Looking for a piece of 'change'

Jammu and Kashmir is once again in election mode. In the coming Lok Sabha elections, the state will vote in five phases from April 16 to May 13, 2009. In many ways, J&K is arguably the most politicised state of India, with a very aware electorate that is assiduously seeking change and progress.

The rest of India is fairly clueless about the very real changes that are occurring here. Kashmiris are seen in terms of stereotypes. But every now and then there is a development that challenges the dominant mindset and people are forced to confront the changing realities of the region. For instance, the average Indian was really surprised that in the assembly elections held last November-December, there were a large number of women who stood for elections and women came out in large numbers to vote as well.

Change is in the air. That was my first impression when I visited Kashmir to study the impact of the recent assembly elections that witnessed a record number of 1,353 candidates, including 67 women, contesting from 87 Assembly constituencies.

Of course, some things never seem to change. As I drove into the city on my way from the airport, it seemed to me that the military and police presence was even more obvious than I had ever remembered it to be. The men in khaki appeared to be ubiquitous throughout the state capital of Srinagar. Everywhere there were police bandobasts (look-out points). The newly-erected J&K police headquarters, which towers over its neighbourhood, signalled even more forcibly the presence of the armed forces. Unfortunately, while the overwhelming presence of the security forces affect the psyche of ordinary Kashmiris, making them feel that they are under siege, it does not seem to have made a difference to the general atmosphere of violence. Protests continued unabated throughout the week I was there in Srinagar and the surrounding areas.

Newspapers published from the Valley and from Jammu carried detailed reports of killings. When I was there, I read reports of a 13-year-old Kashmiri girl having been raped by security forces in Kokernag in the Anantnag district; a Kashmiri man being shot dead and several injured in the Shopian district by security forces; photo-journalists having been beaten up by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Special Operation Group (SOG)... the list was long and extremely disturbing.

Then there were other voices of discontent. Despite the talk of a healthy voter turnout - especially in the rural pockets - there were cries of rigging and bogus voting, with a new alliance of defeated candidates coming together under the banner of 'Peoples Action Committee' (PAC) holding press conferences to highlight their concerns.

Yet, amidst all this protest, conflict and tension, people tried to continue with their daily lives as best as they could, constantly adapting to a changing world. There have been small, simple but significant changes in the daily lives of Kashmiris. I noticed, for instance, that a growing number of households and guest houses have given up the traditional 'kangri' (a wicker-work basket heater with coal embers) in favour of the Liquid Petroleum Gas(LPG)-run heaters - despite the occasional instance of a fatal accident. Electricity-run heating arrangements are not so popular because of the long power cuts.

The other manifest change was the mushrooming of spoken English courses, which appear to have caught the fancy of the young Kashmiri. Private television channels operating in the Valley are constantly advertising such courses. Ironically, these advertisements have a negative impact as well. The promise of better opportunities appears to be also adding to the level of frustration among its unemployed target audiences.

Young people in Kashmir have little access to educational resources and sources of entertainment. On offer are only a few reading rooms, which have come up recently, and television. This is far from adequate for a generation of literate young people troubled by what appears to be a bleak future. But they are certainly an aware lot - avidly watching television and reading newspapers and forming strong opinions on national and world events.

When I was there, the barbaric bombardment of the Gaza Strip by Israel was very much the topic of discussion drawing some sharp reactions from the youth. There seems to be a growing hatred and apprehension of the policies of the US, Israel and the NATO forces, and recent developments in Iraq and Afghanistan have only hardened opinion there. This makes them also susceptible to conspiracy theories. For instance, many youngsters I spoke to claimed that the Americans have now set their eyes on capturing Kashmir's walnut market, news they had just read in a local daily.

The Lok Sabha elections will once more see a period of hectic political activity in the state. But will democratic exercises of this kind usher in real and lasting transformation? That is the question that not just Kashmiris but India as a whole should be raising.

(Women's Feature Service)