When the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency witnessed unprecedented enthusiasm to be part of the grand festival of Bharatiya democracy, the illegally occupied territories of the same Jammu-Kashmir region were going through a series of protests by the people against the autocratic rule of Pakistan. The State of minorities continues to be worrisome in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, while Bharat has accorded citizenship to those persecuted minorities, ensuring dignified living for them. Why are we experiencing two contrasting scenes across the Line of Control in the Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh regions? How did Bharat manage to bring about this transformation through democratic means?
Five years ago, in August 2019, the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government took a historic step to amend Article 370 to extend the entire Constitution to the Jammu-Kashmir territory. Technically, the illegally occupied territories by Pakistan are also entitled to those Constitutional rights. Unfortunately, the Nehru-led Congress Government had no clarity on the execution of the horrifying decision of Partition. By the time the entire Constitution was drafted and enacted, Pakistan invaded the northern regions and illegally occupied large territories of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
The subsequent wars, especially the 1971 war that led to the liberation of Bangladesh, taught some lessons to Pakistan. Still, since the 1980s, Pakistan has devised a strategy of state-sponsored terrorism. Bharat did not employ a strategy of imposing unbearable costs on the problematic neighbour for the disastrous foreign policy instrument of terrorism. Article 370, a temporary article created until the complete Constitution is extended to the state, was misrepresented and misused as a special status. Denying them fundamental Constitutional rights and exploiting their religious identity to perpetuate the reign of terror and dynastic corruption were the only outcomes of this mischievous manipulation. The post-370 developments in Jammu-Kashmir in electrification, infrastructure and tourism have infused new confidence among the people — enthusiastic participation in the district council elections and now during the Lok Sabha elections 2024 is a sort of referendum by the masses on freedom from Article 370.
Not long ago, the Kashmir valley of Bharat also witnessed calls for bandh or boycotts on Election Day. Jammat and Hurriyat used to cast a shadow of terror with the support of Pakistani Jihadi organisations. In the last five years, the scene has drastically changed. On the other hand, in the Ghulam (colonised) part of Jammu-Kashmir, Pakistan continues to exploit natural resources, change demography and use the territory for terror camps. Naturally, people in the occupied regions are getting stories of transformation in the adjacent areas. Though protests against Islamabad are not new in this region, what is happening now is the sustained effort to free themselves from the draconian rule. The electricity tariff has become the triggering point, but the fight against illegal occupation by Pakistan is the real spirit.
Bharat is no longer interested in drawing equivalence with Pakistan, which, anyway, is a failed state. In both economic and strategic terms, we have attained a much higher status in the comity of nations. The primary reason behind this contrast of 75 years is the divergent ideas of nationhood. Pakistan came into existence with the negation of its links with the Civilisational Bharat; hence, hatred and exclusion are inherent. While taking strides forward in every field, Bharat is reigniting the civilisational spirit of acceptance and co-existence of all faiths. The two different images emerging from Jammu-Kashmir depict the victory of the idea of Bharat, a crumbling idea called Pakistan.
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