The iron fist has failed in Kashmir. Therefore, it is now time to don the velvet glove. That seems to be the crux of the message that the Union home minister delivered while addressing a gathering of youths in Srinagar in the course of his maiden visit to the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370. Amit Shah appeared uncharacteristically conciliatory even though he stopped short of issuing an explicit apology for the pain and humiliation inflicted on Kashmir in these recent, turbulent times. For instance, Mr Shah conceded that the government’s measures to weed out militancy cannot succeed without the help of the youth and the local population. There is no disputing the role of public support in a campaign against militancy. But what needs to be asked of Mr Shah and his government is what they have done to address the gnawing trust deficit between the State and its subjects in Kashmir. Stripping Kashmir of its statehood, liquidating its special provisions without representative consultations with Kashmir’s political and public constituencies, humiliating and incarcerating the Valley’s political leaders, followed by the imposition of one of the most brutal crackdowns — all this in the name of ‘integration’ — could have hardly endeared the civilians to the Narendra Modi government. What has heightened public anxiety are whispers of broader — engineered — demographic transitions as well as the consistent anti-minority rhetoric of the Centre. The results have been predictable. Bloodshed is on the rise, with militants keen on deepening the fissures with targeted killings of minorities in the Valley.

It is possible that Mr Shah was attempting to deliver a rather belated healing touch. However, it is doubtful that the home minister would succeed in winning over hearts with his latest overtures. The reason is that the Bharatiya Janata Party is prone to viewing Jammu and Kashmir’s long and complex history through an ideological prism. Such a prejudicial lens, complemented by the BJP’s flirtations with unilateralism, has, over the years, set a dangerous drift in the region. What is required is for the Centre to replenish the people’s confidence by ushering in participatory development through collaboration. That would require a fundamental break between the BJP and its ideological tenets. This rupture is an unlikely possibility.