By Syed Rizwan Bukhari

Times have changed. Generations have come and gone. But our politics still reeks of deceit and emotional excess.

We were supposed to grow into a society of thinkers and doers, rooted in reason, human development, and dignity. Instead, we have remained stuck, circling the same slogans and promises that built nothing tangible for the common Kashmiri.

In every election season, we fall for the same old tricks. Leaders who once walked shoulder to shoulder with the people now act like monarchs surrounded by courtiers. Their words sound noble, but their actions betray contempt for public pain. They speak of change, but their idea of governance begins and ends with holding onto power. Once the rallies fade and cameras leave, so does their sense of accountability.

What makes it worse is how the public has adjusted to this mediocrity. Many of us have stopped asking questions. We treat politics like a family inheritance, defending parties as if they were sacred legacies.

In Sopore, Anantnag, Srinagar, or Baramulla, conversations still revolve around personalities than policies. Even young people, who should demand better, are drawn into emotional loyalty rather than critical thought.

More than half a century since independence, our political landscape still smells of stagnation. Before Article 370 was revoked, we lost lives in clashes and curfews that could have been avoided. And while people bled, our leaders chose silence. They could have taught the young about the values of democracy, unity, and dignity. Instead, they allowed anger and alienation to define our identity.

Today, politics has turned into an endless blame game: party against party, faction against faction. Every failure becomes someone else's fault. Every promise comes with an expiry date. It's a performance where each act feels familiar, and each ending leaves us where we began.

If our forefathers were to return, they would weep at what we have made of their dream. They would see how intellect has been traded for emotion, and how our capacity for thought has been hijacked by noise. They would find a society that mistook drama for democracy.

The truth is, Kashmir deserves better. It deserves leaders who serve, citizens who think, and a politics that smells of progress.

MENAFN31102025000215011059ID1110274619