As Modi government’s J&K policy gradually introduces unprecedented political stability in the region, the time to deliver on promises made to Kashmiri Pandits is now

What used to happen in Jammu and Kashmir in the past, especially politically, would barely ever stay or sustain in Jammu and Kashmir.

But are we now witnessing a refreshing paradigm shift in the political dynamics of J&K, albeit gradual and periodic, which will ultimately allow J&K to advance into a state of political tranquility for its own greater good?… For those who understand the difference between the J&K of pre-August 2019 and the contemporary J&K, the answer would most likely be a resounding yes. 

By all means, it seems that glimpses of political stability, and the much-needed political parity between the two regions, have started to appear on the horizon after decades of chaos and discrimination. 

It is courtesy of a series of positive developments that have taken place post the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A in August 2019, with the commencement of the delimitation process being the latest case in point. 

However, one of the pressing debates amid all this has been: whether or not the Modi government could have shown greater alacrity towards restoring the political process in J&K? After the scrapping of the special status of the erstwhile state of J&K, why did the Centre have to wait for almost two years to formally kickstart the delimitation exercise with much zeal and not merely for optics? … A legitimate debate for sure. 

image source : aljazeera.com

However, while acknowledging the legitimacy of the debate, it is only imperative to ascertain whether the argument holds water - especially in the context of as perplexing and complex an idea as J&K - so as to warrant wholesale criticism of the Modi government’s Kashmir approach. 

Commentators with partisan interests may not admit the reality but it does not take a mind with supreme political acumen to realise that the last two years have seen a steady and systematic marginalisation of secessionist voices in Kashmir, primarily those that masquerade as the mainstream Kashmiri political leadership. 

Revocation of J&K’s dubiously special status was a constitutional move that gave the final and incontestable stamp on the complete integration of the region with the rest of India. However, the task was not finished there. A combination of foresight and patience was required to usher in a promising new era of Naya Jammu and Kashmir, accompanied by the all-important message that the otherwise perpetually running cottage industry of separatism operated by, among others, the National Conference (NC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the overt secessionists like Hurriyat had no place in the reinvented scheme of things unless they vowed undiluted and unequivocal loyalty to the Indian Constitution. 

The job is far from over yet but the progress made so far only leads to an anticipation of positive developments in months to come. This was evident during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent meeting in New Delhi with the so-called stakeholders of J&K including the Abdullahs, the Muftis and the others. Notwithstanding the assertiveness and reiteration of the demand for restoration of Article 370/35A in the post-meeting media briefings, a sense of surrender to the advent of a novel and refreshing chapter in the story of Jammu and Kashmir was conspicuous in the body language of all the Kashmiri leaders present at the gathering. Now if this sense of surrender is not a significant victory in itself, it is difficult to tell what is. 

With the Modi government putting its foot on the gas to resurrect electoral politics in J&K at all levels, delimitation being a major step towards it, it will eventually pave the way for the return of full statehood status for the present union territory. 

image source : ndtv.com

Therefore, for those who frequently lambast the government for designing a “failed” or “lacklusture” Kashmir policy after the historic August 2019 development in the Indian Parliament, the answer is summarised in one of the earlier paragraphs in this piece. The Jammu and Kashmir of 2021 with regional political players reflecting the same old mindset of taking the Constitution of India for a ride would have been like old wine in a new bottle, entirely defeating the purpose of bringing J&K into the Indian mainstream and rescuing it from the clutches of a preposterous law that consistently sabotaged the former state for decades. 

The cause of the Kashmiri Pandits and the Modi government’s time to deliver 

For the Modi government, what must stand as a big priority, if not the biggest, in the Naya Jammu and Kashmir is walking the talk as far as restoring the lost pride of the Kashmiri Pandits through their rehabilitation is concerned. The rectification of J&K’s political landscape means nothing unless what is long overdue is given to the KPs, which is an honourable return to their homeland. 

The scars of Islamic terror inflicted on the Pandit community run deep and cannot be healed easily. Moreover, empty hopes and false promises made over the years by successive governments have only dented the faith of the KPs in the establishment further. The Modi government’s Kashmir policy came as a ray of positive change for the KPs which must translate into a substantial result as the Centre has been promising the Kashmiri Pandits the stars and the moon since 2014.

image source : thewire.in

Some KP representative groups expressed displeasure over not being invited to participate in the meeting in New Delhi which PM Modi held with the political class of J&K earlier in June. Although the disappointment over not being made a part of what was essentially a political meeting is debatable, there are no ways about the fact that KPs are the true stakeholders of Kashmir with their stake far more pronounced than that of Kashmir’s political leadership. 

The Pandit community has endured the worst form of persecution since the late 80s that marked the onset of radical Islamic terror in Kashmir aimed at wiping out the minority Hindu community from the valley. It was followed by the apathetic attitude of people at the higher echelons of power primarily because KPs do not constitute a sizeable vote bank. 

Hence, the buck stops with the Modi government to convert seven years of repeated assurances into a concrete outcome that works in favour of the cause of the Kashmiri Pandits. Constituting a special framework, unlike any other in the past, which is specifically dedicated to the issue of rehabilitation of KPs could be an ideal step at this juncture and it must happen in tandem with the revival of electoral politics in J&K. 

One can predict that there are interesting times up ahead in J&K politics and the Pandit community will hope that their faith in PM Modi, and his government, gets rewarded sooner rather than later.