Over a month after assuming office, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Girish Chander Murmu told reporters on the sidelines of a function in north Kashmir on December 4 that the suspension of internet service in the Valley is under review of the government and a positive decision can be taken after situation becomes “more normal”. When pressed by the reporters, LG Murmu refused to give out a timeline. This is similar to the stand taken by the central government on the issue of Kashmir’s political detainees who were recently shifted from the classy Centaur Hotel on the banks of Dal Lake to the ‘unlivable’ and ‘fit only for demolition’ MLA hostel in Srinagar. Whenever the central leaders are asked to give a timeline on when these political detainees are going to be released, they refuse to give one. In fact, a top union minister went a step ahead by saying that if the Congress could jail for 11 years Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, arguably the tallest leader of Kashmir, why rush to let go his progeny in just four months. This uncertainty within the government is a reflection of the ground situation in Kashmir where markets and transporters have been overwhelmed by a pervasive fear, even as normalcy has largely returned. Rumour mills churn out scandalous stories of upcoming events that are going to change the future of Jammu and Kashmir, for good or bad, no one knows. With even leaders such as Dr Farooq Abdullah technically behind bars, even the common people are not sure about what lays in store for them in the new scheme of things. Clearly, despite what the powers-that-be might be saying, despite what the compromised media anchors might be shouting at the top of their voices in their studios, night after night, despite what some newspapers might have us believe, the situation is not so rosy in Kashmir. There is no doubt that attempts are and will be made to vitiate the situation in the Valley. None other than a senior central minister said in the parliament recently that money is being sent to fund attacks on security forces in Kashmir. Having learnt lessons from some horrible experiences in the recent past, security forces have done a commendable job in keeping the situation under control. Internet restoration has the potential to undo their achievements of the past four months. The government should be clear on the matter rather than perpetuating a sense of uncertainty.