TIME TO ENGAGE KASHMIRIS AFRESH

Kashmir is slowly but certainly returning to ‘normalcy,’ a normalcy which actually means the absence of ostensible strife and rioting. After the fortnight-long mayhem following the encounter death of a self-styled commander of a jihadi outfit, the slogan-shouters and the stone-throwers too need to rest. It is natural for the shock and anger even of the worst kind to subside after a passage of time. Hopefully, the phase of normalcy would be long and productive. But it is this phase when those running Kashmir from Srinagar and New Delhi need to get far more active than at any time before. In the normal course, the return of normalcy means taking one’s eye off from the underlying problems. But in the case of Kashmir, the small interregnums of relative calm need to be exploited for finding durable solutions. With a Kashmir-centric regional party in alliance with a national party sharing power in Jammu and Kashmir, the opportunity offers itself for building a consensus on a most acceptable solution. The attempt should be to bring all stake-holders on a single platform under the aegis of the elected government in Srinagar for a preliminary exploration of all possible ideas to break the deadlock over Kashmir. Anything within the framework of the Indian Constitution should be welcome. So long as the integrity of the Indian borders and the sovereignty of the Indian State remains unchallenged, Kashmiris ought to be welcome to discuss all possible solutions to resolve the protracted dispute. Autonomy and what it can mean for Kashmir can be debated. Foreign policy, defence and currency remaining inviolate and completely out of reach of any regional people or powers in the Indian federation, all else can be negotiated in a spirit of give and take. In their sober moments even the committed jihadi elements would shudder to think of azadi when they know in their heart of hearts that willy-nilly it would result in being devoured by the land-hungry Pakistani Army. Given the woeful state of the people in Pak-occupied Kashmir, and the denial of basic freedoms to the people of Pakistan in general, a moment’s reflection ought to be enough to persuade Kashmiris that they risk abject subjugation and slavery by seeking azadi from democratic India. Autonomy to manage their own affairs within the four walls of the Constitution still remains the best bet for Kashmiris. As a failed State, Pakistan has little to offer bar economic misery and sectarian strife. On her part, the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti should most energetically exploit the return of relative peace to reach out to the alienated youths. The Hurriyat leaders might be paper tigers propped up by Pakistani money and guns, but nothing can be lost by keeping them in the loop so long as she remains firm on the minimum terms of such an engagement. Ditto for the representatives of other groups in the State.

In this all-embracive dialogue the Centre should play a supportive role, helping resolve knotty issues without needlessly getting embroiled in the process. Only when the groundwork is done should the Centre intervene to stamp its authority on the outcome. There can be no military solution to an internal problem and Kashmir is but an internal dispute within India concerning Indians alone. Pakistan might protest but once Kashmiris are on board that will prove pointless. It is the inability of the Indian State to resolve a dispute with a section of its own citizens that has encouraged Pakistan to fish in troubled waters. The tragedy of Kashmir these past seventy years has been that both Srinagar and New Delhi have taken their eyes off once the Valley returns to normal. Unless we have a sustained and intensified search for a solution by engaging every stakeholder in Kashmir, it is unlikely that Kashmir can be solved anytime soon. The report of the Kashmir interlocutors gathering dust in the cupboards of the Home Ministry ought to be retrieved and examined for initiating the search for durable peace. Maybe the Centre can appoint a special mission for Kashmir with a clear-cut brief to lay out all the possible solutions for obtaining the widest possible consensus. But in no case should the rulers in Srinagar and New Delhi revert to the business-as-usual mode until the next violent eruption in the Valley.