Ignoring 'non-participation' of pol parties in JK local polls bad for state's democracy: Tarigami

Senior CPI(M) leader and Kulgam MLA M Y Tarigami Friday warned that "ignoring" the non-participation of major political parties in the upcoming local body polls in Jammu and Kashmir would have "serious implications" for the future of the state's democratic process.

"The ongoing electoral process in the state, particularly in the Valley, can be an eye-opener. There can be no two opinions regarding devolution of powers to the grass-root level and building of institutions for better governance, but participation of people is the pre-requisite for this process to be meaningful, which is not being witnessed as of now," he told reporters here.

"Ignoring non-participation of people and political parties in this process will have serious implications for the future of democratic process in the state," the Left leader said.

The legislator from south Kashmir's Kulgam said the government "imposed" the local body elections on the people of Jammu and Kashmir at a time "when the situation was not conducive" for the polls and despite opposition from major political parties like National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M).

"Despite opposition from major political parties, the government imposed urban local bodies (ULB) and panchayat polls at a time when the situation was not conducive. The political parties of the state had raised some concerns, including linking it (the polls) to the plea in Supreme Court on Article 35A by both the central and state governments," Tarigami said.

Meanwhile, he welcomed Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik's reported statement, to a New Delhi-based daily, that "India has made mistakes, and its mistakes have, in the process, alienated itself from the people of the Valley".

The senior CPI(M) leader said while what the Governor saidwas appreciable, the present dispensation in New Delhi led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) "refused" to draw lessons from the previous mistakes.