The recent spurt in violence in Kashmir valley is due to the reason that the so called mainstream political leadership from all political shades did not do their job well in their past governing stints. While they enjoyed power, privileges and pelf, claiming to be peoples' representative they were never honest to connect to people at grass-root level and left the space for separatists element pampered by Pakistan who always wanted to keep Jammu Kashmir in strife.
The separatists, pursuing ‘Radical-Kashmir Doctrines' as their agenda radicalized the youth and further alienated the people from the national mainstream. The governing political lot instead of mingling with the people and neutralizing the adverse impact further pushed the separatists' agenda with their competitive semi-separatist and Kashmiri Centric narratives to keep their political relevance. It would have been better if the past state governments had avoided wastage of resources and energies on non-issues and pursued the objective of versatile development for the people with huge amount of available funds flowing from New Delhi for the purpose.
Governments' misplaced policies like flawed and exploitative employment policy, militants' rehabilitation policy of bringing back those who had raised arms against the state and many other faulty schemes added more fuel to the fire. Ostentatious appeals by the governments in succession to attract investment to uplift the state's economy and to engage unemployed were never succeeded as they always wanted huge Outsiders' investment without outsiders keeping their stakes in Kashmir closed.
Over and above political interference in highly specialized sphere of security maintenance and standing policy of appeasement has infused a sense of heroism among the youth in taking arm against the state. Social media played its role in bringing the youth into direct contact of militants and Hizbul commander Burhan Wani became an icon for the common Kashmiri youth particularly in southern districts of Kashmir valley.
This time the southern districts, the traditional stronghold of Muftis, became the hub of revived militancy. For those rivals who were dethroned in the last elections, PDP joining hands with right wing BJP became an eye-sore. These parties have also been clandestinely hobnobbing with the ultras to let the Muftis down with various political machinations. Anantnag belt with quite high literacy rate led to a good reservoir of educated, bright technical and disenchanted un-employed youth who see no hope with limited employment opportunities, feel disempowered with a perceived threat of losing special status and being overpowered by outsiders; provided a fertile ground for falling prey to ISI sponsored propaganda to lure them into militancy. This segment was exploited by Burhan Wani through social media. Proximity to the summer capital Srinagar gave further fillip to the momentum with the presence of large number of media men who were vital for making Burhan a hero.
New elements:
The current phase of revived militancy in southern districts of Kashmir is Hit and Run assault on Jammu Kashmir Police and security troops; stone-pelting openly on security forces coming face to face knowing well that CRPF and Police have been strictly asked to observe restraint who may at the most use stones, sticks or teargas shells. Another feature introduced is when CRPF or Police push the protestors and catch hold of someone, a large number of women comes out and enter a scuffle with the police and get the youth liberated from them.
Impact in Jammu:
There is a vertical division in perception of the situation in Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh. The separatists' movement in Kashmir valley has passed on to Wahabi school of thoughts suppressing century old ‘Sufism' and takes its essence from extreme Islamic point of view. This has influenced most of the people in the valley within all socio-economic segments. Pushing out the microscopic aboriginals Kashmiri Pandits and Hindus from Kashmir valley in 1990 has already disqualified the movement from being genuine political struggle. Jammu region is a Hindu majority area that has given shelter to Hindu refugees of India- Pakistan and Kashmiri Pandits pushed out from Kashmir valley and many other migrants.
There is a simmering discontent among people of Jammu against the political hegemony of Kashmir holding it responsible for discrimination with Jammu. People have strong affinity with the mainstream Indian nationalism and they strongly condemn separatist forces in the valley.
Jammu often accuses New Delhi for appeasing Kashmir holding it responsible for fragile peace in the state scuttling Jammu's economic progress by virtue of being tied to strife-torn Kashmir. It is better for all in the three regions of Jammu Kashmir and New Delhi to retrospect to salvage the old traditions of co-existence and brotherhood and find out how peace be restored in the interest of our state.
