Few More Thoughts on Central Elections & Take On Burning Problem of Kashmir

                  Elections are done and dusted in A.P and Telengana and all are awaiting the results eagerly. Inadvertently, I has been stuck to the state of united Andhra for some time and dealing with the leaders connected to them. I am eager to come out of this cocoon and cast the shadow to the larger audience beyond the narrow boundaries of the state. Any good person should reach wider audience and work to make them the beneficiaries. No one should confine to the boundaries of the state like my unfortunate leader of A.P. How do you grow vertically and reach the top is the question. In a country like India, good work should reach larger audience and the leader who works methodically all the way to the top is most needed. The growth of the leader should saturate at the ceiling of the center and not at the ceiling of the state. As an individual, I would like to follow it at my own minute level and talk about larger issues rather than deal with those issues concerned to limited few. When everyone works at the individual level to grow vertically, it will automatically be translated to a larger level. Leaders need to be created, curated, crafted, cultivated and taken systematically to the top by having a consistent track record of working very well at all levels. Starting from ground level, he should be doing things which are successful in their own measure and replicate this work gradually at the highest level to really benefit the billions. Those who had risen like this to the top without politics, dynasty, ancestral origin can only serve the nation well.

                   Coming to the issues beyond state, elections are also happening in other states across the country. The state which I talked most in last post - United A.P. constitute 42 seats as against 543 parliamentary constituencies all over the country. It is a huge number and the polls are going to happen in 7 phases in the span of 40 days to get the final mandate. But in general, the interest of the people will not be that great as compared to that in the state elections. This is the picture in my residing state of Telengana where interest for elections dwindled after state elections. This is in contrast to the neighbouring state of A.P. where people were in frenzy of state elections and doing all kinds of things to reach polling booths and vote. In India, state polls decide their leader and people vote mechanically for the national head. Hence it is best advised if the state polls are held simultaneously along with national polls like in A.P for every state. This way, the number of elections will be reduced and the expenditure will also be reduced. But at present only 4 states out of 29 are going to state polls along with Lok Sabha polls. In India every year is an election year with some state or the other going for the elections. These differences need to be sorted out and people should be given a chance to elect their CM, PM at one go. This way, the polls will have much more weightage and people participate with higher interest to elect their leaders.

                 India is a land of different states and a sub-continent itself. Each state is like a country and the nation is similar to European Union(EU). Can the EU have a central Prime Minister besides having heads of state for each member countries. No, but India can have a PM. The structure of governance in India is a bit different and idiosyncratic. The role of the central government is best understood in terms of taxes. As I mentioned in the last post approximately 10% of the G.D.P is under the guardianship of central leadership. How they utilize this huge tax money for the benefit of everyone else is the story of government we elect at the center. Hence we need to be prudent in handing over the custodianship of huge chunk of money and power as well. 

                   In the second phase of polls, 95 constituencies from 11 states and 1 UT exercised their franchise on 18th of April. A total of 38 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu, 14 in Karnataka, 10 in Maharashtra, eight in Uttar Pradesh, five each in Assam, Bihar and Odisha, 3 each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, two in Jammu and Kashmir and one each in Manipur and Puducherry were part of the second phase of voting. All parliamentary constituencies in Gujarat, Kerala, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Goa and Daman and Diu will vote on 23 April in a single phase. Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal will witness voting in some Lok Sabha seats. After the first three phases, polling will happen in remaining 240 constituencies in next 4 phases till 19^th May. The main competition is between the B.J.P and Congress which also stitches alliances with the local parties. Some of the parties refuse to join with either of them forming a third front. Nevertheless, the role of the main two parties cannot be undermined. There is a complete sweep by B.J.P in last polls. Though it may not repeat that kind of a performance, every right thinking individual wish for a near clinical performance in a repeat mode after seeing the work done by the government in the last 5 years. I may be tempted to say India has the best five years after independence. If it wishes to continue on the good work done by this government it will definitely hand over the reins to the incumbent government. 

                   While the democracy is a bit vibrant in the rest of India, it is particularly poor in Jammu and Kashmir. Srinagar recorded a dismal 13% voting percentage. This is unbelievable in India given that 1 in 10 persons attended the polling. It is clearly ridiculing the great principle of democracy. How can you even tell he/she is elected representative when there is no one coming to elect. Historically, the state’s voting percentage lies in low 40’s. This is relatively better than the capital city of Srinagar. The poor turnout is not astonishing given the current climate in the valley. If you think of the reasons behind this miserable outing then it would be gut-wrenching to arrive at the actual story. It has been 2 months since the heinous terror attack in Pulwama on the convoy of CRPF soldiers in which 40 are killed. Imagine the conditions of living among the sounds of deafening bombs and threatening bullets flying around. I would never come out and vote in these situations. I would call myself hopeless if I come out and vote. What lead to such a situation and why normal life is far cry in Kashmir. The greatest challenge to any sane person is to solve the greatest problem of humanity. The problem with Kashmir lies in one of those categories. The focal point of the terrorist activity and the military operations of the two nations lies in the state of Kashmir. How can life be normal under these circumstances. I consider myself very fortunate for not living in those lands.

                   The problem with Kashmir started after the Independence from British. The Kashmir conflict is a territorial conflict primarily between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region. In simple terms, before independence Kashmir is a princely state ruled by a Hindu king. According to the 1941 census, 77% of the population in Kashmir is Muslim, 20% Hindus and the rest others. In 1947, an independent, Muslim-majority nation of Pakistan was formed. Under the terms of partition, more than 550 princely states within colonial India could decide to join the India or remain independent. At the time, the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, which had a majority Muslim population, was governed by maharaja Hari Singh, a Hindu. Unlike most of the princely states which aligned themselves with one nation or the other, Singh wanted independence for Kashmir. As partition-related violence raged across the two new nations, the government of Pakistan pressured Kashmir to join it. Pro-Pakistani rebels, funded by Pakistan, took over much of western Kashmir, and in September 1947, Pashtun tribesmen streamed over the border from Pakistan into Kashmir. Singh asked for India’s help in staving off the invasion, but India responded that, in order to give military assistance, Kashmir would have to accede to India, thus becoming part of the new country. Singh agreed and signed the Instrument of Accession, the document that aligned Kashmir with the Dominion of India, in October 1947.

                  When you lawfully integrate into India through its ruler, where did the point of dispute arises. Kashmir officially became part of India by acceding to India but on the ground faced many invasions from the west by Pakistan. Through these invasions, it has to be noted that Pakistan, never by law, has occupied a part of Kashmir called Pak Occupied Kashmir (POK). Pakistan, thus, carried on operating illegal militancy and terror operations from its soil for the land of Kashmir. Since the past 7 decades, 47000 people died due to insurgency, which also includes 8000 police personnel. This also comprises of more than 22000 militants killed. With militancy widespread, it has to be noted that joining a military group is one of the prime occupations of Kashmiri youth. How can you lead a good life which has been enjoyed by rest of Indians in such a wretched state of human rights violations. Pakistan and the terrorist outfits are mainly responsible for wiping away the minority Hindu population from the state. The ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri pandits by Islamic infiltrators is a big blot on human rights by killing and forcing them to displace from their naturally inherited land. Nearly 4 lakh Kashmiri pandits were displaced and the number reduced to 4000 in the state. The illegal atrocities committed by Pakistan –backed terrorists knew no end. Even if majority is a muslim population, Pakistan should gain lawful access to the land through its fight to that end but not through illegal violence. If it cannot win lawfully, Pakistan must unequivocally accept Kashmir is part of India and recede from all its operations from the land. There should be no room for terror, killings and all the violence being perpetrated.

                   In an earnest hope, as an empathizing bystander, I wish that a solution is arrived to the complex problem. More than anyone else, the people of Kashmir need it the most for leading an aspirational, motivated lives away from the frightened, dormant mode of living. They should be an integral part of India’s growth story and contribute to it. The Kashmiri pandits must once again prosper in the state and peace must flourish in the valley. The state must shed its tag of a sorry state and alter its fortunes. There has to be zero militancy and terror operations. Seeing it, the state should develop as a top tourist destination and industries should come flocking to the state. All the young generation must find adequate jobs to work and stop posing with guns and grenades. Pakistan must co-operate to that end and as a neighbouring country must participate in the economic well-being of the sister state. Pakistan should also stop getting the curse of ruins of Kashmir and participate in the progress and development of the state which also augurs well for its own cause. The economic progress of Kashmir goes hand in hand with the progress of Pakistan. Fighting for a tiny part of foreign territory while neglecting your own well-being in the process is not the right direction to navigate on part of Pakistan. The leaders of both the nations must work with iron will to turn around the fortunes of Kashmir. We can only hope and pray but the action should come from the stakeholders. To reiterate it again, as a first step Pakistan must curb all the violence in Kashmir emanating from its soil, then every thing else will follow.