New Test Begins

Satwant Singh Rissam
Less than a week is left for Jammu and Kashmir to be split into two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh under the J&K Reorganization Act. This phase has begun with many unanswered questions which are leading to anxious moments and some kind of uncertainty in the minds of the people in Jammu and Kashmir. Everyone is waiting for the 1st November and thinking as to what lies ahead and what would Jammu and Kashmir be like thereafter.
BJP always believed that by taking away the special status of the Jammu and Kashmir, the people of the state would be brought closer to New Delhi. But many people, without having any political affiliation, in Jammu and Kashmir are unhappy with conversion of a state into a Union Territory (UT). This new step completely reflects that for the restoration of normalcy in the state, a politically suitable measure was adopted by the BJP. This ‘politically suitable measure’ becomes more suspicious because of floating voices, within the political circles here, that there would be no assembly elections in the Jammu and Kashmir for at least next one year.
Although the centre government is repeatedly stating that statehood would be restored as soon as normalcy returns. But this ‘normalcy’ clause points only towards Kashmir. BJP too has now made Jammu dependent on Kashmir with this ‘normalcy’ clause. In addition to it, this appears to be a new narrative set by the BJP government that the UT is the signal of abnormal times and it’s a road to normalcy. Surprisingly, what is a ‘normal’ remains unanswered. Is it end of the terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir or the complete change of mind of the people in Jammu and Kashmir? Let’s be honest that there are certain goals which may or may not be achieved by the administrative measures. For this, settling aspirations of people in democratic set up would be the only way forward. The answer to this lies in the conduct of assembly elections at the earliest.
However, for the BJP it won’t be easy because in their new political formula of Jammu and Kashmir stands the issue of delimitation.
Earlier, the mainstream political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir played an important role in settling aspirations of people but today, many of them are under detention. Moreover, things may worsen in the absence of mainstream political leaders of Jammu and Kashmir and then centre government won’t have any other political option. BJP has been trying to show that there would be some new leadership emerging from Jammu region because of the planned delimitation and the next CM would be from BJP. For me it’s like a bluff played by BJP with its cadre because if Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti agree to the new conditions set up by the central government in UT of Jammu and Kashmir, one of them could be the next CM again.
For the BJP led central government, a new test begins now in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir as they have to make everyone feel that the Kashmir valley is safe. Because Article 370 is gone it does not mean that people will start investing in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir only for patriotic reasons. Many challenges lie ahead and biggest of them is to bring change in perception. In Kashmir, Article 370 was not just a number but Kashmiris took it as their identity and a defense mechanism for any attempt to bring demographic change in the state. After abrogation of Article 370, Jammu region seems to slip away from BJP as it stood at shocking figure of 81 in just concluded Block development Council elections.
Obviously, BJP has never imagined such results but the restrictions in Kashmir in past some months have crashed the economy of Jammu. It appears Sarpanches and Panches have read the pulse of people better than the BJP who are yet in celebratory mood post abrogation of Article 370. BJP government has tried to change the internal parameters in the Jammu and Kashmir but issues of unemployment and development are still closer to people. This reality could not be altered and issues like Samba toll plaza may further wedge the gap between BJP and people in Jammu region. Now onwards, we all taste new democracy for which resetting has been done in haste. I hope all new solutions and schemes in future win the hearts and minds of people of the new UT.
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