Kashmir – the road ahead

Recently Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that ifPrime Minister Narendra Modi returns to power there is every possibility aboutsome kind of settlement being reached.

Assertion of the Pakistan Prime Minister triggered sharpreaction from the Congress party and other Opposition parties. Their reactionwas dismissed by the BJP as a poll gimmick. 

   

It seems that Pakistan too has recognized that Narendra Modiis a strong leader and is capable of taking firm decisions.  The BJP’s national general secretary RamMadhav during his recent visit to Srinagar said that Modi will have a “goldenhandshake with all global leaders in 2019” and “after his return to poweragain, things will change drastically.” (Greater Kashmir—April 13, 2019). 

People of Kashmir are also hoping that things would changefor the good and situation would improve. They too are eagerly waiting forelections to get over so that new dispensation is formed in Delhi and someonepays heed towards the hardships being faced by the people in the Valley.      

Many BJP leaders are claiming that situation in Kashmirwould improve soon after Modi returns to power. But the Opposition is not readyto buy this argument. All the parties have come together and want to see theend of BJP’s rule. However, for them the things are not falling at place asduring the first phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections people were seenvoting for BJP and Modi.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the past five yearshas emerged as a strong leader and the international community too hasrecognized it. The PM Modi was conferred the highest award by the UAEgovernment recently and Russia also conferred him with state’s highestdecoration.

People in Kashmir are watching the developments keenly asthey have realised that conflict and confrontation are not taking them anywhereand peace is the only way forward. If BJP returns to power it has to ensurethat youth are taken on board and they are provided with the enoughopportunities to shape up their careers and build their lives. Some sternmeasures like imposing the travel ban on highway for two days in a week need tobe reversed. And the people who believe in peace should be given a chance tocome forward and lead from the front.           

Since the day BJP has pulled out from the Peoples’Democratic Party led government in Jammu and Kashmir many things have been madeamply clear.  The central government hastaken a tough stand against the people who speak in one language in New Delhiand another in Jammu and Kashmir. Young faces have come up in politics and aresuccessfully challenging the hegemony of the traditional politicians. Theseyoung Turks of Kashmir politics have unnerved the big leaders, who till therecent past used to believe that they have been born to rule.

Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and NationalConference vice-president Omar Abdullah had recently expressed dismay over thenew parties and leaders emerging at the political arena of Kashmir. He hadaccused New Delhi of creating new leaders and parties to divide the votes oftraditional parties.  Someone needs totell Omar that times have changed and Kashmiri people have moved on. They canno longer be fooled by raising “hollow slogans” and giving false assurances.They want results. It’s clear that days of traditional political parties areover and they can no longer call the shots just on the basis of them being theheirs of the leaders, who ruled Jammu and Kashmir in the past.

If  Narendra Modireturns to power and goes ahead with his proposed plan of having a “goldenhandshake” with all the global leaders it would mean peace and prosperity andthe elements who are inimical to peace and talk about 1947 to justify violencewould stand isolated. Such elements need to sit back and introspect rather thanremaining adamant on their stands. They should see the writing on the wall,which clearly states that world has rejected the violence and there is no spacefor gun culture left anywhere. Kashmir has to change for better at least forthe sake of its younger generation, which has been pushed to the brink and isnot sure about its future. Let’s put our act together and work towards buildingprosperous Kashmir.        

(The writer is a former journalist and member of JK Youth Alliance)

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