Governor’s Rule In Jammu and Kashmir, expected to calm nerves and the atmosphere

With the Central rule formally being introduced in the states of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday after the resignation of the states Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti upon the sudden withdrawal of the support of her coalition partner BJP, Governor N.N. Vohra has acted in copybook fashion so far.

Mr Vohra has a reputation to protect for uprightness and constitutional conduct and been even-handed in his 10 years in J&K as the state’s constitutional head. His term expires on June 25. It’s to be hoped that the Centre is able to retain his services after that.

The present governor’s continuation could calm nerves in a highly-polarised atmosphere as he has a well-earned name for political neutrality. Given the RSS-BJP’s perceived policy of unrestrained use of the military, regardless of its effects on the civilian population in a theatre of conflict, a man of balance guiding the state is likely to carry political value.

Self motivated interests should desist from misinterpreting the matter for trivial political gains, to suggest that he’s in cahoots with jihadis or foreign quarters. That would be a travesty, and detract from a sense of national solidarity in tackling terrorism. The maximum political consensus is important now, as it has been indicated by the governor’s move to call an all-party meeting in Srinagar on Friday.

The NC leader’s anxiety is with merit. But the immediate dissolution of the House could increase the standards of expectations about Assembly polls in the near future. This can conceivably lead to the further intensifying of extremist and terrorist activity supported by external interests. There’s every need to guard against such an eventuality while being mindful of the need to hold fresh polls as soon as feasible. As the ruling party at the Centre, the BJP, while giving functioning autonomy to the security forces to tackle a difficult situation, must act with restraint on the political front and give no quarter to those raising anti-Kashmiri sentiments.