J&K: Full normalcy will be restored, when daily needs replace activism

New Delhi, Aug 21: There is tight security in Jammu and Kashmir. Curbs are being eased gradually on a daily basis and besides a few incidents of violence, nothing major has taken place, since the abrogation of Article 370.

The curbs have come under question and three petitions have also been filed in the Supreme Court. Former officer of the Research and Analysis Wing, Amar Bhushan tells OneIndia that the curbs were absolutely needed and had it not been imposed passion and anger would have spiralled out of control.

I have dealt with such situations and I know how high the anger and passion can be. It would have been a foolish decision to go ahead with such a decision without the restrictions, Bhushan also adds. Questioning the need of restrictions in the Valley is foolish, he also said.

In such situations, the norm is to impose restrictions and then assess the situation over a period and time and then gradually begin the easing process. When such a decision is made, the anger quotient is very high. Over a period of time the daily needs start becoming important for the common. That would be to walk about, send their children to school, ration, just to name a few. When the importance of a daily life becomes important, that is the time to start easing out the restrictions, Bhushan also points out.

On the decision to scrap Article 370 and make Jammu and Kashmir a Union Territory, Bhushan says that it is the best thing that could have happened.

This would pave the way for development in the state as a result of which jobs would be created. Tourism for one will flourish. Centres to process dry fruits, carpet industries and apples should be developed.

With J&K being a UT, new schemes can reach the people directly. This should be ensured and only then will the people realise its worth. Do everything directly, like how it is being done in the rest of the country. This can be done easily when it is UT, Amar Bhushan says.

With development, terrorism too would come down. Terrorism would be a problem that would have to be dealt with for sometime, but development would change that, like in the case of the naxal movement.

The Line of Control should be treated as an international border. It should be a border guarded just like how it is done at the other borders. The separatist movement in J&K too would die slowly. The ideal thing to do is not bother about them too much. It may not get wiped out, but then in a democracy, this is one problem that would persist, he says.

It is a tough call that the government has taken and one should not expect that everything will fall into place overnight. It would take time, but the road ahead would be a good one for Jammu and Kashmir.