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A year of promises unkept

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

It was a mixed year for Jammu and Kashmir. While many expectations were shattered and promises unfulfilled, the return of a popular government helped bring a semblance of normalcy to the state after nine years. But the government's failures far outnumbered its successes.

Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah could not keep his election promise of getting autonomy, and the committee set up to study the matter has yet to come up with suggestions regarding the laws that are believed to have eroded Kashmir's internal autonomy.

The state government began its innings with a more than two-thirds majority which, according to the constitution of Kashmir -- the only state to have one -- is enough to annul the controversial laws. After the initial euphoria, the chief minister developed cold feet. And that's where the matter stands.

The other big promise the state government made was to eradicate corruption from public life. But despite the state vigilance department conducted lightning raids on many middle-rung employees and unearthing huge amounts of unaccounted cash and jewellery, not many Kashmiris are convinced the state government is very serious in its crackdown against corruption. Or else, why weren't so many other officers, including the more corrupt senior officers caught, they ask.

According to them, the raids against "middle-rung officials are little more than cosmetic exercises to spare the sharks". Suggesting, of course, that the government is either hand-in-glove with the rats or has its hands tied.

Even more insulting for an administration claiming respectability roots is that former militants claim they can provide better governance that those elected to do iy. So confident are they that these former militants -- who helped security forces fight insurgency in the state -- that they have set up political parties themselves.

The most prominent such ex-militant is Kuka Parray, credited with dealing a severe blow to insurgency by fighting it from within. Parray is now seeking support from traditional opponents of Dr Abdullah including the banned Jamaat-e-Islami. Oddly enough, at one time Parray had even helped security forces do the Jamaat-e-Islami a great deal of harm. It may be ironical, but Dr Abdullah isn't laughing -- for it is his position that's in jeopardy if these groups come together.

Though the presence of a government in the state is in itself a consolation, it must be remembered that violence began nine years ago from the morass of a discredited administration. And if it happens again, it will be again the people of the state that will suffer.

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