Mains Practice Questions

Approach

• Begin with discussing the concept of Winning of ‘Hearts and Minds’ in the context of security.
• Discuss the measures adopted by the Government in this respect as part of the conflict resolution in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Conclude by discussing the success of the strategy and highlighting the need of continuance and better implementation of strategy.

Introduction

Winning of ‘Hearts and Minds’ refers to the government backed people-centric approach to win support of the local people to restore their trust in the system in conflict ridden regions like Kashmir where the goal is to counteract the influence of terrorism.

Body

Measures adopted by the government with respect to Kashmir

• Abrogation of Article 370: For greater integration of Jammu and Kashmir with rest of India and bringing youth into mainstream, special status of Jammu & Kashmir has been abrogated.
• Youth participation:
  • Under project Sadhbhavana, Army Goodwill Schools (AGS), hostels and vocational courses were launched; teenagers and the elderly were taken on a ‘Bharat Darshan’ and cricket tournaments were organized for youth in the Valley.
  • Project Himayat was launched for capacity building and Project Umeed for empowering J&K women.
• Infrastructure Developments: Emphasis has been laid on creating infrastructure in transportation, health etc. For example, PM’s development package for J&K, Khelo India centers in J&K.
• Development of Tourism, Arts and Crafts Sectors: The new Wool Processing, Handicrafts and Handloom Policy, 2020 has been adopted for promotion and development of handicrafts and handloom sector.
• Anti-Radicalisation Drives: To make people of Kashmir feel less alienated and more incorporated towards Indian cause, anti-radicalisation drives were launched.
• Political Engagements: Engagement with young breed of political leaders for encouraging political dialogues and promoting regional youth participation in local politics is being promoted.

Conclusion

These measures have brought a positive impact in Jammu and Kashmir, by creating a conducive environment for peace, development, and reconciliation. However, some challenges and criticisms still remain, such as the human rights violations and the lack of consultation and consensus. Therefore, the Government needs to continue its efforts to address these issues and to ensure the effective implementation and monitoring of the ‘Hearts and Minds’ strategy in Jammu and Kashmir.