Kashmir elections: A ray of hope

New President of the United States of America  was locked in his intense election campaign  at the time when Jammu and Kashmir delivered a verdict,    giving a new shape to democracy  in the region that had been waiting for  this democratic exercise for 10 years. During the elections the US envoy, who was among nearly two-dozen diplomats visiting the Valley to determine the quality of elections, commented: “vibrant Indian democracy is in action” in Kashmir.

The US Deputy Chief of the Mission in Delhi Jorgan K Andrews had observed: “It is fascinating to see how India organises its elections and how thorough the preparations are and how celebratory this period is. It has been very inspiring and healthy...it is heartening to see Kashmir is casting a vote after 10 years.”  These observations were made by the US diplomat on September 25, 2024 – the day of second phase of the three-phased Assembly polls in the UT of J&K.

The message must have gone to Foggy Bottom in Washington DC that houses the US State Department. And by now it must have been conveyed to  Donald Trump, 47th President of the US whose inauguration was on Monday- January 20. In America, there is a date fixed –January 20 – for the inauguration of the new president after every four years.

Kashmir elections had its own significance for the world and this matters to the policy makers in the country. The free and fair elections, unprecedented in  many ways  in the history of Jammu and Kashmir for its environment  of peace, tranquillity  coupled with enthusiastic  massive participation of the people, delivered a lesson to the sceptics in the west, and particularly to the US. The scepticism prevailed all over - the US state department would always insist that the Kashmir solution should be as per “wishes and aspirations of the people.” These sections, as an official policy, argued that the elections in the controlled atmosphere were not the true reflection of the will of the people. These doubts ended once and for all after the elections.

The 2024 Assembly elections, first since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, showed that the people wanted elections as the only way they could voice and vote for the normal life, discarding all other options. They summarily rejected other options. The polls proved beyond any doubt that people had shut their eyes to other options because they understood that fantasies are not realities.

Fundamentally, it established that all the narratives following the abrogation of Article 370 ignored the shape that democracy was taking in the region. Elections are indeed very important and a crucial test of the will of the people but equally important, if not more, is the quality of democratic exercise and the environment in which it is conducted.

How does it matter to the Trump 2.0 administration? This is a valid question, especially for those who continue to question Kashmir and its evolving democratic ethos. The answer is simple: America, reckoned as the most powerful country in the world must have watched elections held in other parts of the world- that of the countries and the units within them - so what is special in Kashmir elections?

There is no denying the fact that Kashmir was, and seen also, as one of the hotspots of the world. This cannot be covered up. There was a time when many would draw parallels between Kashmir and Palestinian conflicts. They saw it as an uprising, denying that it had  taken a shape of high-velocity violent conflict where infants to elderly were killed and sent to graveyards, and the Indian government's policy makers were clueless on how to address the issue.

The fallibility of the Indian government and its policy makers complicated the situation of which foreign governments, think tanks and human right activists took advantage. They exaggerated the incidents and implications to mount pressure on Delhi to make her devise its policies according to their wishes. At times, the governments adopted their policy, and on other occasions just listened while maintaining that they did not want any third-party mediation or foreign interference. The contradiction was too obvious to be overlooked.

Trump assumed office a day after Israel and Hamas entered into a ceasefire after 15 month long violence that left thousands dead and millions displaced. The violence was an existential crisis for the world as the nations were wondering about the state of affairs to emerge. Though the humanitarian crisis lingers, with billions of dollars needed to rehabilitate the displaced, and rebuild infrastructure razed to ground in the aftermath of the 7^th October 2023 Hamas attack.

Kashmir has shown the way that how foreign sponsored terrorism and narratives can be silenced. This is a case study for the global policy makers and the leaders on how to address the issues of conflict without foreign interference. It has become a template for solution to the conflict littered around the globe.

It may be remembered that Kashmir conflict, and its reverberations for over 35 years, was not confined to J&K alone. It was in the discourse at the international level.  Kashmir was mentioned with frightening frequency at the time East Timor and Kosovo gained independence in 2002 and   2008 respectively.  Today, there is no such narration to be heard.

Today Kashmir stands as a ray of hope as it has ratified its love for the Indian democracy. That can be a template for the world leaders, particularly the new US president, as an example to resolve the festering conflicts across the world. India has done it, others can follow.

This is quite precious for the Indian nation and J&K. The gains delivered by the 2024 Assembly polls should be preserved. Democracy is all about honouring promises. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated the pledge to honour all his promises to make Kashmir shine.