Mir Ehsan/Basharat Masood
SRINAGAR, May 18: Last spring, lakhs of people in rural Jammu and Kashmir had turned out to elect 39,000 panches and sarpanches. It was the state’s first panchayat election in three decades, which had been made possible because militants had chosen not to interfere in a process meant to help resolve day-to-day problems like bijli, sadak and paani.
Today, those meant to resolve such problems are as disillusioned as those facing these problems. For one thing, the elected panchayat members allege, they have not been given the powers they had been promised in 14 departments, where they were meant to handle the funds for various projects. And militants too have turned against them, killing some elected members and issuing threats, leading to a number of panches and sarpanches having resigned so far.
The state’s last panchayat polls had been held in 1978, with an attempt in 2003 failing because of threats from militant groups. In 2011, militant groups said they wouldn’t oppose the polls. Hoping to develop villages ignored by the government for decades, many engineers, businessmen and scholars took the plunge. The polls were not contested on party symbols, though some of the winners do have political affiliations.
‘Leaders’
Among the candidates was Shafiq Mir, who used to freelance for local newspapers before deciding to try and solve the problems he was highlighting. Elected sarpanch of Poshna village in Rajouri, he is today the convener of the J&K Panchayat Conference of organisations that represent the state’s 35,000 panches and 4,200 sarpanches. “I regret having taken part in these elections.,” he says. “The government is yet to empower the panchayats. MLAs are not willing to decentralise powers.”
Aasha Ji, 52, is a Kashmiri Pandit who had stayed in Wusan when the rest of her community migrated. Her victory had been hailed as a symbol of democracy, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah calling it hope for the Valley. “I don’t feel that as a panch I have been able to deliver,” she says today. “Work supposed to be done through panchayats is being executed by the government’s village level workers.”
Ghulam Mohammad Bedar, sarpanch of Hygam, is a fruit grower in Sopore who felt he took a risk when he contested. “Just after my election, some miscreants chopped trees in my orchard. That did not discourage me, but today I am not happy.” He had submitted a project proposal each to the wildlife, roads & buildings, and health departments. “The projects involved setting up a road network, fencing wetlands and upgrading health facilities. None got accepted on the ground of funds shortage. We are allowed a say only in NREGA work.”
Raja Parviz Ahmad, 28, left a modelling career in Mumbai and went on to become sarpanch of Lachipora. “Now, my parents sometimes ask me to go back to modelling,” says Raja, who wanted to develop a ski resort on the slopes overlooking the village, on the foothills on the Line of Control in Uri Sector. “Now I can’t even get small works done.”
The panchayat house there did not have furniture till Raja bought it himself. Mir says 70 per cent of the panchayats have either a dilapidated house or none. At Mirhema, the dimly lit panchayat house is without a ceiling, a toilet or furniture. The sarpanch says he raised the problem with the government but “they didn’t take us seriously”. The sarpanch of Motergam, who too works under a cracked ceiling,says he organised protests but “no one listens to us”.
‘Threats’
Before the polls, the chairman of the umbrella group United Jihad Council and the Hizbul Mujahideen chief had announced they wouldn’t oppose the process. Now, posters claiming to be from the Lashkar-e-Toiba have come up, asking panches and sarpanches to resign, “otherwise the jihadi leadership would act against you”.
On February 9, militants shot dead sarpanch Ghulam Mohammad Dar, a National Conference worker, in Damhal Hanjipora. This was followed by an attack on panch Nazir Ahmad Lone in Tral.
The posters read, “Lashkar-e-Toiba urges panches and sarpanches to resign through (newspaper) advertisements.”
Muzaffar Ahmad Bhat, panch of Zainpor Shopian, has announced his resignation in a newspaper, citing personal reasons. Ghulam Hassan Sheikh has resigned as panch of Qazba-Yar, apparently because of the attacks on the others. Many similar announcements have been appearing in the newspapers.
‘Limitations’
Panchayat conference convener Shafiq says panches and sarpanches want Jammu and Kashmir under the 73rd Amendment, which will give them regulatory powers on matters involving buildings, shops, slaughterhouses and sale of perishable foods, besides allowing them to plan and implement special programmes on poverty alleviation, employment and housing.
“We have been given powers only to monitor NREGA,” he says. “There too our powers are limited. We don’t have any financial powers”.
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar says the 73rd Amendment is not applicable because of Article 370 in the state. “But certain provisions of the amendment are already under execution and have been incorporated in the Panchayati Raj Act,” he says.
He said a report prepared on the 73rd Amendment by a cabinet panel, and other suggestions to empower democratic institutions, are under consideration. “By electing panchyat members, we involved the rural masses directly to sort out their problems in road connectivity, water supply connection, electricity, social welfare, NREGA and midday meal,” he says.
Directions have already been issued for devolution of powers, he says. Last year, the government ordered supervisory powers to the panchayats in 14 departments but, Shafiq says, “the orders have been conferred through a cabinet order that can be revoked anytime”.
On August 16, 2011, the rural development department issued a circular asking government officials to “ensure smooth exercise of the existing powers and functions by the sarpanches and panches of various Halqa panchayats”. Two days later, the circular was withdrawn.
‘The Politics’
2011
May 23: Sonia Gandhi says “overwhelming” participation by voters is a fitting reply to militants.
December 25: PCC president Saifuddin Soz says the government is according top priority to empowerment
of the Panchayati Raj system on the pattern of the 73rd Amendment.
June 21: Panchayat Raj Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar describes elections as a watershed in the development of the state.
November 12: Sagar says much headway has been made in ensuring panches and sarpanches are empowered to monitor functioning of 14 departments.
2012
April 21: PCC president says says National Conference is a hurdle in empowerment of panchayats, demands that party do it.
April 24: Former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayed accuses Centre and state of paying lip-service to the cause of empowerment of panchayats.
‘Attacks’
2011
April 15: Militants gun down a candidate for the post of panch, Hasina Begum, at Kakapora Budgam.
August 8: Gunmen barge into house of a panch,Ghulam Mohammad Wagay, at Rajpora in Pulwama, abduct him, release him two days later.
2012
February 9: Militants shoot dead sarpanch Ghulam Mohammad Dar at Damhal Hanjipora in Kulgam.
February 20: Militants shoot at panch Nazir Ahmad Lone in Tral, Pulwama.
(Indian Express)
