Ten days have passed since the Prime Minister had convened an All Party Meeting of political parties and regional stakeholders, including members of Gupkar alliance. By now, the regional political parties and Gupkaris should have initiated political activities and plunged into the democratic process, but instead of follow up action on the outcome of historical meeting, the Gupkaris had taken a U-Turn and declared in a meeting that they will not participate in the assembly elections till full statehood is restored to Jammu and Kashmir. This is a complete U-turn from their stand just after the all party meeting of the prime minister. All the leads after the meeting in Delhi have said that the meeting went on in a cordial manner and was a new beginning. Dr Farooq Abdullah, Chairman PAGD and the President of National Conference is on record to have said that the All Party Meeting was held in a good and positive manner and it was a good beginning as it will open the way forward for the holding of much overdue elections. He even said that those who talk of the restoration of the Article 370 of the constitution at this juncture are senseless people and restoration of full statehood is not practical. In fact, the Gupkar alliance has allegiance to Hurriyat conference and has a soft corner for the other separatists and thus they had taken a U-turn. What is needed in interests of Jammu and Kashmir people is taking of an active part in democratic exercise. Since there is no alternative to democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir and as such the regional political parties should jump in the political process for the ending of the political uncertainty. People of the disturbed state have a right to have a democratically elected government and as such the regional political parties should realise their role and responsibility and initiate the stalled political process in Jammu and Kashmir. The regional political leaders are adept in the art of blackmailing the centre government and also hoodwink them for getting more and more amenities for the disturbed Jammu and Kashmir and this time they are doing the same irrespective of its effect on the political scenario of Jammu and Kashmir. The regional political parties and satraps should without wasting further time plunge into the political process for the betterment of the people of the disturbed state. As centre government is very keen to start the political process in Jammu and Kashmir and so the regional groupings should gauge the mood of the centre and initiate democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir to give a big relief to hapless people by giving them the right to elect a government of their choice. The Prime Minister and Home Minister of the country have made it clear that the full statehood will be restored to Jammu and Kashmir at an appropriate time, so there should be no politics on this issue. Therefore what is needed is taking part in the elections to get statehood for J&K when the law and order situation is under control and terrorism is also under check. So the regional political parties and the Gupkaris should realise their responsibility and initiate the much needed democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir which is long overdue. Thus as a first step the regional stakeholders should co -operate with the delimitation commission so that the delimitation of the constituencies is completed which gives a fair representation to all the people. Since the delimitation should precede the assembly elections and so all the political parties including the regional ones should play their role in the delimitation of the constituencies so that the assembly elections will be held as soon as possible. As a follow up of the all party meeting the political parties including the regional ones should initiate democratic process which is a natural corollary of the historical meeting and initiative. Since the centre government has done its job and had made it clear that they want a democratically elected government in the Jammu and Kashmir, therefore as a natural consequence all the political parties should start political process at the earliest so that the alienation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is eliminated and a peoples government is formed in Jammu and Kashmir to give succour to the alienated people who are in political uncertainty. So without beating the bush the regional political parties should start the democratic process to ease the problems and ills of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Political parties and the regional ones should plunge into the political process so that the assembly elections are held as soon as possible. It is so disturbing and unbecoming that the Gupkar alliance has now laid a precondition of the restoration of the full statehood for their participation in the assembly elections. At this point of time it is impractical to talk of the restoration of the statehood and so elections should be held to give people of the disturbed Jammu and Kashmir, a representative Government. For this, all the political parties including the Gupkar alliance should participate in election process for the restoration of the full statehood at an appropriate time, as promised by the Prime Minister and the Home Minister at umpteen times.
Omkar Dattatray