ELECTION ALWAYS SCORES OVER NOMINATION

 ELECTION ALWAYS SCORES OVER NOMINATION

                     

                    The Kashmiri Pandits, a lineage of Saraswat Brahmin community, are the only remaining Hindu Kashmiris after the large-scale conversion of Valley's population to Islam during the medieval times. However, large numbers left the valley in the exodus of 1990s due to the preponderance of militancy and as they completed their three decades in exile, it is one generation of theirs that has grown its off shoots without any connect to their roots. Keeping in view the current scenario and absence of any ray of hope at the end of dark tunnel, it seems all the future generation of theirs are going to survive with a void of touch to their homeland.

                       

 With every passing day their hope of rehabilitation is dwindling and the subsequent return to valley is getting skimpy. The various socio-politico-economic moves of recent past, which were presumed to favour the process of rehabilitation and were hailed by major section of the community, have paradoxically made the dream of homecoming more distant. An abrogation of article 370 and 35a, although has put the state under constitution of India in both letter and spirit, yet the reduction of state to union territory has nullified the value of state subject – the only document that had served as a proof and link between Pandits and their homeland.  

                       Similarly, the proposed Bill that advocates the reservation of Assembly seats for Kashmiri migrants on a nomination basis is going to undermine rather than empower the Kashmiri Pandits politically. Although the perception is being created that the bill aims at safeguarding the political rights of community, yet in reality the bill distances the Kashmiri Pandits from their roots and severing crucial connections. The bill raises several questions about its alignment with fundamental constitutional values as well.

                       The nomination process, a key factor as outlined in the Bill, in itself does not clearly mention that the reservation is exclusively and absolutely for Kashmiri Pandits. Rather all those who have suffered relocation and humiliation irrespective of their religious background will be the nominees and a part of this nomination process. As per government data, there are non-Kashmiri Pandits also who have migrated from other places and they do also qualify for the same nomination process, thereby, bursting the bubble of the claim being created among common masses that Kashmiri Pandits are the sole claimers as nominees.  

                             The nomination process also seems to be biased as the final authority of nominating and selecting the candidates is wholly and solely based on the decision of Lieutenant Governor without any clear cut criteria for the same. This will promote the tokenism and favouritism process and any blue-eyed nominee who is connected and ready to work in the hands of authority will be hand-picked, irrespective of whether he/she is acceptable within the community. The genuine welfare and interests of the Kashmiri Pandits will be overshadowed and the community’s true aspirations and needs will be replaced by the personal achievements and acquisitions.

                          The Kashmiri Pandits, as a community, have remained a political slugfest since decades and each major party has used their sentiments and milked their situation for their own political and electoral gains. From time to time, larger than life statements are framed, luring promises are made and mesmerizing advertisements are circulated keeping the community in loop. The same is then being propagated all across the social media. Forget about the political parties, even the Bollywood directors and actors used the dreadful emotions of community for their own welfare and divided the community in two large groups. This bill for nomination is also one such fascinating proclamation that is going to divide the community in two groups with one elite and close aide supporting the nomination process and the other on ground and working for rehabilitation supporting the electoral process.

                         For all practical purposes, the electoral process of democracy is always better than a nomination process as in former, the ultimate power is vested in the people by voting directly. The divided Kashmiri Pandits have always taken an Ostrich approach since migration and have ignored obvious matters and pretended they do not exist. The support to this bill is the same ‘Ostrich Policy’ as the bill, by promoting the nomination process, will foster the genuine representation and undermine the empowerment of community at large.

                         The community needs to understand the importance of electoral process and emphasise upon the election of the candidate rather than a mere nomination.  For a true empowerment of community, a more effective approach would involve reserving constituencies, if not many but few, where Kashmiri Pandits can actively engage in grassroots democracy, perform door-to-door campaigns, accomplish meaningful interactions, address their fears and instil a sense of community and belonging. This approach will strengthen their sense of belongingness to the homeland, will keep them electorally significant by being able to cast their votes and more importantly will be able to express themselves more freely as the elected candidate will have a wider acceptance within community. It is the right time to shun an ‘Ostrich Policy’ and get our heads out of the sand and work for the community and its future welfare rather than being selfish and work for individual existence only.  

 

Dr. Pawan Suri