Srinagar, July 9 -- By Farooq Ahmad Khan

Politics rarely stands still.

Public arguments evolve, priorities shift and campaigns that once dominated newsmill gradually give way to fresh constitutional goals.

Jammu and Kashmir has lived through one of the clearest examples of that transformation since August 2019.

The campaign for restoring statehood since speaks to a genuine constitutional aspiration, but it also tells a larger story about how political strategy can change the very subject of public debate.

Military history draws a useful distinction between winning a battle and selecting the battlefield.

One tests courage, planning and execution, the other tests foresight.

Commanders who determine where a contest unfolds often influ...