Srinagar, Oct. 20 -- The killing of a special police officer in Kishtwar, rooted in a land dispute, is another reminder that private conflicts can erupt into violence that destabilizes communities and weakens institutions. When a disagreement over property ends in the death of someone entrusted with public duty, it ceases to be a family or local matter. It becomes a breach of social order and a rupture in the bond between citizens and the structures meant to protect them.

Disputes over boundaries, inheritance and ownership are common. Courts are overburdened, mediation is scarce, and local arbitration often lacks credibility. In this vacuum, hostility festers and spills into confrontation. Without accessible and trusted systems of resolu...