Kulgam, January 10: In a bizarre display of political theatre, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI(M) Kulgam, on Saturday staged a protest against escalating power tariffs and erratic electricity supply—issues that have plagued the region for decades. While these grievances are undeniably genuine and continue to affect the daily lives of the people, the protest raises serious and uncomfortable questions about democratic accountability, governance, and the very purpose of elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
What is the value of contesting and winning elections if alliance partners must take to the streets to demand basic accountability from the very government they support?
Videos from the demonstration at Laroo Adda showed party leaders and workers marching and raising slogans against the Power Development Department. However, beneath this spectacle lies a deeper irony: elected representatives protesting against a government they helped form and continue to sustain. This contradiction exposes a troubling reality where governance appears reduced to performance rather than responsibility.
CPI(M), which has represented Kulgam for over three decades, now finds its leaders on the streets demanding a rollback of power tariff hikes and an end to frequent electricity outages. This inevitably raises a fundamental question: where does self-accountability begin for those who have held power for so long?
What, then, is the purpose—or even the legitimacy—of holding positions in the Legislative Assembly or District Development Councils (DDCs) if basic infrastructure such as reliable electricity remains unresolved after decades of representation? Are elected leaders meant to legislate, implement policy, and ensure service delivery, or merely to protest for political visibility?
When parties in power—such as CPI(M), allied with the National Conference (NC)—assume the role of opposition on the streets, the lines of democratic responsibility blur dangerously. If ruling allies behave like protesters, what role remains for the actual opposition? This confusion weakens democratic discourse and transforms governance into a spectacle, where accountability is sought through rallies rather than legislative action. At the state level, the NC perpetuates this charade, while at the district level in Kulgam, CPI(M) continues the same performance.
The people of Kulgam deserve clear and honest answers. What accountability do long-term representatives bear for the persistent lack of basic amenities? After five or six terms in power, why are residents still forced to protest for electricity, roads, and essential services? This recurring cycle of electoral victories followed by performative outrage steadily erodes public trust and calls into question the very essence of electoral democracy.
We call upon all stakeholders, including the Power Development Department and the Omar Abdullah–led, CPI(M)-supported government, to address these issues with seriousness and substance—not through hollow alliances and symbolic protests. The people of Jammu and Kashmir demand real governance, tangible results, and honest accountability—not endless demonstrations by those elected to prevent them.
