Srinagar, Jan. 5 -- An MP is not elected merely to comment on events. He is elected to shape outcomes. That requires drafting legislation, pushing policy amendments, building alliances across parties, demanding institutional reforms, monitoring implementation, and ensuring follow-through. None of these generate viral clips - but they are the real instruments of power. If viral clips of the last year are anything to go by, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi seems to be least interested in outcomes.

There is a curious new standard being normalised in Kashmir's politics: doing exactly what an elected Member of Parliament is constitutionally expected to do - and presenting it as an act of extraordinary courage. For example:

Raise an issue in Parliamen...