Jammu and Kashmir: Repeated incidents of violence and breach of peace involving
the newly elected panches and sarpanches at several places in the state have
raised serious questions on the credentials of flag bearers of democracy at the
grass root level.
Criminal cases have been registered against such rural
representatives at several police stations both in
names and maligning the institutions they have been elected to. "They
seems to be inebriated by power they have still not been given" said
Surinder, a villager whose sarpanch was booked in a criminal case after he
attacked an adversary with his goons.
Reportedly, on August
8 in a bizarre incident at Mendhar, at least eight people got injured in
clashes between two groups of Panches. Rival groups were in a meeting to elect
Naib Sarpanch, when it turned ugly. The groups of panches attacked each other
and the Block Development Officers (BDO) office was ransacked. A case was
registered in the regard. Later, injured were shifted to local hospital for
treatment. Injured were identified as Mohammed Jameel, Mohammed Shanaz,
Mohammed Naim, Mohammed Arif, Zahid Hussain and Faqiz Ahmad who were under
treatment in Mendhar Hospital.
In yet another incident, on August 4 last, newly elected
Panches Abdul Hamid Sheikh and Abdul Majid Mir of village Hakura in
cabinet minister and his body guards and associates. Case was been registered
u/s 147, 336 and 427 RPC in FIR 271/2011 at Achabal police station in Anantnag
district.
More shamefully, on May 26, a newly elected representative
was caught when he trespassed in room inhabitated by a lonely woman at midnight
and was thrashed by the locals. Identified as Raghuvir Singh, the newly elected
Sarpanch entered into house of one Mohinder Singh on May 26th with dubious
intentions at Satani in Roun Domail area in Udhampur and was caught red handed.
Case u/s 376, 511, 458 RPC in FIR 116/2011 stands registered against him. Chief
minister, Omar Abdullah, who intends to empower Panches and Sarpanches as Eid
gift and establish three tier devolution of power in the state may think twice
in the light of the recent incidents involving newly elected public
representatives so that they first become worthy of the power they are likely
to be entrusted with.
Leave Your Comments