These days, the NC frequently makes statements in which they are heard claiming outright that they alone are capable of managing the administration in particular and governance in general. The truth is that the party and its leaders didn’t act where they didn’t see their interests. They are projecting themselves in a way that makes it appear as if they know and comprehend the issues better than everyone else. They haven’t done anything noteworthy while in power, which is why they lack a scorecard to present to the public—it is empty And in case they have done anything, anywhere, then that reeked of corruption and nepotism.
If—as per the NC—the LG-led administration is resulting in the worst form of governance, then, the party, especially its senior leaders must accept that during their time, things were no better either. If the voice of a common man is today reaching those holding high chairs, during the NC rule, it was muffled and the commoners were left with nowhere to go. They gave the lollipop of Autonomy to the people of J&K for decades and held the chair of power, but after August 2019, they were literally left with nothing to offer to people.
Keeping the party’s tall claims of “knowing the pain of people of J&K” aside, it has not even bothered to come up with a roadmap of getting back the special status of J&K while their promises of Autonomy—on which they were making fools out of the people—have been long trashed. The reality is that the NC leaders are power hungry, their actions are driven by the lust of the chair, and by raising the issues which the people are facing—with which they do not have any concern—they are trying to make space for themselves.
It is the NC that has harmed the people the most; it is accountable for sparking militancy by using election rigging in 1987; it supported nepotism; it encouraged back-door appointments; and it handed government employment to those who showed up with party credentials. It’s also true that government lands were handed to NC loyalists on a lease for next to nothing. Despite the lengthy list, indeed, the party does not care about the people of J&K. It can’t be the solution to people’s woes.
