(The article was initially printed in Indian Express as part of Dr Ram Madhav’s column titled Ram Rajya on August 08, 2026. Views expressed are private.)
The Kashmir Valley witnessed the annual ritual of protests and demonstrations by the native political events just like the Nationwide Convention (NC) and the Individuals’s Democratic Social gathering (PDP) on August 5 towards the historic resolution of the Authorities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seven years in the past, to nullify Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian Structure. Within the final seven years, this has change into a perfunctory ritual for these events. There have been some demonstrations exterior the parliament too during which some INDI alliance companions just like the Congress and the Left events additionally joined.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah selected to avoid Srinagar on that day, on the pretext of visiting flood affected areas in Poonch. One mainstream media outlet in Srinagar commented that he intentionally selected that day for Poonch go to, whereas taking part in golf in Srinagar a day earlier. A number of senior NC leaders had been absent on the demonstrations in varied locations throughout the Valley. Individuals’s Convention chief Sajjad Lone restricted his protests to a publish on X platform calling Aug 5, 2019, as a “brutal coup” and cursing that the day might be held up “with contempt and disdain” by folks of J&Okay. Mehbooba Mufti, and her daughter Iltija, had been seen on the streets main motley crowds in protests.
Each Omar and Mehbooba made restoration of pre-2019 standing as the principle plank of their protests. From Poonch, Omar posted a message on X saying, “we haven’t forgotten & we haven’t reconciled far much less accepted our present circumstances”. He claimed that his social gathering was dedicated to “reversing all that was executed to J&Okay”. Mehbooba, main a candle march in Srinagar, insisted that “Article 370 was our safety, our dignity and our id” and “we won’t stay silent till the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A”.
Nonetheless, throughout the Valley, there was lukewarm response to those demonstrations from the politically mature, savvy and lively folks of J&Okay. They appear to have realised the futility of the rhetoric of those leaders. They know that there isn’t a risk of even a debate over the problem within the current political milieu, a lot much less it’s restoration. Omar Abdullah himself mentioned in 2024 that anticipating the restoration of article 370 from those that abrogated it’s “foolishness” and “deceiving the general public”. In actual fact, his authorities even omitted any point out of Article 370 within the Lieutenant Governor’s deal with to the J&Okay Meeting in January this yr. But, the ritual goes on.
Individuals of the UT understood and moved on, having fun with the advantages of excellent governance, growth and terror-free every day life beneath the post-2019 regime. They noticed the pathetic situation of democracy throughout the Line of Management in Pak Occupied Kashmir, and their very own brethren getting killed in hordes by the hands of the Pakistani navy only for demanding higher residing situations. They’re contrasting the life on this aspect of the road and the innumerable advantages in areas like healthcare, training, infrastructure, entrepreneurship and sports activities that they’re having fun with. They celebrated democracy by taking part within the elections to the UT Legislature in giant numbers in 2024.
Drawback with the Valley management is that they lack any forward-looking agenda and wish to take the folks backwards. Earlier, they used to bluff that they might take them again to pre-1953 standing though it was their very own management which had hollowed out Article 370 over many years after 1956. What occurred in 2019 was the elimination of a skeleton that grew to become a hindrance in complete integration of the state with the Indian Union.
Sadly, the Valley management needs to resurrect the useless. As an alternative, they need to be taught some classes from the leaders and folks of Ladakh. After reaching their long-standing demand of the UT standing, they got here up with a roadmap demanding sure constitutional protections and engaged in discussions with the Centre. Quite the opposite, the Valley leaders couldn’t transcend statehood demand and stored returning to their backward-looking agenda of restoration of Article 370.
So far as the demand for statehood is anxious, each the prime minister and the house minister mentioned that the present UT standing is non permanent, and statehood might be accorded at an applicable time. Article 370 was a short lived provision, however the Valley leaders loved it for 70 years. Why can’t they bear with this non permanent UT standing for just a few years?
Drawback is their chapter of concepts in relation to the way forward for the folks of J&Okay. They need to keep in mind that Article 370 is historical past and no mainstream social gathering within the nation, together with the Congress Social gathering, whose leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi joined their protests exterior the parliament, can dare to decide to its restoration. As an alternative, the Valley leaders can serve their folks higher by considering futuristically in regards to the prospects and alternatives that the Indian Structure provides for the general growth of the area.
