Those who placed unwavering trust in Omar Abdullah’s leadership by giving his party a decisive mandate in the Assembly elections likely expected tangible improvements, especially in employment, infrastructure, and governance, but the reality has been quite the opposite.
It has come as a major disappointment that for the Omar Abdullah-led government’s plans and policies to take shape, the restoration of statehood appears to be a prerequisite. From the very first day in office, the leader has insisted on its revival, almost as if the functioning of Jammu and Kashmir is unmanageable while it remains a Union Territory.
Isn’t it necessary that Omar Abdullah should do a case study of other Union Territories across the country having legislative assemblies to improve and enhance his knowledge of how the people-friendly policies could be executed under the conditions which are prevailing in J&K.
There is no doubt in the fact that till the time J&K is a Union Territory, the powers of the elected chief minister are a bit limited but going by over three decades of turmoil and tumultuous conditions that affected the region’s stability badly, one cannot blame the centre for going cautiously as far as early restoration of statehood to J&K is concerned. It is necessary for the elected government to first identify its capabilities and recognize its powers, and work accordingly by remaining well within its allowed jurisdiction because simply crying hoarse over the issue of statehood won’t satiate the people’s aspirations who gave mandate for making J&K livable and prosperous.
The NC leadership should remember that it never said during the run up to elections that statehood restoration is a prerequisite for them to work for the welfare of people. At no point of time, the central leadership has denied giving back statehood to J&K but the only point which the Modi Government has been making is the conducive atmosphere for bringing this change.
It is advisable for the CM Omar Abdullah to continue with the good work to bail out people from the miseries which they faced during the absence of popular government in J&K and as and when, the statehood will be restored, the J&K government can go out full throttle to change the course of life of people by implementing its policies and plans as envisaged by those running the government.
All said and done, the alibi which CM Omar Abdullah is giving right now for not accomplishing the jobs for which he was elected is a bit unjustified as under his ongoing stint progress of J&K has become elusive though power is back in NC leader’s hands.
