In J&K, no stopping the caravan of democracy
General elections aside, people braved bullets to vote in panchayat and district elections. The caravan of democracy has started rolling in the state
On July 26, Ruchi, a resident of Sabha Nagar village in Badaun district, Uttar Pradesh, was a bubbly, young wife with a million dreams in her eyes. Today, she is a widow who yearns for something impossible — a call from her husband, Mohit. Lance Naik Mohit Rathore had last called Ruchi on July 26. He had ended the call with the promise to call her the next day. That call never came as Rathore laid down his life while repulsing an attack by Pakistan’s Border Action Team.
Ruchi isn’t alone in her misfortune. The number of soldiers martyred in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) since Independence surpasses India’s losses in the five wars it has fought. Recently, Jammu has seen a rise in terror attacks. In July alone, 12 soldiers have been martyred. It is clear that terrorists have changed their tactics. They have shifted focus from the Valley and are targeting the Jammu region. But why? The question assumes significance as we complete the fifth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and the division of J&K from Ladakh. What do these terror attacks suggest? Has the Centre’s Kashmir policy failed? Was abrogating Article 370 wrong? Is the population of J&K in cahoots with the terrorists?
The answers to these queries aren’t difficult. Before assuming the second term, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi was determined to abrogate Article 370. In his first tenure, nullifying the Roshni Act was a test to gauge the mettle of professional dissenters, who mostly stuck to political sloganeering. Still, to err on the side of caution, the Centre deployed forces before announcing the abrogation on August 5, 2019.
A confidant of Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, GC Murmu, was appointed the first lieutenant governor to establish order all around, though positive changes on the ground began once Manoj Sinha took over. He succeeded in winning the hearts and minds of the locals. It sent a positive message across the globe, too. Last year, more than 20 million people visited J&K, including 55,000 foreigners.
Meanwhile, the Centre worked to connect Kashmiris with mainstream economic development. Last March, PM Modi launched schemes of more than ₹5,000 crore for the Union territories. Work is on to connect the Valley with the rest of India via Railways.
Kashmiris, too, have lapped up these changes. In a democracy, success can’t be measured solely on the basis of which party won or lost, but by vote share in an election. In the recently concluded general elections, decades-old records were broken. Elections aren’t the only indicator; for the first time, on December 31 last year, thousands gathered to usher in the New Year at Lal Chowk. The very next month, Bakshi Stadium was packed to witness the January 26 parade. After many years, Muharram processions started relaying new messages.
Jubilation this side of the border was anathema to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and its military headquarters in Rawalpindi. They had tried to internationalise the abrogation of Article 370, but failed. Their moves in the UN Security Council fell flat twice. The Jammu incidents are a reflection of their frustration and a change in tactics. Now, terrorists lay ambushes, use equipment that doesn’t use GPS and escape using dirt tracks through thick forests. They are looking at inflicting maximum damage. Another reason for the shift in focus to Jammu is that the region is dominated by Hindus. Killing civilians and pilgrims can spark communal outrage. Then, Pakistan can rake it up at international fora saying that not just the Valley but the whole of J&K is up in flames.
A vortex of violence has been unleashed with this cold calculation. Assembly polls are due in three months. ISI bosses were shocked by the voter turnout at the general elections, and want to tarnish the assembly elections. But, it’s highly unlikely they will succeed. In the last five years, the state has witnessed the winds of change. General elections aside, people braved bullets to vote in panchayat and district development elections. The caravan of democracy has started rolling in the state and no one can stop it.
Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. The views expressed are personal
Continue reading with HT Premium Subscription
