Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti is quite right when she says only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can get the people of Kashmir out of the “daldal”, or quicksand, they have got into. There can be no doubt that unless the PM gives the appropriate directions, the standard drill for commencing the process of a thaw just cannot begin.
There is deep sullenness across the Valley and unnerving violence has become routine. As such, urgent measures are needed to start a de-freeze, otherwise the matter can potentially spin out of hand and lead to tragic consequences. Beginning the normalisation process itself depends on the political outlook of the Centre and no other entity. This cannot be emphasised strongly enough.
In the case of J&K, and in contrast with all other states, the Centre’s role, attitude and outlook become the deciding factor and are disproportionately important as this is the only state whose accession to India rests on a specially created constitutional provision, namely Article 370, which the Union must observe. This article is meant to uphold the “autonomy” and special status of Kashmir, as specifically defined.
In addition to this, Kashmir is a state that borders Pakistan. Naturally, the armed forces and other security agencies of the Centre have a major role to play and, more frequently than we may like, diplomacy must play a part.
Ms Mufti’s comments in Jammu on Saturday may, for the above reasons, be seen as a restatement of the constitutional and theoretical position, and for that reason hardly deserving of reiteration. Hers is therefore a defeatist position.
Since there’s not much the state government can do, the CM is pleading for understanding from her constituents which, at the present juncture, they may be in no mood to give her. When Ms Mufti met Mr Modi in New Delhi around a week ago, he sent her back asking her to deploy the state police force more effectively to tackle the militants.
This amounted to mocking the CM, for the state police is simply not equipped to deal with a full-blown armed militancy abetted from across the border. Ms Mufti appears to have philosophically accepted the abjectness of her situation. This does not say much for her political leadership.
While the CM has noted that Mr Modi, given his parliamentary strength, is the only entity capable of saving Kashmir, BJP president Amit Shah has clearly said that the Centre will take no steps toward dialogue — without which the freeze cannot end — until the violence is over. This can only please the violent extremists and their mentor, Pakistan. If the Centre won’t move until the violence ends, then the violence can’t possibly end. The Centre needs to be mindful of that.
