Opinion | Restoring Peace and Progress: A New Era in Kashmir

Violence spreads like wildfire and spares no one. Peace is everyone’s dream as it promotes well-being and makes life worth living.
During the ongoing violence and turmoil in Kashmir following the abrogation, the term ‘normalcy’ has gained prominence and become a topic of discussion. The common people of Kashmir, who have suffered significant losses and struggled to provide for their families due to frequent hartals and violence, have grown weary of the situation. They yearn for a return to normalcy in the valley.
The word ‘normalcy’ has become widely used and popular in Kashmir, especially as people see opportunities for positive growth and the establishment of a healthier environment. This desire for normalcy is rooted in historical changes and represents hope for the Kashmiri people, whose lives and liberties have been hindered by continuous hartals, stone-pelting, and violence.
When I refer to ‘normalization,’ I am not talking about the normalization or acceptance of violence. Instead, I mean the ability to carry out daily activities and move freely through public spaces without disruption or fear.
When we see students attending schools, local businesses operating, and common laborers finding daily work without hindrance or disruption, we consider this to be a normal situation. In such an environment, development and progress become possible. This is what has been observed in the valley post-abrogation, as peace and progress have become evident.
Post-abrogation, we have witnessed a balanced state in Kashmir: a state without violence. The practice of inciting violence through false propaganda has come to an end. There is no longer violence based on ideologies or misinterpretations. People have grown tired of prolonged hartals and instability.
The impact of extended shutdowns, stone-pelting, and violence has been extremely traumatic. These disturbances have not only affected our economy and education but have also taken a toll on our mental health, disrupting peace, progress, and prosperity. Most importantly, they have cost human lives.
Furthermore, when violence, protests, and shutdowns become the norm of life, peace becomes something that must be actively maintained and negotiated. Personally, I have seen and faced the turmoil and its detrimental effects on every aspect of our lives. Every Kashmiri desire an end to violence and turmoil, as evidenced by both old and young Kashmiris praying for the restoration of normalcy.
Above all, social and structural factors play a crucial role in maintaining normalcy at a societal level. Upon analysis, violence appears to be related to the psychology of individuals. Conventionally, violence is understood to be often driven by negative emotions, such as anger or fear. The eruption of violence against the state is often caused by the misuse of these emotions in a religious context.
Compared to the past, the present scenario is more comfortable. It represents a state of recovering normalcy, as daily life continues without interruption. Many Kashmiris comment that things are quite different now, and normal life is back on track. The scrapping of Articles 370 and 35A has eliminated various manifestations and ideologies propagated by our political parties, which had led to political victimization.
There is no violence now and the maintenance of peace needs the cooperation of the Kashmir people. The last two years have seen new avenues of business, mushroom growth in tourism, and in the end, educational institutions run without breaks.
During the last two years, the government has undertaken a holistic approach to human development in JKUT covering crucial sectors like education, healthcare, employment generation, tourism, and industrial growth among others. As common people hailed a sigh of relief. Article 370 was the “root cause” of violence and hindrance in the way of economic and social development, claims the government.
Violence spreads like wildfire and spares no one. Peace is everyone’s dream as it promotes well-being and makes life worth living. Unfortunately, some do not want peace to return as they are the beneficiaries of violence. They earn money out of it. During the last two years, these beneficiaries of violence have been crushed and minimized to level zero along with their business units. By targeting minority civilians, they want to disturb normalcy in JKUT. They want Kashmiris on roads protesting, demonstrating and provoking violent situations to show abnormality and violence in Kashmir, but Kashmiris as per the present situation, are in quest of peace and normalcy which we must acknowledge and encourage.
The normality witnessed in Kashmir has never remained static; it can last from days to months to years. To maintain this normality, the government needs cooperation from all sectors of the population. People-oriented policies and decisions need to be implemented to prevent further violence. Security agencies and the army have made tremendous efforts towards restoring normalcy.
The journey of the past four years has seen peace on the borders, a boom in tourism, and a decline in terrorism. Most importantly, people are now moving freely without fear or restrictions
vadaiekashmir@gmail.com