The declarations by Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh that India’s future was incomplete without a peaceful Kashmir and that the federal government would soon announce an alternative to the outrageous use of pellet guns as a tool to control unruly mobs, are praiseworthy steps in moving towards a peaceful solution to the raging violence that has claimed nearly 70 lives in the past two months.
The latest bout of violent unrest in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir — pitting stone-throwing and angry young people of the valley against armed policemen and security forces — began with the July 8 killing by Indian security forces of Burhan Wani, a 22-year-old commander of the militant group Hizbul Mujahideen, who had built up a major following on social media among disaffected Indian Kashmiri youth by rallying calls for an independent Kashmir.
Even as the merits of that action were being debated, the spate of violence that followed dealt a severe setback for India in its bid to continue an era of peace and stability in the long-troubled region.
Prior to Singh’s landmark visit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself sought to send out a message of reconciliation, expressing “deep concern and pain” at the violence and saying that all those killed, whether protesters or security personnel, were “part of us”. That tone was very different from the divisive rhetoric of some of his own colleagues and fellow members of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
Despite the soothing words, however, the ground reality remains starkly different: The authorities are still struggling to fully control the aggressive protests and subsequent police action. The challenges ahead were evident during Singh’s joint press conference with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who ended the meeting abruptly when confronted by tough questions about her apparently wavering stance on the situation. These incidents demonstrate that brute force cannot be the panacea to the vicious cycle of protests, militancy and the siege in Kashmir.
There is no better solution to decades of pent-up anger and feeling of disenchantment than the healing balm of empathy, sustained political dialogue and sensitised action that enable people to carry on with their lives and businesses in a peaceful and inclusive manner. It’s time the Indian government and political apparatus unite with the people in ensuring this.
