By IOL South Asia Correspondent

NEW DELHI, October 18 (IslamOnline)- Governor’s rule was imposed on Jammu and Kashmir state at midnight of Thursday-Friday (October 17-18) as Congress and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) failed to resolve their differences over chief ministership of the state government and the outgoing chief minister, Farooq Abudullah refused to continue in his post on "moral" grounds.

Abdullah virtually forced governor’s rule on the state as he refused request from the prime minister, deputy prime minister of India and governor of Jammu & Kashmir to continue as a caretaker chief minister. The term of the last J&K legislative assembly expired at midnight of October 17-18.

Earlier, the governor had extended the date for government formation from October 17 to October 21 as the two major parties, Congress and PDP, which had to form government with the help of independents or smaller parties, indulged in an undignified squabble over who would be the chief minister.

For the people of J&K this is a rude jolt as they were expecting improvement in their situation following years of suffering and violence. Once again their politicians have let them down.

It is for the fourth time that the state has come under governor’s rule; the first time in 1977, the second in 1986, the third in 1990. Governor’s rule in a parliamentary democracy is an aberration, an immensely avoidable resort to unrepresentative governance.

In effect "governor rule" means direct central rule through the governor who is a nominee of the central government. The current governor, Girish Saxena is a former head of RAW, the Indian equivalent of the CIA.

The present impasse could have been avoided had the PDP been realistic. With only 16 members of legislative assembly it has been clamoring for chief ministership, ignoring the fact that Congress has 20.

Though there are precedents of party leaders with a very small number of seats in legislative assemblies or national parliament heading government, the PDP insistence on the post of chief minister looks bizarre in the background of the long years of Kashmiri people’s suffering.

This shameless squabble for power has made Panthers Party, with only four members in the assembly, to stake claim for forming government! National Conference (NC), which had ruled J&K for a better part of history since independence from the British, had earlier said that it would sit in opposition in the next assembly. Now, it too is interested to come back to power through an alliance with smaller parties and independents.

Seeing the indecent fight over chief ministership, NC leader Ghulam Moinuddin Shah observed, “When Panther Party with four members aspires to form government, what stops the NC from staking claim when it has 28?”

PDP chief, Mufti Sayeed who, as federal home minister in early 1990s, has the unsavoury record of freeing terrorists for his daughter’s release and appointing infamous Jagmohan as one the governors most unsympathetic to Kashmiris, has accused Congress Party of breach of trust.

Mufti Sayeed said recently Congress was playing partisan politics. “Congress has national concerns. It has the general election in mind,” he said.

Fortunately, the governor’s rule can be terminated the moment the politicians resolve their differences and decide that the state’s concerns are greater than their petty-minded ambitions. Otherwise, the governor’s rule can continue for six months at a stretch.

Mehbooba Mufti, daughter of PDP chief, and a politician in her own right, said last week, “The issue of chief ministership is not that important. But the people of the state have sent a message through their vote. Whoever forms the new government must realize that Kashmiris have suffered greatly. They should not be alienated further.”