The Bharatiya Janata Party under Narendra Modi is averse to U-turns. So when it is compelled to take one, as it has done in the case of Kashmir, it fuels speculation. Consider Mr Modi’s outreach to Kashmir’s political parties. The initiative is welcome and has, at long last, kindled hopes of the renewal of a political engagement. But what makes it curious is that the BJP leaders had, not too long ago, crowed about the creation of a Naya Kashmir sans the very spokespersons that they are deliberating with now. Political pundits have, therefore, been wondering about the likely nudges that may have forced Mr Modi’s hand. There is speculation that pressure from the United States of America to begin the stalled dialogue with Islamabad could be one factor; Kashmir, undoubtedly, would feature in such a dialogue if there were to be one. Others have pointed to New Delhi’s geostrategic imperatives. The return of the Taliban in Afghanistan could heat up the neighbourhood and it is therefore important for New Delhi to have calmer tempers prevail in the Valley. Backchannel deliberations with Pakistan — they are believed to have begun — may have also played an instrumental role in Mr Modi’s offer of an olive branch — for now — to Kashmir’s political fraternity whose members had been subjected to unprecedented harassment ever since the Centre decided, unilaterally, to redraw the lines in the region.

These inferences may not be erroneous. But they seem to be ignoring one, equally plausible, causal factor behind the re-engagement. Kashmir continues to be a prized ideological initiative for the current regime and it is unlikely that the sangh parivar would be willing to let go of the opportunity to bring about substantial changes there. Even though the recent meeting between the prime minister and Kashmir’s political leaders was couched in the rhetoric of reconciliation on the part of the Centre, Mr Modi’s not-so-subtle prod to the leadership to endorse the contentious delimitation exercise did not go unnoticed. In fact, there is legitimate concern that delimitation would redistribute the political heft in Jammu’s favour, thereby deepening the existing polarization between the Valley and Jammu. That the BJP is enthusiastic about prioritizing its domestic ideological agenda over diplomatic compulsions has been evident in its pursuit of a divisive rhetoric against immigrants from Bangladesh. There is no reason why Kashmir would be spared this problematic prioritization of ideology over consensus.