Lobbies At Play – Jammu Kashmir

Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again spent Diwali with our Army jawans in Jammu & Kashmir — at Rajauri — acknowledging the role of the army in keeping the threat of cross border terrorism in check and sending out the message that Kashmir was now fully integrated with the country. The abrogation of Art 370 by Indian Parliament on August 5 last, with a simultaneous clampdown on the assembly of people throughout the State of J&K, has over these three months not altered the tenor of response from the world community that had shown, from India’s point of view, a considerable degree of understanding of the compelling reasons behind the move of the Modi regime. There is, however, a gathering chorus of voices at home and abroad demanding an expeditious return to normalcy of civil life in the State. It is hoped the Centre and the State administration together are succeeding in effectively neutralizing the militants and pro- Pak elements in J&K who had had a free run of the place earlier and who basically provided the raison d’etre for the Indian move. The dilemma for the government in Kashmir is that unless the externally aided troublemakers were rendered ineffective, they would continue to keep the Kashmiris under a cloak of fear by carrying out stray acts of violence and prevent normalization of business, educational and health-related activities.