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In nearly 5 years of Modi govt at Centre, has Kashmir’s situation worsened or improved?

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The BJP claimed victory in the recent urban local body elections in Kashmir, ignoring the dismal voter turnout. But after four years of adopting a muscular security policy toward militancy in the valley, there has been no let-up in the violence and alienation.

ThePrint asks: In nearly 5 years of Modi government at Centre, has Kashmir’s situation worsened or improved?


BJP has only made Kashmiris more insecure

Waheed Rehman Para
President, PDP Youth Wing

The Kashmir conflict has spanned nearly seven decades and hardly any substantive measures have been taken to address it. While there has been a move towards resolution at various points in time, there hasn’t been a permanent solution.

When we (the PDP) entered into an alliance with the BJP in Kashmir, we had great hopes. We believed Narendra Modi had a strong mandate at the Centre, and the necessary will to address the problem. The alliance was born out of the idea that we will address the problem of Kashmir – internally and externally. The idea was to engage with elements inside the state, as well as Pakistan to address all issues across dimension of the Kashmir.

But it soon became clear that the real will to address the issue was missing. Yes, there was an interlocutor, a reinstatement of the ceasefire and an amnesty program. However, when such a huge force is deployed across the borders, mistakes are bound to be made. These mistakes have only alienated the people of Kashmir further.

The core issue of Kashmir isn’t about governance, it is about the identity and dignity of Kashmiris. The BJP instead focused on weakening the constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir with attacks on 35A. It has only made the people of Kashmir more insecure.

The BJP has indulged only in empty sloganeering in the state. Kashmir is not a real estate problem that can be solved by investing money in it, it is a humanitarian problem. What was needed was a policy on the lines of what Vajpayee had put forth, insaaniyat ke daaire mein.

None of the slogans PM Narendra Modi put forth translated into tangible change in the situation on the ground.

Kashmir is in a very fragile situation right now. A whole new generation is taking up violence and arms against the state. We need a decisive political intervention to be able to engage with the youth in Kashmir.


Jammu and Kashmir is in a better state now than it was in 1996 or 2002

Khalid Jehangir
BJP Spokesperson, Jammu and Kashmir

The situation in Kashmir doesn’t necessarily depend on which party is in power. Whether it is the BJP in power or the Congress, the situation in the Valley has been complicated. It is our neighbour Pakistan that ends up influencing the situation in Kashmir in a predominant way.

We, the BJP, have taken a proactive role in attempting to handle this complicated terrain. It is for everyone to see that our security forces have been on the offensive. We have cracked down on hawala rackets and terror outfits in the state. It only goes to show that the BJP will not compromise on the security situation of the country.

We have received the mandate of the people in the state. The BJP has shown its best ever performance and won 100 seats in the Jammu region. The people support us and have faith in out attempts.

The results of the local body polls show that the BJP is still a favorite party of the people.

To all the nay sayers, Jammu and Kashmir is in a better state now than it was in 1996 or 2002. We are constantly working to improve the situation of the state by taking a strong approach against any militant activities. A peaceful atmosphere will prevail in the state in the upcoming years.


PM Modi must address Kashmir problem with ‘insaaniyat’

Ali Mohammad Sagar
General Secretary, NC

It is obvious that the situation in Kashmir has deteriorated with advent of the BJP government at the Centre. Whether you’re talking politically, in terms of law and order or economically, the performance of the state has worsened.

The many promises made by the PDP and the BJP have proved to be false and deceptive. One can easily draw the conclusion that the alliance was a complete disaster. The BJP is only trying to sell their own political agenda in Jammu and Kashmir. It was BJP activist who filed the 35A petition. People know that, and the hue and cry that followed showed how the people felt.

As for militancy, it is visible to the naked eye how much it has increased. Hundreds of educated young people have taken to arms. It is highly unfortunate, and a grave concen that must be immediately addressed. Some of the longest operations have also been undertaken by this government, but to what avail? The international borders are unstable. They have barely made a difference. There is no semblance of peace in south Kashmir. There are crackdowns every day; casualties are increasing as are the attacks. They have become routine in Kashmir now.

We need a seamless dialogue process to address the deteriorating situation in the state, and PM Modi must stick to what he said from the ramparts of the Red Fort and address the problem with ‘insaaniyat’.


Political uncertainty in J&K has increased radicalisation

Sham Lal Sharma
Senior leader and former Congress minister

The alliance between the BJP and the PDP in itself was problematic; it was like the confluence of the North and the South Poles. However, they did come to power with a lot of promises, despite glaringly different political ideologies. Each of them campaigned against the other, so it didn’t come as much of a surprise when it collapsed.

One has to understand that by going against their own ideologies to ally, the parties gambled. The moment they came to power together, their acceptability went down. The BJP may have won more number of seats in the local body polls, but their vote share has fallen in Jammu.

As a result of this political uncertainty, the radicalisation has increased in the state. Militancy is on the rise. There are casualties almost every other day. The LoC and our entire international border is unstable. All of this can be traced back to an ideological tie up that did nothing for the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Even worse, mainstream political parties that should have been constantly engaged in the dialogue process have been left out of the picture.

In short, it is complete failure on both the internal and external policy front on part of the central government. If we keep ignoring the situation, it will only go from bad to worse.


Govt has no long-term or short-term plan to deal with Kashmir situation

Maneesh Chhibber
Editor (investigations & special projects), ThePrint

Kashmir has always been at the centre of the BJP’s discourse, especially during elections. Since May 2014, when the Narendra Modi government took over at the Centre, the government has made repeated claims that the situation on the ground in Kashmir improving. The frequency of such claims grew after the BJP and the PDP came together to form the government in the state again, this time under Mehbooba Mufti.

But, the reality was quite different.

The number of civilian deaths in militancy-related incidents in 2017 showed a surge by 166 per cent compared to 2016. Terror strikes also increased. There was no let-up in the deaths of security force personnel, with the only good news being that 213 terrorists have also been killed.

In fact, one reason why the BJP walked out of the Mehbooba Mufti-led government in June was over worsening law and order situation. Even senior BJP leaders acknowledged it.

But, more than the propaganda, what should worry all is the fact that this government seems to have no long-term or even short-term plan to deal with the Kashmir situation – clueless is the right word.

One day we are told using pellet guns to quell protests on the streets will be the right answer to the ‘anti-nationals’, a few days later, having possibly realised that strong-arm tactics weren’t working, we started hearing about the need to reach out to Kashmiris.

Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi is guilty of sending out conflicting messages on Kashmir – one day he is very Atal Bihari Vajpayee-like large-hearted and accommodating  and on another day, he has the completely opposite bullet-for-stones attitude.

The poor turnout in the recent urban local body elections in the state – the worst ever – should have set alarm bells ringing in Delhi. But, the reaction is completely different, the government and the BJP leadership are busy patting themselves for a job well done, with governor Satya Pal Malik already talking of holding assembly elections.

But, if less than 5 per cent voter turnout is the government’s idea of things taking a turn for the better in Jammu and Kashmir, where is the room for any debate.


Law and order responsibility of state, Centre can’t be held responsible

K. Rajendra Kumar
Former DGP, Jammu and Kashmir

Police and public order is a state subject and Centre’s role is limited to providing support to the state governments, in terms of providing funds for police modernisation, deputing central police forces to assist the states and ensuring seamless coordination and exchange of intelligence.
However, it is the sole responsibility of the state government to maintain law and order, and the Centre cannot be held responsible for it. In the case of Jammu and Kashmir, which has a hostile neighbour that hosts a large number of terrorists, the task becomes very challenging for the local police to handle the situation even with active support of security forces. While the international border and LoC is guard by the BSF/Army, the local police is responsible for maintaining law and order and carrying out counter-terrorism operations in synergy with the security forces.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police is at the forefront in the fight against terrorism and has achieved considerable success in neutralising a large number of terrorists, which led to desperation among terrorists resulting in the kidnapping and killing of unarmed police personnel and ‘suspected informers ‘ to choke channels of intelligence. However, due to fresh local recruitment and infiltration, terrorists’ strength has increased.
Issues of governance deficit, lack of transparency, corruption and other social media pressures pushed some youth to turn towards terrorism as an alternative in the absence of fruitful engagement with them by the political establishment. Imposition of governor’s rule is timely and is aimed at addressing all these issues.

By Deeksha Bhardwaj, journalist at ThePrint. You can reach her @deekbhardwaj on twitter.

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