By Ahmad Ayaz

Power is a gift in any democracy, meant to be wielded with care. In Jammu & Kashmir, the gift has been reshaped. Political survival now hinges less on principle and more on showmanship and maneuvering.

The political stage, once reserved for conviction, has turned into an arena of calculation. What was once the art of persuasion through ideas has been reduced to a competition of emotional theatrics. Leaders today are not admired for courage or clarity but for their ability to flatter and bargain.

To beg for votes is to betray the essence of democracy. It transforms governance into a marketplace where loyalty is bought, promises are borrowed, and power is sought not as a moral duty but as personal refuge. Politics, which once demanded persuasion through intellect and i

See Full Page