“It’s good these people are in jail,” a fruit seller shared his frustration, keeping his shop open despite a lowered shutter in response to the lockdown called on by the separatists. The year was 2019, precisely a month after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government announced the abrogation of Article 370, and “these people” in question were the leaders of Jammu & Kashmir’s regional parties: the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Five years later, these very people are not just out of jail, but some of them are also set to form the government in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. 

The world can draw an essential lesson from what has transpired in Jammu & Kashmir in the last five years. And this lesson has nothing to do with the polling outcome. Despite the previous unstable assembly (the BJP opted out of the ruling PDP-led coalition), the geopolitical turmoil in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370, and the controversy around delimitation, Jammu & Kashmir chose democracy yet again.

Democracy As A Lived Reality

When an insurgency or an armed conflict continues for too long, democracy is the first to fall. Increased securitisation of a conflict-ridden space undermines democracy not just as a political philosophy concept but also as an everyday lived reality. Political alienation is often the beginning and the end of a conflict. It is also the means and the end of most insurgencies. Secessionists in Jammu & Kashmir, therefore, leaned on boycotts of political processes in the region. These boycotts were successful in forging a sense of identity, delinked from New Delhi, in a section of Jammu & Kashmir’s population.

Jammu & Kashmir’s voter turnout in 2024 has fallen marginally short of 2014. Still, considering the political and security volatility during the past decade, the political remapping of the region, and the trends from the 2024 general election turnout, the absolute figure of 63.88% is a big round of applause for Indian democracy. Not only were the calls for boycotting the elections negligible, but voters also didn’t even think twice before ignoring them. The pre-poll sentiment in Jammu & Kashmir was defined by buoyancy and optimism.

Reigniting Faith

Participation in electoral processes should not be seen as an indicator of peace in Jammu & Kashmir or any other conflict-riddled region. Democracy does not suit all, and efforts to derail it are the strongest whenever it appears to work and emerge as a choice. For peace, the synergy of formal institutions is a prerequisite. The BJP has done well to reignite people’s faith in at least one of them: electoral polity. Jammu & Kashmir, under the governor’s rule for six years, grabbed this chance to assert itself and make its voice heard in New Delhi. The JKNC-Congress alliance has trumped religious extremism-driven parties on the one hand and heavy-handed nationalism on the other.

After almost a decade of aggressive and kinetic strategy in dealing with the hardliners in J&K, this is a perfect moment for the Indian establishment to rethink its attitudes towards conflict resolution. The temptation to discard democracy as a defunct system is at its highest during an armed conflict. But this is also the time when democracy can shine the brightest. A rights-based approach to conflict resolution may appear counter-intuitive, but this is the only lasting solution. The rejection of the right to vote by a dissatisfied bunch of people as a means of their political expression can be the first sign of trouble. The converse is also true.

This Is True ‘Normalcy’

The BJP may not feel warm and fuzzy about the assembly poll results, but New Delhi has all the reasons to rejoice. This is what ‘normalcy’, an oft-touted catchword of the current dispensation, looks and feels like. This almost violence-free election is the festive bonus that everyone hoped for, but nobody could have been sure of it. Reams will be written about the “success” of this election within the security paradigm. However, the real success is allowing the decriers of democracy to come into the fold. After long periods of violence and quasi-violence directed primarily against the Indian state, this election is an affirmation of the core principles of participatory democracy. 

No political system, even the good old democracy, can and should be treated as the panacea for all ills. At best, democracy can achieve an environment where people who are affected by policies feel like stakeholders. This precludes compulsive resistance and fosters a sense of ownership. Jammu & Kashmir’s ‘problem’ is both a function and an origin of political alienation and disempowerment. Increased participation on the population’s part and more open-mindedness on the part of the establishment during political processes help create a secure environment that doesn’t rely solely on securitisation.

What and how Jammu & Kashmir’s political arena will look like with a government in place after six years of Governor’s rule remains to be seen. For now, these lessons of democracy are for all to see and emulate. 

(Nishtha Gautam is a Delhi-based author and academic.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

To ensure the democratic participation of all eligible voters, postal ballot voting was on Saturday successfully conducted in a segment of the Jammu Lok Sabha constituency which is going to polls in the second phase on April 26, an official spokesman said.

As many as 48 employees from different departments, who opted for the postal ballot voting, availed of the facility in the Kalakote-Subderbani assembly constituency, the spokesperson said.

The postal ballot initiative provided a convenient and accessible avenue for employees to cast their votes who are associated with election work. It has emerged as a beacon of accessibility, allowing employees to fulfil their civic duty without the constraints of physical presence at polling stations, the spokesperson said.

District Election Officer Rajouri, Om Prakash Bhagat, along with Deputy Inspector General, Rajouri-Poonch Range, Tejinder Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police, Amrit Pal Singh also visited Kalakote-Sunderbani Assembly Constituency.

They reviewed the preparedness for the upcoming elections in the segment, including home voting scheduled for Sunday.

They also assessed security measures and logistical arrangements and directed all concerned stakeholders to ensure a smooth and transparent process for the electoral process, the spokesperson said.

Later, the District Election Officer along with the police officers and Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kalakote, Mohd Tanveer also visited the dispatch centre established in boys higher secondary school Kalakote, the spokesperson said.

Jammu Lok Sabha seat, which was reshaped on the recommendations of the delimitation commission in 2022, comprises a total of 18 segments and is spread across three districts of Jammu, Samba and Reasi districts besides one segment of Rajouri.

Besides Kalakote-Sunderbani, 11 segments of Bishnah (SC), Suchetgarh (SC), R S Pura-Jammu South, Bahu, Jammu East, Nagrota, Jammu West, Jammu North, Marh (SC), Akhnoor (SC) and Chamb falls in Jammu district, Ramgarh (SC), Samba and Vijaypur in Samba district and Gulabgarh (ST), Reasi and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi in Reasi.

Among the 23 candidates in the fray from the constituency, BJP’s incumbent MP Jugal Kishore and Raman Bhalla of Congress are engaged in a direct fight.

Kishore is looking for a hat-trick of wins after successfully retaining the seat in the 2014 and 2019 polls.

Prominent among others in the fray are Jagdish Raj from Bahujan Samaj Party and Ankur Sharma from Ekam Sanatan Bharat Dal. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Fabric maker Donear will invest ₹400 crore in Jammu to make carpets and rugs, said Rajendra Agarwal, its Managing Director.

The company has purchased land in Jammu and the plant will be operational in 24 months. Almost 90 % of the products made there will be exported and with this unit, Donear will venture into home textiles, he said.

It launched ‘Neo Stretch’ brand fabric in the domestic market three years ago and plans to start exclusive retail outlets for Neo Stretch products. At present 10% of its domestic business will be from Neo Stretch products. Donear will also launch 50 to 100 multi brand outlets that will sell its four national brands and eight sub-brands. “The plan is to have 400 stores in three years,” he said.

The company recently acquired two spinning units, taking its total spindleage to over one lakh. This will add ₹400 crore to its topline, Mr. Aggarwal said.

The export and the domestic markets for textiles are expected to revive by July this year, he added.