Darbar brings focus on Alliance Agenda

The opening of Darbar Move offices in Srinagar from tomorrow has brought back the focus on the promises that have been made by the PDP-BJP dispensation to implement the Agenda of Agenda of Alliance (AoA)—the governance document drafted by PDP and BJP before government formation. The government functioning could also determine the impact on the prevailing conditions which have deteriorated.

 

 The PDP-BJP dispensation will face a herculean task to ensure at least some promises in the AoA are fulfilled to avoid criticism from the opposition and also from the pro-freedom parties, who have been targeting PDP of “promoting RSS agenda in Kashmir in the name of AoA.”

 

Ever since the two parties took the reins of J&K, the governance in Kashmir remained a major causality—first with the sudden death of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and then due to the  violence that was unleashed after the death of young Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last year.

 

“No doubt the situation is difficult on ground. But we will ensure that peace prevails so that developmental agenda is fulfilled,” senior PDP Minister, Abdul Haq Khan told Kashmir Vision. He said the situation in Kashmir wasn’t a creation of PDP but that of National Conference, “who sold state’s autonomy for power and bartered all the resources.”

 

He said that the government’s first priority will be peace and development. “We will reach out to people and seek their cooperation for a peaceful atmosphere so that AoA is implemented,” Khan said.

 

PDP’s Chief Spokesman Mehboob Beg said due to last year’s uprising, governance sustained major damage. “This year, PDP will prioritize governance and works will be taken up on fast track basis,” he said.

 

Sources in the PDP, however, said that it was a major challenge for them to implement AoA since PDP’s most legislators belong to Southern district of Pulwama, Shopian and Anantnag (Islamabad). “Since all these districts remain on the edge due to the rise in the number of militants and the subsequent attacks on forces, it has become difficult for almost all the PDP legislators and party workers to visit their respective areas,” they said.

 

A PDP youth leader, wishing not to be named, said that when ministers, legislators and other party activists can’t move freely in Southern districts, how could  the developmental projects be taken up. “Stone pelting has become a routine affair and encounters have become a major challenge for the forces. Overall situation in South Kashmir is very volatile and summer leaves a big challenge behind,” he said.

 

“Governance remains a biggest challenge for us. Unless peace prevails in South Kashmir and in rest of Kashmir districts, governance will continue to be causality.”

 

What remains to be seen is how government will cope-up with the two-way challenge—fighting militants on one front and implementing AoA, on the other. Interestingly, the security grid of Kashmir, Army, Police and CRPF have decided to take on militants on a large scale in all South Kashmir districts, despite certain challenges.

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