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| Prime's Minister's much-hyped Kashmir visit: Message from Srinagar | | |
RUSTAM
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, June 12: The Prime Minister's comments on the ongoing secessionist vioence in Kashmir were also very candid. He said: "There are handful of people who do not want any political process for empowering people to succeed. This is the reason that attempts to disturb the lives of the people in the Valley continue from across the Line of Control (read Pakistan). Whenever such incidents happen, they spread terror and cause disruption in the life of the people. Our security agencies are forced to act in the wake of such incidents. During the process, sometimes innocent civilians have to suffer…" His message was loud and clear. The message was: Obey the law of the land, don't resort to violent and terror tactics; if you do that, the security forces shall act as they are duty bound to protect the life and property of the people.
There was also an impression that the Prime Minister would extend his hand of friendship to Pakistan. He actually did it, but with an
unambiguous condtion. "Our relations with Pakistan are well known…The relations between the two countries over the past one and a half years have been under shadow of the terror attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008. As you are aware. I met the Prime Minister of Pakistan in Thimpu (Bhutan) last month. Both the countries accepted that there is a trust deficit between us…Prime Minister Gilani Saheb has assured me that Pakistan will not allow its soil to be used for terrorist activities against India. Meaningful talks between the two countries, which can lead to resolution of old issues, are possible only when Pakistan doesn't let its territory to be used for acts of terror against India…" Again, his message was loud and clear - if Pakistan is really interested in harmonizing relations with India, it has no other option but to rein in all types of terrorists - condition Pakistan shall never fullfil because Pakistan itself is behind the promotion of terrorism; because Pakistan believes terror tactics alone would force New Delhi to yield.
However, the Prime Minister did not do full justice to the Indian cause in Kashmir. He should have declared in unambiguous terms in Srinagar that the only issue that still remins to be settled between the two countries - apart from tackling the scourge of terrorism - the political future of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, which have been under the illegal occupation of Pakistan since 1947-48. Such a declaration on his part was imperative considering the national sentiment that is for the re-integration of these areas into India because these areas are legitimately Indian by any yardstick.
Had the Prime Minister made this statement, it would have send a right signal to Pakistan; it would have put Pakistan on the mat and it would have put Islamabad on the defensive; and shown the Hurriyat leaders and other separatists, who have become quite unpopular because of their acts of omission and commission and who have carrying on their trade on the dead bodies of the innocent civilians, shown their rightful place. That the Hurriyat leaders, who otherwise masquerade as representatives of Kashmiri Muslims, have become very unpopular has been acknowledged by one of leading Kashmir-based English language dailies, Greater Kashmir. Greater Kashmir wrote on June 8: "Hurriyat is no longer a predominant force in Kashmir Valley."
The conclusion, in short, is that the Prime Minister performed quite well in Kashmir. However, it has to be admitted that his tour to Kashmir has disappointed the people of Jammu province because he did not announce any package for them, not even a financial package for the Jammu-based Agricultural University. Remember, the Prime Minister announced a financial package to the tune of Rs 100 crore for the Sher-e-Kashmir Agricultural University, Kashmir. This announcement did send a message that New Delhi will not abandon its Kashmir-centric policies and that Jammu has no place in the New Delhi's scheme of things. (Concluded).
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