Progress in Kashmir -Editorial

The results of the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir mark a setback for the separatist leadership and offer the national leadership an 

opportunity to show the decisive political will needed to take advantage of this transformative moment. That means a number of things. To begin with, don’t confuse the enthusiastic participation of Kashmiri voters in the elections with the demise of separatism. The same people took part with equal zeal in separatist protests in the wake of the Amarnath agitations a few months ago, and could rally behind separatist slogan again, if sufficiently provoked. 

Further, it means that trying to maintain the status quo in terms of the way Kashmir is run, essentially by the iron hand of the security establishment, would be completely counterproductive. The visible role of the armed forces in Kashmir’s social life must come down, the elected government be seen to have the authority to govern and political dissent allowed greater space. The BJP’s gains in the Hindu majority constituencies show a deepening polarisation that has the potential to vitiate the problem, unless the utmost political commitment is shown to democratic engagement. All this is vital, for the present elections have been nothing short of Kashmiri assertion of the importance of governance. There is, by now, the sense of a demarcation between the pressing issues of economic development and distribution and the larger question of political self-determination. 

The need now is to ensure the formation of a stable government that is able to deliver the governance the people have voted for. For the Congress, the main consideration should be ensuring the creation of a stable government rather than maximising its own share of power in the state. The problem in Kashmir has also been a tendency for assorted leaders to treat power and power-broking in the state as their personal prerogative. This is the moment for parties and leaders to demonstrate their ability and willingness to outgrow such bad habits, to address the basic problem of alienation in Kashmir, which is all too easy to gloss over in the ongoing celebration over the high turn-out.