Professor Noor Ahmad Baba, who teaches political science at Kashmir University, articulated the reason behind this anger in Kashmir. He said the peace process had been slow and had failed to address any of the concerns of the Kashmiris. “There have been only superficial changes in the situation here. Kashmir was a problem yesterday and is a problem today,” he said. Reacting to the question on why the Amarnath land row and the subsequent “economic blockade” became a tipping point, he added, “historically Kashmir had been at the centre of cultural and economic interaction. It was a meeting point for South Asia, China, Tibet and Central Asia. But since 1947 it has been pushed to the periphery.”

The way the Centre has been consistently avoiding facing the real problem in Kashmir and even refusing to react to any serious proposals from the mainstream and separatist political parties in Kashmir explains this added mistrust here. Prof Sheikh Showkat of Law Department in Kashmir University said New Delhi has contributed to the prevailing situation in more than one way. “They had a chance to resolve the problem during Musharraf’s tenure. Once you lose the opportunity, you have to face the reality in a crude manner. They didn’t even respond when Farooq Abdullah proposed autonomy that was passed by the Assembly. Peace in Kashmir was an illusion,” he said.

Concealed from vigilant eyes, Kashmir had been silently simmering and was just a trigger away from another explosion. And when the land transfer issue cropped up, it fit very well with the mistrust towards New Delhi. The subsequent blockade of the road connecting Kashmir with New Delhi — the only available road link for people and goods — created a mass feeling of choking. The issue was never limited to Kashmir’s fruit growers losing their crop or the Valley facing shortage of food and fuel because of snipped supply lines, it was primarily psychological. The blockade reinforced a perception in Kashmir that New Delhi was not a reliable partner.

... contd.