Statehood Can't Wait

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir culminated in a clear directive to security forces: sustain the gains made post-Article 370's abrogation and intensify the crackdown on terrorism. He called for inter-agency coordination, area domination, and a "zero terror" goal to consolidate the relative peace achieved in the region in recent years.. If anything, this shows that the security still remains top of the priority for the centre in Kashmir, and it doesn't want to take any decision that might be deemed to undermine this focus. Hence, perhaps the lingering delay in the restoration of statehood. But who knows, like the Assembly polls last year, the central government may pleasantly surprise the people of J&K on this score as well.

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As of now, however, the centre hasn't revealed its cards. Both the prime minister Narendra Modi and the home minister Amit Shah have time and again promised the restoration of statehood at an appropriate time. What they have not given so far is the timeline. This is because the existing arrangement is seen as ideal from the centre's standpoint and the union government might be loath to alter this favourable arrangement by granting an early statehood to J&K. More so, when there also are far bigger reasons to withhold it. Centre, it is believed, is u