Jagmohan proves his critics wrong, brings in positive change in J&K as governor

When he took over the reins of administration of Jammu and Kashmir last March, it was widely predicted that the volatile border state would turn out to be his Waterloo. But Governor Jagmohan has proved the Cassandras wrong. During his brief period in office, he has managed to remove over 100 corrupt and inefficient officials, streamlined the recruitment system, amended various laws for punishing antisocial elements, established a monitoring system for implementing decisions and has made the administration more accessible to the ordinary people.Jagmohan's acceptability in the politically hostile valley and the Jammu region is the outcome of the vigorous implementation of his 13-point 'Action Plan', which he drew within two weeks of his taking over. In his order of priority, Jagmohan decided that what was most urgently needed was a cleanliness drive to attract the maximum number of tourists to the state and thus revive the all-but-moribund tourist industry. To begin with, he ordered the cleaning up of the filthy Dal Lake and gave the municipal authorities a time-bound programme to finish the job.He next set up a special task force for supervising the improvement of slum areas and roads in the valley and removed encroachments from public lands. He then personally supervised the progress of delayed construction works.But Jagmohan's action plan, at another level, was also a subtle and effective way of neutralising the traditional hostility in the state towards the "markazi sarkar (Central Government)". He embarked on a strategy of approaching the locals directly with a view to solving their problems on the spot. He has launched a weekly Janata darbar to which over 600 people come every week with their grievances. Says Jagmohan: "Kashmiris are very innocent and sentimental people. In the absence of any development, most of them suffer from economic problems and no one has bothered to listen to and design policies for them. Once they are convinced that the Government is meant for their benefit, they can no longer be misguided by anti-social elements."The Dal Lake clean-up in progressJagmohan, by inducting people from outside the state in key posts like chief secretary and the director-general of police, has attempted to introduce a bureaucracy that is neutral, a rare enough occurrence in Kashmir. Moreover, he has been able to promulgate over half-a-dozen ordinances amending various laws, including the draconian Public Safety Act brought into the statute books by the Sheikh Abdullah government. The amended Act is essentially aimed against the large number of 'anti-national' elements who have sought refuge in the state and provides for lodging detenus in jails outside the state. He has also set up recruitment boards for making governmental and public sector appointments to reverse the traditional trend of political patronage and influence-peddling which ignored merit.In a parallel move to minimise the scope of politically-motivated manipulations, the governor has appointed tribunals to decide on quasi-judicial matters related to land problems and revenue disputes. Earlier, these powers rested with ministers and as a result, over Rs 50 crore of taxes remained unrecovered. Jagmohan has also decided to withdraw the powers for the grant of liquor and other commercial licences from the political authority and give them to the tribunals.Predictably enough, all this has created considerable resentment amongst the politicians whose powers he is trying to erode. Even the National Conference (Farooq) which had welcomed the imposition of governor's rule, has now started criticising Jagmohan's actions. They have accused him of diluting Article 370 of the Constitution, which gives special status to the state.Jagmohan: governor's gainsThe object is obviously to pressurise the Centre into calling for fresh elections in the state. Farooq made it clear that he would oppose the extension of governor's rule beyond the stipulated six-month period during his recent meeting with Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He maintained that he would be powerless to contain the hawks in his party if fresh elections were not ordered in the state after September.The state Congress (I) on the other hand, while opposed to the idea of fresh elections, is pressing for an extention of governor's rule by at least a year or, failing which, installation of a government with the help of fence-sitters in the state's market-like political arena. Both Rajiv Gandhi and his Tourism Minister Mufti Mohammed Syed have already ruled out the possibility of early elections, but a section of the Congress (I) is toying with the idea of persuading Farooq to accept the chief ministership with their support.But that eventuality can only take place after the high command is convinced that governor's rule has not helped the Congress (I) in improving its base in the valley. But if the success of Jagmohan's calculated administrative and political strategy is any indication, the prime minister might be in a position to risk a poll earlier than anybody imagines.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Jun 30, 1986 00:00 IST--- ENDS ---

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Jagmohan proves his critics wrong, brings in positive change in J&K as governor

When he took over the reins of administration of Jammu and Kashmir last March, it was widely predicted that the volatile border state would turn out to be his Waterloo. But Governor Jagmohan has proved the Cassandras wrong.

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