Editorial: Restore electoral democracy

Though Modi spoke about development in Jammu and Kashmir, true empowerment of people will come by strengthening democratic processes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Kashmir outreach, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, is a welcome development but the twin challenges — restoring statehood and holding Assembly elections — remain unaddressed. Nearly five years after the abrogation of Article 370, ending special status to Jammu & Kashmir, the promised developmental push still remains elusive while the NDA government is unable to give a specific time frame for restoration of statehood. The Supreme Court had, in December last year, directed the Election Commission to hold J&K Assembly polls by September 30, 2024. The union Territory has been without an elected government since June 2018 when the BJP withdrew support to Mehbooba Mufti-led government. During his first visit to the Valley after scrapping the special status, the Prime Minister spoke about peace and development in the region in the last five years but the true empowerment of people comes by strengthening the democratic processes and giving them a sense of participation. The gains from ending the special status cannot fully materialise unless Kashmiris are made stakeholders in their own development. Modi reached out to the Valley residents with the slogan ‘Viksit Bharat, Viksit Jammu Kashmir’ and the message of his visit was clear: the State-turned-Union Territory’s development will go hand in hand with that of the rest of the country. He launched a string of development projects worth Rs 6,400 crore, including initiatives in the tourism sector and a plan for the integrated development of the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar.

The Centre has been pushing a narrative that J&K has been enjoying full freedom and peace, and touching new heights of development post-abrogation. It is also argued that the number of terror-related incidents has come down significantly in recent years. The annual death toll — both of civilians and security personnel — has also been waning. No major terror strike has taken place in Kashmir after the Pulwama attack of February 2019. The government has been prioritising development and employment in a bid to wean the youth away from the path of extremism. While it cannot be denied that the region is on the road to progress with a vast majority of people yearning for development and peace, the government is yet to fulfil its key promises of holding free and fair elections and restoration of statehood. An inordinate delay in undertaking these all-important exercises is sending out the message that all is not well on the ground. This runs contrary to the government’s claim that everything is hunky-dory in J&K. The resumption of the electoral process is the need of the hour to regain the trust of political parties and voters. Allowing democracy to wither is a recipe for disaster in a region highly vulnerable to cross-border terrorism. The simmering discontent over perceived disempowerment following the revocation of the special status as well as statehood must be addressed.