J&K at a crossroads

IT’s been five years since the Centre took the landmark decision to abolish Article 370 and bifurcate the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories. According to the government, the reorganisation was aimed at ‘fully integrating’ J&K and Ladakh into the national mainstream and ensuring that the people of these UTs were not deprived of constitutional rights and benefits of Central laws that were being enjoyed by residents of other parts of the country. The ruling BJP has often showcased the abrogation as the panacea for all ills plaguing J&K, but things have not turned out that way. The state-turned-UT finds itself at a crossroads today, awaiting the restoration of statehood as well as the resumption of Assembly elections.
In December last year, the Supreme Court had upheld the constitutional validity of the decision to abrogate Article 370, giving the Centre a leg up months before the Lok Sabha polls. At the same time, the court had directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hold the Assembly elections in J&K by September 30. With this deadline fast approaching, a high-level ECI team is set to visit the region later this week to review poll preparedness. A major challenge for the authorities is to provide a peaceful environment for the electoral exercise amid a spate of terror attacks that have targeted soldiers as well as civilians in recent months. What has added to the anxiety and uncertainty is the reluctance of the government to specify a time frame for restoring statehood, even as the move to grant more powers to the Lieutenant Governor has riled anti-BJP parties.
The Centre is making efforts to put J&K on the path of all-round development, but cross-border terrorism and the failure to take the regional political leadership along continue to obstruct the course of long-term peace and normalcy. Having all stakeholders on board is a must to herald a new dawn in the troubled region.