The prevailing belief is that with Amit Shah, the Prime Minister’s most trusted aide for more than a decade, assuming charge of the home ministry, the new government may take some strong action.

Srinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s overwhelming victory and his party BJP’s ‘hauteur’ over it caused mixed reactions in Jammu and Kashmir. There are apprehensions that the new government would act tougher than ever on the issues confronting the restive state.

The prevailing belief mainly in the Valley is that with Amit Shah, the Prime Minister’s most trusted aide for more than a decade, assuming charge of the home ministry, the new government may take some strong action on J&K.

The state, in turmoil for the past three decades, is a priority of astute Shah. It became evident when on the first day in office, his focus remained on J&K. He was briefed on the situation in the state, particularly Kashmir Valley, by top officials of intelligence agencies and Union home secretary Rajiv Gauba. He also held a closed-door meeting with governor Satya Pal Malik the same day.

At Mr. Shah’s marathon meeting with National Security adviser Ajit Doval, home secretary Mr. Gauba, Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Rajiv Jain and secretary Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) on June 3, the situation in J&K again received priority during the discussions as per the ministry sources.

The BJP’s manifesto promised to annul Article 370 of the Constitution which grants an autonomous status to J&K on the premise that it is a stumbling block in the state’s integration in the country. It has also committed itself to the abrogation of Article 35A, saying it is discriminatory against non-permanent residents and women of the state. Mr. Shah was quite vociferous than most other BJP election campaigners in promising the voters — mainly those in predominantly Hindu Jammu region — that these two constitutional provisions will definitely go if the party is voted to power again.

He has also repeatedly said that terrorism in the state will not be tolerated at any cost. This is seen by some Kashmir watchers as the avowal of the Modi government’s plan to come down hard on militant groups, its disinclination towards engaging separatist leadership in dialogue and embracing a tough stance on various other issues confronting the state.

Some media reports have suggested that fresh delimitation in J&K is also on Mr. Shah’s agenda. The BJP’s state leadership has publicly said that it is preparing to form the next government in the state or, at least, would be the dominating player in any future dispensation. The party, however, admits that catching this dream may become easier if there is fresh delimitation of constituencies to end the “imbalance” and correct inequity of regional disparity by Jammu region of the state where it had emerged as a main winning party in the 2014 Assembly polls. The total contestable and filled seats of the J&K Assembly are presently 87 of which 46 are for Kashmir Valley, 37 for Jammu region and 4 for Ladakh. The BJP has also openly supported the Buddhist demand for a Union Territory status for Ladakh.

It is against this backdrop that former chief minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti early this week said that Kashmir is a political problem and called for engaging all the stakeholders, including Pakistan, to arrive at a solution. She asserted that Mr. Shah as new home minister expecting a “quick fix through brute force is ridiculously naive”. Her bête noire and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah also hoped that the new government at the Centre will carry out the mandate it has been given by the people with better accountability and address the issues facing J&K “with utmost care and by embracing all shades of political opinions”. He, however, also said that opening of dialogue with separatists and Pakistan is the only way towards peace.

On the other hand, moderates among the separatists have in spite of being apprehensive on issues publicly said that they hope the Modi 2:0 dispensation will seize the historic decisive mandate given to it by the people for taking bold decisions to resolve Kashmir and all other outstanding issues with Pakistan to bring about lasting peace in South Asia.

“We hope the BJP government will abandon the unrealistic and harsh policy it pursued on Kashmir during its earlier spell and use the decisive mandate it has been given for ushering in an era of durable peace in South Asian,” said Kashmir’s chief Muslim cleric and separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

Amid rising apprehension mainly in Muslim-dominated Kashmir Valley, some politicians have, however, expressed the view that Mr. Shah given his political strength and his enjoying Mr. Modi’s confidence may act as a catalyst for peace and reconciliation in J&K instead.

Former IAS officer and Jammu and Kashmir Peoples’ Movement (JKPMP) chairman Shah Faesal said that it would be politically immature to pre-judge Mr. Shah’s performance as home minister. He said that Mr. Shah is a member of the new Cabinet which is expected to uphold Constitution and certain institutional values.

J&K has been under President’s rule following the expiry of six months of Governor’s rule in December last year and a major decision the new government has to take is about holding fresh elections to the Assembly. While the President’s rule is likely to be extended beyond July 3, various political parties, including the BJP, have demanded that fresh elections should be held without delay.

Next couple of weeks are crucial for J&K and its people as things are expected to become clear about the new government’s programmes and future actions in the state which has been a headache for successive government and remains a big challenge for the security forces combating a three-decade-old insurgency.