The Constitution was read, Article 370 was retired, and with much fanfare, a new dawn was declared. We were told that a historic wrong had been corrected. But five years down the line, in Kashmir’s political theatre, the script seems the same, the actors unchanged, and the climax permanently deferred. Only the makeup department has worked overtime – slogans repackaged, positions rebranded, and loyalties dry-cleaned for public viewing.
Welcome to Post-Abrogation Kashmir, where the political class has mastered the art of walking in circles. The slogans of “autonomy” and “self-rule” have been replaced by “statehood” and “constitutional rights,” but if you listen closely, it’s the same tune on a broken gramophone. We were promised a politics of performance. What we got is performance of politics.
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The old guard – once defenders of the “special status” – now cry hoarse for something that has got no relevance with the land’s progress. The ideological pivots that once thrived on separatist overtones have cleverly slipped into the nationalistic corner – not out of conviction, but because the electricity has been switched off in the other room. Their new-found love for the Indian Constitution is less a change of heart and more a change of climate.
Let’s not forget the flood of promises after 2019. Jobs, justice, transparency, industrial revolution, youth empowerment, corruption crackdown – a list so long, even Santa Claus would call it ambitious. But somewhere between bureaucratic bloating and political posturing, most of these turned into either press notes or tweets. Governance remains elusive, like snowfall in June – promised every winter, but absent when needed.
Mainstream politicians are back on their soapboxes, talking of victimhood as if they were never in power. The irony drips like icicles on a December morning. Some have turned into motivational speakers on YouTube. Others are seen rediscovering “grassroots connections” – read: photo ops in pherans and shikaras and topis… or to’op – whatever you call it. The to’op donning Rambo even turned to parkour politics, jumping over walls and logic alike.
But let’s ask the real questions. Why is there no roadmap for the youth beyond counseling centres and one-time jobs? Why is the industrial policy reduced to MoUs on glossy brochures? Why does the panchayat system still look like a tree without roots – ornamental, but disconnected? And why is nobody talking about the elephant in the room – land reforms, drug epidemic, mental health crisis, and the hollowing out of educational institutions?
Kashmir doesn’t need another round of “elections” where the slogans change but the rot stays. We need a shift – in substance, not symbolism. Now, one may ask ‘what should have been by now?’ Here:
- A time-bound, transparent roadmap, not a dangling carrot every election.
- A Kashmir-specific employment mission with real jobs, not seasonal schemes.
- Industrial zones backed by infra, logistics, and investor protection, not just ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
- Restoration and reform of education and health institutions, not whitewashed data.
- Land audit and anti-encroachment accountability beyond selective demolitions.
The Bitter Truth is this: In the name of new Kashmir, we’ve so far only repackaged the old. And unless the people demand better, we may keep dancing to the same tired tune, only in newer shoes.
