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Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
The silence that screams: How the NC is failing the very people it once claimed to represent
Mudasir Dar is a social and peace activist based in South Kashmir. He is a Rashtrapati Award recipient in world scouting and has contributed to many local and national publications on a diverse range of topics, including national security, politics, governance, peace, and conflict. LESS ... MORE In the political history of Jammu and Kashmir, there have been many moments that demanded dignity over debate, empathy over ego, and leadership over opportunism. The aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack was one such moment — a moment where tragedy met humanity, and where the institution of governance was expected to rise above political calculations. It did. But what followed from the political opposition, particularly the National Conference (NC), was a masterclass in how to squander moral capital for the sake of momentary noise. Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a young ponywallah from Hapatnar in South Kashmir, was not a figure of power or prestige. He was an ordinary man whose final act was one of extraordinary courage. When terrorists struck in Pahalgam this April, Adil tried to shield a group of tourists. In doing so, he lost his life. His death could have remained another statistic in a region too familiar with conflict. But something different happened. On June 14, lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha made an uncommon visit to Adils family, stepping well outside routine protocol. He did not stop at offering hollow condolences or posing for cameras. Instead, he used his own discretionary authority to promise Adils widow, Gulnaz Akhter, a government job through the Jammu and Kashmir Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme. It was a generous move, since Gulnaz had yet to meet the formal educational rules for the position. However, the LG, moved by the magnitude of the familys sacrifice and the tragic context, placed human need far ahead of rigid paperwork. It was a moment when governance showed it still had a heartbeat. Yet, rather than rallying behind the gesture or even nodding at its meaning, the National Conference chose to respond with jittery suspicion and cheap party jabs. NC spokesman Tanvir Sadiq fired off a tweet wondering whether the lieutenant governors off-the-cuff promise in south Kashmir was now being undermined by his own office. In both timing and tone, the tweet looked less like a search for clarity and more like a slick, if desperate, bid to grab back a political story that had already slipped through the partys fingers. What the NC fails to realise is that such acts of pettiness are no longer viewed in isolation. They are read as part of a deeper crisis of relevance — a party that once symbolised regional aspiration is now seen as clinging to performative opposition, unable to digest that delivery and governance are now taking precedence over slogans and symbolism. Instead of standing with Adil's grieving family, the NC chose to question the integrity of an administrative act that they themselves failed to undertake when it was their responsibility to lead. After the Pahalgam attack, the NC had issued elaborate statements, condemning the act of terror and pledging support to the victims. But those words vanished into the ether. There was no institutional outreach to the bereaved families, no efforts at rehabilitation, and no show of empathy beyond the camera flash. In the absence of state action from elected representatives, it was the Lieutenant Governor's office — often portrayed by NC as a distant authority — that responded with immediacy, compassion, and discretion. That is the real reason the NC feels so uneasy. For decades, the party shaped almost all local stories about who suffered and what identity meant. Now that those stories are facing practical policies and a calmer, post-partisan kindness, the solid ground they assumed was theirs is cracking. Rather than ask why they've been out-manoeuvred politically and out-brightened morally, they fall back on the easiest move-questions, tweets, and quiet sabotage. It is also not lost on the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the NC, since forming the government after the 2024 elections, has presided over a visible administrative breakdown. From power shortages to water scarcity, from dysfunctional municipal services to recurring protests in Jammu, the people are not seeing the delivery they were promised. These are not abstract policy gaps; these are lived, daily failures. While the NC leadership tweets in outrage, Jammu and Kashmir continues to reel under electricity cuts, Water shortage and unfulfilled promises. The contrast becomes painfully evident when juxtaposed with LG's handling of the Adil Hussain case. While the ruling party was absent, the unelected executive did the work of a public representative. It wasn't political strategy; it was a sense of institutional duty. And that shift — from old-style rhetorical politics to a results-oriented administrative culture — is precisely what is unsettling parties like the NC. Besides, the meaning behind the LG's visit is hard to overlook. A Hindu lieutenant governor from Uttar Pradesh stood in the small house of a Muslim ponywallah from south Kashmir, mourning his death and honouring his bravery. Whether planned or not, that gesture pushed back against long-standing accusations that the Indian state treats Kashmiris as less-than-human. The sight itself, simple yet forceful, mattered far more than a hundred official notes. It was governance using a word people understand: presence. When the NC twists this into a mere party debate, it shrinks a serious moment into just another score-settling exercise. The matter at hand is far bigger than handing one person a government post. It tests our ability as a society to see real sacrifice and honour it without slapping on a political filter first. It asks whether a government can meet public sorrow not with cold distance, but with open arms and genuine inclusion. Let it be recorded with clarity: when Adil Hussain Shah gave his life trying to save tourists in a place too often visited by death, it was not the elected government that stood by his family. It was not the political party that claims to speak for every Kashmiri. It was an act from the Raj Bhavan that affirmed dignity over delay, justice over jargon. In history, what matters is not what is tweeted in frustration but what is done with conviction. And no matter how hard the NC tries to reclaim this moment, the truth remains: they watched. Others acted. And in that truth lies the starkest contrast of all. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Raj Bhavan and the ruling NC in Kashmir spar over offer of jobs to family of local Pahalgam terror victim
The offer of three government jobs to the family of the local killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, Syed Adil Hussain Shah, resulted in tension between the Raj Bhavan and the Chief Minister's Office on Sunday (June 15, 2025). The two sides bickered after J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha visited the victim's family on Saturday (June 14, 2025) at his native village in Hapatnar, Anantnag, and handed over the appointment letter to his wife, Gulnaz Akhter, 'on compassionate grounds'. National Conference (NC) MLA Tanvir Sadiq took exception to the L-G's move to hand over the appointment letter. 'I thank L-G sahab for handing over the job order that was already prepared by the Fisheries Department, a department under the elected government led by Honourable Minister Javed Dar. This reflects the maturity and responsibility shown by the elected government. We did not allow egos to come in the way,' Mr. Sadiq said. To Mr. Sadiq's statement, the Raj Bhavan clarified that the appointment was made by the L-G by exercising the discretionary powers conferred under Clause 2A of the Jammu and Kashmir Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme, 2022 with a relaxation in Ms. Akhter's educational qualification. 'As per clause 2A of J&K Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme 2022, the Lieutenant Governor in exceptional circumstances may appoint the dependent family member of a civilian, who has died as a result of militancy/terrorist related action or due to law and order situation or due to enemy action and who is not involved in militancy related activity, in Government Service,' the Raj Bhavan said in a statement. 'The appointment of Ms. Akhter has been made by L-G under exceptional circumstances as her husband was a civilian and not a Government employee. Further, appointment has been made in relaxation of her educational qualification. There is no role of the Fisheries Department in granting relaxation as well as appointment in the instant case,' it added. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had also promised a job to the victim's family. However, on May 1, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Jammu and Kashmir Waqf Board handed over an appointment letter to the brother of Shah, 28, one of the 26 civilians killed by terrorists in Pahalgam. 'On one hand, the L-G says he only controls the police, and on the other hand, he tweets about providing a job to Adil's widow. This highlights the problem of the dual power system in Jammu and Kashmir, which can only be resolved through the restoration of Statehood,' Mr. Sadiq said in his response to the Raj Bhavan's statement. He said there appeared to be a 'contradiction between the L-G's public statement and the Raj Bhavan's clarification'. 'If the L-G's role is limited to policing, it is unclear how rule relaxations for other government departments were granted. J&K has a stable government and the people have given a full mandate. Early restoration of Statehood is necessary to end such confusion and ensure smooth governance,' the NC leader said. Meanwhile, on Sunday, the L-G called upon the people to follow the teachings of the mystic Kabir. He assured 'appropriate measures to declare Sant Kabir Das Ji Jayanti as Gazetted holiday' in J&K.
The Print
14-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
‘J-K LG used discretionary powers to appoint Pahalgam victim's widow, Fisheries dept has no role'
A spokesperson of the Information Department said the Lt Governor appointed Gulnaz Akhter — Shah's wife — as class IV (MTS) in District Cadre, Anantnag, in the Fisheries Department in exercise of the discretionary powers conferred under Clause-2A of Jammu and Kashmir Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme, 2022, in relaxation of her educational qualification. The statement comes after the ruling National Conference (NC), apparently miffed at Lt Governor Manoj Sinha handing over the job offer letter, said that it was already prepared by the state government's Fisheries Department. Srinagar, Jun 14 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor used his discretionary powers to provide a job to the widow of ponywala Adil Shah, killed in the Pahalgam attack, and the Fisheries Department under the elected government has no role in the appointment, an official said on Saturday. 'As per clause 2A of J&K Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme-2022, the Lieutenant Governor in exceptional circumstances may appoint the dependent family member of a civilian, who has died as a result of militancy/terrorist related action or due to law and order situation or due to enemy action and who is not involved in militancy related activity, in government service. 'The conferment of relaxation of age/qualification for appointment under J&K Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme-2022 solely lies with the Lieutenant Governor,' the spokesperson said. He said Akhter's appointment has been made by the Lt Governor under the exceptional circumstances as her husband was a civilian and not a government employee. 'Further, the appointment has been made in relaxation of her educational qualification. There is no role of the Fisheries Department in granting relaxation as well as appointment in the instant case,' the spokesman said. Acknowledging Shah's supreme sacrifice during the terrorist attack at Baisaran Pahalgam, the Lt Governor considered the appointment of his wife, so that it can bring succour to the family, he said. 'This decision is a heartfelt gesture to support the bereaved family and ensure their dignity and well-being, reflecting the administration's unwavering commitment to justice and compassion,' the official said. Earlier in the day, NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said the state government did not allow egos to come in the way and stood by its commitment to Shah's family in their moment of grief. 'We thank LG Sahab for handing over the job order that was already prepared by the Fisheries Department, a department under the elected government led by Minister Javed Dar,' he said on X. Sadiq said this reflects the maturity and responsibility shown by the elected government. 'In moments of pain, politics must make way for compassion, and governance must honour its word.' He highlighted that the state government had earlier given similar appointment letters to the kin of those killed in Pakistan shelling in Poonch. 'The job orders were later distributed by the (Union) home minister after the CM had personally visited and personally committed these jobs to the (affected) families immediately after the shelling,' Sadiq, who is also an MLA from Zadibal constituency, said. PTI SSB RHL This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
