Has it really succumbed to nepotism & favouritism?
Malik Sajid
In April 2016, when the incumbent Chief Minister Ms Mehbooba Mufti took oath as the first woman Chief Minister of the state, many expectations were raised among the public in general.Optimistic quarters carried the thought that her government would, if not end the corruption, but will at least have a great check on it. There were expectations that she will squeeze the breathing area for the corrupt and the Mafia Raj in Jammu and Kashmir. But now nine months down the line these hopes seem having been dashed away and it has not been in line with these expectations.Her supporters believed that she will work on the path, adopted by her father, and hoped her to complete his unaccomplished tasks and dreams.
A general perception in the public goes that she needs some immediate corrections or otherwise the way things are going will lead her to a failure. Mufti Sahib was a highly experienced leader and had full knowledge of every situation. He would properly weigh a person before giving him or her any position and for doing so he would never succumb to any pulls or pressures from within or outside. He used his flesh and blood for the formation of PDP and for that he assembled the people with material, integrity, reputation and of his choice from every nook and corner of the state.
Sources have revealed to Kashmir Scenario that the situation has turned too grim for the party, both on governance as well as on the political front. The reports reached suggest that both, the governance as well as the party position have touched their lowest level. The issues that are the centre of criticism and most talked about are the political adjustments, both at the government as well as the party level and the distribution of the postings among the government officers. The leaders from within the party question the criteria being adopted in the adjustments of people such as Ministers, Vice Chairmen of various departments and other political adjustments in the government. They said that such people would hardly dear to come near Mufti sahib and lack a good reputation in their public life have been given high positions which is unacceptable to the most of the party cadres. They said that those leaders who deserve to be honoured, by dint of their hard work, sacrifices, achievements, talent and honesty have been pushed to the wall and the people who have been rejected by their voters are now on dictating positions. They said that they fail to understand the reason behind having a second one from the same family to enjoy a minister level post when one of the members was already on a similar post and despite having lost his seat to the congress candidate in 2014 Assembly elections.
Another leader from South Kashmir, who has similarly surrendered his constituency to congressin 2014, is said to be enjoying the plums of the government. He is generally seen bee lined by the government officers, including the high rank ones, oraspirants for the government benefits, some of them being well known for their bad track record. “The situation has changed a lot in South Kashmir since the last assembly by-elections in Anantnag this summer and you will see what happens now when elections for the Parliament, Panchayat or Municipal are held any time in the future,” said a worker of Anantnag. He said that the workers here now feel disgruntled to an extreme extent and that they have a reason to believe that this government has resorted to the worst kind of nepotism and favouritism in its functioning. He said that working with honesty and dedication for the party now finds no takers there; it is the mischievous lot which makes its way. He further said that some of the so called leaders who have a proximity with the high command have opened markets to sell the government jobs.
The resentments have started brewing and in a recent turn of events, when some grass rootworkers of Anantnag Constituency met (their MLA) the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti at Srinagar, it is learnt that she affronted the entire delegationwhile reacting to the allegations levelled against some of the leaders of the party and also advised them to refrain from complaining against them. These workersonly tried to apprise her about the ruins that were beinginflicted and expected some corrective measures from her end, but they returned quite dejected.In another very recent workers meeting at Khanabal there was an open outburst bythe workers who shouted against some of its leaders and levelled allegations against them. They said thatthe government has lost its image and that they had never expected this to happen. They said that they never expected that the successors of Mufti Saheb will kill the expectations of the scarifying lot of his in this manner.
After joining of Tasaduq Mufti, Mufti Mohmad Sayed’s son in the party, it needs to be seen whether he gets some space to act to improve the situations or not. Sources close to Tasaduq Mufti reveal that he has been pressurised by some of his family members, especially her mother, to join the politics whereas he himself wanted to keep away from it. The general notion about him is that he is a good, honest and a straight forward person by nature and worth to be trusted but what is right or wrong can only be seen in the coming days.
Note:
(The aim of the author is never to malign the image of the government, any party or any person, but this has a purpose to pass on the facts and the voice of the public to the right quarters to make the necessary corrections in the interest of the good of the people of this state.)