Sitting on a volcano in J&K: Reloading political matrix will not be easy

The govt, it seems, promises to revive democracy from the grassroots by encouraging elected village representatives to occupy a political vacuum left by marginalising the existing political dynasties

The Narendra Modi government has clearly discarded the option of seeking rapprochement with the political elite of Jammu & Kashmir. It wants to create a new class of political actors in the state. In favour of its new political strategy it offers the argument that democracy had degenerated into a system controlled by a corrupt and self-perpetuating political elite. It promises to revive it from the grassroots by encouraging elected village representatives to occupy the political vacuum left by the marginalisation of existing political dynasties. 

By presenting its decision as a much-needed act of political engineering, the government will try to