AN interesting political arrangement has emerged after polls concluded in India-held Kashmir. It appears that the pro-India National Conference, in a combined ticket with Congress, will form the disputed territory’s next government, though the BJP came in second. This is reportedly the BJP’s best ever electoral performance in the held region. Perhaps the BJP’s haul has much to do with the fact that the 2022 delimitation — some would say gerrymandering — helped create a more ‘favourable’ field for the right-wing party’s candidates, as seats for Hindu-majority areas were increased, while various Muslim areas were denied representation in a barely disguised effort to alter the held region’s demographics. The freeness and fairness of the polls can also be questioned as many leaders belonging to the All Parties Hurriyat Conference remain in jail, while veteran Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik is serving a life sentence in a Delhi prison after being convicted in a trial widely seen as unfair. Yet despite these obstacles, IHK’s first elections in a decade, particularly after India torpedoed the region’s limited autonomy in 2019, reflect the Kashmiris’ dissatisfaction with New Delhi’s autocratic policies. After all, the NC campaigned to restore Article 370 and the region’s special status. It now remains to be seen whether New Delhi — with its democratic pretensions — will respect the popular will in occupied Kashmir.

While the polls may have served as a vehicle for Kashmiris in IHK to vent their frustrations with India, these are in no way an alternative for a genuine tripartite political process involving the people of Kashmir, Pakistan and India that can solve this key issue. As Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said last week, “meaningful dialogue” is the only way to settle the Kashmir question. The BJP needs to introspect over the IHK poll results; hopefully, its leaders will see that despite all their efforts to stage-manage matters, Kashmiris did not buy their narrative of bringing ‘development’ to the held region. India should, therefore, start the process of returning IHK’s partial autonomy that was snatched in 2019. Moreover, all political prisoners should be freed, fundamental rights restored and a sustained dialogue launched with Pakistan and all shades of Kashmiri political thought to arrive at a just and peaceful solution to this decades-old dispute. Governing Kashmir as an Indian colony can never bring peace to the region.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2024