Jammu and Kashmir is a union territory in northern India. It comprises two major regions: Jammu and the Kashmir Valley. A third region, Ladakh, along with Jammu and Kashmir, was a part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir until 2019. After the abrogation of Article 370, the state was broken into two: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The region is known for breathtaking landscapes with a history going back to the Indus Valley Civilization, with evidence of various empires — Gandhara, Mauryan, Kushan, Gupta, Mughal, and Dogra — ruling the area.
The region has been a bone of contention between India and Pakistan since its 1947 accession to India. The two countries fought a war that resulted in the establishment of the Line of Control (LoC) and divided the region into Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Both Pakistan and China claim portions of Indian-administered Kashmir and Ladakh regions. It has been marred with violent incidents of militancy, which gained momentum in the 1980s and 1990s. The situation, fuelled by various grievances including political alienation, human rights abuses, and economic disparities, has resulted in prolonged conflict and counterinsurgency operations by security forces.
Nobody, surely not its leaders in the least, will at any time have a smooth ride in a Nation in the making.
A lot will depend on whether primacy is accorded to national interest, as opposed to pursuing a purely partisan agenda. In the past, successive governments in Delhi have recognised the sensitivity of the state, been willing to suppress the natural instinct of any party to seek power. That allowed the mainstream politicians to serve as a bridge. If, through a combination of gerrymandering of constituencies, low voter turnout and all the other dark arts that define electoral politics in India today, it becomes possible to install a Hindu CM in Srinagar, would that be in India’s best interests. Few would regard the 365 days gone by as the path that leads to heaven.