Opening up to PoK

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has sought to position herself as an unquestionable champion of conciliation with occupied Kashmir. She has made a forceful plea to set “the caged Kashmiris free” and encourage a free flow of students and professionals from the other Kashmir. Referring to the NIA’s suggestion to put an end to cross-LoC trade to stop terror funding, the Chief Minister wondered why such restrictions were not considered for Wagah. She said she would stand against any such attempt as trade connected the two parts of a state divided between India and Pakistan. 

Besieged politically somewhat after  her alliance with the BJP, Mehbooba Mufti made these observations at  the  18th foundation day of  the Peoples Democratic Party  in Srinagar on Saturday, perhaps  enthused by the large turnout at the rally.  It was essentially a message to the PDP workers who had been at the receiving end of street violence since it started in 2016. She stood her ground for reconciliation with the other part of Kashmir, drawing a red line for the Centre that any move to the contrary would be resisted by her. She sought to place the two separated parts of Kashmir on an equal pedestal. Disturbingly, the speech had a resonance of the 2008 Amarnath land agitation when the PDP withdrew support to the then Congress government and became a leading voice in inflaming Kashmiri passions. 

In Kashmir politicians tend to turn belligerent towards New Delhi whenever confronted with an internal crisis and point to greener pastures across the border. Mehbooba has positioned herself on that platform yet again. A few days ago her arch rival, Omar Abdullah, had linked the state's special status to the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to the country.  He expressed himself against any debate on the special status of J&K, saying that would mean revisiting the issue of accession. This competitive regional politics which seeks conciliation with Pakistan through confrontation with New Delhi is bad for the state. It is time the Kashmiri leaders became realistic and shunned this self-defeating strategy.