President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has been here. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee made eight visits to this place in his five years in office. The home minister's office says L.K. Advani came here "about 25 to 30 times" while Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi has travelled here eight times in the past four years. Why do they frequent Jammu and Kashmir, a place which former US President Bill Clinton termed, not so long ago, as "one of the most dangerous places on earth"? It has got a lot to do with symbolism.

SEE CHANGE: Kashmir gets a glimpse of peace along with Vajpayee and other national leaders

Two weeks ago, prime minister and other VVIPs headed for Srinagar for the 8th Inter-State Council meeting. The discussions achieved little but the occasion signified a lot. It was a signpost that read a return of peace and normality to the Valley. It is another matter that amid the council's confabulations, a fidayeen attack in the city claimed three lives. But even Advani, who has a finger permanently pointed towards Pakistan, dismissed it as "an incident" and refused to let it take away the mood of the moment.

It is a mood that has been building for a while. For the first time in nearly a decade, Kashmir witnessed a bloodless Independence Day. About a year ago, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed assumed office promising the people that his Government would provide "a healing touch". Sayeed seems to be a man of his words. Magisterial inquiries are now ordered into custodial deaths, pickets in downtown Srinagar have been removed and the high-security Gupkar Road where the city's elite live, once off limits to the local people, is now open to the public for two hours every evening.

The outward signs of normality are all here. As many as 1,53,314 pilgrims undertook the Amarnath yatra this year-and it was comparatively incident-free. Even the outbreak of SARS in Southeast Asia spelt good news for the Valley with high-end domestic tourists changing their itineraries and heading for the state. The Tourism Department records that 1,22,732 tourists visited the state from January to August this year, up from a mere 14,686 during the same period last year.

Even the government machinery seems to be operating smoothly. Ministers, including the chief minister, attend office-a far cry from the days of Farooq Abdullah who preferred to rule from London. Says Riyaz Punjabi, professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi: "The Mufti Government is definitely an improvement on the earlier National Conference government. Last year's assembly polls acted as a catalyst in restoring the faith of the Kashmiris in the Indian state. They did not believe that the Valley could be rid of Abdullah." Ashok Bhan of the Kashmir Committee agrees: "The new generation is sick of the Kalashnikov culture and is on the lookout for opportunities."

FEEL-GOOD FACTORS

RETURN OF CHEER: Mufti's healing touch is working across the Valley

The Inter-State Council holds its first meeting outside Delhi-in Srinagar. Attended by Vajpayee, several cabinet ministers and chief ministers, the conference stands for the new-found peace in the Valley. Jammu and Kashmir finds a place in the country's cellular map. About 15,000 mobile connections have been distributed. The prime minister promises that the first train will reach the state by 2007. The Amarnath yatra, undertaken by more than 1.5 lakh pilgrims, goes off peacefully. The number of tourists to Kashmir during January-August this year is more than one lakh. It was less than 15,000 during the same period in 2002. More than 50,000 Pandits from all over India converge at Srinagar for the Khir Bhawani festival this year.

Meanwhile, everyone is scrambling to take credit for the feel-good factor in Kashmir. A spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office points to the economic packages announced by Vajpayee-one worth Rs 8,519.2 crore in May 2002 and another of Rs 6,425 crore in April this year-and suggests that the Centre has always been keen on solving the problems of the troubled state. Not far behind is the Congress. Says General Secretary Ambika Soni: "If there is a single event that changed the course in Jammu and Kashmir, it is Soniaji's rally in Srinagar during the assembly election campaign last year. This gave the people a sense of confidence to come out and vote." The party kept the momentum going by holding the Congress chief ministers' conclave in Srinagar in May this year.

Comparing Sayeed with his predecessor, an analyst says, "While Abdullah never bothered to mingle with the people, both the Mufti and his daughter Mehbooba are always touring the Valley." He points to the fact that Mehbooba, president of the ruling PDP, visits the homes of the militants gunned down by the security forces. Says Mehbooba: "We even see to it that people do not face humiliation while they are frisked by the police."

Sayeed, meanwhile, is aware of the importance of symbolism. By getting his MLAs to raise a crowd of almost 15,000 people to participate in the Independence Day celebrations, he sent out a powerful, visual appearance of normality. It was the same strategy of signifiers at work when he got Vajpayee to address a public rally in Srinagar on April 18.

"The prime minister's hand of friendship to Pakistan and the post-9/11 pressure on Islamabad to rein in terrorism are the two factors that have helped bring some change in the state," points out NC chief Omar Abdullah. There is a caveat though. The marks of peace, he says, are not milestones. "As far as symbolism goes, it is great. But reading this as normality would be a mistake."

In a way Omar is right. This year, about 50,000 Kashmiri Pandits from all over India converged at Srinagar for the Khir Bhawani festival-but they did not stay for long. It will be a while before they come here for good. In the meantime, the shikharas are plying on the Dal Lake once again, the Hazratbal mosque is being visited by tourists instead of terrorists and Srinagar is suddenly the most sought-after destination for politicians cutting across party lines. As Sayeed, making the first mobile call from Srinagar inaugurating cell-phone services in the state, told Vajpayee, "Der aaye, durust aaye (Better late than never)." This could well be the Valley's new theme song.