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| Will Bhim take the plunge to capture political space? | | Congress-BJP In Disarray | | Neha
JAMMU, Jan 7: The decision of the Congress high command to maintain status quo in the state or to allow the NC to lead the coalition government for another three years has completely changed the political scenario in Jammu province. The immediate fall-out of the decision has been that the Congress, which is part of the coalition government, has been reduced to a nullity in Jammu province for all practical purposes. As a matter of fact, the decision has left the Congress rank and file dejected, disappointed, baffled and totally demoralised, with most of the local Congress leaders and workers admitting in private that the Congress high command has "dug the Congress grave, especially in Jammu province, which again and again reposed its faith in this party, notwithstanding the shabby treatment it meted out to its people all through".
The Congress had already become quite unpopular in Jammu province because its ministers in the coalition government had completely surrendered before the NC leadership and not done anything worthwhile to cater to even the basic needs of its people. The extent of the Congress' unpopularity in this province could be determined from what the people exhibited between November 25 and December 23, more particularly on December 20, when the whole of Jammu province observed a massive bandh against the state government's decision to transfer powers of registration from courts to revenue officials. The protesting lawyers and the general public had on December 20, instead of attacking the NC, had attacked the Jammu-based Congress ministers, saying they were responsible for the official action. They had used very strong words against the Congress ministers and raised such slogans as "Jammu ka dalla, Jammu ke dalal and Jammu ka gand". Even a section of the local Congress leadership had disapproved of the government decision and accused certain Congress ministers of making common cause with the NC and becoming a party to an act construed as an onslaught on the freedom of judiciary and a move aimed at enabling the "land grabbers" and "land mafia" to get their illegal land transactions legalised.
This was the attitude of the people towards the Congress party just before the Congress high command took the decision to permit the NC to dominate the seat of power and patronage for another three years, of course, much to the chagrin of bulk of the local congress leadership and workers. The latest political development has led the people of Jammu province to believe that they committed a blunder by pinning faith in the Congress party, which, according to them, "represents the Kashmir's interests in Jammu province" and "only helps Kashmir further enrich and develop itself at the cost of the people of Jammu province".
To be more exact, the Congress has lost its credibility in Jammu province. The story of the BJP is even more pathetic. It lost its sheen and face last April when seven of the eleven party MLAs cross-voted to ensure the victory of the NC-Congress candidates in the legislative council elections. The party today stands thoroughly discredited. It has neither the leadership nor any Jammu-specific agenda; it's gripped by gross indiscipline. Seven MLAs have been thrown out of the party and the remaining four remaining are busy in petty politicking defending and promoting their own vested interests in and outside the party. It has lost its control over its own constituency. This is a fact.
The truth, in short, is that both the Congress and the BJP are sailing in the same boat. The general public is jeering at them and longing for a formation which could fill the vacuum and provide leadership to the otherwise leaderless Jammu province. Who can fill this political space being vacated by the Congress and the BJP? The answer is: either a new regional formation or the Panthers Party of Bhim Singh. But there is a problem. There is nothing on the ground which could even remotely suggest that moves are afoot to set up a new regional outfit in this province to occupy the vacated space and lead its people aright. Of course, everyone is emphasising the need for a new formation.
Obviously, the other alternative is the Panthers Party. The Panthers Party, though has its strong support-base confined to four constituencies (Ramnagar, Udhampur, Samba and Chenani), has its branches all across the Jammu province. Besides, the Panthers Party has from time to time played an important role in Jammu province. Not just this, it has in its political programme a definite Jammu-specific agenda: Agenda that envisages separate chief minister and separate assembly for Jammu province. This agenda has all the potential of fascinating the ignored and marginalised people of Jammu province. But, again, the problem is that the Panthers' supremo is not that consistent. Besides, he is Delhi-based. The Panthers Party has three vocal MLAs, but the problem with them is that they do not want to look beyond their respective constituencies; they remained confined to these constituencies, instead of establishing their leadership in the province.
These are some of the problems with the Panthers Party. It can surmount these problems and capture the political space provided Bhim Singh and his colleagues in the party, besides the three MLAs, are prepared to take a definite plunge. Even otherwise, political astuteness demands from the Panthers' leadership a positive and consistent intervention. It would be a sad reflection on it if it fails to exploit the weaknesses of the derailed and looked down upon Congress and the BJP. The ball is really in the court of Bhim Singh. |
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