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Opinion: The burning leaves of Chinar - Why PDP & BJP abandoned Jammu & Kashmir

New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaWritten By: Kartikeya SharmaUpdated: Jun 20, 2018, 10:26 AM IST
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File photo: PM Modi and Mehbooba Mufti. Photograph:(AFP)

PDP and BJP abandoned the state of Jammu and Kashmir for pure electoral reasons. The PDP's feeble response to the sudden move of BJP pulling out of the alliance which was ruling the state also looked fake. It came across as an orchestrated exercise where two partners wanted a breather from a responsibility which they failed to carry through. Tuesday's drama is a grim reminder of the state of politics that even responsibility of governance can be sacrificed at the altar of pure electoral politics and that too in the name of national security and nationalism.

Like a choreographed exercise, PDP stressed upon sacrifice of the PDP workers and dialogue while BJP stressed upon the assassination of Shujaat Bukhari and deteriorating situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Not once was PDP's attack on BJP scathing. The point in case is that both ran the government for three years and looked pretty thick in the affairs of the state barring issues which concerned their own political constituencies. The sudden withdrawal is a cold step in preserving whatever is left of both parties in the state.
 
The fact is that hope had turned into despair in Jammu and Kashmir. Both Centre and the state looked feeble and politically disoriented. The experiment which began with great fanfare became Kashmir's and PDP-BJP's biggest nightmare. Both the parties were unable to reconcile the core agenda and were becoming victims of their own politics. While PDP's supporters desired political solution, BJP's member wanted abolition of Article 370 and rehabilitation of pandits in the Valley. Both front with numerable expectations never moved an inch. Whatever happened was a low-level political discourse where 'us' and 'them' became central to the political talk.
 
The decision looks sudden but writing on the fall was clear for BJP and PDP for last one year. Shujaat Bukhari's assassination was just a trigger. It was a mirror which showed that both PDP and BJP were left with no political capital in the state. Both parties lost trust of the people in the Valley. But what is more interesting is that Kashmir has demonstrated the limit of BJP's electoral agenda. The BJP could not move an inch on Sainik colonies, rehabilitation of pandits, Article 370 and Article 35(A). All these issues were central to BJP's election campaign in the state.
 
Jammu and Kashmir, initially a jewel in the crown, became the crown of thorn for BJP. The party's muscular approach failed in the state and led to radicalisation of youth. Hyper-nationalist discourse supported in rest of the India impacted an average Kashmiri adversely. It allowed the other parts of the country to believe that Kashmir can be solved through the power of gun and talks, and reconciliation can happen later. The discourse met a stiff resistance at the local level. The locals resist the idea of free hand to the Army. The debates and controversies galore ultimately led to delegitimisation of the PDP-BJP alliance.

In the end, both parties in order to save themselves, politically abandoned the state. Jammu and Kashmir is unlike any other state. Congress committed a similar mistake in 1980s and paid the price. History has repeated itself, but this time with the BJP. Once again, the state of Jammu and Kashmir has been abandoned for electoral reasons. The only way to start again is to acknowledge that state has political issues and that military response can be one part of a counter response but not the main. We all need to learn to live with this reality.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)