Omkar Dattatray
It is better to talk than not to talk was not said by an impractical man. There is no alternative to dialogue and reconciliation in a democracy. The issue of Kashmir is not an economic issue nor is it a law and order problem purely. It is through and through a political issue and as such should be solved through political initiatives and means. It should be solved through the process of dialogue and reconciliation. Kashmir is not a military issue and cannot be solved with military might. Rightly Government of India has made it clear that it is ready to talk to the right minded people if they shun the politics of hatred against India. The GOI has made talks offer with different stake holders. The talks should be held under the frame work of Indian constitution. Bullets either of terrorists or of the security forces is no solution to the vexed Kashmir imbroglio and it is talks only that can bring lasting peace to the disturbed Jammu and Kashmir.
The Central Government has done well to have appointed Dineshwar Sharma as the Interlocutor to talk to cross section of people in J&K. He has talked to various stake holders in the three regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. People of the state have put forth their viewpoints before the centre’s Interlocutor. It is only the separatists who have shown no inclination to talk to the Centre’s Interlocutor. GOI wants to talk to all the stakeholders and it is a good omen for the people of Kashmir. The separatists should also realize the futility of their rigid stand and should show eagerness to talk to the Central Government for peaceful solution of the Kashmir problem. They should talk unconditionally and should not attach any pre-condition for dialogue. It is very unfortunate that the Separatists speak the language of Pakistan as they the Hurriyat Conference is His Master’s Voice. The Hurriyat Conferences two factions should talk to centre without any pre-condition.
The Hurriyat conference wants that the centre should consider J&K as a disturbed terrority before embarking on dialogue process. There are no takers for this view of the Hurriyat Conference in the country. The Hurriyat’s rigid stand is not in favor of Kashmiris and as such they should talk to the centre without any pre-condition and restriction. Indian Government is bound by the Parliament resolution of 1994 which says that J&K is the integral part of India and Pakistan should vacate its control from occupied Kashmir. The Indian Government cannot budge an inch from its stated position. It is opportune time for the Separatists to respond to the centre’s offer when GOI has taken the initiative of unilateral ceasefire during the holy month of Ramzan. Thus the two factions of Hurriyat Conference should seize the opportunity and come to the negotiating table for a permanent end to a Kashmir Problem in which lies the good of all the people of J&K. Thus the Hurriyat conference should talk to the Centre Government to end the Kashmir impasse as bullets are no solution to Kashmir issue as we have seen it from the last three decades.
Kashmir problem should be fought politically and in this fight mainstream politicians and the Separatists have an important role to play to usher in an era of peace and prosperity. So rigid stances should give way to the flexible talks to solve the Kashmir issue. Not only talks within but dialogue without should be held to solve the Kashmir problem for all times to come. Therefore along with internal dialogue with different stake holders including mainstream parties, the Separatist leaders as well with the Pakistan establishment should be held to find a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir conflict which has consumed thousands of lives in the two countries besides loss to public and private property. So the dialogue should be held within and without.
The Government of India has done well to have made offer for talks to the Separatists and right minded people to solve the Kashmiri mess. Now the ball is in the court of Hurriyat conference and they should respond positively and with a flexible bent of mind if they like that death and mayhem in J&K should stop. So the Hurriyat conference should shun its rigid stand and come to negotiating table in the interest of the people of J&K, otherwise common people of the state will label them anti-people and anti-Kashmiri and will never forgive them if they waste this important opportunity offered by the centre.
The two factions of Hurriyat conference should realize the futility of being pawns in the hands of Pakistan and the rigidity of their stand and should talk to the Centre Government. It is talks only in which lies the good of all including the Separatists and the main stream politician. So, the Separatists should show their eagerness for talks as transparency is the modern day watchword and orthodoxy and conservatism are not needed but openness is the hallmark of democratic way of life. So the Separatists should come to negotiating table when GOI will formerly send an invitation for talks to Separatists. One only hopes that good sense may prevail upon the Hurriyat leadership and they will come to negotiating table without any precondition.
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