Srinagar, March 6 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Srinagar, his first since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, has generated some buzz, not just in the Kashmir valley but across the country. That the visit comes in the run-up to general elections which the BJP seems poised to win has also contributed to the hype. And it is likely that the PM's address at Bakhshi Stadium in the heart of Srinagar to an expected massive gathering of people would put more media focus on Kashmir.

Beyond the buzz, hype and the political goal of the visit, the PM's speech in Srinagar towards the fag end of his second term caps one of his government's most unprecedented steps - the repeal of the constitutional provision that granted J&K its specia...