Article 370's Silent Change: Coffee, Confidence and Contradictions in Kashmir

AI-Generated Image for Presentation Purposes

For years, discussions around Article 370 shaped the political imagination of Kashmir. It was debated in assemblies, amplified on television, and presented as a symbol tied to identity and dignity. Political narratives on all sides kept the issue alive, often through emotion and sentiment. Yet beyond speeches and slogans, an important question remains: what has truly changed for ordinary people on the ground? Sometimes, the answer is found not in political arguments but in everyday moments.

On February 14, while travelling back from Jammu to Kashmir after nearly three months away, the quiet highway suddenly came alive near the Qazigund tunnel with signboards of familiar brands: KFC, Costa Coffee, and other national outlets that once felt distant from the valley’s everyday reality. As a coffee enthusiast, I was naturally drawn toward the cafe. What stayed with me, however, was not just the coffee but the scene inside.

Behind the counter stood two young Kashmiri women, confident, professional, and warm, greeting customers with ease. Their manner carried the same assurance one expects in an international airport cafe or a metropolitan cafe. There was no hesitation in their voices, no awkwardness, only competence and pride. That moment felt symbolic. It was not merely about coffee or brands; it was about visibility, confidence, and the quiet breaking of stereotypes. Seeing young women working openly and professionally in such spaces made the idea of change feel real and deeply personal.

Standing there, watching customers smile and employees move confidently through their work, I felt something shift inside me. For years, change in Kashmir was measured through headlines, debates, and political positions. Yet this small scene felt more powerful than any speech. A simple cup of coffee became a reminder that transformation is often quiet, expressed through everyday normalcy, dignity in work, and young people believing they can build futures without leaving home. In that moment, the conversation around change felt less abstract and more human.

For decades, government employment dominated the aspirations of Kashmiri youth. Today, a gradual shift is visible. Private-sector opportunities such as cafes, restaurants, startups, and service industries are opening new pathways. Each new outlet creates livelihoods, workplace experience, and social exposure. Young men and women are gaining financial independence, confidence, and professional skills without needing to leave the valley. Conversations with Gen-Z reflect this transformation clearly. Many speak less about political history and more about lifestyle, careers, entertainment, cinemas, and entrepreneurship. For them, normalcy means having choices close to home.

Perhaps the most striking contradiction lies in the political landscape itself. A well-known MLA associated with a staunch separatist political background, someone who publicly advocates the restoration of Article 370, now has a KFC outlet, a Looks Salon branch, and a Turkish-themed restaurant operating in his commercial complex at Sanat Nagar, where political representatives and local elites regularly visit. This reality raises uncomfortable but important questions. If such commercial opportunities and private enterprises are now welcomed and even owned by those who oppose the policy changes, does it not reveal a deeper acceptance of the new economic environment? Was this kind of expansion and openness possible earlier? Many people feel the answer is no.

As more young people find employment in the private sector and entrepreneurial spaces, the focus of society slowly shifts. When livelihoods grow, and ambitions expand, emotional politics naturally lose some of their influence. The rise of young entrepreneurs, from content creators and freelancers to makeup artists and digital professionals, reflects a generation more interested in building futures than revisiting old divisions.

Perhaps dignity is not only about constitutional provisions or political symbolism. It can also mean seeing a young woman confidently serving coffee in her hometown at a national outlet, earning independently, and shaping her own future. Real change often arrives quietly, not through loud declarations but through ordinary scenes that signal new possibilities.

And perhaps that is what Article 370’s silent change truly looks like: a society slowly moving from sentiment toward opportunity, one small moment at a time.

----------------------*----------------------

About The Author: Bhat Musaddiq Reyaz is a Viksit Bharat Young Leader, Youth and Peace Activist. He hails from Pulwama.