To connect the 'disconnect', Modi-man Manoj Sinha heads to J-K as LG

As one year of Article 370 abrogation has passed, the political process in J-K cannot be delayed anymore. So, Manoj Sinha, an Uttar Pradesh BJP leader who enjoys the trust of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been appointed as the new Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir to bridge the chasm and establish the 'connect,' writes senior journalist Sanjib Kr Baruah.

New Delhi: Kashmir winters are said to be freezing cold, but the Valley will be in the torrid-zone this particular winter.

With public angst still at large over the abrogation of Article 370, division of the erstwhile state, taking away of statehood, and the controversial domicile laws, there lies a troubled road ahead and only the very naïve would fail to see the obvious ‘disconnect’.

So what better than to place a ‘khaini’-chewing, easy-to-get-on-with and easily-accessible Manoj Sinha at the helm of affairs in the troubled Valley as the lieutenant-governor to bridge the chasm and establish the ‘connect’.

His affable nature notwithstanding, Sinha, a Bhumihaar by caste, is a hard-nosed technocrat with a ‘Sanghi’ background from the Hindu heartland of Uttar Pradesh.

Having given credible performances in the role of a junior minister in the communications and the railways ministries, Sinha’s administrative acumen is proven.

Having been the favourite for the UP CM’s job before Adityanath Yogi pipped him to the post, Sinha enjoys the benevolent gaze of Modi.

But importantly, the PM may have felt that it was important for the UT of J-K to be handled by a political mind right at Ground Zero rather than the impassive bureaucratic outlook of GC Murmu, a former IAS.

An empathic political personality would be able to better radiate understanding to soothe an entire generation of Kashmiri youth who are taking to the path of militant extremism more than ever in the recent past.

Latest reports indicate indigenous Kashmiri youth overwhelming foreign militants in terms of sheer numbers.

With ongoing societal churning at a wild pace, the time has come for the ongoing tough approach to the end, and for the state’s soft power to be unleashed.

With one year of Article 370 abrogation, the political process in J-K cannot be delayed anymore. And also, a hardcore BJP presence in a leadership role would also enable to take advantage of the growing mobilization in favour of the saffron party which may receive a shot in the arm as a result of the delimitation process.

The past year has already seen the traditional state leadership’s loss of relevance as much as by erosion in credibility and in the support-base.

It is, therefore, a good time to erect a new political establishment by starting from a scratch as well as by meaningful alignments with remnants of the past political leadership.

Moreover, with the Kashmir issue becoming an area of greater international focus, more so because of China’s active growing interest, it will require deft handling with a lot of space to manoeuvre—something a political mind may find easier to do so.

But only time will show how far Sinha manages to create a mark in the ‘battle for the hearts and minds’ in J-K.