Editorial: Message from Kashmir

Despite the widespread sense of alienation, there is a realisation that democratic process can bring remedies to political and social travails

On the face of it, the election of radical leader, Engineer Rashid, from Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency may appear as an unsettling development, but a closer look reveals that the separatists joining the democratic process and swearing allegiance to the Constitution is a welcome change. It must be welcomed because bringing radical elements under the umbrella of national mainstream politics augurs well for democracy. His election, however, reflects deep public unrest over the unfulfilled promises of the government. This needs redressal. Rashid, who is currently in Delhi’s Tihar jail facing charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in an alleged terror-funding case, defeated former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Rashid became involved in secessionist politics as a teenager. Though he was arrested several times by the J&K Police on suspicion of aiding terrorists, evidence never emerged to support the allegations. This was the first election in J&K since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. A reasonably good turnout in the elections reflected public faith in democracy. The people who turned out to vote show that, despite the widespread sense of alienation, there is a realisation that the democratic process, rather than the gun, has the potential to bring remedies to political and social travails. The representatives of the two leading political dynasties of the region — Omar Abdulla and Mehbooba Mufti — faced rejection by the voters.

The incident-free election in the Valley marks a realisation among the Kashmiris that they can be part of the governance of the country that is theirs as much as it is of any other Indian. This is despite considerable anger over the Centre’s decision to convert the State into a union Territory. There is a growing desire among the people to actively engage in shaping their future. The successful conduct of elections should now serve as a catalyst for the restoration of statehood, as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his election rallies. All stakeholders in the region must seize the momentum and work towards building a more inclusive and representative governance framework that addresses people’s aspirations. There is an urgent need to bridge the trust deficit between the government and the people. Despite claims of ushering in development and peace after the abrogation of Article 370, there have been no credible follow-up measures to boost development and create jobs in the trouble-torn region. Restoring the statehood and holding Assembly elections are the twin issues that remain unaddressed. The promised developmental push remains elusive while the Centre is unable to give a specific time frame for restoration of statehood. The Supreme Court had, in December last year, directed the Election Commission to hold J&K Assembly polls by September 30. The union Territory has been without any elected government since June 2018 when the BJP withdrew support to the Mehbooba Mufti-led government.

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