STRATEGY TO TACKLE TERROR IN KASHMIR IS WORKING, SAYS RAM MADHAV

NEWDELHI: Ram Madhav, BJP general secretary and J&K in charge, says the government is showing zero tolerance against terrorism in Kashmir. In an interview with HT, he elaborates on the Centre’s four-pronged strategy to flush out terrorists while extending a healing hand to Kashmiris. Excerpts:

You said normalcy will return to Kashmir within 6 months. What gives you this confidence?

First of all, I have not given any such date, though I did speak about the prevailing situation and our plans for the future. I said the security forces are quite confident that they will be able to bring back normalcy in the next few months. We have been adopting a four-pronged strategy for half-a-year now, and I recently told the national executive (which concluded on Monday) that we have been largely successful in our efforts.

What is the fourpronged strategy?

The first part deals with tackling terrorism and militancy with zero tolerance. Go after the terrorists in a hard way…

Do you think this resolve was missing in the earlier regime?

I don’t want to comment on that. But this time the idea was to make no distinction between local or Pakistani terrorists. A terrorist is a terrorist, period. Part two is about the protesters on the streets, stone pelters etc. We realised a large number of people who indulge in these activities are influenced by propaganda on social media or otherwise. We need to tackle them with a tough hand, but need to ensure that there are no civilian casualties. All that the terrorists or separatists want is one dead body a day. Third is choking the overground support network of terrorists that includes some sections of Hurriyat leadership and businessmen and hawala traders. We have proceeded against them through legal means; today several of them have been arrested. And the fourth is focusing on development activity.

A section of the public believes that the NIA crackdown on Hurriyat leaders will backfire because they are considered stakeholders in Kashmir.

This is not a crackdown against Hurrriyat but those who collect money from illicit sources and use it to spread terror and violence. If any Hurriyat member is involved in that, he will be brought to justice. This is a campaign against the overground supporters of terrorism. The very fact that they have been able to arrest important people with solid evidence is proof that many such figures are involved in activities that go against the law of the land.

Your opinion on Hurriyat?

There is no one Hurriyat, there are shades of it. It is up to them to decide what role they want to play. The Union home minister has repeatedly said — we have said it in the coalition government’s common minimum programme too — that all stakeholders are free to come to the state government to discuss the issue. The Centre is open to negotiations, but nobody can impose conditions on it for talks.

The BJPPDP coalition had a shaky beginning. How are things now?

No coalition is easy. When the situation demanded it, we decided to come together as mature parties and work for the benefit of the people on a common agenda. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t have our differences.

You mean differences on issues like abrogation of Article 370 and declaring Maharaja Hari Singh’s birthday a holiday?

We must remember that Maharaja Hari Singh ruled over Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh and even parts of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He should be respected. The issue of declaring his birthday a state holiday will be taken up by the local unit.

How does a party that follows Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, who called for ‘Ek nishan, ek vidhan, ek samvidhan’, reconcile with a coalition partner that warns of dire consequences if Article 370 is diluted?

There are issues that need to be dealt with at Parliament level. Even in the common minimum programme we have said that we have differences over Article 370, but the government at the state level is guided by a different development agenda. The right forum for all other issues is the national Parliament.

Are you open to talks with Pak?

We are committed to not only ensuring peace in the Valley, but making sure it lasts. Talks with Pakistan are not my subject. It will be decided by the Union government at an appropriate time. But I have been saying that to link the Kashmir situation with India-Pakistan talks is not acceptable to us.