 Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 12: The political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir seems to be succumbing to a peculiar malaise - desperation. With elections looming and no visible avenues for public outreach, politicians are resorting to unearthing old bones, hoping to spark some semblance of engagement.
The latest victim of this macabre trend is the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir Assembly complex, transformed into an issue of petty point-scoring. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the vice-president of the National Conference, threw the first stone, not literally, but through a Twitter post. His target: the Hindi TV series 'Maharani', starring Huma Qureshi, which was shot inside the Assembly complex last June. In a tweet reeking of political opportunism, Abdullah lamented, "The true face of ‘the mother of democracy’, where once elected representatives of the people from all parties, religions, backgrounds & parts of J&K legislated on matters of great importance now actors & extras use it as a set for TV dramas."
However, critics dismissed it as an empty attempt to stay relevant. "Is this the best he can come up with? A year-old shooting for a series that barely anyone watched? Kashmir dese A year-old shooting for a series that barely anyone watched?
Kashmir deserves better than this petty politics.
The Assembly complex stands testament to politicians' desperation.
Playing to the gallery won’t help their cause.
He said, “While the public spectacle might momentarily satiate the politicians' craving for attention, it does little to address the real needs of the people. Kashmir craves leadership, not theatrics. It yearns for vision, not publicity stunts. The Assembly complex, once a symbol of hope and democracy, now stands as a testament to the politicians' desperation, its hallowed halls echoing with the clanging of empty rhetoric instead of the constructive clang of debate.”
An analyst while talking to Early Times said, “Instead of stooping to the level of reality TV drama, politicians should remember the weight of their responsibility. They need to raise issues which touch the skin of a common man. Playing to the gallery won’t help their cause. The sooner they realize this, the sooner they can begin to address the challenges that truly matter and restore the dignity of the institutions they hold dear.”
“The clock is ticking, and the people of Kashmir are watching. They deserve better than desperation masquerading as politics. They deserve leaders who will rise above the noise and build a brighter future for their beleaguered land,” he added. |
