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| ‘Willing to engage with separatists, militants, opposition’ | | Omar says, Pak role in dialogue undeniable, Shimla agreement internationalised Kashmir issue | |
ZAFAR CHOUDHARY
Jammu, Nov 29: In first official and public response to Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Bhatt’s proposal to all Kashmiri parties to join hands for a workable resolution of Kashmir issue, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that he and his party were willing to get engaged with all shades of opinion whether they come from mainstream or separatist landscape of Jammu and Kashmir’s politics. He, however, stoutly clarifies that getting engaged should not be misconstrued for joining hands which, Omar believes, is an entirely different proposition.
The Chief Minister has also admitted to the ‘international dimension’ of the Kashmir issue and vociferously asserted that Pakistan has a definite role in taking the Kashmir dialogue process to a logical end. Omar believes that it was Shimla agreement (between Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) that internationalized the Kashmir issue. Arguing that Shimla agreement brought Kashmir issue to international stage, Omar says, “it is a fact accepted by us (read India) on paper. In fact it is a fact you can’t run away from today”.
In a candid interview to internationally acclaimed media personality Karan Thappar at the popular television show Devil’s Advocate on CNN-IBN, the Chief Minister pointed out that New Delhi’s dialogue with separatists while keeping Pakistan away can reach a point but not beyond that. Omar said that Pakistan has a role in the peace process but that does not necessarily mean that all three parties should sit together across the same table. “You will not get a solution if the dialogue is only focused internally. Whether we like it or not an external dialogue with Pakistan is also part of the entire process and that's why I have always maintained that both need to go on almost simultaneously for us to be able to arrive at something realistic”, the Abdullah junior told Karan Thappar.
To a specific question on Abdul Gani Bhatt’s proposal of all parties joining hands, Omar said joining hands had different connotations but he was willing to engage with all parties including the separatists. He informed the anchor that in past also he has got engaged with separatists in public as well as in private. He said that joining hands means one party accepting the other’s proposal or the vice versa which nearly never happens in politics. Reiterating that his government would like to play a role of facilitator of the dialogue, Omar took it further that he would even like to facilitate dialogue with militant groups like Hizbul Mujahideen if they shun the gun for talks. "Yes, I don't see any problem because we have done that not only in J&K, as I said, but also in the other states."
For a while the Chief Minister appeared to have been caught off the guard when asked about the quiet diplomacy and reference was made to a separatist leader who recently said that he already have had two rounds of talks. He, however, said, “there was no harm in having a dialogue away from the glare of media”.
"I think quiet diplomacy is necessary for both sides to feel each other out, to see where the lines in the sand can be drawn, what they expect from each other and a certain amount of confidence building. Once that is done then the rest of the discussion will take place within the glare of all the publicity and attention that would follow. But I think for the time being a little bit of quiet won't hurt anybody," the Chief Minister said.
Referring to the stand of the Hurriyat for talks, he said "I think a lot of thought has gone into that line of thinking. "I think it is the most realistic line we have heard from the Hurriyat in a very long time; and given the rather chequered history we have of having engagement with them I think this provides us a great opportunity for a graded sort of march towards the final solution we are looking for rather than a one-off agreement that everybody has to sign off on."
However, he said, the Mirwaiz is just one individual among a large number of leaders. No doubt he is perhaps the most high-profile among them and has a decent support base but he is "one individual" in the moderate Hurriyat faction.
There are others -- both at the top tier and the second level -- who also need to feel as part of the process.
"Otherwise all they will do is to jump on to the hard-line bandwagon and threaten the process," he said.
Asked if Geelani has set a goal post that makes dialogue with him impossible and could the talks be meaningful, Omar said "sure, no solution is going to be acceptable to 100 per cent of the people. We should have the willingness to accept that.
"Therefore, there are going to be those people, who will not accept, whatever the outcome of this dialogue is. If Syed Ali Shah Geelani is going to be one of those people, so be it.
About whether the time had come for India to hold talks with Pakistan, Omar said, "...I believe it is important that we engage Pakistan. I think it definitely is in the interest of the both countries."
On Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement in Kashmir that there was no pre-condition to talks with Pakistan but it was essential that effective control be exercised over terrorist groups that target India, Omar said, "I think there is no doubt that it would definitely help Pakistan to exercise control over the forces that have in the past been used against India particularly in Jammu and Kashmir.
"So it's a win-win for both sides. Pakistan excising control over militants helps them domestically and it also ensures that India is able to get engaged with them in a sustained long-term dialogue and that, ultimately, is what both sides want," he said.
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