Modi's mantra and Kashmir

Post-May 10th India-Pak ceasefire, which put Operation Sindoor on a pause, the country’s political and diplomatic communities are grappling with a problem of US President Donald Trump sponsored global narrative of mediation and solution of Kashmir issue.

The Indian External Affairs Ministry, in its diplomatically sophisticated counter asserted  its longstanding position on Kashmir and also spelled out the process leading to the understanding in halting the firing and military action between these two countries. It  was good, but it came quite late in the day, to put it mildly.

Meanwhile, Trump went on publicising his deal-making skills all over, from Washington D C to Saudi Arabia. He took the credit for not only mediating  a full and immediate ceasefire between the two neighbouring countries, but also for preventing a potential nuclear war between the two, which, he said could have killed millions of people. On May 11th, he brought  in Kashmir, and said that he can help India and Pakistan to solve this “thousand years old issue”. This thousand year comment shows the knowledge he has about the region.

While the Government of India is making all out efforts to tell the world, what triggered the crisis, the original sin being the April 22^nd carnage in Pahalgam in south Kashmir. It is sending all-party delegations to the world capitals to make them understand where the problem lies: Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism. That is responsible for the threat to peace and stability in the region. Three of the members of these delegations are drawn from Jammu and Kashmir- former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mian Altaf, National Conference leader and, MP from Anantnag-Rajouri, in whose  parliamentary constituency terrorists enacted mass killing of tourists, and a local Kashmiri  in the most brutal fashion last month,  and Ghulam Nabi Khatana, nominated  BJP MP in Rajya Sabha.

A larger question, however, remains; why no leader of prestige and consequence in Kashmir, did not speak out on the claims of  the US President. It was important, because the place and people  from the very beginning of this sordid and horrifying episode, Kashmir is at the center of it. Operation Sindoor was launched on the intervening night of  May 6 and 7 to avenge the Pahalgam killings. The targets were headquarters of Lashkar-e-Tyaibba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, that are believed to be responsible for horrific attacks in J&K.

A little history will explain it. Lashkar  made its entry in 1993-1994, while Jaish came into being after Masood Azhar, an ideologue of the erstwhile Harkat-ul-Mujahadeen group was released in exchange of the passengers and crew of  hijacked Indian Airliner IC 814. Masood Azhar, lodged in Kot Bhalwal jail in Jammu was set free  on December 31, 1999  despite strong protest by the then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. He had warned the Vajpayee government that releasing Masood Azhar and Mushtaq Zargar, a Kashmiri and leader of Al-Umar group, will unleash dangerous consequences. His words were prophetic.

R V Raju, IPS officer of J&K cadre and first NIA chief, told me that Masood Azhar is far greater an  asset for Pakistan. They can sacrifice 100 militants for his release, because he can raise 1000 for them – he had that motivational oratory and religious knowledge. It was, for this reason that Pakistan always insisted for his release, in two infamous hostages taking of foreigners from Pahalgam area in 1994 and 1995 respectively.

There is only one mantra that can encourage Kashmir to stand up to  the internationalization of Kashmir, which one had thought to come to a halt permanently with the August 5, 2019 decisions. Subsequent reversal of the worrisome reality of shutdowns, stone throwing, repeated acts of terror, gave a thumbs up to that perception. A  new idea emerged – peace and normalcy in Kashmir, substantiated  by tourists arrival in thousands. It was taken for  granted than nothing will go wrong ever. But it did go, at Pahalgam on April 22nd.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi knows that mantra. He spelled out in June 2021 and then repeated in June 2024; to eradicate all the differences and distances between hearts and minds of Delhi and  J&K. Modi was clear hearted and clear minded on this. He genuinely loves the people of this place. He  tried and succeeded in creating physical infrastructural developments, including roads, tunnels and railways to connect with the hearts here. All the credit should go to him and Home Minister Amit Shah for undertaking massive development projects in J&K. They created an ecosystem for development, sharpening the appetite of the people for more development, but they wanted an emotional development too. J&K is a place of great love, it loves others and wants to be loved.

This mantra can work and turn around the narratives. The people and leaders of Kashmir can become the best brand ambassadors of the idea of India, saying no to the international intervention . The Vale has already spoken against violence and killings – the terror act in Pahalgam, they can be encouraged to speak against internationalization of their land, rebuff Pakistan and the West alike.