The state government has unfortunately created a void which spells dangers in the days to come. Unless a legitimate political space is allowed for both the opposition and even the separatist leaders, the void could be taken over by those whose faith in the democratic system is already running thin. If that happens, it would be neither good for the ruling alliance nor for the people at large. If legitimate political activity is stopped, violence would naturally present itself as an alternative which would come handy to the anti-social and anti-national elements who are always on the look out for such an opportunity. |
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