HOW'S IT NORMAL?

In the vocabulary of the long-running Kashmir conflict, one word has crept in periodically, namely ‘normalcy’.

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Politicians and pundits have often spoken triumphantly of how ‘normalcy’ is being restored in the Valley. And yet, the stark truth is that for three and a half decades, Kashmir has been anything but ‘normal’. The latest tragic terror attack in which at least 28 civilians were massacred is only a stark reminder of how in a bloodied Valley, every time a window of hope is opened, it is firmly shut by merchants of terror. From a ray of sunshine to a dark abyss, Kashmir is trapped in a deadly schizophrenia.

Recall how Prime Minister Narendra Modi expounded on his vision of a ‘Naya Kashmir’ soon after abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Modi spun a dream of how this was a major step towards ‘normalcy’: Kashmir would soon see, promised the PM, a flood of investments, of massive infrastructure development and even a return of Bollywood to the snow-capped mountains and verdant meadows. This would be a ‘new normal’ where J&K would be rapidly ‘main-streamed’ into a ‘new’ India.

The promised ‘normalcy’ was a facade. Sure, new roads, highways and tunnels were built as a positive symbol of change. It was now possible to whizz from Srinagar to Anantnag or Baramulla with a speed that was perhaps unthinkable a few years ago. But ‘normalcy’ isn’t just about physical infrastructure. It is ultimately about winning the hearts and minds of the people. And that is where long-standing resentments on the ground refused to go away.