(For
any dialogue to succeed the primary requirement is a conducive environment. One
cannot ask somebody to talk by holding a gun to his temple!)
It is a very welcome
initiative from Government of India to hold talks with all stake holders in
Kashmir to resolve the basic problem and bring peace to the area. Kashmir
problem has been hanging fire for a just and equitable solution for last 70
years. It has not only been a disaster for the local people but has caused
immense damage to the whole sub-continent by diversion of valuable funds
urgently needed for the welfare of the poor people, towards mutual war efforts.
Apart from outright major wars, the two neighbouring countries have been
fighting proxy wars with Kashmir being the main theatre of operations.
Kashmiris have been virtually turned into guinea pigs for testing the two
conflicting ideologies. Not only have Kashmiris suffered physically, economically
but also mentally. According to “Doctors without Borders” almost every second
Kashmiri is suffering from psychological problems including traumatic
disorders.
The new generation of
Kashmiris has become totally irreconcilable to the status quo and want a
change. They are not under the control
of any leadership and now constitute 60% of the population. Thus when declaring
that the Government representative is going to talk to all stakeholders, the
biggest ones are the youth representing the majority of the population. Let us
hope the interlocutor is able to find a way to talk to this generation.
For starting a dialogue
one needs a conducive and a peaceful atmosphere. For quite some time Kashmir is
not in an environment of peace and tranquillity. Firstly, most of the
fundamental rights including even the right to life remain suspended! (Example
is AFSPA) Every nook and corner has presence of armed troops whether regular or
paramilitary. Even foreign journalists have remarked that Kashmir is at present
the most militarised place in the world! Cordon and search operations are going
on for suspected militants on a continuous basis throughout the valley. In
fact, the Chief of the Army has declared that process of dialogue through the
interlocutor is not going to affect the military operations and these are going
to continue without any break. There appears to be strange dichotomy in the
approach of New Delhi to the present volatile situation in Kashmir. Some of the
opposition leaders have characterised the appointment of the interlocutor and
starting of a dialogue as “diversionary tactics”! A.G. Noorani terms it “The
Kashmir Ruse”! The basis for this observation could be the earlier such
attempts for reconciliation and dialogue which have unfortunately all been
unsuccessful due to lack of sincerity in approach.
There is no change in
the response of the leaders presently heading the movement for “Azadi”! They
have rejected the dialogue offer calling it time buying tactics. Earlier they
used to demand admission of the existence of a dispute about Kashmir by
Government of India before any dialogue. Additionally, it has been often given
out by the leaders of the local movement that Pakistan has to be a party to the
dialogue. Now, they seem to be totally unreconciled for any dialogue. This
shows that they are under tremendous pressure and do not want to climb down
from their extreme position due to the strong sentiments of the youth and the
contradictory statements of BJP leaders. Normally, any offer of unconditional
dialogue with all stakeholders needs to be given a try if a climate for the
same is created by ending repression.
There have been
observations by some people regarding the assigning the job of an interlocutor
to a former intelligence officer. Many have opined that the task should have
been assigned to an upright politician of some standing. Normally, political
disputes are best sorted out by politicians rather than intelligence men.
However, it is also true that an intelligence officer would be in a better
position to know the actual ground situation and who is who of the whole
movement especially in a place like Kashmir teeming with intelligence agencies!
However as already said, the main catch is the conducive situation. People have
to feel that the offer of talks is genuine and the Government of India is
really interested in peace. This can be judged only if all the repression is
ended. One cannot claim sincerity for peace when a gun is held to ones temple.
All restrictions need to be withdrawn. There should be total freedom of
expression. Detained people being slapped PSA after PSA need to be released.
Cordon and search operations should be halted. Forces presence especially in
civilian areas must be decreased. They should be sent back to barracks. Draconian
legislations need to be withdrawn. An atmosphere of freedom rather than of fear
needs to be established. This is a pre-requisite for any meaningful dialogue
intended to bring in peace. Otherwise the whole exercise, as termed by many
intellectuals and leaders, is a diversionary tactic for firefighting and not
for removing the cause of the fire!
A journalist friend
from Chennai has written an article about the dialogue offer stating, “As a flag-waving Hindu nationalist, Modi
is in a better position than anyone around to push for a settlement of both the
internal and external aspects of the Kashmir problem. But can he display the
level of statesmanship it calls for?” Let us hope he does!
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