Srinagar, Aug. 29 -- By Hamid Rather

Agha Syed Ruhullah Mehdi's decision to leave Parliament and the basic membership of the National Conference has turned an internal ideological confrontation into a larger question for Kashmir: can a new political culture emerge from the ruins of an old one?

Whether Ruhullah eventually launches a political movement is almost secondary. The real test lies in what type of politics he builds around it.

Kashmir has seen parties change names, flags and alliances while the deeper habits of political life remain largely intact. A new organisation can easily become another container for an old idea.

That is precisely what this moment should avoid.

A persistent distance has grown between Kashmiris and those...