The biggest disappointment of the year was PDP. The largest opposition party was absent for most of the times from the state legislature, letting the ruling combine have a free hand. Whenever it was present in the house the sessions would be chaotic.
In its selective presence in the assembly it also gave the new assembly building its most memorable moment for some time to come with Mehbooba Mufti and the speaker of the assembly, trying their best to identify with the assemblies of UP and Bihar. Unruly scenes where witnessed, which resulted in marshalling even inside the assembly, which was comparatively new to Kashmir.
The party also suffered an identity crisis of sorts where it tried at times to identify with the separatist view, and then made u-turns identifying Kashmir as an integral part of India. At many times it was hard to distinguish the moderate Hurriyat from the opposition party. At many times, the PDP was accused of fomenting trouble in areas which had otherwise been comparatively silent. A separatist leader even offered them space in separatism.
When put with this question, a senior leader of the party defended the party saying that it was the PDP’s position which was being taken by the moderate Hurriyat. He cited the self-rule document in defense.
At the start of the unrest the PDP tried to make lots of noise, as the party sensed a chance to bring down the government. When a senior leader from the NC put the blame of the killings on the central forces instead of the state police, the party sensed its chance had come. A senior leader of the party started defending the central forces. The image which had been built went for a tumble.
But the Rahul-Omar combine, prevailed over whatever chance the party sensed. The centre put its weight behind the coalition. Since then the party has been in a disarray of sorts. After signals went out that the government was to stay, the party went in a silence mode, as if that was what was wanted of them. The CM even went on to state that it was not PDP which was creating the trouble.
Many insiders in the party state that the party is in confusion. The confusion they say lies in being a mainstream opposition party in a conflict situation, where you do not have the government, and try to behave as the opposition to the party which also like it identifies with what the people hate. So you do not have the power, and you are cut out from the people as well.
In order to try to identify with the people you have to lean towards the sentiments they identify with, which in turn opens a gap with the centre. This dilemma, together with the extreme conditions, makes things tricky, and PDP failed in finding the right balance.
Will there be a Healing Touch part 2, or another bantering confusion in June depends on what the party wants to identify with next.
