In J038;K, freeze

It can be seen as a trade-off between the immediate and the long-term. The crucial decision the Congress and its president have to make on w...

It can be seen as a trade-off between the immediate and the long-term. The crucial decision the Congress and its president have to make on whether or not to continue with the Mufti government in Jammu and Kashmir is not an easy one. There is a very good case to be made for why the Congress should take over the reins of the state. First, there is the sanctity of a contractual obligation. Under the agreement entered into by the PDP and Congress after the historic 2002 assembly elections, it is now the latter8217;s turn to rule the state for the next three years. The Congress, after all, is in the business of politics not for charitable purposes. It has a right to consolidate its presence in the state and nothing does this better than a spell of power. Also, if the Congress were to come to power, it would also be the first time that a political entity with its base in Jammu gets to rule the state.

These are good reasons 8212; and there may be several more 8212; for a change of guard in J038;K. If, despite them, we still argue that the state needs political continuity today, it is because we recognise the situation as an extraordinary one that demands an extraordinary response from the Congress leadership. Extraordinary, for three reasons. The first is the enormity of the natural disaster that has just visited the region. With winter setting in, there is just no scope for that inevitable pause in administrative efficacy that accompanies any regime change, even one between allies. The record of the present government of being relatively less corrupt and relatively more responsive to popular aspirations is the second reason. There is also a sense that the Mufti government, with its base in the Valley, is more autonomous, or is at least not a mere extension of New Delhi 8212; a perception that a Congress government would be less likely to project. Third, is the on-going peace process which is at a critical stage in its evolution. Introducing new dynamics in the politics of the state may prove to be an impediment, or at least a distraction.

So the Congress and Sonia Gandhi are being called upon to take a larger view. Such magnanimity would be in sync with the largeness of vision displayed three years ago when the Congress, despite being the major partner in the coalition, decided to gracefully accept PDP rule for the initial run. That decision, in hindsight, has proved to be a wise one. If the Congress decides to sit out now, we have little doubt that it would be, similarly, a gesture of great sagacity. One driven by national interest.