The history of Jammu and Kashmir since the dawn of Indian independence has been a chronicle of resilience against a singular and relentless external aggressor that has sought to bleed the region through a strategy of thousand cuts. For decades the beautiful valley was held hostage not by the will of its people but by the machinations of a neighbour that has never reconciled with the reality of its own failures. Pakistan has systematically orchestrated a campaign of violence that began with the brutal tribal invasion of Operation Gulmarg in 1947 and evolved into the conventional failures of Operation Gibraltar in 1965 and the desperate aggression of 1971. When conventional wars failed to redraw the map or break the spirit of India, the deep state across the border pivoted to a more insidious form of warfare by launching Operation Tupac in the late eighties. This proxy war was designed to tear the social fabric of Kashmir apart by weaponising religion and radicalising youth while driving out the indigenous Kashmiri Pandit community in an orchestrated campaign of ethnic cleansing. The scars of this aggression are visible not just in the physical infrastructure that was destroyed but in the psychological wounds inflicted upon a generation that grew up under the shadow of the gun. The subsequent attempts to reignite the flames through the Kargil intrusion in 1999 and the orchestrated street agitations of 2008, 2010 and 2016 were merely continuations of this malicious policy to keep the pot boiling at the cost of Kashmiri lives.
The story of Kashmir is now undergoing a seismic shift as the Indian state moves decisively from conflict management to conflict resolution through a robust framework of rehabilitation, reintegration and rebuilding. The era of appeasement where the perpetrators of violence were often coddled while the victims languished in silence is definitively over. The current administration led by the Lieutenant Governor has rightly identified that lasting peace cannot be built on the shaky foundations of ambiguity but requires the clear identification and honouring of those who stood for the nation. The recent administrative drive to clear the backlog of compassionate appointments under Self-Regulatory Organization 43 is a testament to this new resolve. For decades the families of police personnel and civilians who were brutally murdered by terrorists were forced to run from pillar to post for the compensation and jobs that were their due. It is a travesty of justice that while the ecosystem of terror was greased with funds and soft separatism, the kin of real martyrs were left to fend for themselves in bureaucratic labyrinths. The decision to fast track these appointments and provide one time age relaxations to the next of kin is not merely an administrative exercise but a moral corrective that restores the dignity of the state and its defenders.
This shift in policy strikes at the very heart of the Pakistani design which relied on creating a terror ecosystem where anti-national elements were incentivised and nationalists were marginalised. The clear distinction now being drawn between the real martyrs and the agents of chaos sends a powerful message that the state stands firmly with those who bleed for it. This is a crucial step in the psychological warfare that has defined the region for thirty years. By visibly honouring the sacrifices of policemen and civilians who refused to bow to the dictates of terrorists, the administration is creating new role models for the society. It is a declaration that the future of Kashmir belongs to the builders and the protectors rather than the destroyers and the stones throwers. The dismantling of the terror ecosystem is further aided by the crackdown on the financing networks and the overground workers who provided the logistical backbone for Pakistani operations. The days when separatists could enjoy state security while preaching sedition are gone and this clarity of purpose is essential for the reintegration of the populace into the national mainstream.
Reintegration however goes beyond the security calculus and touches upon the need to heal the fractured social fabric that was torn asunder in 1990. The exodus of Kashmiri Pandits remains the darkest chapter of the proxy war and a stark reminder of the communal poison injected by Pakistan. There can be no true Kashmiriyat without the return of its original inhabitants who were the custodians of its syncretic culture. The rehabilitation of the Pandit community is not just a humanitarian necessity but a strategic imperative to defeat the monoculture that radicalism seeks to impose. While the government has made strides with transit accommodations and employment packages, the ultimate goal must be the restoration of the composite culture where temples and shrines coexist in the shared spaces of neighbourhoods. This process requires patience and the active participation of the civil society to bridge the trust deficit that has widened over three decades of separation. It is heartening to see the administration acknowledge that justice is a prerequisite for reconciliation and the reopening of cold cases involving the targeted killings of minority leaders sends a signal that time will not absolve the perpetrators of their crimes.
The path to lasting peace is also paved with economic empowerment that weans the youth away from the nihilistic narrative peddled by handlers across the border. The holistic agriculture development program and the massive push for industrialisation are creating stakeholders in peace who have too much to lose from a return to violence.
The youth who were once cynically used as cannon fodder in the street violence of 2016 are now being engaged through initiatives like Mission Youth which offer them avenues for entrepreneurship and self expression. The remarkable voter turnout in recent elections is a resounding rejection of the boycott calls that were once dictated by Pakistan. It is a vote for development and a vote for a future where Kashmir is defined by its potential rather than its past. The integration of the region with the rest of India through all weather tunnels and rail links is breaking the physical and psychological isolation that allowed the separatist narrative to fester.
Pakistan stands exposed today not just as a sponsor of terror but as a failed state that has nothing to offer Kashmir but destruction and despair. Its obsession with Kashmir has led to its own economic implosion and diplomatic isolation while India marches forward as a global power. The contrast could not be starker as Jammu and Kashmir witnesses a transformation defined by smart cities and investment summits while the occupied territories across the Line of Control suffer under neglect and suppression. The Indian narrative is one of hope and inclusivity where every citizen is a partner in the nation’s progress. The rehabilitation of the victims of terror and the reintegration of the misguided youth are the pillars upon which this new edifice is being built. It is a journey that requires vigilance and perseverance for the enemy is desperate and will try to strike back. Yet the resolve of the Indian state and the resilience of the Kashmiri people have ensured that the designs of the aggressor have been defeated. The ghosts of the past are being laid to rest and a new dawn is breaking over the valley where peace is not just a slogan but a lived reality for the millions who have chosen democracy over dictatorship and development over destruction. The final victory will be the complete reclamation of the lost heritage and the establishment of a peace so durable that no external force can ever dare to disturb it again.