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| Interlocuters' maiden visit to J&K unproductive | | Behind the veil | | Early Times report
Jammu,Oct 30: Notwithstanding their annoucement that they would be taking "baby" steps for finding a solution to the Kashmir imbroglio the first leg of the six-day visit of the three-member team of interlocuters, headed by Dileep Padgaonkar, failed to reach out to those who matter in the sphere of poltics in the state. Yes, they deviated from the established practices of opting for meetings with senior leaders belonging to the mainstream and the separatist camps by having a session or two with students,with those who had been jailed on charge of stone pelting besides some militants. But those who were expected to help the interlocuters in the process of evolving solution to the turmoil were either left out or were not willing to meet the visitors from Delhi.
First of all the interlocuters made no attempt at meeting some senior separatist leaders.Even if these separatists had announced their unwillingness to have any interaction with Padgaonkar, Radha Kumar and M.M. Ansari, the interlocuters announced that they would not call on the separatists as it could cause embarrassment to them.And soon after landing in Jammu Padgaonkar said that they were not prepared to knock at the doors of the separatists and the interlocuters would be willing to meet the separatists when they show their readiness to interact with "us."
Padgaonkar should have been told that had they drove to the houses of senior separatist leaders it would not have caused any embarrassment as was the case when some members of the All Party delegation had visited Syed Ali Shah Geelani,Molvi Umar Farooq and Mohd.Yasin Mailk in their houses.It is not known whether the interlocuters had been suggested to sideline and ignore separatists or defer the attempt at securing an audience with Geelani,Umar and Malik so that the Jammuites had no grievance against the style of functioning of the intrlocuters because in the past Government negotiators,including K.C.Pant and N.N.Vohra,had tried to make their search for a solution Kashmir centric.
However,whatever sympathy the interlocuters had gained in Jammu by their reluctance to knock the doors of the separatists was frittered away by the utterances of Padgaonkar,who had stated that Pakistan had to be taken on board while evolving a solution for the problem,and Radha Kumar,who had said that if the solution to the issue was to be outside the ambit of the constitution the Indian Parliament could amend the const itution accordingly.The result was that the key players in Jammu,the BJP,the Panthers Party,State Morcha,the Bar Association members,Kashmiri Pandits and others refused to meet them.
No doubt the team of interlocuters plan to visit the state every month they should not have wrapped the first leg of their visit to Srinagar by having ignored the leader of the opposition Mehbooba Mufti,Peoples'Conference chairman,Sajjad Lone,human rights activists and the victims of the four-month long turmoil that included traders and transporters.
In fact one need not blame the interlocuters for their off the cuff remarks because Delhi continues to be confused while trying to evolve a definite Kashmir policy.Even after 21 years' of militancy related violence Delhi has not been able to decide whether the Kashmir issue is to be settled through bilateral talks,between India and Pakistan,or through triangular parleys,involving Kashmiri separatists.It is the result of this indecision and confusion that Delhi opts for biltateral dialogue with Islamabad on one occasion on the other it favours talks with separatists in Kashmir.
One thing is definite.Even if the team led by Padgaonkar had tried to reach out to the separatists it would not have resulted in any breakthrough because the separatists want the dialogue to be held either by the Prime Minister or some senior central ministers on the plea they are for decisions and not for debate and discussion.
One does hope that during their next visit to Jammu and Kashmir the interlocuters rectify all that had gone wrong during their first visit.It is equally hoped that the interlocuters reach out to the people who matter in Kashmir politics. |
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