Jammu and Kashmir has not seen an elected government since 2018, after the BJP pulled out of the coalition government with the J&K Peoples Democratic Party. A year later, Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, was revoked. Recently though, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that assembly elections would soon be held. For now, there is electoral buzz thanks to the Lok Sabha polls. Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti of the PDP is contesting from the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency. She entered politics under the guidance of her father and PDP founder Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and became the first female chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir after his passing in 2016. Her Lok Sabha campaign is centred on safeguarding Jammu and Kashmir's unique identity, resources, jobs and land. Excerpts from an interview:
Q/ The voter turnout is expected to rise this time. Do you think people will support you again?
A/ The parliamentary election is an opportunity for people to express their feelings about how suffocated they have felt since 2019, and to denounce what happened as wrong, unconstitutional and contrary to the promises made. The narrative from the BJP is that all is well because tourists come to Kashmir and take selfies. But in reality, people are suffering in silence and are heartbroken. I am confident they will come out and vote.
Q/ What is your response to BJP's claims that post Article 370 abrogation, the situation has improved, terrorism is ending and Jammu and Kashmir is progressing?
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus
RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI
