A New Dawn for Jammu & Kashmir

While addressing the last sitting of the 17th Lok Sabha, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi said that the commitment of his government towards the social justice is reaching the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Indeed this has been the prime objective of the policy makers while devising the strategy to deliver justice to the people in Jammu and Kashmir. As for more than three decades the people have marginalisation at various levels in Jammu and Kashmir. Be it the insulation from the benefits that are available to the various sections of the society in the other parts of India. By extending the benefits to scheduled castes and OBC’s after the neutralisation of Article 370 and 35 A is a welcome step. Including the Paharis in the reservation ambit has enabled to give them a new lease of life in terms of bringing them at par with the national standard. Prime Minister also said that with the abrogation of Article 370,the full splendour of the Indian Constitution has been manifested. This has addressed the discrimination of women who lose their citizenship after marrying outside Jammu and Kashmir. It has created a new bench mark for women empowerment. Modi government’s policies during the last two tenures have devised a multi-pronged approach to deal with various challenges in Jammu and Kashmir. The level of development that is needed in Jammu and Kashmir has to be comprehensive that must include the infrastructural development and restoration of the place consciousness. The reason being that over the last three decades Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed destabilisation at all fronts. That includes social erosion and cultural subversion. That has led to destruction of locale aesthetics. People and place define the locale. It applies to Jammu and Kashmir as well. The ethno-religious conflict has damaged the social set up. That has led to the displacement of the people and loss of social cohesion. It has to be restored. So that Jammu and Kashmir in general and Kashmir in particular is able to restore its glory. The policy imperatives have to be people centric. Involving the people of Jammu and Kashmir at all levels is important. Now, as the 17th Lok Sabha is ending .The new Lok Sabha must focus on taking the development of Jammu and Kashmir to the next level. The policy imperatives for Jammu and Kashmir in the 18th Lok Sabha must integrate place, people, and performance. So that the union territory is enabled to heal its wounds inflicted due to conflict patronised by the fissiparous subversive tendencies to destabilise the place consciousness and people of Jammu and Kashmir. People of Jammu and Kashmir aspire for peace and harmony. It can be achieved when the governance at local level is inclusive and guided by the objective of mainstreaming the aspirations of all sections of the society. So that the social justice as underlined by the Prime Minister in his address to the 17th Lok Sabha is upheld at all costs. Forthcoming Lok Sabha Elections will set the ball rolling for the discourse on various issues and surely Jammu and Kashmir will be integral to it. Successful Lok Sabha elections will pave the way for the overdue Assembly Elections in Jammu and Kashmir. This time the narrative has to be people and development centric .as people want the strengthening of the public delivery system at all levels. Prime Minister’s vision of social justice and empowerment has to be the cardinal principle in defining the issue based manifestos in Jammu and Kashmir. Fingers are crossed. People want a popular government that will make Jammu and Kashmir a developed model union territory of India contributing to the national development.