Positive signal to J&K, now let's make it work

After a long and bloody year, which saw the near paralysis of governance, politics and social activity in Kashmir, and cast a shadow on the nation’s security and severely impacted relations with Pakistan, the Narendra Modi government announced the opening of the process of talks on Monday, naming as interlocutor a recently retired Intelligence Bureau director, Dineshwar Sharma. The move is in the constructive direction, but comes after much time has been lost and the animosity of people increased, which needn’t have happened as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had begun his tenure in 2014 after creating a reasonably positive atmosphere with his speeches in Kashmir.

Subsequently there was a serious deterioration in the politics over the J&K Valley as Hindutva votaries showed extreme irresponsibility through their statements and through policy inaction, raising the political temperature and giving an opening to Pakistan it didn’t have for many years earlier.

This combination of factors, in particular the absence of imaginative politics, allowed a serious spike in terrorist violence and extremist radicalisation. These events also led to the total delegitimising of the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government in the state.

The interlocutor’s work may be hampered if the political mind of the Centre has not changed. In his Independence Day address this year, the Prime Minister did hint at the beginning of a talks process when he said that issues in Kashmir could only be settled by embracing the Kashmiri people, and not through bullets and abuses. But given the backdrop of unmet promises, this was not received with any sense of anticipation.

In the past couple of months, top officials of the Army and the J&K police have also recommended the opening up of the political space through talks. Perhaps this was a goad which decided the government’s mind.

While making the announcement on the appointment of the interlocutor on Monday, Union home minister Rajnath Singh did say that the focus will be on the youth, and he did not rule out engagement with any section of society, including the separatist leadership. This signals a good start. A focus on the youth necessarily means schemes that widen avenues for jobs and self-employment as well as training.

It is important to raise hopes and take meaningful steps to fulfil those hopes. That is the only way to nullify the efforts of the separatists and thwart Pakistan’s mischievous gameplans. If Kashmir is given respect and autonomy, which is its due, its people will prosper and India will be a more fulfilled whole.

We should be conscious, of course, that we are now about to enter a long-overdue process. The results won’t be evident in a hurry. The interlocutor’s moves will be keenly watched. He should be constructive, frank, and even-handed in his approach.