Imbisat-Makhdoomi

Imbisat Makhdoomi

It had taken Mufti Mohammed Sayeed more than two months to finalize and announce his coalition partner, Bhartiya Janta Party – though the duo has altogether divergent ideologies, interests and tactics. Mufti’s PDP had not been in power since its historic 2002 debut, besides the new partner is accomplishing it for the first time. Both wrestled to exaggerate majority of their own. But none could make it up.

However, both converged together on ‘grounds of relevance’ in regional politics. Otherwise coalition seems non-existent and would have never happened, had it been any other state of India. Ironically one can see it as marriage between the couples having no match of ideologies and belief. Yet marrying because both want to have honey-moon in Switzerland, at least one can say!

Kashmir seems to be only state in South Asia where one can witness hand-shake between secular and hardcore communal party. Though zeal and zest to get hold of chair might be a driving force for it, yet the roots can be traced within the culture of Kashmiri people who have always endorsed the brotherhood within people of any religion and region.

One wonder about the ‘substance’ of common minimum programme when there is hardly anything in common between the two. As of now, the PDP seems to have softened its stand on Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the BJP, which has been demanding the abrogation of Article 370, decides to maintain a status quo. Also, as of now both the parties have left open the issue of rehabilitation of West Pakistan refugees. However, people can still hope about off-centric issues like development of roads, breakdown on cuts in water and electricity. As change in tone can be well apprehended when Mufti wants focus on ‘Good Governance’ .Does it signify an unwilling surrender over burning issues like removal of AFSPA and strengthening of Article 370? May be yes!

It would be like water off a duck’s back for BJP as it would not lose much of its turf in Jammu contrary to it, PDP certainly faces a growing threat in Kashmir. So to retain the image in public, Mufti Mohammed Syed coupled with intelligentsia likes of Economist Dr Haseeb Drabu ought to play dozen of beautiful shots.

Being optimistic and putting all the passivity off, Haseeb Drabu can play his best shot in boosting up the economic conditions of Kashmir. Drabu used to advocate the policies like central monetary policy where political diplomacy gets replaced by economical diplomacy. Interestingly these views might certainly gear up the economy of Kashmir. Earlier, he used to have demand of fiscal autonomy to implement economic autonomy. Robust economic ideas like dual currency, enlargement of economic spaces, co-circulation of the currencies, regional & sub regional trade within countries of SAARC can certainly strengthen the economic fabric of Kashmir. Though in European Union these policies have brought laurels, there might be no danger if such innovations are attempted here. Now that preacher of ideas is on the leading chair himself, can people hope about the deliverance of theories with shear pragmatism? Employers have been restless all during the last tenure. How far this new government would heal their wounds?

Besides economic conditions, Kashmiri people yet await for the relief and rehabilitation post 2014 devastating floods. We have yet not moved an inch out of the devastation floods have brought us in.

Thereby, it is really high time for fresh government to at least overhaul and rebuild the system with sincere efforts. People are very much hopeful and can yet witness that there is light despite all of the darkness!

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” Frodo once said. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

 From South Kashmir’s Islamabad, Imbisat Makhdoomi uses his time between his studies – engineering – and trying politics in his class.

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