Between An Era Of Darkness And A New Dawn

It has been a year of political statements. It has been a year of government orders. It has been a year of political declarations from Kashmir-based political parties against the government’s various directives. And it has been a year of the Lt Governor Administration issuing all sorts of laws and amendments irrespective of condemnation from the political leadership.

The year started with artists painting the roads of Srinagar. The road art took off with great fanfare. Young artists painted roads of Srinagar with old traditional Kashmiri houses. In some places, they depicted rural Kashmir, and in some other places, they highlighted Kashmiri culture: a Kashmiri woman with a samovar and a male outside his mud house in a village. The road art got good press. The government appreciated it. The government officials made the art viral on social media.  At one place artists had even kept Shikara on the road as a tribute to the Dal Lake. At the end of the year, the art has disappeared from the roads and there is no trace of Shikara.

Instead, we see bulldozers are on the roads digging up the paved roads under the smart city project. Life in Kashmir is all about artists' brushes and bulldozers.

There have been intense political activities this year. Every week political parties organise rallies. They hold meetings. Most of the political parties have got smart, suave and English-speaking spokespersons. They are always giving live commentary on various issues on social media. Some also shout. There is no sight of the elections in J&K but still, throughout the year political parties held gatherings and rallies. These rallies keep the politics of the place intact. They also keep political parties in their shape. Otherwise, with no election in sight, the parties could have disintegrated. But they have not. It is a success of the mainstream political parties that they are making some noise. 

In these gatherings, the political leaders talk about the restoration of Article 370. The mainstream leaders condemn the government for issuing “edicts” and taking such policy steps, which they say are aimed at disempowering the people of Jammu and Kashmir. They accuse the government of lying about development projects and investment. But the government doesn’t give two hoots. The government, it seems, has divided Kashmir's history into two parts: An Era of Darkness and A New Dawn. If you go by the statements of the BJP leaders, Kashmir was all about nepotism and corruption before the abrogation of Article 370 and there was no development and darkness was all around. But after the removal of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir are witnessing a new dawn, it is on the path of development for the first time in 70 years. The BJP draws you into this narrative and once you enter the debate you are stuck in it.

All these years the government has cancelled almost all recruitment lists it published after conducting exams. They were cancelled after charges of corruption surfaced. Before political parties could have voiced their concern over it, the government chipped in and called the cancellation a positive step. The BJP argued earlier that such lists were not cancelled and blue-eyed were recruited. You cannot beat them in the narrative. 

The political parties say no investment has come to J&K in these years. The government says the government figures the parties are quoting are not right and new ones will be given. This way life moves on.

On August 3 this year, two days ahead of the third anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, two persons affixed Indian Tricolour on the separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference office gate at Rajbagh, in Srinagar uptown. Sandeep Mawa, who calls himself a Kashmiri Pandit activist, after placing the flag on the office of a separatist conglomerate, said Pakistan and the Hurriyat Conference were responsible for turning Kashmiri into hell. The move is an indication of the complete disappearance of the separatists in the Kashmir scene after the abrogation of Article 370 as if they didn't exist.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the moderate separatist leader and chairman of the Hurriyat Conference, according to him, continues to be under house arrest since August 2019.  And his old colleague Bilal Gani Lone is making moves like addressing Peoples Conference workers in the Kupwara district showing his inclination to participate in the polls, whenever they are held. That is only news from the separatist camp.  But it is the elections that are not happening in Jammu and Kashmir.

In her rally at the Sheri Kashmir Park in Srinagar, former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the government of India one day will be compelled to restore Article 370. There was a thundering applause from her workers. Later on November 24, she asked the Centre to restore Article 370 and resolve the Kashmir issue if it wants to "keep Kashmir". She said people want the return of their identity and honour.

On November 30 Mufti moved out of her official residence after around 20 years as the government had threatened to invoke a law against her in case she didn't leave. She left her Fairview residence at Gupkar Road to settle with her daughter and mother, at her sister’s house in Khimber, around 16 km from her official residence. Now the police described her new house as unsafe.

The year also started with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha saying the government is committed to establishing peace in Jammu and Kashmir. He said instead of the "past practice of buying peace the government will establish peace.”  He gave the statement after the targeted killing of the minority Kashmiri pandits.

But at the end of the year Sinha gave a statement that no one in the establishment has given so far: Besides Kashmiri Pandits, a lot of other people were also killed in Kashmir and insisted the country should stop seeing the killings of Kashmiri Pandits on the basis of religion.

The year witnessed a huge rush of tourists. The hoteliers were most happy. They charged tourists according to their will and the tourists were also ready to pay whatever they were asked. The year also saw a ceasefire along the Line of Control between India and Pakistan intact without any violation. However, in November Northern Army Commander Lt General Upendra Dwivedi said the Indian Army is ready to execute orders like taking back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "As far as the Indian Army is concerned, it will carry out any order given by the Government of India. Whenever such orders are given, we will always be ready for it," said Northern Army Commander said. This shows an uneasy relationship between the two countries.

Former R&AW Chief A S Dulat is back in praise of Farooq Abdullah. He argues if the BJP extends a warm hand to Farooq, he is willing to understand even though there is no love lost between Prime Minister Modi and Farooq Abdullah. He says Farooq could deal with the BJP. He has come up with the second book “A Life in the shadows.” Hope it will be different. His earlier book “Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years” was all about Farooq Abdullah and how much injustice has been done to him by not making him Chief Minister. If Dulat is given one chance in his life he would install Farooq Abdullah Chief Minister of J&K without polls and claim Kashmir is now in safe hands. 

Meanwhile, Farooq Abdullah is signing in Delhi:

Jeena Yahan Marna Yahan
Iske Siva Jaana Kahan