Manzoor Ahmed Naik
manzoor.naik999@gmail.com
For more than three decades, Jammu and Kashmir—particularly the Valley—was
seen largely through the prism of terrorism, separatism, and street violence. Images of
stone-pelting mobs and shutdown calendars dominated national and international
narratives. That era has decisively ended. Today, the reality on the ground tells a
different story: there is zero public appetite for terrorism and separatism in the Valley,
and this transformation did not occur by chance. It is the result of a firm security
doctrine, political clarity, and sustained governance under the leadership of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
For years, Kashmir policy oscillated between hesitation and half-measures. Terror
networks exploited this ambiguity, while stone-pelting—often portrayed as
“spontaneous dissent”—was in fact an organised, funded, and protected enterprise.
The Modi government marked a decisive break from this drift. Terrorism and
separatism were no longer treated as political expressions but as criminal threats to
national security and civilian life. This clarity of purpose sent an unambiguous signal:
violence would neither be tolerated nor romanticised.
Stone pelting did not disappear because of fatigue alone; it ended because its
ecosystem was dismantled. The government moved aggressively against the funding
channels that sustained street violence—exposing and choking the hawala networks
and separatist financiers who paid youths to confront security forces. Organisers were
prosecuted, not patronised. Repeat offenders faced firm legal consequences.
Equally important was the withdrawal of political and moral cover. No longer could
violence be justified under the garb of “youth anger.” As a result, stone pelting—once
a daily spectacle—collapsed rapidly. What was exposed was not a mass movement,
but a manufactured industry that could not survive without money, impunity, and
narrative protection.
The security approach under the Modi government combined precision with restraint.
Intelligence-led operations targeted active terrorists and their handlers, while
avoiding collateral damage that could fuel resentment. Local recruitment into militant
ranks fell sharply, not only because of effective policing, but because families and
communities began actively discouraging radicalisation.
Militancy thrives when society offers silence or sympathy. Today, neither exists.
Terrorists find no shelter, no glorification, and no ideological space. Each attack is
met with public condemnation, not covert endorsement. This social rejection has
proven more lethal to militancy than any single operation. The reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir marked another turning point. While
much debate focused on constitutional aspects, the deeper impact was administrative
normalisation. Laws applied uniformly, governance structures became more
accountable, and the parallel authority of separatist outfits evaporated. This shift
restored the primacy of the citizen over the agitator. Development schemes,
infrastructure projects, and welfare delivery reached areas long held hostage by fear
and extortion. When governance becomes visible and benefits tangible, separatist
rhetoric loses its potency.
Perhaps the most telling change is generational. Kashmir’s youth today is focused on
competitive exams, start-ups, tourism, sports, and digital entrepreneurship. Where
once stone pelting was incentivised, skill development and employment now offer
dignity and mobility. The idea of dying for an abstract cause, sold by leaders who
never shared the risks, holds no appeal. The new aspiration politics of the Valley has
replaced grievance politics. Terrorism and separatism are now widely seen as
obstacles to progress, not instruments of resistance.
High participation in elections—especially in areas once considered separatist
bastions—has delivered the strongest rebuttal to claims of alienation. People are
engaging with democratic institutions because they believe outcomes can change
their lives. Ballots have replaced stones; dialogue has replaced disruption. This is not
enforced silence—it is voluntary participation.
Despite continued attempts by Pakistan-sponsored groups to revive violence, their
failure is consistent and telling. Terrorism today survives only as an external
imposition, not an internal movement. Without local support, without recruits, and
without legitimacy, it is strategically doomed. The calm in the Valley is not merely
the success of security forces; it is the verdict of Kashmiri society itself. The people
have seen the cost of conflict and have consciously chosen peace, stability, and
integration.
From stones to stability, Kashmir has turned a historic page. The zero appetite for
terrorism and separatism is not a temporary phase—it is a societal decision. And that
decision, rooted in lived experience and reinforced by firm governance, ensures that
the dark chapters of the past will not define the Valley’s future.
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