To Vote or Not to Vote That’s a Big Dilemma! SPOTLIGHT PROF. MUHAMMAD ASLAM I’ve not voted in elections. I’d like to make a choice once. My biggest dilemma is who to vote for and why? Two opposing camps—mainstream and separatist—are pulling me towards their respective positions. The former asking for a boycott because of political reasons—elections can’t be an alternative to the plebiscite that India promised us long time back. Unfortunately, here, too, I’m facing a dilemma for there are the so-called moderates who are incomprehensible. They neither ask for boycott nor for participating. Since they aren’t giving me a choice, it’s better to ignore them. On the other hand, there are the so-called hardliners. They ask for complete boycott which has been religiously followed by many, though it continues to bother me what will happen if we don’t vote. Governments have been formed in spite of boycott. After six years, I find myself back at the same point: to vote or not to vote! Looking at the separatist camp, I find myself like Beckett’s Vladimir and Estragon waiting for Godot. My forefathers did wait for long and died dutifully waiting for Godot. I, too, am leaving a ‘rich’ legacy behind—wait for Godot, even if all of you die and, then, New Delhi will never face any resistance in acquiring land for their shrines, abrogating Article 370 and doing away with the State Subject laws. Well, I’m ready to wait and see, but how long? Boycotts I do; hartals I religiously observe, but what then? Same six years waiting and looking for some new faces to appear who would talk about me. Where to find them, that’s a big dilemma! Let me defy separatists and make a choice from the mainstream camp. Who to vote for and why? I can choose from NC, Congress, PDP, BJP, not to mention one-man parties which survive on the ‘leftover’ from major parties. Choosing among them is really to decide between the devil and the deep blue sea. Especially, the NC and Congress that parted ways in this election are now washing their dirty linen in public. Theirs is a case of THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK. Earlier, Sonia had no problem with the NC because she, too, was ‘reaping the harvest’. Now she accuses the latter of not doing what it was supposed to do. Rest assured, today , they are fighting with each other; tomorrow they will come together, for their lust for power is insatiable. The Congress is claiming that no Government can be formed with them. If we agree, they may have to form the Government with the BJP. Will they be ready? The PDP seeks my vote and projects itself as an alternative to one family rule, forgetting that it also belongs to one family. I’d like to vote for them, but, then, I remember how in their last rule they threw the entire valley into fire, and for what? Power! They’re ready to forget ethics. To them a killer cop is ‘not guilty’ and a swindler is innocent. What an ideology! No, this can’t be my choice! BJP in its new avatar can go to any extent in destroying the unique character of Kashmir. It’s now a force to reckon with. Trying to achieve 44+ target, it can make any compromises and any promises. They took a U-turn on 370 only to reformulate it in a different way—renaming J&K as Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, and getting some politicians fall in line with them. Kashmir to them is like a spectre that doesn’t give them a good sleep. Their Modi-fied politics has emboldened them and they are cashing on the incompetence of the local parties. They are fighting elections only to show off their strength. It’s very likely that they will achieve their mission. This may happen not because people love this party but because they hate the ones that have been ruling so far. They can’t be a choice either. Making a choice in Kashmir is not an easy thing. It’s better not to make a choice at all. If my ancestors could wait for Godot, I could do the same!
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 05:35:08 +0000
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