The need for a wider reconciliation in Jammu and Kashmir has always been widely acknowledged by all stakeholders. Efforts have also happened in that direction in the past but lack of trust and refusal to meet each other midway has often led to deadlock. That is the story of the past. Since the events of August 5, 2019, involving unprecedented constitutional changes, this conflict-hit region has been passing through a huge transition on political, cultural, social, and economic fronts. The security situation also doesn’t promise well. There may be better statistics of violence over the past, but the conflict appears to be becoming more micro and personal as clearly indicated by targeted killings over the past month and a half. Moving ahead at this juncture needs people’s support and participation. This can’t happen in isolation. Since June 2018, there is no legislature and no political executive. This means that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have very little role in the decision-making process –a process that is entirely about people. The Panchayati Raj institutions are in their nascence and need handholding for a long time for their integration in the administrative structure. The Home Minister, who was recently in Jammu and Kashmir, has once again promised elections after the delimitation process is complete. But no timeline has been given out. It appears that elections could actually be a little farther than one expects. While the ideal situation demanded Jammu and Kashmir as a full-fledged state with an elected government but since that doesn’t appear to be happening soon, in the interim the government must think of an institution that could bridge the political vacuum on an ad hoc basis.
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