Enough of sympathy, Kashmir wants development

The people of Kashmir have realised that they are the victims of the manipulation by politicians including the two families who have governed for years. The people in the Valley have discovered a sense of betrayal. That realisation has transformed sentiments across the Valley, and explains the high voter turnout. Unfortunately, it took a natural disaster to bring home this devastating truth - victims saw that their own government was not with them. It was the army, NGOs and others local organisations who stepped forward to aid the victims and their families after floods.

Some of it is also due to what I believe is the promise of development offered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. When they see other states in the country progressing in terms of infrastructure and employment opportunities, they wonder why not Jammu and Kashmir? With infrastructure and economic progress high on the list of priorities, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have realized that the separatist forces have not helped to either elevate them from poverty or ensure their safety—their lives are the same and so is their suffering. Nothing has changed in so many years.

Politicians keep talking about Article 370, but has Article 370 helped the poor people of the state? I think 90 per cent of the locals don’t even know about Article 370. Had people known about it and reaped the benefits of Article 370, Kashmir would have been a flourishing state and the lives of the people would have changed for the better. The only people who have benefited from the Article 370 are the politicians in the Valley.

The level of corruption in Kashmir is unbelievable. There is a change in the rest of India and people of the J&K want to be a part of it. Life of the common people in Kashmir has remained unchanged; bereft of development and economic growth. Due to corruption, the gap between the rich and the poor has only widened over the years. The only thing that changes is the government, but not the amount spent on infrastructure and development. The powerful elites have continued to grow stronger by amassing wealth, while the poor continue to languish. It is either Abdullah family or the Muftis who have governed the state with support from the Congress—who keep changing their stance every election. There has been no clarity on who will help the poor people of the Valley.

The key issue that people in the Valley want to be addressed immediately is this: development of the state. As for AFSPA, it is being politicised. Is it Omar Abdullah or the common people who want it to be removed? We need Army in the state to ward off terrorist attacks, ensure safety and assist in relief operations. Minimum casualties took place in the state owing to the intervention of the army in rescue operations during floods this year.

When I visited Kashmir two weeks back, I experienced for the first time in 25 years the warmth and affection of a people yearning for change. It is hard to substantiate that feeling of warmth with statistics, though. In fact, I  met a couple of people in Kashmir who remarked: “We want our Kashmiri Pandits back.” The unprecedented turnout at the polls is a huge setback for the separatist forces who tried to instil fear through attacks.

The role of the youth cannot be undermined. Nothing can happen without their participation. Even the parents who turn up at the polling stations are encouraged by the youth. They are the future of Kashmir and they have shown they have the ability to inherit it.