By KO Political Desk
An election manifesto of a political party is not just its blueprint for governance should it be elected to power but also its ideological outlook echoing the prevailing public sentiment and aspirations. By that yardstick, the National Confderence’s manifesto ticks all the right boxes. It runs the gamut of ideological, political and governance expectations.
The party has made restoration of Article 370 and statehood as its primary political agenda. It couldn’t have done without that. Harking back to special status that the erstwhile state once had is certain to drive politics of the union territory for a long time to come. Pressing this demand has now become a condition for political survival. Any party that appears soft on the demand will find it harder to convince people about its bonafides. This was clear in the recent parliamentary polls: the parties that were seen ambivalent on the demand bit the dust, one of them even in its stronghold in north Kashmir.
That said, demand for special status for J&K even when it is forcefully pressed by any party in J&K is largely rhetorical in nature. It succeeds the earlier demands for autonomy and self rule, which principally again were slogans to mobilize the public support: in a sense, quixotic goals pursued more for their popular appeal than with any hope of realizing them in the foreseeable future.
The NC Vice President Omar Abdullah at his press conference on Monday likened the demand for the reinstatement of Article 370 to the BJP’s longstanding pursuit of its abrogation, which the latter finally fulfilled on August 5, 2019.
“We will continue to fight politically for Article 370. The manifesto is an assurance that we will not stay silent on these issues,” Omar said. “The Supreme Court has in the past upheld Article 370 three times. Can’t we expect a situation where the SC will change its recent decision. The BJP did not accept defeat despite three orders by the SC in favour of Article 370. Why should we?”
The argument apparently makes a good political point but on closer examination actually underlines the futility of this struggle: it draws parallel between the promises of the NC, now largely a regional party, and the BJP, an entrenched, pan-India political entity that has the capacity to execute its agenda.
Aside from its political stance, the NC has drawn up an elaborate governance agenda that has almost everything for everyone, in some parts even echoing the welfare agenda of the Congress Nyay Patra and that of Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP. The party plans to give 12 free gas cylinders, 200 units of free electricity, free education up to university, one lakh jobs, and monthly Rs 5000 to women.
In the coming days, other regional parties will come up with their own manifestos and they are likely to be a mirror image of the NC manifesto. Already, the People’s Conference led by Sajad Lone has accused the NC of copypasting its manifesto. But none of the parties can afford to be silent on Article 370 and statehood and a well-rounded welfare agenda, so they have to include all. What, however, would get them votes is not a piece of paper but how credibly they build a forceful narrative around it.
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