Home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday once again reiterated his government’s policy to talk only to youth of Kashmir, and not to “Hurriyat, Jamaat, or Pakistan.” Among other significant statements, Shah stressed that the abrogation of Article 370 was a turning point in Kashmir’s history. He pointed out that this transformation was not merely legal but also marked a departure from the past, crediting the move for getting rid of the dual flags and two constitutions and embracing a unified identity.
Other measures highlighted by Shah included imposing restrictions on All Parties Hurriyat Conference and Jamaat-e-Islami and removing separatist sympathizers from employment which, according to him, have significantly contributed to fostering a climate of stability and security. He also referred to the dignified burial of militants, symbolizing a break from the past practice of publicizing funeral processions.
It is true that the removal of Article 370 in August 2019 and the subsequent measures have fundamentally altered the ground situation in J&K in most of its aspects. It has also changed the complexion of the Kashmir issue as it existed before. It is also true, that the policies and measures underlined by the home minister have gone a long way to pacify the situation. How long and whether this calm lasts, only time will tell.
Ideally, it would be in the fitness of things had the union government decided to hold talks with Pakistan. A peaceful neighbourhood would bring peace and prosperity to the region. It would also be beneficial for Kashmir which has witnessed bloodshed over the last three decades. But as the home minister has made it clear, New Delhi is no longer interested in engaging Pakistan and for that matter. the separatists in Kashmir. This was not always like that. Even after the abrogation of Article 370, the union government did engage with the neighbouring country informally for over months. The back-channel talks were reported to have begun in November 2020 and by February 2021, the two countries reinstated the otherwise defunct 2003 ceasefire along the Line of Control. The truce was marked by a brief spell of bonhomie. But there was no further progress on the back-channel making it difficult for the two neighbours to move to the front-channel.
That said, it is difficult to take away from the fact that the central government has improved the situation to a point where a regression into instability seems unlikely. Here’s hoping that the peace lasts but for it to sustain in the long term, the central government would need to take its promise of talking to J&K youth to its logical conclusion.
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