It is half past eleven in the morning and villagers in Tangwani village of Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district are trickling into the village panchayat premises where a team of top government officers have invited citizens, to listen to their grievances. “No need to hurry. They are going to stay with us for the night,” a young resident says to a group of middle-aged women trying to rush through their work so they can meet the officials and apprise them of the problems they are facing.

The programme is part of the Jammu and Kashmir government’s week-long administrative outreach effort called ‘Back to Village’. Under the programme, around 4,483 gazetted officers are supposed to stay for two days in different panchayat segments across the State and get a feedback from the public.

In the powder keg district of Shopian, which always dominates the headlines for militancy-related incidents, the officers are trying hard to connect with the people at the grassroots. “We sit among the people, listen to their grievance and are working to address their problems,” says the District Magistrate Owais Ahmad, who has been visiting far-flung areas along with other district officers over the past one week.

This exercise to connect with the public comes in the backdrop of militancy in Kashmir, increased violence and alienation. In the recently held parliamentary elections, the Valley recorded a low poll percentage, with thousands of voters preferring to steer clear of the polling booths.

Issues in focus

“The low poll percentage spoke volumes about the anger of the people and their loss of faith in mainstream politics”, says Shahnawaz Mantoo, who teaches International Relations at the Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora. He feels that the significant response of people to ‘Back to Village’ reflects their willingness to repose faith in the civil administration. “However, it can, in no way, be a surrogate to a democratically-elected popular government,” he adds.

The State is currently under President’s rule, recently extended for six more months. Shabir Hussain Bhat, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Shopian, says safe drinking water, electricity and sanitation were among issues that dominated. Bashir Ahmad, Numbardar, Tangwani village, and fellow villagers discussed a plethora of issues people face in their panchayat.

In neighbouring Moshwara Panchayat, Rafiq Ahmad, along with other young men, apprised the officials of other issues. “There is a paucity of staff in our schools, the roads are dotted with potholes, extended power outages make life difficult for people during the cold winters,” says Ahmad.

He hopes the week-long exercise by the administration will deliver results this time round.

Gulzar Bhat is a Srinagar-based journalist pursuing a PhD

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