The week gone by has once again reminded Jammu and Kashmir that its story cannot be told through a single lens.
It is a story of political assertion and democratic debate, of development and disruption, of sporting achievement and cultural pride, of technological ambition and unresolved public concerns. Above all, it is a story of a society trying to move forward while carrying the weight of its complicated past.
The seventh anniversary of August 5, 2019 once again brought the political question of Jammu and Kashmir to the centre of public discourse. The National Conference reiterated its demand for restoration of statehood and constitutional rights, while the PDP renewed its call for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A. Opposition leaders demonstrated in Parliament, and the political debate once again became sharper.
Whatever one’s political position, one principle deserves emphasis: democratic disagreement cannot be treated as disloyalty to the nation.
The recent remarks of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat that criticism of the government is not criticism of the nation, and that protest is a legitimate part of democracy, are worth reflecting upon. Democracy becomes stronger not when dissent disappears, but when institutions develop the confidence to listen to dissent and respond to it through dialogue.
For Jammu and Kashmir, this is particularly important. The demand for statehood is now one of the most prominent political issues in the region. The Centre and the political leadership of J&K may differ sharply on many questions, but a mature democracy requires space for discussion, negotiation and constitutional engagement.
At the same time, politics cannot become a substitute for governance.
People want roads that remain open, hospitals that function, schools that provide quality education, fruit that reaches markets on time, electricity systems that are safe, and welfare schemes that reach the genuinely deserving.
There were encouraging developments on this front during the week.
The government reviewed budget implementation, flood rehabilitation and infrastructure restoration. The Chief Minister visited rain-hit areas and reviewed the fragile Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, repeatedly described as the economic lifeline of the region. The administration has also promised priority movement for fruit-laden trucks and essential supplies.
These are not merely administrative details. For Kashmir’s economy, particularly horticulture, connectivity is survival.
Every day a fruit truck remains stranded is a potential loss to a farmer. Every landslide that closes a highway disrupts not only tourism but the entire supply chain. The repeated damage to NH-44 should therefore force us to think beyond temporary repairs. Kashmir needs a long-term, scientifically designed infrastructure strategy capable of dealing with increasingly unpredictable weather.
The week’s weather incidents again demonstrated this vulnerability.
Heavy rainfall, landslides and flash floods affected Rajouri, Ramban, Udhampur and other areas. The Amarnath Yatra had to be suspended from Jammu as a precaution. A tragic incident in Udhampur, where people were swept away by a flash flood, was another painful reminder that nature does not wait for administrative convenience.
Climate resilience must now become a permanent component of development planning in Jammu and Kashmir.
But this week was not only about challenges.
It was also a week of remarkable achievement.
Kashmir hosted the prestigious DP World J&K Open, bringing leading professional golfers to the Royal Springs Golf Course. The tournament has demonstrated that Kashmir can host international sporting events and use them to strengthen its tourism economy.
More importantly, Jammu and Kashmir produced a new sporting hero.
Auqib Nabi’s selection for India’s Test squad is an extraordinary moment for J&K cricket. From the local cricket grounds to the Indian dressing room, his journey represents the aspirations of thousands of young athletes across the region.
Owais Yaqoob’s historic MMA victory in Bulgaria offered another example of the same determination.
These achievements tell us something important: Kashmir’s youth do not want their identity defined only by political headlines. They want opportunities to compete, create, innovate and excel.
That is why the inauguration of the AI Centre of Excellence and Project Phoenix at IIT Jammu is equally significant. The proposed 5G laboratories, the MSME incubator at IUST, digital healthcare through the JK SEHAT App and efforts to expand online education all point towards a Jammu and Kashmir that is gradually entering a technology-driven economy.
But technology must not remain confined to institutions and official announcements.
It must reach the young person searching for employment, the entrepreneur looking for capital, the farmer seeking market information, the student in a remote village and the patient who cannot travel long distances for treatment.
Development is meaningful only when ordinary citizens can feel its impact.
The same principle applies to education and literacy. Jammu and Kashmir being declared fully literate under the ULLAS programme is an important achievement. Yet literacy must be understood as the beginning, not the destination.
A literate society must become a knowledgeable society, and a knowledgeable society must eventually become an empowered society.
There are, however, areas where the government and institutions need to listen more carefully.
The concerns raised by artists of Jammu and Kashmir deserve serious consideration.
Filmmakers, writers, musicians, theatre practitioners, painters and cultural activists have preserved the region’s collective memory through decades of uncertainty. Their contribution cannot be measured merely in terms of commercial output.
Our cultural community is part of Kashmir’s soft power.
The government and political parties should therefore establish a meaningful and regular mechanism of dialogue with artists. Welfare, employment, exhibition spaces, production support, archives, grants and platforms for young creators should form part of a comprehensive cultural policy.
A society that protects only its monuments but neglects its artists risks preserving the shell while losing the soul.
The same sensitivity is necessary in matters involving religious and cultural sentiments.
The controversy over the alleged listing of pork products on a quick-commerce platform in Kashmir has generated widespread concern. Businesses operating in a region with distinctive religious and cultural sensitivities must understand the importance of local context. At the same time, public concerns should be addressed through responsible investigation and dialogue rather than confrontation.
Kashmir needs both respect for sentiment and respect for the rule of law.
There are also uncomfortable questions that cannot be ignored.
Allegations concerning housing allotments, appointments, encroachments, regulatory decisions and welfare implementation underline the importance of transparency. Government schemes are meaningful only when citizens trust that benefits are distributed fairly.
Similarly, concerns raised by electrical engineers over increased self-certification limits deserve an objective technical examination. Public safety must never become secondary to administrative convenience.
And perhaps the most serious issue remains drugs.
The nationwide Nasha Mukt Yuva campaign launched during the week is particularly relevant to Jammu and Kashmir. The fight against drugs cannot be reduced to arrests and seizures.
It requires prevention, rehabilitation, education, family support, employment opportunities and a social environment in which young people can imagine a meaningful future.
The message must be clear: we must fight the drug trade firmly, but we must also rescue those who have fallen victim to addiction.
The week also brought news from the wider world, particularly the tense situation surrounding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. Any disruption of this vital waterway has implications far beyond West Asia, affecting energy prices, inflation and global trade.
For a region already dealing with economic pressures, geopolitical uncertainty can quickly translate into domestic consequences.
This is why Kashmir cannot afford isolation from the wider economic and technological transformation taking place around it.
The exclusion of Jammu and Kashmir from the latest tribal homestay tourism initiative, despite its tribal communities and enormous tourism potential, should also prompt serious reflection. Such omissions must be examined objectively, and where genuine opportunities are missed, the administration must pursue them vigorously.
Jammu and Kashmir should not merely wait for development packages.
It must compete for them.
The week ended with another reminder of the power of culture and spirituality.
The Urs of Sultan-ul-Arifeen, Hazrat Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom, brought people together in remembrance of a spiritual tradition built around humility, compassion, service and reform. At a time when public discourse is increasingly polarised, these values deserve renewed attention.
Perhaps this is where the different threads of the week come together.
Politics needs dialogue.
Development needs accountability.
Technology needs inclusion.
Tourism needs sustainability.
Security needs vigilance.
Culture needs protection.
And society needs compassion.
Jammu and Kashmir is changing. But the question before us is not simply how fast we change.
The more important question is what kind of society we are building through that change.
A stronger Kashmir cannot be built through infrastructure alone. Nor can it be built through political slogans alone.
It must be built through institutions that people trust, young people who have opportunities, communities that respect one another, artists who are heard, farmers who receive fair returns, workers who are protected, and citizens who feel that their voice matters.
The political debates of August 5 will continue. The demand for statehood will remain part of public discourse. Development projects will continue to be announced and implemented. New roads, railways, hospitals, technology centres and sporting events will reshape the physical landscape.
But ultimately, the success of Jammu and Kashmir will be measured not by the number of projects announced, but by the quality of life they create.
The week has given us reasons for concern, reasons for hope, and reasons for introspection.
The challenge now is to ensure that hope becomes policy, policy becomes implementation, and implementation becomes visible change in the life of the common citizen.
That should be the real measure of progress.
— Mushtaq Bala
