There is a new maturity in Kashmir politics where the leaders have realised it amply that the only way out for them to show their strength is to invest heavily in democracy as that also is path to retain their Kashmiri identity in their fight against the might of BJP that is seeking to turn the political landscape in its favour in this landscape which is in the international attention , and often becomes part of its discourse , too.
At stake is the preservation of Kashmiri Muslim identity, its special traditions and culture as also Kashmiri language . And since the Valley has witnessed turbulent times , the parties are seeking to rise above their original rivalries to achieve the common goal so that there is no further erosion of their soil.
The parties feel at the receiving end because of what they call unilateral and lop-sided recommendations made by the Delimitation Commission at the behest of BJP, the ruling party at the Centre, This, they see a concrete attempt by the saffron party eyeing political power in Jammu and Kashmir on its own by its one-sided narrative of having changed everything for better in the union territory after the abrogation of the Article 370 in August 2019 . The Kashmir-centric parties National Conference and People’s Democratic Party , the combined strength of the two parties in the last legislative Assembly was 43 out of 87 and out of these 43,these two parties had won on 38 out of 43 seats in the Valley . This showed their electoral strength , but this was less than the strength that they could have garnered had they not fought between themselves, charging each other of having a secret alliance with BJP.
This political maturity is born out of their political compulsions as also the lessons delivered to them and their voters and supporters across the Valley in the post-Article 370 era . The doing away with the special status of the erstwhile state and its bifurcation into two federally administered union territories on August 5 served a severe jolt to them and their vote bank. The abrogation of the Article 370 orphaned them politically as their vow not to allow the Centre to do anything like this did not fructify. Their vow got decimated within hours of it being made on august 4, 2019 . They were jailed or put under house arrest , and they had no means to communicate among themselves , but they could feel strong only after they were set free. But the road to discovery of their original power was disrupted by the continuous extension of the central laws , and their visits were curtailed by the authorities whenever they thought that such movement could pose a serious breach of peace.
Now the political parties whose support base is rooted in the Valley, its Kashmiri Muslim identity, believe than an extra responsibility has been thrust upon them. They are clear in their minds that the BJP led government at the Centre that snapped their special status , and reduced drastically the area over which they used to rule, with the separation of Ladakh , has to be resisted to save whatever has been left with them.. Despite their past misdeeds and blunders, the people in Kashmir have no alternative but to support them, but they are not sure in what shape these parties will present themselves . If they appear as separate entities as they had been doing in the past , then it would be difficult for them to make a choice to elect a powerful entity . This time, the shape of the electoral fight, they know, is not between the Kashmiri parties , but against BJP that has decimated nativist rights. So , it is their desire and wish that all these parties come together to stand up to the BJP, for the saffron party is viewed with greater suspicion than ever before.
The Kashmiri electorate are clear-eyed about the situation in which they are living , and equally conscious that nothing is going to change after the elections, no party can undo August 5 decisions , and all the combined strength of the Kashmiri parties will be far from sufficient to move even a baby step in resisting the Centre and the ways with which it is moving in J&K. Their test is whether they can maintain their religious ad political identity . Their being able to elect their own candidates would be a necessary step in clinging on to their identity.
Whether it is NC or PDP or any other political grouping in Kashmir, they are investing in the democratic capital to ensure that that their vote is not split. Time and again, they are cautioning the youth against picking stones or guns because that would disrupt the democratic course that they have adopted , for they have to present themselves the real voice of the people as against those who want to lure them with attractive promises . Their primary concern is to save themselves and their constituents at the time, and then bide time till some change takes place and they are able to raise their voice . This is the reward they are looking for through the investment among their people.
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