The unsaid and unacknowledged aspect of the 2024 assembly elections in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir is that, after 35 years, New Delhi has granted a general amnesty to the entire political class of Kashmir. From Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti to Jamat-e-Islami and Hurriyat, all soft-separatists and hardliners have now been pardoned for their seditious, destructive, and regressive politics.
The collateral damage of their politics—Kashmiri Hindus who were ethnically cleansed from Kashmir, the Indian Army, paramilitary soldiers, and the J&K Police who sacrificed to defend Kashmir, along with all the Kashmiri Muslims who lost their lives for India, “azaadi,” “jihad,” and Pakistan—has been set aside. Whether there should be any accountability or compensation for this massive destruction is a challenge that neither the BJP-led NDA government nor the Congress-led INDI alliance opposition has addressed yet. Sooner or later, both the government and the opposition will have to deal with this question.
For now, the collective decision of the Indian state to hold assembly elections in J&K, to demonstrate its commitment to democracy, is understandable.
From one perspective, this is truly a historic moment in Kashmir, where everyone—from hardcore communalists to so-called secularists—has been allowed to join the fray. Unlike before, when New Delhi would always throw its weight behind one of its two favourite families, the Abdullahs and the Muftis, this time no one is receiving anything on a silver platter. Everyone—from the pro-Pakistan, pro-Azadi, to the pro-India camp—is getting a chance to whitewash their political crimes, start afresh, and speak honestly about how they can or will take society forward. This is democracy in full swing.
However, the Abdullahs and the Muftis, two families that ignited the communal fire in Kashmir and pushed Kashmiris towards self-destruction, are now pleading with the people to save their honour and give them one more chance in the 2024 assembly elections. Since that plea is not resonating, they are back to stoking the same sly soft-separatism, preying on the gullibility of the people.
They are not the only ones—this is an election much like the one in 1987, where everyone is competing with communal and separatist rhetoric. The true face of every politician and political party is being exposed as they face challenges in their political careers. For many, it is a do-or-die battle; for some, an existential crisis. Hence, this is a no-holds-barred election.
Since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, a new reality has set in. All the constitutional and socio-political ambiguity with respect to J&K before August 5, 2019, is gone. The near-normalcy in Kashmir over the last five years and the massive participation in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were clear indicators that people have accepted the decision. The assembly elections are a referendum on who truly represents J&K’s people in this new political era.
Since all the candidates are echoing each other with communal rhetoric, the real test in this election is for the electorate of Kashmir. They will have to prove whether they truly understand who the perpetrators of their suffering have been. It’s up to the voters to decide the future they envision for themselves and their children. It’s their choice to determine the path they wish to take to liberate their conscience.