Kashmir, past continuous

Modi government's Kashmir policy has been a success in changing the status of the state and redefining what remains negotiable

On its third anniversary, the second Modi government has been flaunting its “achievements and successes”. It’s a good time therefore to ask if its Kashmir policy is a success, failure, or more of the same. We mean as Indian governments are accused by the Bharatiya Janata Party of having done in the past: Muddling along.

If we let the recent targeted killings, especially of outsiders and Kashmiri Pandits inform our judgement, you’d be inclined to call the Modi government’s approach a failure.

We will, however, side-step that temptation for three reasons. One, policy appraisals must never be episodic. Two, violence