DNA Edit: Hands-on man – Doval’s peace push in Kashmir is a good start

Fittingly, the drive to restore normalcy in Kashmir Valley is being led by Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor (NSA) and key aide to PM Narendra Modi. That Doval would have been among the select few to be part of the Kashmir decision, is without a doubt. That Doval is the ultimate hands-on man in India’s intelligence networks, is equally well established on the ground. So when a man of such standing, himself an old Pakistan and Kashmir hand, actually lands upon Ground Zero to assess the mood of the people and interact with common denizens over rice and curry, it helps to ease tensions. The hyperbole of military might riding roughshod over common citizens — an image that Pakistan has been trying to attribute to Indian action in Kashmir — is diluted, and much-needed human touch takes over. 

Given the circumstances, it was just as well that Doval held a review meeting with top officials of the security grid in Kashmir — after all, there can be no substitute for a ground assessment, as they offer nuances that no report, however objective, available in South Block can provide. The review was attended by senior stakeholders as well as the public. Media reports quoting the security paraphernalia in the para-military forces and state police said that Doval took a sympathetic view of villagers in Shopian, which he also visited, to ease restrictions on traffic, phone and internet connectivity on Eid-ul-Zuha next week. Doval’s directions are timely — people should not face any hardships, shortage of essential food supplies, emergency assistance and provisions should be made available on priority. 

After his visit, Doval submitted a report to the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. New Delhi must be commended for reaching out to the people of the state, particularly the Kashmir Valley, who have been at the centre stage of political action in the last seven or so decades. Triumphalism needs to be avoided, as India would do well without giving the impression of an occupied army entering Kashmir, an image which her detractors are very keen to portray. Doval’s own assessment, according to the media, suggests that the situation in the state is normal. There is peace and no untoward incident or agitation has taken place, not just because of elaborate security arrangements, but also due to the cooperation and support of the local population. 

What seems to have assuaged fears is Amit Shah’s statement that Jammu and Kashmir could become a state again, if the situation improves. By all accounts then, a good beginning has been made. A clearer picture will emerge only after the restrictions ease and people — as well as vested interests - begin moving around. This is when political elements sympathetic to the Indian viewpoint, and who have been so far pushed onto the margins because they have not followed the dominant narrative, need to come out and assert themselves. Their time has finally come.