Have you heard the stirrings of change in J&K?

With Hindus and Muslims breaking the jinx of years by thronging the venues of the Republic Day parade in thousands despite militant threats,...

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With Hindus and Muslims breaking the jinx of years by thronging the venues of the Republic Day parade in thousands despite militant threats, the power play seems to be at its best in Jammu and Kashmir.

During the last nearly three months, though militants have made numerous attempts to step up violence, the fear psychosis among the local populace appears to be waning. In the border Rajouri district, Muslims defied militants’ diktat on burqa despite the killing of three girls by the latter at Hasiyot recently. Instead, these killings led to widespread resentment among locals, forcing Hizbul Mujahideen to gun down a top Al Badr militant responsible for the massacre. Perturbed over the intra group fighting, top militant commanders had to intervene in the matter. Finally, Jaish-e-Mohammad, on behalf of PoK based United Jehad Council, issued posters appologising for the killing of girls and withdrawing the diktat.

Similarly, in the adjoining Poonch district, militants had to beat a hasty retreat from a house in militancy infested Faislabad as inmates grappled with the intruders and snatched the rifle from one of them.

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The situation on the ground in the state was bound to change following the emergence of a people friendly but strong administration after the assembly polls. Though people were never in favour of Pakistan or militants earlier as well, the latter had been successful by exploiting the general suspicion over the fairness of the electoral process as also the unrest against a non-performing government.

Mufti Sayeed’s government has started visiting people to redress their grievances. Its policy of the healing touch, coupled with a strong administration has finally started making its presence felt at all levels — the finalisation of annual plans of all districts, ensuring the presence of officials in offices, giving a humane face to the police, recovery of power tariff arrears or demolition drives against illegal structures.

The annual plans of all the districts were finalised within a fortnight of the new government taking over, funds allocated for the repair of damaged transformers and disbursement of relief to victims of Pakistani shelling in border areas begun. Pension for widows was hiked and orders issued for disbursement of pension to handicapped, senior citizens and destitutes.

The Ladakh Buddhists, who had boycotted politicians until the recent assembly elections in the state, have re-opened their doors to them. This followed the state government’s acceptance of their long standing demand to grant more powers to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC). While doing so, it announced a similar council for the adjoining Kargil district to remove disparity between the two districts.

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But the bureaucrats are the same and the state has not received additional funds from the Centre. What is required is that politicians avoid making Kashmir an issue for political gain as some recently did over the release of jailed militants even when they were freed on the orders of the courts.