Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invoked “Insaniyat Kashmiriyat and Jambooriyat “in J&K promising that the Centre and the State will work together for development. Mehbooba Mufti has been Chief Minister of J&K since April 4. J&K politics seemed to be in a muddle for 3 months. Mehbooba Mufti has shown secular pragmatism speaking Sanskrit to welcome tourists. She has also said that students from other states were future ambassadors of the state. The current turmoil in the state can be ended only with cordial amity. The union Home Ministry for its part has to provide protection to Kashmiri students in other states. Mehbooba had to face up to unrest with the police crackdown on the students of the National Institute of Technology and the deaths that occurred in Handwara after that. Protests were triggered by the rumour that a teenager was molested in Handwara. Such indignant and violent protests have marred the heavenly beauty of the state on and off. It began with the lynching of a trucker apparently carrying beef last year. Islamic and Hindu extremism along with nationalist overreaction in other parts of India have encouraged separatism in Kashmir.
The emphasis is on development. Cooperation between the PDP led by Mehbooba and the BJP provides the key to such development. It is encouraging that Modi and Mehbooba are keen on separatist thoughts and actions in the state. Since 1947, the government in Srinagar has shown such a healthy attitude. Day to day governance has to be developed to the extent possible. The Centre has promised Rs 80,000 crores to J&K. but unless the PDP and the BJP hold hands to put the money to maximum use, it will be just a pointless move.