Daily Times

Even early on, when he was not considered national leadership material by his party, Narendra Modi did not make a favourable impression on most Kashmiris. He had the image of a staunch right wing Hindu leader – petty, narrow and rigid. His name was associated with the 2002 Gujarat riots. There were allegations galore that as chief minister he had not done his duty by the Muslim citizens of Gujarat. There were those who suggested even that he had actually provoked Hindu extremists to go after Muslims.

When he became the prime minister he was seen to have won the general election (2014) by promising to abrogate Article 35-A of the Indian Constitution. This, in itself made for suspicion if not down right hostility. Over the years, his image in Jammu and Kashmir has drifted and become associated with extreme negativity. He is seen as the man who has been trying to undermine the special status of the state.

The Congress government he succeeded had made considerable gains in the Valley in terms of limiting the armed struggle for independence. The number of active armed fighters, often called the ‘mujahideen’, had been declining and in 2014 was put at 84 – most of them foreigners. Between 2004 and 2014 there was much talk of independence but the gun was increasingly seen as not the most suitable way of achieving the objective.

However, as Modi’s BJP took over and there were regular shows of the RSS-led ideology of exclusion of minorities and a hard core muscular approach to politics, the number of militants in Jammu and Kashmir surged The Kashmiri youths increasingly opted for the gun. This further complicated the problems for the state and for Kashmiri people.

Most Kashmiris willing to live in some kind of arrangement within India see the state’s special status (guaranteed in Articles 370 and 35 A of the Indian Constitution) as the most precious asset for their community. Whoever tries to contest or undermine it gets branded as anti-Kashmiri. Prime Minister Modi and his party have now been advocating the abrogation of these provisions for a long time. This has caused anguish and horror in Jammu and Kashmir.

BJP’s Ram Mandir project is another issue that has alienated most Muslims from the party. The demolition of the Babri Masjid at the hands of the extremists was bad enough. The BJP government’s decision to hand over the entire land to Hindu_Mahasabha for building a temple to Lord Rama and the repudiation of Muslim claims has added to the general feeling of resentment against Modi. Many in Kashmir believe that he wants to establish a Hindutva nation, where minorities will be excluded from the national mainstream.

The Kashmir Valley has become a black hole. Whosoever dares to speak the truth there is eventually silenced

Demonetisation of large denomination currency notes under the Modi government created many difficulties for a large number of people. While this was an equal-opportunity disaster and not a sectarian one, it diminished Modi’s stature as a politician and a statesman.

The people of Jammu and Kashmir have also been unimpressed with Mr Modi’s development projects. This may partially be on account of the fact that the state itself has seen more violence and little development during the Modi years.

Modi government’s actions like banning Jamaat-i-Islami in Kashmir, have also been resented and lost it more ground. The frequent summons and NIA raids have resulted in only a few arrests but caused a lot of resentment and antagonism.

The prime minister’s visits to the state too have been a complete mess. He has miserably failed to engage any considerable segment of the people in a fruitful dialogue. His party’s abrupt walk-out from the coalition government and appointment of a new governor have also lost it allies in the state.

The only thing the prime minister’s visits appear to have achieved is cause people greater anxiety. His development agenda is seen as bogus and a sign that he is ignorant of the problems and opportunities in the Valley. The funding he promised did not materialise for some of the projects, others are pending or have been abandoned. It has been said that his visits were no better than a reunion with party colleague who appeared to have had a good time at the expense of the common citizen.

Every time the prime minister has visited, a black day has been called and observed in the state. Students have been boycotting schools and not wearing their uniforms, daily wagers have been unable to earn a living. His security detail is also seen as a nuisance. A lot of people talk about being stranded, of people who were delayed on their way to hospital etc. It’s not a pretty picture they conjure up.

Whenever he has visited Kashmir, the state has been turned into a war zone. Curbs are imposed, pickets are set up and barricades go up. Traffic advisories are issued and crucial places are sanitised. The citizens have a great impatience for it.

The political crisis has offered Mr Modi a great opportunity to fix a few of the many things that are broken in the state. More importantly, once the situation is retrieved, he must not make the mistake of removing his eye off the ball and letting things slide again. Finally, all parties must eschew the temptation of playing silly political games of the sort they did in the 1980s and that pushed the things over the edge.

The writer is student from Sopore, Kashmir