Ever since BJP unexpectedly & untimely divorced its former ally PDP, a lot of unease, discomfort, displeasure, anxiety & impatience can well be seen on the faces of the politicians here. Two unsuccessful attempts of forming government yet again by the trio big wig parties here, or call it a checkmate to thwart the aspirations of the ideologically transformed people, Kashmir politics has been fluctuating. Lawmakers can be seen on the tenterhooks and at times absolutely silent. Switching over to other parties is not a novel thing for politicians. This has been happening in the past and will continue to happen in the future as well because after all one of the mottos of being in politics is obviously to serve one’s own purposes.
We must remember how the political workers, pawns and henchmen of the politicians would fight with each other, abuse each other and take the same fights even to the religious places because what they said and fought over was fed to them in great quantity. Their words never were their own. It looked like a grand number of guests dancing around a groom who belonged to none and took his bride away and didn’t even bother to look back at those who sweated themselves day in and day out to make the groom’s journey to bride’s place hassle free. What they got in return is the disappointment and disdain as their leaders joined the parties against whom they fought the previous elections. The condition of these workers is of the same similitude as explained by Allama Iqbal;
“FIKR REHTI HAI MUJHE JISKI WO MEHFIL HAI YEHI
SABAR WE ISTAKLAL KI KHETI KA HAASIL HAI YEHI”
“This is the congregation which I was concerned about
This is the reward of my patience and perservance”
Yet the switching over of the politicians here from the past few months has bewildered, shocked and amazed many and as far as the number of the politicians who switched over is concerned, it would be apt to call it a “switching over fiesta”. Now in the first place, one must understand as to why the switching over has taken place and more importantly why only after the toppling of the government. If the politicians had some concerns with their parties, they could have parted ways even when the government was in place but no such thing took place because no politician can afford to leave the cozy chair. All seemed to be well till the government was in place. This reminds me of my childhood cricket team – when we would win, nobody bothered about who performed how? And when we would lose, rebellion would start and the slogans of “change the captain, minus him, add that” would well echo and reverberate. The reason of switchover is not a shrouded mystery and is often the lust for power and resorting to the opportunism and chance making. They know well where they can find their feet and for how long. It won’t be any wonder if we find them switching over again after six years or so as it is a part of their profession otherwise a true leader doesn’t need to switch over, if serving people is his top priority.
There is a famous proverb in Kashmiri “HENZO TRAAYE ZAAL, TE GAADO HETCHE WOTE” (When the fishermen equipped themselves with the nets, the fish too learnt to dive deep and swing). But the docile workers of these politicians seem to have learnt nothing. The workers need to understand that fighting with each other just because their political heroes are different serves none of their purposes and this shameful thing must be put to an end.
(The author is a former teacher and presently works as a banking associate in J&K Bank Ltd. & can be mailed at javidrather006@gmail.com)
