Cost of indifference

The vicious cycle of violence in the Kashmir Valley, that has affected civilians, military forces and separatists, fundamentally stems from a failure of the mainstream political parties to implement their core vision. It has also been exacerbated by human rights violations. But this was not always so.

In the early 2000s, mainstream political parties in the State benefitted from popular indifference toward separatist politics and leadership, a fact reflected in terms of voter turnout in the Assembly and panchayat elections. This positive sentiment could have been harnessed into a more robust basis of support had the parties actively used this to implement their vision for a political solution to the Kashmir issue.

But they failed, partly due to the attitude of the Centre. In the broad sweep of the State’s history, the Centre has been indifferent to the “autonomy” vision of the National Conference (NC) and the “self-rule” vision of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). It has not realised that such an attitude of indifference would eventually end up weakening the mainstream in the Valley.

In the late 2000s, there was growing indifference to the State’s mainstream parties, in reaction to their inability to move forward meaningfully in terms of a dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue. Some argue incorrectly that this indifference was only or largely directed towards the NC-Congress government. But the fact is that the indifference was complete. Separatists may have provided leadership to the dissent during months of protests, but the protests continued even without their presence, as seen in 2016. Then, things changed a bit. In 2014, the PDP performed well in the elections because its larger goal was to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out. In fact, the PDP won more seats on the rhetoric of keeping the BJP-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh out of the Valley. The indifference may have given way had the PDP communicated to the people that it had kept the right wing out. Its capitulation by sharing power with the BJP only ended up intensifying the indifference even further.

The almost futile search for political alternatives has led to growing frustration and hopelessness, in turn fuelling a resurgence in militancy in Kashmir. What began in a subtle way in 2012 grew into a ‘machine’ by 2015, churning out local militants. Thus militancy reflects the reality that all the stakeholders concerned have failed the people of Kashmir.

Much needs to be done if the political mainstream in the State needs to overcome the common man’s indifference towards it. It needs to make it clear to the Centre that there is a need for a political solution and that New Delhi must doggedly pursue it. In turn, New Delhi needs to realise that the road to Kashmir has to go through both the mainstream and separatists and not through the security forces alone.

Zubair Nazeer teaches Public Policy at the Amity Institute of Public Policy, Amity University, Noida