http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/world/asia/modis-campaign-stop-in-kashmir-is-notable-for-lack-of-unrest.html 2014-12-09 03:22:21 Modi’s Campaign Stop in Kashmir Is Notable for Lack of Unrest The prime minister of India has a complicated past with Muslims, who make up a majority of the troubled region. So an uneventful campaign stop comes as surprise. === SRINAGAR, India — Almost anywhere else in Some longtime observers of the conflict here watched the rally simply to marvel at the unlikelihood of it all. "If you'd told me 10 years ago that there would be a B.J.P. rally in Srinagar addressed by Mr. Modi's party has a history of tension with Muslims, who are in the majority in Mr. Modi is far from popular in the Kashmir Valley, and his party is likely to be drubbed there in the election, though its Hindu base in the Jammu region of the state will probably ensure it a significant bloc of seats in the state assembly. "We have no chance in the valley here," said Daljit Singh, a party member who attended Mr. Modi's rally. But that, too, is remarkable: For decades, India's leaders did not allow themselves to lose here, often arresting popular leaders or stealing elections outright. Kashmir The conflict in the state has not ended -- attacks by armed militants The fact that the recent attacks penetrated only a few miles into Indian-controlled territory suggests that the networks of militant sympathizers who once sheltered and aided such incursions are largely gone. Instead, Kashmiris are turning to elective politics. In the past, boycotts called by separatist leaders were widely respected and turnout in state elections was often 10 percent or less; this year, in the first two rounds of voting, it exceeded 70 percent. A columnist But many people here said their decision to cast ballots should not be interpreted as an endorsement of Indian rule. "People here are voting for roads, new buildings and prosperity for Jammu and Kashmir, but not for the government of India," said Ishfaq Shah, a 44-year-old garment seller. Elections here were once held behind a screen of security and wariness. Posters were rare, and candidates mostly met voters in small gatherings. But on Monday, Srinagar was festooned with huge billboards of political candidates. To be sure, security was tight for Mr. Modi's visit, with all roads into Srinagar blocked by thousands of paramilitary and police forces. Shops were closed, and anyone attending the rally had to show a special pass and walk through a gantlet of pat-downs and screenings. There had been some hope that Mr. Modi would make a gesture of peace toward Pakistan in his speech, as Prime Minister "My dear brothers and sisters of Jammu and Kashmir, you gave me so much love and affection by coming out in such large numbers," Mr. Modi said in his remarks. "Trust me, I will repay your love and affection with interest by bringing development in Kashmir." Mr. Modi's remarks at the rally, held in a crumbling cricket stadium, were greeted with polite applause. "I liked his speech because he said he'd do everything for the poor," said Nusrat Maliq, a 22-year-old from nearby Nawgam. But as the crowd filed out afterward, a knot of well-dressed men stood nearby and watched with smoldering eyes. "I didn't go, because that man is a criminal," Ahtisham Shah, a 40-year-old manager at the local office of a telecommunications company, said of Mr. Modi. "He still has to answer for the massacre in 2002." Asked if any of them would vote in the next round on Sunday, all five men shook their heads. "To hell with India and to hell with Pakistan," said Basharat Ahmad. "Kashmir is an independent country."