A bright early summer flush with the tourists unfailingly evokes a sense of de javu in Kashmir. For in the past two decades it has almost invariably lapsed into an exceptionally turbulent turn in the situation which puts a stop to the fresh tourist arrivals but hits the businesses as a whole. One could, for example, refer back to the summer of 1999 which similarly ushered in a huge tourist rush only to be put paid by the war over Kargil heights. This familiar pattern didn’t change even when the violence plunged sharply in the recent years. The massive public unrests over the two previous years – first over Amarnath land transfer followed by the one over the mysterious deaths of the two women in Shopian – only deepened this jinx further. It proved that the decline in violence had made no fundamental difference to the inherent inconsistency of the Valley’s situation.  It proved that despite a growing sense of normalcy in the Valley, Kashmir was not normal. What makes this short history informing for us is that we are witnessing more or less similar situation this year. An unusually cool summer so far has attracted a record number of tourists to the place. An estimate puts the number at around four lakh. The streets of Srinagar and the other prominent scenic resorts are abuzz with a new life. And what is important is that despite some incidents with a potential to disturb the summer, peace has held - albeit uneasily. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's two day visit posed a serious challenge to the already stumbling season. Unrelenting siege of Srinagar city coupled with the jamming of cell-phones created a scary atmosphere so detrimental to this tourist season. While one cannot question the intelligence reports, this unprecedented security bandobast was at variance with the marked drop in violence in the state. However one can draw comfort from the fact that there is still a whole season ahead. And there is good reason for all the interests in the state to make it a success. Yes, in one sense, it is a fraught demand to make in the context of Kashmir. For, an extended peaceful season plays differently to the various ideological and political interests in the state. For the government it means the return of normalcy which in the state’s context has become an euphemism for the end of the separatist struggle. And on the other hand, for the pro-freedom alliances, it seems to take the attention away from the long running pursuit of their political goal. This politicization of a peaceful season thus creates an uneasy dynamic that has frequently proved destabilizing for the Valley. So, there needs to be some serious introspection on the issue by the both sides. Government and for that matter the media in India has to restrain its compulsive temptation to declare victory over every peaceful break in the situation. In past, such triumphant declarations have led to a lot of bloodshed in the Valley which invariably have plunged the Valley into long periods of turmoil. Separatist quarters, on the other hand, have understandably felt insecure about the normalcy, for the simple fact that it is often portrayed as a sign of their political irrelevance. And which, let us be frank enough to admit, it is not. Separatism in the Valley is not fundamentally sustained by the violence but by a mass sentiment that in its various strains is predominantly shared in the state. And this sentiment is now even acknowledged nationally and internationally with the efforts being made to address the six decade long dispute over the state. To their credit, separatists on their part have traditionally supported tourism in the state as a backbone of the Valley’s economy. And even this year, all the major separatists have welcomed the tourist arrivals in Valley.  This puts the onus on the government which has to ensure that the incidents of human rights violations in the state are not only checked but the security personnel who indulge in them are brought to justice. This alone can guarantee a good tourist summer that gives a leg up to the state’s economy after years of aborted seasons.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:00:00 IST