There is no doubt that the recently concluded elections to the legislative assembly of Jammu and Kashmir are a triumph of Indian democracy. It is now important to see that the faith reposed by the electorate in the ballot is not frittered away by partisan politics. Both the Centre and the new state government must seek to ensure that the immediate grievances and the long-term aspirations of the people of the state are addressed despite the fractured electoral verdict. The record turn-out of voters, especially in the Kashmir valley, surprised even the most astute political observers. Most analysts were convinced that given the boycott call of the separatist organizations and the civil unrest over the issue of Amarnath land, few Kashmiris would vote. But the ordinary Kashmiri voted for a variety of reasons.

First, there was a widespread feeling that day-to-day issues of governance could not be held hostage to long-term issues related to the resolution of the Kashmir problem. The people of the state clearly wanted to elect legislators who would deliver and solve their mundane problems. Second, there has been considerable disillusionment with separatism and separatist organizations. For nearly the last 20 years, the valley’s population has responded to the agenda of separatist organizations, but there has been little movement forward. The disillusionment with Pakistan has been equally sharp. Third, the militant organizations also misread the Kashmiri mind. They had believed that Kashmiris would voluntarily boycott the elections, and did not use the fear of the gun to coerce the electorate into not voting. But there was no boycott. Finally, the average Kashmiri has seen his world change over the last two decades, for the better, because of better governance and, for the worse, because of poor governments. The people felt that a good government can make a real difference even on larger political issues. In Jammu and Ladakh, the huge turnout has been an expression of the regional grievances of the people of these places.

The electoral verdict itself has reflected the conflicting aspirations of the three regions. The challenge before the new government is enormous. While the Congress will certainly be part of a coalition, either the National Conference or the People’s Democratic Party will be the major player. The new government has to ensure that it not only provides a clean and honest administration, but that the legitimate grievances of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir are also addressed. Besides, it must widen the constituency of stakeholders to become more inclusive and see that New Delhi continues to take initiatives that can build confidence amongst the people of the state. It would be a tragedy if the people of the faith lost faith in democratic governance once again.