Strife-torn J&K need only peace and development

Defying boycott call by separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir in assembly elections 8 months ago, the people of the state participated in the electoral process in large numbers. Have the leaders of major political parties in the state Congreess, National Conference and People’s Democratic party ever paid any attention to why the people came out of their home to caste their vote by defying guns and what for? They are only yearning for the peace and development of the state. People of the state have great expectation from NC-Congress coalition of Omar Abdullah government. It has only eight months since Omar Abdullah been sworn in as the chief minister of J &K. Since Omar Abdullah was elected as the yougest Chief Minister of state, his government is facing violent protests over one incident or the other. At the very ordinary incident, to give bandh call in J & K by separatist leaders is very easy. The people of the state have become fed-up with strikes and bandhs. They have become the routine affairs in the state. Among the excesses by the security forces in the state in the last eight months, Shopian murder and rape case is the most infamous. The state has seen strike and Bandh over the incident for several days. Two young women were allegedly raped and murdered by security forces and the state police initially said that they died due to drowning. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also bought police version initially and mishandled the incident over which he drew flak. With the beginning of the assembly session first the theatrics by the PDP Chief in the assemby by storming into the well and uprooting the Speaker’s microphone over the Shopian incident as her way of protests were enacted,which amply shows the degeneration which has set in politics of the trouble-torn state of J & K. The show of hooliganism in the well of state assembly staged by her makes the mockery of democracy. She created bedlam in the House to attract people's attention in the state. Though this type of ruckus in the assembly has been enacted in several states of the country, this one is most deplorable where attention of the entire nation is focussed. The pandemonium of this type witnessed so far in the state assemblies is Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar. In all these assemblies the opposition has adopted the way of opposition by breaking microphone and furniture to attack the rivals. This type of behaviour by the elected represetatives only shows their lust for power and degradation among them. No political party is sancrosant whenever it get opportunity, it creates pandemonium in the assembly over trifle. The political class has stooped so low that they can go to any extent to level charges at their political opponents without the veracity of the charges. In the ongoing assembly session of Jammu and Kashmir, the senior PDP leader and former deputy chief minister Muzaffar Baig dug out the infamous 2006 sex scandal of Jammu and Kashmir and levelled charge at Chief Minister Omar Abullah’s involvement in it. He said on the floor of the house that Omar Abdull’s name figures on the CBI list of accused persons. So , the chief minister has lost moral authority to rule the state and he must resign. The house was stunned into silence and and immediately there was imotional outburst by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah showing immaturity but standing the high moral ground by deciding to resign immerdiate till he is proven innocent. He left the assembly despite fierce opposition of his move of resignation by his own party’s MLAs. But he did not yield to any pressure and went to meet Governor to resign as CM of J and K . The CBI immediately denied about involvement of Omar Abdullah anywhere in 2006 J&K Sex Scandal. Home Minister P Chidambaram has also rejected the allegation of Baig against Abdullah outright. As far as the chasrge is concerned, it is very serious and it has been levelled by none other than Muzaffar Baig who is a senior opposition leader and a brilliant lawyer. Now it is up to him to prove the charge against Omar or face the fall-out. Though our law says one is innocent untill he is proven guilty by the highest court of the law, Omar Abullah has stood the moral high ground. But the demand of the people in the state on all political leadersto play positive politics and discard the negative one and government to respect the people's mandate by coming up to their expectation.