After a gap of seven years, Jammu and Kashmir's first budget session under an elected government commenced on Monday, 3 March. The occasion was laden with political significance, marking the first elected assembly since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
However, the session also served as a stark reminder of the prevailing unrest in the region, with MLA Langate Khursheed Ahmed Sheikh of the Jammu and Kashmir Awami Ittehad Party staging a protest against civilian killings and enforced disappearances.
Khursheed, carrying a placard into the assembly premises, called for justice for two civilians — Makhan Din and Waseem Ahmed — who were recently killed in Baramulla and Kathua, respectively.
His demand was simple yet powerful: a fair probe culminating in justice for the families and compensation for the loss of their loved ones.
He also raised the pressing issue of three youths who had 'gone missing' from Devsar, Qazigund. They disappeared months ago with no updates from the police. His protest punctured the carefully curated narrative of normalcy and development that the Modi government and the Omar Abdullah administration have both sought to portray in recent years and months respectively.
The session, meant to discuss governance and economic policies, was instead overshadowed by the continued allegations of state apathy towards human rights violations. The MLA’s assertion that FIR copies were not even provided to the victims’ families speaks volumes about the trust deficit between the government and the people of Kashmir.
Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha, addressing the assembly, emphasized governance, transparency, and inclusive development. He painted the budget as a symbol of the people's power, crafted by their chosen representatives. However, reality on the ground tells a different story. The echoes of disenfranchisement remain, as does the demand for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A — an issue that MLA Khursheed also forcefully raised.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah, in response to criticisms from the PDP regarding Article 370, maintained that his government had done what was necessary in the first session and reiterated that their resolution on the matter still stands. But this does little to assuage the anxieties of those who believe the region’s political autonomy has been irreversibly compromised.
The session will also see lawmakers introducing private members' bills on liquor prohibition, land rights, and job security.
But can these legislative efforts truly address the deeper wounds inflicted by years of political uncertainty and civil strife?
Will the session be a genuine exercise in democracy or just a procedural ritual meant to signal normalcy while ignoring the undercurrents of discontent?
Khursheed’s protest, though a solitary act, underscores a larger truth: Kashmir’s wounds are far from healed. The return of an elected government alone cannot undo years of alienation, and unless pressing human rights concerns are addressed, the legislative process risks being nothing more than a democratic illusion.
