This is the death knell of the ‘conflict economy’ which has empowered and enriched them for three generations. Happy to rule Kashmir, happy to charge money from both Delhi and Islamabad for the privilege and letting the average Kashmiri rot. They should start with removing the security blanket that they live under.

I wrote about the marked ideological shift which the politicians were forced to undergo post 1989 here. They started stressing the difference between a member, supporter and sympathiser of extremist groups. This helps them wriggle out of tight spots when they are simultaneously panned for being separatists and stooges of New Delhi.

Moreover, I never bought the whole ‘destruction of our culture’ argument when Andhra+Telangana remain very much Telugu, Maharashtra — Marathi, West Bengal — Bengali, Gujarat — Gujarati, Tamil Nadu very much Tamil but ‘Kashmiri’ culture is endangered because of the revocation? Hyderabad can remain peaceful with 1.8m Muslims but somehow ‘Kashmir will erupt’? Was hard pressed to read even one balanced article in the Western press; which shows the world’s preference for perma-conflict.