PDP’S gamble for 2019
Mehbooba has fallen back on the soft-separatism card
There has been a political chill in Kashmir since the collapse of the People’s Democratic Party(pdp)-bharatiya Janata Party(bjp) coalition government last summer. But the Centre’s statement of intent on its readiness to hold the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir along with the Parliamentary polls has caused a stir. The state’s political players are getting back in the game now.
Mehbooba Mufti, president of the PDP and former chief minister, is taking the familiar route to revive her political fortunes. She has lately been venturing into south Kashmir, the Valley’s hotbed of violent anti-india outrage, meeting bereaved families. On two such trips, she criticised the security forces for the alleged illegal detention of the families of militants. At a political rally (her first in Kashmir after a while) on the third death anniversary of her father and PDP founder, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, in his hometown of Bijbehara, she apologised for unfortunate remarks she made in 2016 as CM. This seeming atonement is the centrepiece of Ms Mufti’s strategy to reclaim lost political ground in her former bastion. Her old calling card is out: soft separatism, a euphemism for commiserating with the Kashmiri militants and a hard line position on human rights violations by the security forces. She is also pushing for a political resolution of the Kashmir issue by bringing Pakistan and separatists on board.
The party’s core constituency deserted it after its alliance with an ideologically incompatible BJP, fuelling a surge in anger and alienation. Troubles only mounted after the coalition’s break up. Questioning her leadership, several senior leaders have quit the party. Her boycott of the recent local and panchayat elections has further shrunk the party’s base. Notwithstanding the fact that this is driven by political expediency, Ms Mufti’s outreach holds the promise of opening up a space for mainstream politics in the restive hinterland. As of now, mainstream parties have faded into the background with most of them unable to come to grips with the current situation. There is some distance to travel between a dark winter and a bright spring in Kashmir.