The States
The Winds of Change
The people of J&K can look forward due to the internal progress that they have made this year
Arun Joshi

There is a light at the end of the tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir. That the state has come out of the shadows of gun and dark days of the past 22 years, is an old story. The stars of this highly sensitive state may not be as bright as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would like the 12 million people, scattered all across this hyper sensitive state, to believe. At the same time, the elements are not as dark as his opponents tell the masses.

The year 2012 has given a spring board to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to look forward by the internal progress that they have made. It is a two-way ticket now. They have opened their doors to tourists and shut the door to the forces of darkness. They have instinctively stepped outside of the Valley, to the outer world.

In this state, there always is a cynicism about the future. This time is no exception. But the colour of the canvas in 2012 stands out in stark contrast to the previous years. The fear of troubles was washed away by the rush of tourists and their faith in the Kashmiri hospitality.

As the year progressed from winter to spring, the cry for the empowerment of the 4130 panchayats and the panchs and sarpanchs grew louder. More than anyone else, it were the Congress leaders raising this issue and they wanted 73rd Amendment of the Indian Constitution to be extended to Jammu and Kashmir in its totality.

There was a stiff resistance from its ally National Conference. The Chief Minister was the chief spokesman of those opposing the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution. This man, who had said that state's accession to India was in unique circumstances and required a unique solution, involving Pakistan in the whole process, did not want any dilution in the state's constitution. "We have our own Constitution and our own Panchayati Raj Act; we will incorporate some of the provisions of the amendment. Beyond that nothing else."

It is here where the die-hard Kashmir-centric party, Peoples Democratic Party, took the charge in 2012. The main opposition party of the state, worked hard in the plains of Jammu as also in other parts of the state. It was dependent upon the Kashmir leadership, particularly Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Mehbooba Mufti, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh and Tariq Hamid Qarra to expand its base in the state. Despite its strenuous efforts, it could not create a leadership in Jammu, though it was able to create cadres, which it thinks is a positive outcome for the party that was born only 13 years ago.

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