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| Separatists eyeing political landmass | | | Nirbhay Jammual
Jammu | Aug 16
The cat is out of the bag. From the agitation over the diversion of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board to the cries over the so called economic blockade the Kashmiri separatists have added new dimension to the turmoil by now demanding immediate settlement of the Kashmir issue. Separatists, including senior APHC leader, Shabir Ahmed Shah, say that land and economic blockade were no longer as important issues as that of the resolution of the Kashmir problem. So if more than 25 people were killed during the two spells of protest demonstrations in the valley they died for the Kashmir cause and not over land diversion or over the economic blockade notwithstanding the fact that they fell to the bullets of the security forces whole protesting first against land diversion and later against economic blockade.
By now they seem to have realized that after the highway was handedover to the Army consumer items started reaching Srinagar and hence there was no need for campaigning against the economic blockade. They realised that after the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, announced that India had taken up with Pakistan the issue of reopening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road for trade there was no need to clamor over the opening of the trade route when they understood that the onus of reopening the route for trade lay on the shoulders of Islamabad. The separatists and their supporters had by now realised that diversion of land order had been revoked they need not campaign for it as it was not as important an issue as the settlement of the Kashmir problem. By shifting their stance from land to the economic blockade and then to the resolution of the Kashmir issue the separatists want to make full use of unity that has been forged between the two factions of the Hurriyat Conference. They believe the amalgam of hardliners and moderates could help them in emerging as the genuine representatives of people of Kashmir which they claim could grant them the authority to decide the future of Kashmir.
They have a misconception. They believe the separatists alone can decide the future of Kashmir when the issue has to be settled by Delhi and Islamabad. At the same time they know it well that as a united forum the separatists could build added pressure on Delhi and Islamabad to resolve the Kashmir issue. And in this connection the two factions of the Hurriyat Conference have constituted a coordination committee for framing a programme for launching a peaceful campaign for resolving the Kashmir issue. The committee will comprise heads of various political and separatist groups besides those heading the Kashmir Bar, chamber of commerce and Industries, traders, social and human rights activists.
These separatists believe that the overwhelming peoples' response to their campaign against land diversion and against economic blockade has demonstrated that their writ has started being run in Kashmir and they would not lose this opportunity for forcing India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue. Their campaign, whatever form it may assume, is unlikely to unnerve Delhi and Islamabad but it can, at least, delay holding of the Assembly election |
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