Promises Ignored  Politics Prioritized - The NC Government  Misplaced

The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC), often described as the family fiefdom of Sheikh Abdullah, continues to dominate political discourse in the Valley. While it secured a sweeping mandate from the Muslim-majority areas of Kashmir in the last elections, the Jammu region decisively voted for the IP-led NDA. Despite the BJP winning 29 seats, the NC managed to secure a majority and form the government in the Union Territory The Omar Abdullah-led government had made a wide range of promises, including developmental Initiatives, resolution of civic issues, free electricity, creation of lakhs of jobs for the unemployed, 200 units of free power, repeal of the Public Safety Act, release of political prisoners, and the dignified return of Kashmir Pandits. Other commitments included providing one lakh jobs to the youth of J&K, free supply of 12 LPG cylinders per year to economically weaker sections, free public transport for women, enhancement of pensioners medical allowance from 300 to 1002, establishment of a Minority Commission, strengthening the Public Distribution System, job creation through start-ups, solar power projects, transfer of hydropower projects to JK as per PM Committee recommendations, and setting up skill adversities. All these promises could have been pursued within the current Union Territory framesnurk. None of these commitments required the restoration of Article 370 or statehood to be fulfilled. Yet, the NC government has side-lined these developmental priorities, instead focusing entirely on politically loaded and polarizing Issues-particularly the demand for restoring Article 370, 35A, and statehood. This singular obsess ton has come at the cost of governance Since the new Assembly began functioning after a decade-long gap, its sessions have been marked more by chaos and confusion than constructive legislation. The focus has shifted from governance to promoting religious sentiment and separatist narratives. The people of J&K, who were promised economic, social, and political development, are now left disillusioned. Promised reforms have been put on hold, and political opportunism-cloaked in communal undertones-has taken canter stage The reality is that nothing prevents the present UT government from implementing its promises. Statehood or the constitutional status of Article 370 and 35A are not barriers to job creation, skill development, distribution of free electricity, or execution of development works. In fact, the Central Government has consistently provided financial resources-more than what was required to ensure the UT's development. There's no justification for stoking communal rhetoric to mask past failures J&K, during its special. status, witnessed an alarming breakdown of law and governance The state's ruling elite often collaborated with separatists and extremists, leading to devastation-terrorism, stone-pelting, shutdowns, ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits, drug trafficking, terror funding, and large-scale corruption The constitutional provisions of Article 370 and 35A, now rightly abrogated and upheld by the Supreme Court, created a parallel power structure that was misused for decades. They served to disconnect the region from the national mainstream and shield local governments from accountability. If Omar Abdullah and his party still aspire for the revival of these divisive provisions, despite their proven harm and constitutional invalidity, it raises serious concerns about their intentions’. Such a demand threatens not only the peace and stability of fame and Kashmir but also the broader national interest As for statehood, the Government of India has already committed on the floor of Parliament-that it will be restored when conditions are deemed appropriate. Until then, the NC government should focus on fulfilling its promises rather than reigniting old wounds and political fantasies that serve neither the people of J&K nor the nation

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Courtesy: Maharaj Shah and Koshur Samachar- July-2025