Carefree on the greens

Golfers would perhaps understand and even empathise with Farooq Abdullah wanting to shed his official responsibilities for the sake of more time on the golf greens by refusing to continue as the caretaker chief minister of J&K. But his pretence of taking the moral high ground rings false. In fact, his claim that he was not continuing as caretaker CM of J&K because he had lost the mandate of the people is patently insincere. If that was actually weighing on his conscience, he should have left his office as soon as the results had been announced a week ago. His posturing came, instead, after the governor — in view of no party having got a clear majority of any party — agreed to allow additional time until October 21 to political parties to work out their arrangements to form a new government.

The governor was, obviously, left with no choice but to impose direct rule once Abdullah made his stand known. Under the circumstances, it would be incorrect to interpret the developments in Srinagar as a constitutional crisis rather than being merely an administrative measure to ensure that adequate consultations among the various political groups and parties to form a new government could take place. The governor made it clear that imposition of his rule was not a permanent measure and as soon as the parties demonstrate their ability to form a stable government, this could be dispensed with.

But all this should not be interpreted to mean that somehow the shine on J&K’s ‘free and fair’ elections has been dimmed. The voter turn-out at the polls, the enthusiasm of the public in the democratic process in spite of intensified terrorist activity specifically seeking to derail the process, and the poll verdict itself, all testify to the faith of the people in electing leaders who would address their aspirations. The success of the democratic process would not be decided by the conduct of the political leader rejected by the majority but by the performance of the political leaders who are now mandated to govern the state. They must rise above parochial interests for the future of the state and its people.