Writing about Kashmir and Kashmiris is fraught with multiple challenges. What one wants to express is open to a range of interpretations. The intent behind writing is also bound to be scrutinised. The story of Jammu and Kashmir is exclusively framed by the Union government within the limited narrative of national security and insurgency. There is very limited space to speak about the issues that need urgent attention. The purpose of this article is to address the most fundamental concern — a sense of pervasive alienation among the people of Jammu and Kashmir. This needs to be addressed urgently because the disjunction between the land and the people of J&K has produced more anomalies than we thought.
There is no denying that J&K has faced an extended insurgency, fuelled by separatist movements and militant groups. On the other hand, there have also been allegations of human rights violations by security forces, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and custodial abuses.
Since August 2019, when the Union government revoked Article 370, political processes and activities have come to a complete standstill. This has been a cause of immense frustration amongst all the stakeholders, including political parties, in the erstwhile state. It has been four years now since the state not only lost its special status but was also split into two and reduced to a Union territory. This has significantly impacted the region’s identity and political representation. This frustration at the lack of avenues for political participation has percolated to the streets.
The citizens of a disenfranchised state have to wait for almost four years to be considered worth hearing by the apex institution of a democratic country — this is not the “Amrit Kaal” that India aspires for. Perhaps it was also for the first time in the history of India that a state was reconstituted into Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Article 370, which served as a bridge, though symbolic, was abrogated without the consultation of the state assembly as mandated by the Constitution of India. Article 35A, which guaranteed special status, was revoked too. Remarkably, last year, the Court also agreed to “consider” the pleas but the matter has been referred to a five-bench Constitution Bench now. While the constitutionality of the decision by the Government of India would be examined by the Court, it is high time to ask the government: How long should Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh wait for an elected government?
The Valley is in anguish and pain. Its people seem to have lost confidence in political processes. The local administration under the Lt Governor’s rule has crumbled and the lack of elected representation is making matters worse. The made-up celebratory visuals from Jammu and Ladakh regions flicker for a moment or two and then fade. People there share the same agony and disenfranchisement as the Kashmir Valley. With no elections and confidence-building measures in sight, tens of millions of people are dispossessed of basic democratic rights.
Interestingly, a party that overwhelmingly joined the jingoistic chorus in support of the disempowerment of Jammu and Kashmir is facing the same state of affairs in 2023. Its leadership today is making the same statements as the leadership in Kashmir made in 2019. This is a result of indulging in short-sighted politics and not abiding by the basic norms and principles of democratic polity. The abrogation of Article 370 was always about the politics of optics — never development. J&K performs fairly better on several indicators compared to the rest of India — be it life expectancy, sex ratio at birth, households with electricity and drinking water, sanitation facilities, literacy, and even unemployment. The situation has only deteriorated in the last five years under the direct rule of the Centre.
The Union government tested the waters with the District Development Council (DDC) elections. It also projected the results to make it seem the incumbent BJP made a few critical breakthroughs in the polls. The attempt was to project that the abrogation of Article 370 was not a big issue and people were genuinely happy, and the DDC elections were a kind of referendum on the Centre’s bold decision.
The Union government and its ministers have maintained that “normalcy” has been restored in the Valley and militancy has been brought down. More than a year has also passed since the conclusion of the delimitation exercise in J&K. The Centre’s own prerequisites for creating a conducive environment before conducting elections seem completed. Even the weather conditions are good — one of the prerequisites for elections in Jammu and Kashmir, as argued by the Election Commission of India. One wonders if not now, when is the “right time” to hold elections in J&K. There could be no better demonstration of “normalcy” than to conduct the elections at the earliest.
The Union government must take quick initiatives to build confidence among the political classes as well as the ordinary people of the region. The most important of these needs to be the restoration of the political processes and space. Democracy is not only to be extolled from the stage but also a value to be embraced wholeheartedly. Its basic litmus test is in its practice.
It will soon be close to four years since the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been rendered marginalised in both substantive and symbolic terms, including during the crises and aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is high time that Union government leaders observing the situation from New Delhi let go of their obdurate attitude. It would not be out of place here to remind the Union government of the slogan of “Kashmiriyat, Insaniyat, Jamhooriyat” (inclusive culture of Kashmir, humanitarianism and democracy) given by former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The political leadership of J&K and its people have time and again reminisced in recent years about the confidence and healing touch offered by Vajpayee. It will be to the credit of his successors to follow the approach set by their tallest and most respected leader.
Manoj Kumar Jha is Member of Parliament, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Rohin Kumar is the author of Lal Chowk
