2019 Elections: Challenging Militancy In Kashmir, Modi Wakes Up Country’s ‘Nationalist’ Vote Bank

The difference between the Modi and his predecessors is that the later have always felt Pakistan’s involvement for peace in Kashmir what he never let so. So the Kashmir policy of Modi continues to puzzle the political observers with an unchanging attitude of NDA led by him.
Asem Mohiuddin
Ahead of massive political exercise in the country in which the people would choose regime fresh in New Delhi, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the trouble torn Jammu and Kashmir and extensively reached out to the people in all the three regions. This is second time after Modi was elected as prime minster to reach out the people in all three regions in just one day.
The visit of Modi is believed to be politically significant as the country is in the mood of Lok Sabha elections, scheduled in May. Kashmir dominates the electoral campaigns of the political parties and often observers say that both in India and Pakistan, the political parties make Kashmir as a prime issue of their election manifestos.
So why the Modi led BJP would miss it!
While going by his speech, there seems no change in the core political ideology of BJP and the NDA in New Delhi. It has been playing the political turf on the same page what it did in 2014 election campaign.
Modi reiterated that his party will continue to fight against the militancy in Kashmir and will break its back to pave way for the peace.
“I will break the back of militancy in state. Thos who kill people to stop them from nourishing their dreams are the cowards. These boys and girls were killed because they wanted peace in valley,” he said apparently referring to the killings by militants including Ishrat Muneer in South Kashmir on last week.
“The real heroes of Jammu and Kashmir are Aurangzeb, Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad and Tajamul Islam,” he added.
Modi categorically ruled out any negotiations with the people who had picked up the gun and did not even appeal them to return mainstream unlike in past. Previously, all political leaders have been appealing the youth who had joined militant ranks to rejoin their families. The Modi, however proves different and spoke tough against militancy.
These tough words of Modi have come at a time when it had already launched massive counter insurgency operations killing more than 250 militants in 2018, the highest in last one decade.
Modi was even criticized for launching an Operation All out in valley against militants, however that also left him unfazed.
On the other side Modi also promised the inclusive development in state and laid foundation or inaugurated developmental projects worth over 44000 crores.
He said that his government will ensure “sab ka sath sab ka vikas” (Inclusive development) and said that the entire country was angry over the innocent killings in Kashmir.
He was apparently referring to the recent killing of Insha in South Kashmir and some other youths at the hands of militants.
As the speech of Modi against the militancy in Kashmir is aimed to gain the sympathy in the rest of country, he is a master in crafting words and sentences to gain the attention.
BJP in 2014 elections didn’t only first time secure the second majority in assembly elections in state; however, it also swept the Jammu and Ladakh region in Lok Sabha polls.  The BJP in Jammu region secured 25 seats in Assembly election despite having no face and people directly voted for Modi. He held two mega rallies ahead of elections in 2014 resulted into complete swept and this time again Modi is on his ‘magic mission’.
While his direct threats to the militants in Kashmir would gain him the support for not comprising on “terrorism”, his empathetic remarks for the Kashmiri Pandits may help BJP to win back the sympathy from the Hindu community.
BJP doesn’t carry any hope in the Kashmir region but it is seriously banking on a Hindu vote in Jammu region.  “Having a word for Pandits who have all across the country gained the sympathy for their forcible departure from valley may also pay for Modi. Hitting hard on militancy is also going to help him in the election campaign all over India,” says local political observer, wishing to be anonymous.
Meanwhile, Pakistan ahead of Prime minister’s visit, the Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Querashi spoke to Separatist leaders Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani and assured them full support in their political battle.  Earlier, the India had refused to talk to Pakistan on Kashmir after newly elected Pakistan Premier Imran had urged India to resolve all its pending issues.
However, the Pakistan had spoken to the Kashmiris separatist leaders after India refused to initiate any dialogue with the country citing reasons of fanning terrorism in India. In the run up of these political developments, India for the first time skipped the name of Pakistan on Kashmiri soil. Earlier, every time whenever any high profile political dignitary visited Kashmir including Modi in Past Pakistan was the focus for any of the reasons.
He, however without naming the country reminded them of ‘Surgical strike’ carried out in Uri in 2017.
“This is first time that Modi didn’t spoke anything about Pakistan. It was a message that Kashmir is an internal problem of India and it will be resolved without Pakistan.  However, it is yet to be seen to what extent Modi is right and may handle Kashmir without involving Pakistan,” a journalist covering politics in Kashmir explains. “Whenever in past India had to offer the hand for talks or hurl threats to neighbouring country, Kashmir was preferably used. This time it was other way”.
However, he says that India was more annoyed to Pakistan for calling an international conference in United Kingdom where Pakistan Foreign Minster Shah Mehmood Querashi also participates. In the nutshell, the difference between the Modi and his predecessors is that the later have always felt Pakistan’s involvement for peace in Kashmir what he never let so. So the Kashmir policy of Modi continues to puzzle the political observers with an unchanging attitude of NDA led by him.