Editorial: Long road to normalcy

The interval — a forced one — lasted over three decades. Entertainment is now making a comeback in the wounded Kashmir valley and will, hopefully, complement the efforts to provide a healing touch to the trouble-torn region. The reopening of movie theatres, more than 32 years after they were shut by terrorists and fundamentalists, is […]

The interval — a forced one — lasted over three decades. Entertainment is now making a comeback in the wounded Kashmir valley and will, hopefully, complement the efforts to provide a healing touch to the trouble-torn region. The reopening of movie theatres, more than 32 years after they were shut by terrorists and fundamentalists, is a welcome move. It reflects the change of public mood on the ground, a yearning for normalcy and peace in a region that has witnessed a lot of bloodshed and social turmoil. As Srinagar’s first multiplex, with a seating capacity of 500, opens its doors for the public, along with multipurpose theatres in Shopian and Pulwama, it is time to reflect on what path to take to make the script work for Jammu & Kashmir. The people of the Valley have been waiting for major industrial investments to flow in, as promised by the NDA government following the abrogation of Article 370, and creation of new job opportunities for the youth so that they are weaned away from militancy. Cinema halls in the Valley have been shut since the late 1980s after militants told owners of these halls to close them down. The halls have since been converted into commercial establishments. In the late 1990s, efforts were made to reopen them, with three halls opening in Srinagar. One of them was shut down after a militant attack on the first day of reopening, and the other two closed down a few years later because of poor response from the public.

In the 1980s, Srinagar had at least eight functioning theatres. In 2021, the J&K administration incentivised the shooting of films in the Valley by bringing in a policy but commercial films could not be screened as there were no theatres. While revival of movie theatres is a welcome move to normalise life in Kashmir, the biggest task before the government is to hold elections to enable restoration of democracy and allow the elected representatives to guide the development of the region. The gains from the nullification of Article 370 cannot fully materialise unless Kashmiris are made stakeholders in their own development. And that can only happen if J&K is able to elect its own politicians to manage its affairs. Therefore, the Election Commission must stick to its November 25 deadline for the final publication of electoral rolls. As per the road map unveiled by the NDA government in Parliament, the Assembly polls are likely to pave the way for the restoration of statehood — a longstanding demand by local residents and the political parties. The Valley is already undergoing turmoil with the rise in militant attacks, particularly targeting the minority Hindus and migrant workers. The militant groups have called for a boycott of the coming elections and threatened to step up attacks.

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