View: Malik's Jammu comment unfortunate

Jammu & Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik's public comment that terrorists should focus their ire “kill” corrupt politicians who have “looted the state” rather than innocent civilians and security personnel is unfortunate and irresponsible. Unfortunate because whatever the provocation, as a public official holding a constitutional post Governor Malik comes across at best as someone who can live with vigilantes and at worst someone encouraging people to take the law into their own hands. That is the worst possible message the Governor of Jammu & Kashmir could have sent out.

The J&K Governor gets it. And to his credit, Malik quickly stepped up to acknowledge that as governor he should not have made that comment. The Governor was not wrong in saying that corruption by the leading political and business “big” families in the state of Jammu & Kashmir have contributed to instability and troubles. The states’ political elite, be it the mainstream political parties or the separatists, prospered while the fortunes of the states’ ordinary citizens suffered. As governor, Malik has pushed for engaging the youth via sports, functioning cinema halls and an IPL team for the state. As the head of a state under President’s Rule, Governor Malik sought to make his office more responsive to people’s needs through direct engagement. But the Governor was wrong and irresponsible in saying that the terrorists should target the corrupt while sparing civilians and security personnel. Ground realities and Governor Malik’s mea culpa should in no way exonerate him. Because through that one single comment Governor Malik gave terrorists and vigilantes a carte blanche.