THE statement of Congress leader Mr. Rahul Gandhi that the I.N.D.I. Alliance would restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir if elected to power is simply meaningless as an electoral narrative. For, even as it withdrew Special Status to Kashmir by abrogating Articles 370 and 35 A of the Constitution, the Narendra Modi Government, too, had made a similar commitment - - that it would restore statehood to J&K once the conditions are found suitable. Thus, the emphatic statement by Mr. Rahul Gandhi about the I.N.D.I.A. bloc restoring statehood to Kashmir has no actual meaning in practical politics. Yet, when Mr. Rahul Gandhi makes the assertion repeatedly, he is only making clear his electoral strategy for the forthcoming legislative elections in Jammu and Kashmir - - which is currently a Union Territory. As per that ideation, it appears that Mr. Rahul Gandhi believes that if a lie is told repeatedly then the common, unsuspecting people would believe that the Central Government is unwilling to grant to statehood to Kashmir and that the Opposition will restore it the moment it comes to power. Put in other words, this approach also indicates Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s belief that the common voters do not think deeply. No matter the political detail in Mr. Rahul Gandhi’s head, it is obvious he is trying to spread a narrative that has actually got no meaning in electoral campaign. For, on this count, there appears no difference between the Modi Government and the Opposition. Both agree that restoration of statehood to J&K is only a matter of time. The trouble is, however, with the Opposition assertion that it would restore Special Status to Kashmir.

 

This issue, too, will not earn popular acceptance because the Kashmir region has seen the good effects of abrogation of Special Status in the past five years. The Kashmir region is breathing far more freely than before; its public life has returned to near-normal with every sector including entertainment operating without any hitch (which was never the case earlier). The people’s participation in an open socio-commercial life has become a matter of boon for the region -- which has become possible only because Special Status has been abrogated and that normal activities have been restored. When this is the social reality of Kashmir, the Opposition is not likely to attain an extra leverage by talking about restoration of Special Status to the region. In fact, such a stance is far more likely to bring much electoral disadvantage to the Opposition. Yet, Mr. Rahul Gandhi and other leaders of the Opposition camp are all the time insisting that they would restore Special Status to Jammu and Kashmir region .

 

Should that be construed as playing in the hands of powers that operate from across the international border? Given the current political scenario, such a possibility cannot be altogether ruled out. For, some Opposition leaders have been on record urging the Pakistanis to help the Opposition in removing Mr. Narendra Modi from prime ministership. If this is the way the Opposition thinks, then something is very seriously wrong with its thought-process. This ‘wrong’ has to be addressed -- electorally as well as culturally. The Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies have the wherewithal to tackle the issue. But what is happening on the actual ground of reality of Kashmir is that the BJP has not been able to assert itself as against the cantankerous politics of Mr. Rahul Gandhi. But this is the need for the hour for the BJP to insist upon exposing the falsehood in the Opposition narrative and bring to fore the right and authentic stance that has made a positive difference to Kashmir and its people. If the BJP succeeds in getting across such a counter-narrative, it would make the grade.