Left-Liberal ecosystem dials down autonomy narrative post Pahalgam terror attack

X: @the_news_21

Thiruvananthapuram: The barbaric terror strike at Pahalgam has led the left-liberal ecosystem in the country to dial down its long-held autonomy narrative on Jammu & Kashmir.

This hyper vocal section had been vehement in criticising the revocation of Article 370 by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in 2019. Its lead faces kept up this position even after the Supreme Court endorsed the scrapping of the constitutional provision that granted special privileges to J&K.

The spontaneous expression of outrage across the country, including J&K, against the deadly terror attack that claimed 26 innocent lives has rubbished the stand that revocation of Article 370 would only help alienate the people of Kashmir.

This change of tack is amply evident in media conversations.

Many of those self-proclaimed liberals and leftists featured in talk shows on news channels have started admitting that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has undergone some positive change after annulling the Article 370, though not as significantly as claimed by the Union Government.

They now acknowledge that at least tourism has flourished in the Union Territory, with the local community benefiting from the surge in footfalls. This has brought relief to the people on the ground, who had suffered for decades from prolonged political anarchy, separatist propaganda and terrorism aided and abetted from across the border.

This section also admits that the successful conduct of elections in the Union Territory, leading to the formation of the National Conference government, has further improved the socio-economic situation.

Significantly, this section has also refrained from critiquing the strategic and diplomatic measures initiated by India to send a strong message to Pakistan in the aftermath of Pahalgam terror strike.

The mainstream Left parties have also officially toned down their advocacy for greater autonomy for J&K. Now all that they are pressing for is restoration of the statehood for the Union Territory once the current turbulence recedes.

While condemning the Pahalgam terror strike strongly, the CPI (M)’s official organ Peoples Democracy commented that “the political participation of the people by people of J&K by restoring statehood and protection of their democratic rights will provide the grounds for the isolation of terrorist elements.”

While striking a cautionary note on the strategic efficacy of an open armed confrontation with Pakistan, the party pledged its support to the ongoing ‘diplomatic campaign to rally support for India’s stand and isolate Pakistan should continue.”

This visible shift in the Left-Liberal stand might not be entirely driven by political conviction. They seem to fear that repeating the outdated positions in a charged atmosphere would only lead to further erosion of whatever little political and intellectual ground they are left with to stay on.

For time being, they tend to focus on alleged security lapse on the part of the Centre.

All the same, the Left has struck a serious note against the rightist forces in the country leveraging the public sentiment triggered by the terror strike for securing their sectarian means. Aimed at buttressing their call for national unity in this hour of crisis, the left-liberal platforms are flushed with ‘positive stories’ of people of Kashmir rushing to save or help the victims of the attack.