Guest Column| Kashmir poised to be torchbearer of idea of India

That Srinagar will be hosting one of the G20 events is designed to manifest changing times in the Valley. It’s suggesting to the world that the decision of August 5, 2019, to end the special status and privileges of the erstwhile state, were a necessity to defeat terrorism and meet aspirations of the people for partnership with the rest of the country

Kashmir will be hosting one of the major G20 events. Srinagar will be the venue of an event related to the grouping, representing 20 largest economies of the world. That, according to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, will help Kashmir showcase its tourism potential, culture and hospitality. All this is given. There are two underlined objectives, the geo-political strategic investment of the nation in the Valley and the political and diplomatic dividends it hopes to reap, and demonstrating to the world, the trust evolving between Delhi and Srinagar.

Kashmiris will have to be involved and made stakeholders in the G20 event, which they take as their own project. It is not a tourism related event for which a shikara ride on Dal Lake will showcase Kashmir. It will hinge on what people say and express, collectively. (Waseem Andrabi/HT file photo)

When Sinha declared that Srinagar would be hosting one of the G20 events, he also emphasised that Jammu and Kashmir would be doing its best to be as good as other venues across the country. The contour and the context of these words had wider meaning. Kashmir is expected to stand out by virtue of its hospitality beyond the official welcome and receptions for the visiting dignitaries. The call is to excel as compared to other places in the country.

Kashmir represents more than a host – it has the opportunity to redefine itself as also the Indian nation. No other place can compete with Kashmir on this count.

Kashmir is unique because of its troubled past and its quest to open to the new world, where the narrative of ifs and buts has been replaced by the discourse that everything is taken care of; where it is as much part of India as any other place and at the same time it has to demonstrate that it has shed its days of doom and gloom as it is poised to be the torchbearer of the idea of India.

Reflection of faith

That Srinagar, the capital city of the UT, will be hosting one of the events is designed to manifest changing times in the Valley. It is a reflection of trust that it would demonstrate increasing faith of the Indian nation in the place which, not so long ago, was tagged as one of the major hotspots in the world. It is suggesting to the world that its decision of August 5, 2019, to end the special status and privileges of the erstwhile state, were a necessity to defeat terrorism and meet aspirations of the people for partnership with the rest of the country in search of a future of hope and promise.

Here, it also brings a test of sorts for Delhi, to treat the place and the people as the crown of India, beyond the Himalayan identity and beauty, but also because of its culture and hospitality. Delhi has overcome its trepidation of hosting an international event in Kashmir. It wants to remove all doubts on this count.

The armed militancy, that had punctured all sense of normal life, has been tamed. The times when prayers would go up when people would reach home safe is over. Schools have adhered to their annual calendar without even a minor interruption; there is a certainty about the day and night. No darkness in the afternoon phenomenon is defining the Valley.

Test for Centre, Kashmir

Now, if there is no shutdown or stone-throwing incident, it is not just out of the fear of heavy presence of security forces and relentless anti-terrorism operations, somewhere down the line it also is a reflection of the people’s expression of their long-suppressed quest for the times where they could do their business as usual.

The real test for the Government of India would be to ensure that the things remain the way they are. The optics of the normalcy need to be given real-time meaning that Kashmiris are loving it.

This has its own imperatives. Kashmiris will have to be involved and made stakeholders in the event, which they take as their own project. It is not a tourism-related event for which a visit to Mughal Gardens and shikara ride on Dal Lake will showcase Kashmir. It will hinge on what the people say and express, collectively. The cultivated and curated narratives need to be replaced with indigenous talk of love for peace.

Much of the ground has been covered, but there is a need to do something more, where Kashmiris make it a point to stand and be counted as partners in the event without any ifs and buts.ajoshi57@gmail.com

The writer is a Jammu-based senior journalist. Views expressed are personal.