No doubt, the return of normalcy is a positive sign but this nowhere should mean that everything is fine in the valley — which for decades has been bearing the brunt of terrorism, sponsored by the Army establishment of Pakistan. True that cases of terrorism and stone pelting have reduced but radicalism, which still runs strong, among the youths of the valley remains a big concern.

Amid all this, signs of change are visible in the valley’s politics too. The increase in voter turnout in the District Development Council (DDC) elections held in December shows that a chunk of the valley are willy-nilly trying to accept that their fate is tied with India’s democracy. This section is somehow realizing, how bitter it may be, that Article 370 is now a thing of the past.

Although the mainstream parties — the National Conference (NC) of Farooq and Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti-led People’s Democratic Party (PDP) — are still banking on Article 370. The two parties — once arch-rivals — have now come together to fight for the restoration of Article 370 and even formed an alliance called People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), which also includes the CPI(M), Awami National Conference (ANC) and Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement (JKPM). Sajjad Lone’s People’s Conference (PC) too was part of PAGD — and even fought the DDC elections together — but left the alliance citing differences with the other constituents.

It’s not an easy task for these parties to abandon the issue of Article 370 — which for decades has been critical for their survival in heavily polarised valley politics. But the post-370 Kashmir is different from the previous Kashmir. The present leadership of both NC and PDP didn’t get significant backing from the Kashmiris when they were unfairly locked up within their residents for many months — this would, no doubt, add leverage to the Centre while dealing with the regional leadership.

In addition to this, the resignation of Syed Ali Shah Geelani from his hardline faction of All Party Hurriyat Conference — an umbrella organization of various separatist groups — points towards the limited role of Pakistan, tangled with its financial problems plus international pressure to curb its homegrown terrorism, in meddling internal political affairs of the post-370 Kashmir. Not to forget that Pakistan tried all its efforts to raise international pressure on India for its internal decision to abrogate Article 370 but prime minister Imran Khan’s desperate efforts to marginalize India in the international forum didn’t pay off — as even Islamic powers like Saudi Arabia and UAE refrained themselves from indulging in India's internal affairs. Only countries like Turkey and Malaysia came on board with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.

Presently there is a vacuum in Kashmir — as the influences of Pakistan-sponsored Hurriyat separatists and the mainstream parties like NC and PDP are showing signs of waning. It is this void that the Altaf Bukhari led Apni Party, formed in the year 2020, is trying to fill-up. The party — often termed as an agent of New Delhi — significantly isn’t banking on the promise of returning Article 370. It focuses on development and restoration of the state status of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir — interestingly even the Centre has said repeatedly, without specifying the time, that it would restore the state status.

The Apni party has already managed to seize control posts of chairperson and vice-chairpersons in Srinagar and Shopian DDCs. Interestingly, Srinagar, which has eight assembly constituencies, has been known as a bastion of NC — where it performed poorly in the DDC elections. The allegations by PAGD constituents against the Apni Party for indulging in horse-trading don’t add much value — as in politics, it’s the responsibility of the parties to hold their members together.

Also, it is not known for how long this alliance would continue sailing against the fissures within the constituents. The DDC elections too showed that NC is stronger than PDP — which no doubt has lost a significant portion of the ground support it had in 2014. So, it’s only a matter of time for PAGD to become history — already IAS topper turned politician Shah Faesal, once a strong critic of the Modi government, too has once again started praising the government by distancing himself from PAGD and his party JKPM.

Importantly, there are many aspirations of the people of the valley — ravaged by Pakistan sponsored terrorism for decades now — and mainstream politics has to focus on it. Instead of demanding restoration of Article 370, the focus should be on development and engage with the disenchanted population of the valley to counter radicalism and separatism.

With no assembly, Jammu and Kashmir has no member in the Rajya Sabha. The Centre rightfully conducted DDC elections to take democracy to the grassroots and now it’s time for the Modi government to take immediate steps to conduct pending assembly elections of Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible and also restore the state status to consolidate the normalcy in the valley. (IPA Service)