DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ELECTIONS : STEP TOWORDS GRASS ROOT DEMOCRACY FOR DEVELOPMENT AND GOVERNANCE IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR.
Dar Javed
darjaveed305@gmail.com
A thriving and vibrant electoral democracy has been India’s distinct and durable identity. In the UT of Jammu kashmir where elections for DDC councils are underway and where enthusiastic voters are blighting up cold chilly mornings only to assert their voice and choose the person who BELIEVES in DEVELOPMENT and strengths democracy at grass root, thereby giving a message that elections in J&K can lead to participatory politics and meaningful dialog.
DISRICT DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL POLLS (DDC POLLS ) :
The district development council elections are being held in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time after the Central government amended the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Raj Act, 1989, after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A . Till date 5th phase of elections concluded successfully. This election is first of it’s kind where many young youth are participating in electoral process . People of Jammu and kashmir are going to elect Urban local bodies , District development councillors, Sarpanches and Panches . 280 DDCs have been delimited , the election will be a Eight (08) phase by - election to elect 12753 Sarpanches and panches.
TURN OVER : For first phase elections voting began at 07:00 Am on 28 Nov 2020 . Despite cold weather people from all walks of life came out and the cold weather had a marked effect on voter enthusiasm. A turn out of 51.76% was recorded in the first phase on 28 November ,64.02% in jammu division and 40.65% in kashmir division. In the second phase of DDC elections 48.02 % was recorded in union Territory. Bandipora district recorded the highest in kashmir valley with 69.66 % voter turnout . the voting for second phase passed off peacefully with no incident from territory. Till completion of second phase a total of 1.45 lakh people including 62,117 women turned up to cast their votes in valley (Kashmir hence exercised their franchise . In third phase of DDC elections , over 50 percent turn out was recorded , the highest turnout of 75 percent was recorded in Reasi area of jammu .
Early morning people gathering to vote : Kupwara )
AMMENDMENT OF PANCHAYAT RAJ ACT 1989 : TO ENABLE ESTABLISHMENT OF THREE-TIERS OF GRASS ROOT LEVEL DEMOCRACY IN J&K.
The centre amended the jammu and Kashmir panchayat Raj act 1989 on October 17 . The amendment paves way for creation of District Development Councils (DDCs) in the UT of jammu and kashmir . The DDCs will have jurisdiction over the entire district excluding those areas designated as municipality or municipal corporation . This step broke that old myth of Kashmiri people not joining political process . Now people mostly youth are taking lead and joining electoral fray . This amendment by Ministry of Home affairs reads out that every district will be divided into 14 territorial constituencies to elect members for the body. The DDC shall consist of the directly elected members from territorial constituencies in the district, members of the Legislative Assembly representing a part or whole of the district whose constituencies lie within the district and the Chairperson of all Block Development Councils of the district.
HOW DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (DDC) ELECTIONS WILL HELP IN STRENGTHRNING KASHMIR'S GRASS ROOT DEMOCRACY :
DDC elections in kashmir provide a way to people of UT to assert their voice , opinion and choose the person whose priorities and ideas match them most . This time people are participating wholeheartedly and are not coming under any pressure . In jammu kashmir the elections are not new they are quite old , but yes ,before 2019 the franchise was quite limited reason being many. This time people mostly youth and women are contesting and hence breaking the old traditional parties dominance. In Kashmir we have seen only NATIONAL CONFERENE AND PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY contesting elections ,but in these elections an AAM AADMI who believes in the idea of democracy is getting a chance to contest and serve people . this election is most important for jammu kashmir as peoples opinion is that this election is being held in a fair and democratic way and there has been no incidents of violence till date.
The importance of DDC election in jammu kashmir ,for that matter in a democratic way will make UT special in :
POLITICAL PARTICIPATION : In kashmir valley , Post 370 abrogation , DDC elections are opening doors for new issues to be raised - Mostly developmental . The most important thing that is happening is that people in large numbers are participating, and VIKAAS is the only mantra that is reviving around ,because people believe that from last 70 yrs there have been only one SLOGEN that killed kashmiris and now they want development , and peace .
NEW POLITICAL FORMATION : New political parties are joining the election fray and are contesting and huge number of independent candidates mostly educated youth are also contesting hence this is paving way for political empowerment ,and helping to reach democracy at grass root .
PROMOTING PARTICIPATIVE AND INCLUSIVE ELECTIONS: The election commission of India’s experience in conducting largest and fair elections is unparalleled in world . It has been conducting elections in jammu Kashmir as well . The campaigning and checking of election process has been remarkable , they have successfully carried out this process in kashmir despite terrorist threats . This time also they made sure people participate in large numbers and hence making democracy strong . The inclusion and participation of jammu kashmir people mostly Kashmiri youth, women , pak refugees into election process is taking democracy to grass root level and strengthens democratic institutions.
PAVING WAY FOR WEST PAKISTAN REFUGEEES (WPR) TO PARTICIPATE IN ELECTORAL PROCESS : First time that elections are open for west pakistan refugees after abrogation of 370. An NDTV REPORT titled “ LAST WISH FULFILLED,PAKISTANI REFUGEES ON VOTING FOR FIRST TIME” made every body cry, here I’m quoting exact lines by NDTV report : Tears well up in the eyes of 87-year-old Lal Chand and his 82-year-old wife Trivita as they hold up their inked fingers after casting their votes in the third phase of District Development Council (DDC) elections at a polling station in Jammu on Friday. “Today, our wish to vote once in our lifetime was fulfilled," said the couple in unison. Mr Chand and his wife are West Pakistan refugees who fled to India during the Partition in 1947. They, along with nearly 1.50 lakh others became eligible to vote in Jammu and Kashmir's local elections after the Centre abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5 last year, paving the way for granting them domicile status . (NDTV , Dec 05 2020 ) .
People in large numbers at south kashmir's Anantnag
DDC ELECTIONS : A STEP TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT IN JAMMU KASHMIR .
Set to become a new layer of governance at grass root level in union Territory of jammu and Kashmir, The District development councils (DDC) will oversee the functioning of Halqa panchayats and Block development councils (BDCs ) .
WHAT ARE DDCs –THE COMPOSITION : For the first time , Jammu kashmir as union Territory will be having DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS , DDCs will act as a new unit of governance in jammu kashmir , hence making democracy strong at grass root . The system shall replace the old structure of district planning and development boards hence giving more powers to village panches , sarpanches and block development councils to take governance at doors . it will prepare and approve district planes and capital expenditure. Earlier the board used to work under MLA , MP and headed by cabinet Minister .
WHY NOISE FROM KASHMIR OLD MAIN STREAM POLITICAL PARTIES , IS THAT REASONABLE ? DOES THAT SOUND GOOD ?
Since this step is to create a third tier of governance system in jammu and Kashmir in the form of DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT COUNCILS (DDCs) , and this exactly means that planning, finance and approval of the same will be a multi layer -Shareholder work , where not only MLAs , MPs and ministers but DDCs will have their inputs regarding finance , expenditure etc. Third tier governance model will end the old culture of governance and will pave a way for Panches, sarpanches , Block development councils and district development councils to have their say and inputs. Thus this will end Corruption and nepotism. This will help in strengthening democracy at grass root level because panches and Sarpanches along with block development councils know their respective villages, blocks better and will help governance reaching people directly. And this will lead equal sharing of developmental works hence will bar any injustice in the name of development .These administrative changes by the Govt irked the valley based mainstream politicians because it will end favouritism and will pave way for VIKAAS (Development ).
Dar javed is Junior Research Fellow at Design innovation centre CUK and hails from picturesque LOLAB , reach out at darjaveed305@gmail.com
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