The political landscape and the narratives in Kashmir are moving at a scale and speed never seen before. A new clarity is emerging that Kashmir’s future is secure with India. The emphasis that Kashmir is secure within the Union of India is manifestation of the changed situation.

Now when the fear of violence and writ of the separatists are fading, it has dramatically increased the capacity of the ordinary people in driving the narrative of peace and future. This is where the separatism and the institutions that it had set up have started looking irrelevant to those who were once protagonists.

Today these leaders are looking for Kashmir solution through dialogue. Though it is also true that their pitch for dialogue evoked hostile response and action from gunmen who believed that talks and the movement don’t go together. There are numerous examples of violence directed against them. But they failed in spelling out the futility of the guns and the objectives that were being pursued.

They were living in fear of being labeled as traitors. And they knew who were directing violence against them and with what purpose. They were scared to speak out, and they discarded the channels that could have made them relevant. They lived in a fear-driven dilemma.

Bilal Lone, one........

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