There may have been some expectations tied to Amit Shah’s first visit to Kashmir as the Union home minister last week, but it is fair to say that a top politician’s trip to a very troubled part of the country may just as well have been a visit by a high-level bureaucrat. The powerful Mr Shah trod the beaten track, and nothing more.
It became clear that in its second avatar the Modi government continues to believe that the only way to deal with Kashmir valley — evidently on account of its Muslim demographics (and there is nothing so far that tells us otherwise) — is to deal with it harshly.
This suggests the status quo is likely to continue — more crackdowns and hunt for terrorists. That, of course, is necessary. The trouble is this, however: while the hardened foreign terrorists are being brought down, the government's policy is hardening attitudes and causing greater alienation among the local people.
The reason is that boys barely in their teens are running away from home to fight the government with the gun and they are mostly laid low within a week of leaving home. It is now the very young that are dying for whatever cause they think they are serving.
Some way needs to be found, therefore, to talk to them even while going full throttle at the foreign mercenary terrorists. The home minister's trip gave no signs that this might happen anytime soon. In fact, while Mr Shah was in the valley, there were income tax raids on prominent business families linked to the National Conference and the Congress.
The message that goes out is that the government in intent on cracking down hard not only on the financial transactions of separatist politicians of the Hurriyat Conference, but also of the mainstream politicians of J&K. This cannot be intended to win hearts and minds.
Days before the home minister’s visit, governor Satyapal Malik had caused a flutter when he spoke words that hinted at a possible opening of dialogue with the Hurriyat. Mr Shah’s words and actions, in fact, point to no such thing and may be seen as a repudiation of the stance struck by the governor. This can't do the governor’s reputation much good.
It is probably the first time that on a visit to Kashmir a home minister of the country has not met a single politician. Thus, no surprise was occasioned when in Parliament on his return Mr Shah went for an extension of President’s rule in the state. With the Amarnath Yatra commencing today, security forces do need to be on high alert. Present arrangements indeed need to continue. But when the pilgrimage ends in August, a wise government would seek to work toward holding Assembly polls. These could easily have been held with the Parliament election but weren’t in order to deny Kashmir popular rule.
