If India wishes to unravel the complexities of Kashmir, constitutional autonomy is a pretty good starting point. The debate so far was dominated by people who never cared to understand the basic issues.
Having pragmatically won the world’s attention during the Kargil crisis, India now has to coolly assess the changed nuances of US policy, and understand the opportunity that lies ahead.
Words like 'ghuspethiye' or 'tushtikaran' resonate very little in West Bengal, nor do phrases like 'mangalsutra' or Amit Shah's distortion of Mamata Banerjee's 'Maa, Mati, Manush' slogan into 'mullah, madrasa, mafia'.
In 2021, the government allowed telcos to convert interest on deferred spectrum payments and AGR dues into equity. This made it the single largest stakeholder in Vodafone Idea.
New Delhi has, in past, too, objected to Chinese construction activities in Shaksgam Valley. Work in this strategic region gathered pace after the 2017 Doklam stand-off.
A theme has not yet emerged for BJP & people see lack of a contest, which makes it unexciting. For all these reasons, 2024 is turning out to be an unexpectedly theme-less election.
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