Talks with dissidents, all-party delegation among peace options

SRINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday morning held a high-level meeting to discuss ways to check violence in Kashmir where protests over the killing of Burhan Wani have led to clashes in which 30 people have died in four days.

Formulating an immediate action plan to reach out to people and bring down tempers in Kashmir was high on the agenda at the meeting. While there was no word on the specific decisions taken, Kashmir experts and observers feel that the Centre and the state government have to employ a multi-pronged action.

According to Happymon Jacob, an expert on Kashmir who teaches at Jawaharlal Nehru University, the government should send an all-party delegation to Kashmir. When the Valley witnessed violence over the alleged fake encounter of three young men in 2010, the UPA government sent a 39-member all-party delegation to visit the region and talk with stakeholders. The decision immediately reduced violence, says Jacob, who believes that CM Mehbooba Mufti and MLAs of her People’s Democratic Party need to reach out to people immediately.

Another option is to reach out to dissidents like the Hurriyat Conference. “(AB) Vajpayee, (LK) Advani, Manmohan Singh — all met Hurriyat leaders. Do you find any attempt on the part of the PM or home minister to meet Hurriyat leaders? Why is J&K CM not part of today’s meeting? Why not talk to Imams in J&K?” says MM Ansari, one of the three interlocutors who was tasked by the UPA government to prepare a political roadmap for the state. The interlocutors submitted their report in 2011 but it has been since gathering dust.

Security forces have been instructed to exercise restraint, Army sources maintain that the solution to the unrest has to come from the political leadership. “We don’t change our strategy from one event to another. It’s the political leadership, which has to get its act together,” said an army source.

The BJP and PDP need to go back to their “agenda for alliance” they entered into last year, especially in the context of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). “The coalition government will examine the need for de-notifying ‘disturbed areas’. This, as a consequence, would enable the Union government to take a final view on the continuation of AFSPA in these areas,” said the two parties’ in their agenda for alliance.

Army sources said the government had taken a firm stand in the Valley and it should not budge from it despite any kind of pressure. Sources also said more emphasis on psychological operations could also help.

Lieutenant General BS Jaswal, a former Northern Army commander, said the Army should ensure people don’t gravitate from villages to towns to join protests against Wani’s killing. Jaswal said itwascriticalforthepoliticalclassto avoid appeasement as it would hurt nationalinterest.Hesaidthegovernment should also make it clear that anyonewhoparalysesthecountry’s integrityfromwithinwouldbedealt with with a heavy hand.