building constitutes a fundamental objective of nations. The shared dreams of a civilized society are realized through the institutions it evolves in the course of its history. And how these are organized and managed is basic to the effective functioning of a developed modern society.
The institution building process comprises of two fundamental factors, Rule of Law and sufficient participation of civil society in decision making process. Besides, the processes that are consensus oriented, accountable, transparent, and equitable serve as the roots and shoots of responsive and competent social Institutions. Respect for human rights is another significant attribute of this dynamic activity. The ultimate good of the common people can be expected only from such a social fabric that is woven along these lines.
Situations of conflict neither permit these dreams to be pursued by civil society nor do hegemonic regimes controlling such situations allow the growth of public opinion or civil society. Rule of law takes the course of suppressing the public opinion, civil society is kept at a distance from decision making process and transparency, accountability and equity remain confined to lexicon. Human rights get attention more for their violations.
Post-partition, the state of Jammu and Kashmir was made a battle turf by the two neighboring states of India and Pakistan that never allowed the dust of political uncertainty to settle down. Irresolute leadership, undecided future affiliations seldom permitted the development of such coherence among the people of the state that could have molded the unorganized collection of people into a civil society.
Public opinion in Kashmir never gained the pitch that could have lead to the emergence of a collective voice. Decision making process for the last 63 years have been hijacked by a small political elite. The sustenance of the relationship of dependency between the state and the centre with the latter never allowed to reach the level of self-reliability and the motivated disconnect between the local and national civil society also played a role in undermining the growth of confident and resolute civil society.
J&K, in the face of the above, could hardly tread a path of standard institution building. Hardly any institution that is based on the standards set by developed civil societies exists in the state. The masses are as helpless, expressionless and detached from the institutions of governance as they have been for centuries, in spite of the face that they are supposedly governed in the name of democracy.
