Normalcy is returning in J&K...and many don't like it: LG Manoj Sinha

Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Manoj Sinha clarifies issues relating to electoral rolls in J&K, denies curbs on freedom and democracy, and says preparations are on to hold Assembly elections soon in J&K. Excerpts from an interview to Aditi Phadnis:

A lot has changed in Kashmir, but many feel a democracy deficit continues…

Everyone here has full freedom to participate in political activity – any political activist of any party. Panchayat elections have been held for all tiers.  And an unprecedentedly large number of people participated in the election. District budgets are made by elected representatives. They decide how to spend the money. There are about 20,000 works that fall under the domain of panchayat and district-level representatives. In my understanding, this is precisely what democracy is: that the role of elected representatives should increase manifold in decision-making.

Five Members of Parliament are representing J&K in Parliament. All told, there is just one issue: Assembly elections and when they will be held. The Home Minister spelt out in Parliament the steps for the Assembly elections: first, delimitation. That process is complete.

An indispensable part of elections is polling stations and electoral rolls. If electoral rolls have not been updated for four or five years, many voters stand to lose their right to exercise their franchise.

As the Election Commission of India (ECI) is tasked with the job of holding elections, it is in the process of updating electoral rolls. Once that is done, the dates for elections will be announced by the ECI at an appropriate time.

What can be more democratic than this?

There is a lot of anger about the inclusion of ‘outsiders’ in electoral rolls.  Political parties say this is an effort to change the demographic character of J&K. Many have warned against ‘official rigging’ like the 1987 election…

When elections to Parliament were held, Article 370 had not been abrogated. Now, I am saying this with full responsibility: even then, 32,000 ‘outsiders’ were registered to vote.

Today, I challenge you to check the electoral rolls. After all these years, there isn’t even an increase of 100 ‘outsider’ votes. It is not a good idea to do propaganda on the basis of assumptions. All this talk about change in demographic character – how can it be changed by ‘outsiders’ if the additional registered outsider votes have not increased beyond 100?

Democracy is incomplete without freedom of the press. There is a lock outside the Press Club. Many newspapers and digital portals have been forced to shut down. People can’t speak out, write, or publish without fear…

The press has full freedom. There is no curb on freedom of expression. But along with the fundamental right to freedom of expression, there are also some responsibilities. We welcome from the heart, the work of any journalist who criticises the government on the basis of facts. But if someone spreads hatred in society, if they attack the unity and sovereignty of the country, if they use their job as journalists to maintain connections with terrorist organisations and assist in growing the ecosystem of terrorism, then investigative agencies will certainly do their work.

But every journalist has a dharma: to reach out to all manner of people, to listen to them and to report what they’re saying.

Yes, it is a journalist’s dharma and he/she should do it as well. But if you’re in constant touch with such elements and you are using your work in an exercise to identify targets, then you’re not journalists.

A journalist’s job is to write. It is not to fix targets. No action has been taken against anyone on the basis of their work as journalists or in pursuance of legitimate expression of opinion.

Other categories of people in Kashmir don’t feel safe either. Attacks on Kashmiri Pandits are going up, and although the number is low, they are being advised to leave the Valley. Surely everyone has the right to physical safety…

I want to request them: they are Kashmiris. The current attacks are a conspiracy of those elements who don’t like the fact that 11.6 million tourists have come to Kashmir, there is a wave of infrastructural development and new projects are being set up both by the government and the private sector. To derail all this, soft targets are being identified and attacked.

The administration is determined to ensure the safety of everyone. But you will appreciate that providing security to every single person is not possible in any corner of the world. We have been successful in breaking the back of terrorism.

Between January and August this year, 136 terrorists have been killed. The country has never seen this statistic. We are attacking the entire ecosystem. There was a time when schools and colleges would remain shut, shops would not open, children couldn’t study – because of fear. We have ended all that. There is no stone-pelting, schools and colleges are open, people are going about their business. And many don’t like this. And there is no need to fall into their trap.