With Kashmir simmering yet again, New Delhi needs to rethink its K-policy & engage all stakeholders including people who represent aspirations of Kashmiris.
|| SHABIR AHMAD
In the past more than three weeks at least 50 people have died and hundreds have got injured, some of them seriously, in action by the forces on the protestors. For the past 22 days Kashmir continues to reel under curfew and there is clampdown on communication that too in times of “Digital India”. Like 2010 State and Central Government is making every effort to diffuse the situation. But at the same time, the successive Governments have sabotaged the peace efforts. For the time being, State and Central Governments may succeed in controlling the uprisings, but question remains how long they can control the anger that is brewing in Kashmir. In 2010 when over 120 people were killed in Police and paramilitary forces firing, Central Government sent a delegation and appointed interlocutors.
In 2010 when over 120 people were killed in action by police and paramilitary forces, Central Government appointed interlocutors who recommended a slew of measures on political and economical front for addressing the K-problem. Even then the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had then acknowledged the problems faced by people of Kashmir. But six years later, the panel’s report is gathering dust in power corridors of New Delhi.
Even then the Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had then acknowledged the problems faced by the people of Kashmir. The Central delegation recommended removal of bunkers and came up with slew of suggestion on political and economical front including creation of more jobs. Experts argue had there been forward movement on interlocutors’ report things would have different.
What Interlocutors said?
The interlocutors gave a political roadmap for Jammu and Kashmir, and submitted their report to the Home Minister. Journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, academician Radha Kumar and former Information Commissioner MM Ansari, though didn’t indicate in their report whether they were in favor of autonomy for Kashmir, they emphasized upon the need to reduce Army’s visibility and address human rights violations urgently in Kashmir. The panel also suggested that the government should consider repealing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which many allege endows the Army with sweeping powers without corresponding accountability.
The interlocutors said the Distrubed Areas Act should be lifted – that means those areas categorized as “disturbed” would have automatically be exempted from AFSPA. The interlocutors travelled to all 22 districts of the state and met with nearly 700 delegations to gauge possible solutions to the Kashmir crisis though the separatists refused to meet them. After they submitted the report, a controversy erupted around Padgaonkar’s suggestion that a workable solution for Kashmir could not be managed without Pakistan’s involvement. The BJP then took fierce exception to that and accused the interlocutors of “exceeding their brief.”
Be it Naga Peace Accord or other formulae, only engagements have paved the way. Everybody in trouble torn Kashmir had hoped that New Delhi would start moving on the K-issue by engaging all stakeholders, post three consecutive summers of unrest which started in 2008.
“They had recommended special status to the state, amendment of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), release of political prisoners detained under the Public Safety Act and a judicial commission to supervise the identification of bodies buried in the unmarked graves. If these issues would have been addressed, things would have been different at this juncture,” said a renowned political scientist of the Valley. He said in case the AFSPA would have been revoked, the things in Kashmir would have been different. “From last three decades, Kashmiri’s get killed and nobody is held accountable.
This is one of biggest impediment in restoring peace in trouble torn Kashmir,” he added. At the same time, the then National Conference-Congress Government and now the RSS led PDP-BJP Government has left no stone unturned in sabotaging the interlocutors report. Ministry of Home Affairs officials told Kashmir scan they had sought views from J&K Government on the issue. “But there was no reply from Omar Abdullah government nor have we got any answer from the PDP-BJP Government,” a top MHA official said “There are things in the report that will help in building peace in J&K.” “In the report, opinions had been sought from a wide range of people. There is broad consensus on various issues in the report. Center wanted to respect the consensus and act on the report,” he said. “But it seems J&K Governments sabotaged it by not filing their findings.”
Now, there seems to be no light at the end of tunnel as there is no effort from the government to engage the all stakeholders. “Be it Naga Peace Accord or other formulae, only engagement paved the way. Everybody in trouble torn Kashmir had hoped that Union Home Minister will start moving on the issue by engaging all stakeholders,” said the political scientist. “Let normalcy return we will talk to Chief Minister,” Rajnath Singh when he was asked whether the Government of India would hold talks with seperatists on the K-issuere. The bigger question however is will government of India engage people who represent aspirations of Kashmir. And if it doesn’t happen Kashmir could be in for another uprising, sooner or later.
The bigger question however is will government of India engage people who represent aspirations of Kashmir. And if it doesn’t happen Kashmir could be in for another uprising, sooner or later.
