A precondition for the success of a democracy is that political parties that accept and work in accordance with democratic principles should be making use of the opportunity of seeking a mandate. In Kashmir, Lok Sabha elections saw a steep rise from past levels, a welcome development. In some previous elections, voters were reluctant to cast their votes, mostly out of fear of retribution by fringe elements intent on causing mayhem and bloodshed in the Valley and in outlying areas. Interestingly, a political party in Kashmir that is linked to a banned group has said that it is ready to contest the Assembly elections should the ban get lifted. Lifting the ban on any group that remains committed to backing for extremism would be a mistake. Having a party that is committed to the delinking of Kashmir from the rest of India participate in the Assembly elections in a state that has finally emerged from decades of turmoil would be to introduce a drop of ink in a glass of milk. In the past as well, previous governments have made multiple concessions to those committed to the extinction of the identity of Kashmir as a part of the Union of India, and each such concession has only encouraged those intent on violence and led to further troubles. Unless a political party remains anchored to peaceful methods and to a refusal to support in any way those elements that are committed to violence, it ought not to be made an ally. It will not be forgotten that changes in Kashmir, including the revocation of Article 370, came about only after the BJP severed its alliance with the PDP. There are politicians, officials and businesspersons in Kashmir who have profited immensely from the turmoil that the state had witnessed for many decades, and such individuals need to be left to their own devices rather than made partners in the state government.
It is unfortunate that sections of the international community that are prone to prattling endlessly about human rights have almost completely ignored the genocide that was committed to the Pandit community in Kashmir in the 1990s. Although among the most peaceful communities in the world, extremist elements committed murder and rape, even while handing over properties belonging to Pandit families to supporters of the ethnic cleansing that was carried out in Kashmir. It was claimed by previous governments that were Article 370 to be revoked, Kashmir would be thrown into even greater chaos than was the situation in past times. The doomsayers were proven to be wrong. At the very least, those Kashmiri Pandits still alive whose properties were forcibly taken over need to be given compensation at market rates for the assets they had lost while being thrown out of their home state. As for Ladakh, that Union Territory merits statehood as well, among other reasons for its unique Buddhist culture and history. After the state Assembly polls are over, no quarter should be given to those who remain tethered to a policy of cosying up to extremist elements. Such individuals have been responsible for much of the agony of Kashmir, because of their permissive ways where extremists were concerned. At the same time, increased attention needs to be paid on documenting the mistreatment suffered by inhabitants of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir at the hands of the Pakistan military and paramilitary forces. The suffering of the Pandit community went almost without notice, and the same neglect of bringing out the facts ought not to cover up the transgressions of GHQ Rawalpindi and its auxiliaries in PoK, the illegally occupied part of the Union of India. The entirety of PoK ought to revert to India, and such an imperative must never be lost sight of. As a consequence of the removal of Article 370, which is based on the untenable Two-Nation theory that the Congress Party ought never to have accepted in 1947, chances are high for a flow of investment from abroad and domestically into Kashmir. A time will come when PoK reverts to India, and as a consequence, links the country with friendly states in nearby regions. In every way, the ballot is superior to the bullet.