The recent murder of a Kashmiri Pandit and bank guard in Pulwama highlights the ongoing violence against the minority community in the region. The attacks are meant to invite state retaliation and repression, leading to further discontent and disaffection among the population. While security forces have asserted that the attacker has been slain, this does little to mitigate the fear that has gripped Pandits in the Valley. The repeated and brazen nature of the killings suggests a breakdown of relations between the administration and the citizenry, leading to the inability of the administration to anticipate and prevent such attacks.
The government's security-centric policies in the Valley have not been effective in curbing militancy or protecting the minority community. Only an effective government by elected representatives of the people of the Valley can rebuild trust between the administration and the citizenry, isolate the radical sections, and ease the workload of the security forces in Kashmir. Restoring statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and working towards the conduct of Assembly elections are now a clear imperative. It is through democratic processes that religious polarisation can be reversed and peace and stability can be restored to the region.
