Faade of Normalcy – The Nation

Yesterday, PM Modi held a meeting with political figures from IIOJK to discuss the resumption of the political process in the region. This meeting marked the first high-level engagement between pro-India leaders from IIOJK and the Centre since the illegal actions that took place on August 5, 2019.

Attaching much significance to this meeting would however be a mistake since the outcome of the meeting is unlikely to satisfy key stakeholders on Kashmir. This is primarily because the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) will not be part of the engagement. Popular Kashmiri leaders have rightly denounced this meeting as a drama by the Indian state because the individuals actually representing the people of Kashmir are being harassed and locked up. It appears that this might be yet another move by the Modi government to create an impression for the international community that normalcy is gradually being restored in IIOJK.

This could very well be an attempt by the ruling party to legitimise the steps it took on August 5, by making minor concessions without providing any meaningful relief to the oppressed people of Kashmir. The only winners in such a scenario would be the regions pro-India political leadership that may strike a mutually beneficial deal with the government.

Pakistan must be wary of this potential ploy to create a faade of normalcy around the issue of Kashmir and should continue raising its voice regarding the ongoing oppression at every available forum. In addition to this, it is important that we establish contact with Kashmiri leaders and initiate engagement with them on a diplomatic level. The international audience has recently started to take notice of the actual situation on the ground in IIOJK. Pakistan must capitalise on this momentum and ensure that the voice of Kashmiri leaders is amplified on all platforms. There needs to be complete restoration of occupied Kashmirs status prior to August 5, 2019. Anything short of that would be unacceptable.

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Faade of Normalcy - The Nation