-k8t--621x414@LiveMint_1597115121564.jpg "Manoj Sinha, lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir. (Photo: Ramesh Pathania/Mint)")
Opinion | Mission Kashmir will be Manoj Sinha’s biggest test
4 min read . Updated: 11 Aug 2020, 08:40 AM ISTThe UT is facing an economic crisis due to the long curfew and the impact of the coronavirus
Manoj Sinha has taken the oath of office and secrecy as the lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir. His appointment is seen as a sequel to all the surprise decisions of the NDA government. Has Prime Minister Narendra Modi taken a huge risk by delegating this responsibility to Sinha? There is another question on whether he will be able to fulfil this super-challenging responsibility.
There is an old saying that the future can be deciphered by looking into the past. Sinha is known as a man who knows how to ‘survive’ in politics. In 1980, he contested and lost the Banaras Hindu University Students’ Union election. Tried again for the next two years and he achieved this goal in 1982. Similarly, though he lost a few Lok Sabha elections, he is also a three-time MP. PM Modi made him minister of state for railways in 2014 and later also handed over independent charge of the ministry of communications. He did whatever he could in both departments. Modi was happy with his hard work, honesty and dedication.
However, he lost the Lok Sabha election in 2019. It is said that after delimitation, Ghazipur parliamentary constituency was not safe for him in terms of social equations. The high command offered him another seat, but he wanted to fight from there. And, he lost the election.
For the past few months, there were whispers in the power corridors of Delhi that Sinha would be ‘adjusted’. And what an ‘adjustment’ it is: on Thursday, what he got was much larger than all those expectations. Various situations may have pushed him back into the background, but as usual, this time also he made a comeback. How effective is this return going to be this time?
Relate this with the unexpected departure of G.C. Murmu, the outgoing lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir. He did an excellent job on the law and order front in the Valley, but his mannerism did not match well with the established bureaucrats there. This is the reason he had to return to Delhi within 10 months. He will now take up his new responsibility as the Comptroller and Auditor General. In a way, it can also be called a promotion, but everyone knows what distinguishes the Raj Bhavan of Srinagar and any other government house in Delhi.
It can also be said that Murmu was a bureaucrat, he had to finish the tasks he was given. Now, there is a need for political and social initiatives, which only a resolved politician can fulfil.
The situation in Kashmir is complex. Many people, including former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, are still under house arrest, or behind bars. Another former chief minister, Omar Abdullah, has announced that he will not contest the assembly elections till the old form of the state is returned. Till now, the two families have dominated politics in Kashmir.
The Centre believes that the time of Abdullah and the Mufti dynasty is over, that Jammu and Kashmir needs new politics and politicians. Now, Sinha has to do the job of giving an opportunity to the new set of politicians, who can connect with the elders and bring all sections of the society together. He is a veteran politician and has stayed away from controversies until now. It will be interesting to see how effective his political style will be in the Valley.
It can never be forgotten that Kashmir has been a victim of terror for long. On the day when Sinha’s supporters were celebrating his appointment, a BJP sarpanch was shot by terrorists. In the past, there have been frequent killings of pro-BJP leaders. Our security forces have been caught in a bloody war with terrorists. So far this year, 206 people have been killed in Kashmir, including 34 security men.
Besides, the long curfew and the shattering impact of the coronavirus outbreak have also devastated the Union territory, and it is already facing an economic crisis. According to Sheikh Ashik Ahmad, president of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, local businessmen have suffered a loss of ₹40,000 crore and more than 500,000 youth have become unemployed. Recently, J&K businessmen met the home minister and the finance minister with their demands. In such a situation, Sinha has to fight on many fronts simultaneously.
The new responsibility has placed a crown of thorns on Sinha’s head. The eyes of the whole world are on him. Can he turn it into a feather on his cap?
Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. His Twitter handle is @shekarkahin
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