Finally, can we talk?
These are extraordinary times for Jammu and Kashmir. It is struggling at two levels, one within, and the second with the perceptions outside of the Union Territory, and the solution that is being offered is to hold dialogue – and the very dimension of the dialogue has changed. This reflects change in the times.
Within its territorial boundaries, J&K is struggling to shake off the tag of being a Union Territory. That is the majority view. This majority delivered its verdict in a democratic fashion in the 2024 Assembly polls they supported and voted for parties that articulated the demand for restoration of statehood - National Conference, its pre-poll ally Congress, PDP and others. To a large extent, though it was not listed in its manifesto, BJP tried to hard sell the idea that the party would restore the statehoods. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who led the campaign for BJP from the front reinforced the commitment to accord “full statehood “to J&K.
The pioneer among all the J&K – centric parties, Apni Party led by Altaf Bukhari was the first to call for restoration of statehood, exposing himself to all sorts of attributions as the flavour of the times was restoration of Article 370. On Saturday, November 22, 2025, he again reiterated his appeal to Prime Minister and Home Minister to initiate dialogue with his statement, “New Delhi may or may not choose to talk to Pakistan — that decision rests entirely with the country’s leadership. But I urge the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the Hon’ble Home Minister to start a dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir without any further delay. Please fulfil your promise of bridging the gap between Kashmir and Delhi. Restoring trust and confidence is of utmost importance.”
The narrative of dialogue has intensified, and the ball is thrown in the court of Centre. That is natural and reasonable because that makes an unequivocal statement that Kashmir has pinned al its hopes in Delhi. This is a massive change in the psyche, because it unambiguously throws all external forces out of window. This call for dialogue affirms something more – the rejection of the Trumpian rhetoric that four-day Indo-Pak conflict in May 2025 was mediated by outside forces. This message is coming from Kashmir, and it should not be undermined. It is the same place where echoes of third party- intervention and settlement through dialogue with Pakistan and as per the UN relations used to fill the air. The internal dialogue is not about the Kashmir issue, it is about better understanding of each other.
Dialogue as such has inbuilt security mechanism. This involves eyes, ears and hope of millions of people. They know what they want and who all can deliver. The basic foundation of dialogue is to move on. They discuss all the issues – political, economic, social and their implications. That thinking complements the security needs and sense of security and safety among the people, and offers best guarantee to the national security. This kind of security is needed the most in Kashmir.
In India, ever since Modi became Prime Minister, May 2014, his word matters the most. In fact that is final declaration in the matters of state policies and setting narrative for the nation. So, Jammu and Kashmir, like rest of the nation and the world community that looks up to him for solution to major problems, trusted each and every word spoken by him. Though he was campaigning for the BJP, but his each and every word was trusted as that of the leader of the nation who fulfilled his commitments come what may.
In the autumn of 2024 when elections were held in J&K, fragrance of spring wafted all through. Those pleading for the history of J&K saw better times for them. The elections were not ordinary ones. The government of India was keen to project the elections to the world – remember the visit of diplomats to Srinagar to take note of the vibrant democracy at work in Kashmir. The basic idea was to tell the international community that the Abrogation of Article 370 has brought about this change – the peaceful atmosphere and enthusiastic voting were irrefutable evidence of support for the decisions taken on August 5, 2019.
The August 5 decisions had three layers: demolition of J&K’s status as a distinct territory and demography accorded with special rights and privileges, to bring it under the idea of one constitution and one nation; Reorganisation of the State, dividing it into two federally administered UTs, Ladakh and J&K. Promising legislative Assembly for J&K , and the return of statehood depending on the situation, and at an appropriate time, and to put J&K on unparalleled path of progress and opportunity. The electors, through their vote, endorsed all this.
Much before the elections, Prime Minister had made a historically important statement at an all-party meet in June 2021. After having feedback from the parties, Modi declared that there was a need to remove physical distances and also that of hearts between Delhi and J&K. It set a tone for renewed thinking in the UT. The premise was that Centre would open channels of communication and bring about harmony in the thinking of this territory and Central government.
PM’s vision was obvious. It was to eradicate all the irritants that existed between Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. The term Delhi means not only the Centre of power, it also represented the nation’s will represented and spoken of, by Prime Minister. J&K represented its leaders and the people they represented. In June 2021, there was no elected assembly, yet the leaders from Kashmir were invited to the meet as an acknowledgement of the fact that they represented the will of the people of their territory.
The very proposition of the dialogue stirred a lot of hope in J&K. It was not merely aimed to dwell on the talking points on the restoration of the statehood. It was to seek the emotional connect between the people of J&K and the rest of the nation, which needed to be cradled through dialogue. All distances and differences can end only if there is dialogue. It was dialogue with the people of the same country, and its contours were different from the pre-2019 era. It was not courtship of separatists, or to draw the militant groups into the optics of sitting across the table. Pakistan was nowhere in picture. It was demolition of the idea of external and internal dimensions. It was straight and simple thought of talking to the people of their issues and solutions thereof. In many ways it was to assure the people that they had an address to air their grievances without any fear. That is the real essence of the dialogue.
The restoration of statehood is a political decision, while dialogue is having a human content. The dialogue stimulates and consolidates hope and that is the best tool in countering narco- -terrorism, violent extremism. Jammu and Kashmir is battling these menaces for over 36 years now. The dialogue’s contours were supposed to be all-inclusive. This anticipated dialogue had also to take into account the long-pending problems – the biggest one of which is return of Kashmiri Pandit migrants to their homes in the Valley. That is crucial to showcase how much normalcy and peace has returned to the Valley and how much safe and feasible it is for the community to live there as they used to in pre-1989 era.
Unless the Kashmiri Pandits return to the land of their forefather and see it as best place for opportunities for their children, the narrative of normalcy falls far short of complete normalcy. There is a need to encourage dialogue between the communities; unfortunately some of the elements are bent upon sharpening the differences between the two communities. It is essential to work on positives rather than condemning the communities as a whole for the action of few.
For this, all the imperatives should be explored. It is time when the people of Jammu and Kashmir will have to come out with their draft for the talking points. Those opposing such a dialogue will miss the bus, though they might be living under the impression that they have wining card with them.
