Jammu, Oct 16: Time flies over us but leaves its shadow behind, wrote Nathaniel Hawthorne, well-known American novelist and short-story writer, perceived to be one of the best fiction writers of his time.
Talking in terms of time and space, this is an opportune moment for J&K to scroll the last 365 days and the shadows they have left behind – to gloat or to have a sense of remorse; to imbue optimism or feel disappointed.
On October 16, 2024, J&K witnessed yet another red-letter day, scripting a new and vibrant chapter in its chequered history.
Almost five years after it was truncated into a Union Territory, it got its maiden elected government (in the UT set-up). The face of the helmsman was not new, but the setup, in which he took over numerically for the second time, was novel.
How the government functions was the predicament.
Since then, an analogous countdown has begun for another five years.
So precisely, tomorrow, October 16, 2025, is not just another day as it is when the incumbent elected government, led by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, completes one year in office.
Quandary, however, related to the functioning of this government persists. Rather, it has been a baffling experience so far.
One year has lapsed, and we are gauging its spectre on J&K and its citizens.
During the past year, going by the ‘wordy duels’ between the government and the opposition and even the oft-repeated statements of the Chief Minister, his ministers, National Conference (NC) leaders, and even those of its alliance partner Congress, one leads to confounding propositions.
The conundrum remains – has J&K been static (recall Physics’ terminology of forces involved balancing one another) or in motion vis-à-vis crucial indices of government functioning, development etcetera during the past one year?
Is the J&K government not being allowed to function, or is it functioning?
On the anticipated lines, the strident opposition’s judgment (about one-year performance of government) is out as its placard boldly reads: FAIL!
They hold their argument on the basis of “unkept manifesto promises to the people of J&K.”
The government robustly defends its performance, asserting despite practical difficulties of the dual power centre system, where it is not being allowed to function effectively, it is functioning, performing, and delivering.
The political elements of the government set up also direct the one (posing questions) to the same “list of manifesto promises” with the assertion – Mark the ticks what we have accomplished.
Hence, in this perplexing to-and-fro movement, what could be the rational and unbiased way out to have an appraisal?
Probably – just to believe the protagonist (read the Chief Minister) with an unflinching faith!
For this proposition, one just needs to take into account his (CM’s) own statements on record.
Besides, a cursory glance upon a few issues that dominated the discourse throughout the year, reflecting upon the performance of the government, would be enough.
Moving beyond Article 370, 35-A discussions – three major issues like delayed statehood; outcome of cabinet sub-committee report on reservation and business rules pending approval of the Lieutenant Governor have hogged the limelight since the new government has come into office.
Off and on, the Omar government has used them as an effective pretext to evade any query that puts its performance to scrutiny.
Out of the three, delayed statehood has been the central theme – the major irritant for the one-year-old government – putting a spoke in its functioning-wheel.
So here comes the protagonist’s own quote.
In December 2024, in one of his first interviews with the senior editors of a national news agency, PTI, after taking over the reins of the J&K UT in October 2024, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had “acknowledged that he had a backup plan in case J&K continued to remain a hybrid state.”
He was responding to queries about the delay in the restoration of statehood and its consequences for his government.
Quoting verbatim from that agency’s own report, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told its (PTI’s) senior editors at its headquarters, “Let me just say this, having two power centres anywhere is a recipe for disaster. No organisation works well if there are multiple power centres…”
“A dual power centre system is never going to work,” he had said, citing the example of Delhi, where the government (that time – December 2024) “shared power with the Lieutenant Governor in what had been a bitter and fractious experience.”
Asserting that the elections in J&K could only be held because of the intervention of the Supreme Court, he had said, “But unfortunately, and this is a matter of great regret for us, on the statehood question, the Supreme Court was more vague than I would have liked them to be.”
Acknowledging that he had a backup plan (to deal with a hybrid state situation), he (CM Omar) was quoted, in the same report, saying, “I’d be foolish not to have a backup in mind in case it doesn’t happen.”
The reference was to the restoration of statehood.
“There’s a time frame in mind as well. But you will allow me to keep that to myself for the moment, simply because I’d like to believe that the promises made to the people of J&K will be kept,” CM Omar had said.
Now, almost one year after his statement, the situation has not changed, and the statehood has not been restored to J&K.
So, what will be the obvious questions after one year?
What is that backup plan?
Has that back-up plan been made operational to enable the government to perform and remove the spokes (put by the dual control system) in its ‘functioning’-wheel?
Has it proved ineffective?
Or is it yet to be revealed in the second year?
More importantly, with a backup plan in hand, why have all major works been stuck up in the “dual control system row”?
If one of the quotes of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah forms the basis of his government’s performance appraisal, it will be fair enough to bring yet another quote on record to imbue optimism.
“People’s mandate … is for five years and not for six months or one year…”
Interestingly, this quote throughout the year acted as a shield for him and all others in the government against all prickly queries about the fulfillment of electoral promises, specifically made in the National Conference manifesto.
(One may take it as a kind of a disclaimer to the appraisal as well, if one wishes so).
It has been repeated umpteen times on several occasions by the CM and all NC leaders.
The argument is genuine and is well taken. But one cannot forget the harsh realities that in the political-scape, anywhere and everywhere, every year is counted for appraisal.
It is just that the final result is declared by ‘the ruled’ after five years, on the basis of those appraisal reports clubbed together.
The factor that 2025 has been a year of tribulations for J&K, in the backdrop of the Pahalgam attack leading to Operation Sindoor, Indo-Pak conflict, and finally a long spell of natural calamities, too, cannot be overlooked.
So, have faith in the words of the protagonist (CM Omar) yet again!
Since the autumn session of the J&K Legislature is just around the corner, it will be proper to quote his (CM Omar’s) statements made on the floor of the House.
It may offer the desired comfort to ‘the ruled’ and exude optimism.
On March 6, 2025, the Chief Minister, while replying to the Debate on Motion of Thanks on the Lieutenant Governor’s Address in the J&K Legislative Assembly, had reaffirmed that his government would fulfill each and every promise made in the National Conference (NC) manifesto, in the five years.
Describing his party’s manifesto as “a solemn pledge made to the people of J&K”, he had stated that there was no deviation from its agenda.
“Our manifesto has been extensively discussed, and many issues were raised. It is a well-thought-out document, we have prepared after extensive deliberations. That is our solemn pledge with the people of J&K. While presenting this manifesto before the people, we sought an opportunity for five years. ‘We will accomplish all these tasks and will return to you after five years with our report card,’ – we told the people. Today, from the floor of this august House, I reassure the people of Jammu and Kashmir – we will stick to each and every promise made in it and fulfill them,” CM Omar had taken a vow.
