DOST KHAN
JAMMU: Self-styled activists and Kashmir experts have not learned any lesson during the past two and half decades. They continue to surface in the Valley, ironically during honeymooners’ favourite season of spring and autumn, with their innovative solutions to a ‘problem’, which they themselves are naïve about. In the process they end up with providing much needed oxygen to secessionists and terrorists by making them relevant to the situation.
Hours after the departure of self-styled Chairman of the Kashmir Society Ram Jethmalani from Srinagar, the chronic hardcore hawk snubbed him publicly seeking identification of those ‘pro-freedom fighters and political leaders who want to be with India”.
“It is not right to create confusion and doubts about pro-freedom leadership, and if he (Jethmalani) is right then India in no case should delay plebiscite. We have rejected four point formula of Parvez Musharaf as it does not serve any purpose and we think it is against the aspiration of people of Jammu and Kashmir”, retorded Geelani.
A great maverick, an eminent criminal lawyer but a controversial politician Ram Jethmalani is a constant visitor to Srinagar, not for cooling his heels in soothing valleys like many other activists but always on a mission to ‘break ice’ by meeting separatists to solve the so-called Kashmir imbroglio. He might be criticised for his opportunism to contest against Atal Behari Vajpayee from Lucknow in 2004 despite having remained a minister in his Cabinet, and after losing the elections staging comeback to BJP but his plain and blunt speaking makes him distinguished and different from others. He is respected for his legal acumen as well as straightforwardness. Having said that, one just wonders what makes him to think that separatis like Geelani can be roped in. The Indian activists need to have a little bit of common sense about Kashmir separatism. It is not any movement, as they try to make the people believe by calling it ‘Tahreek-e-Hurriyat’, it is just an enterprise, sponsored and heavily funded by Pakistan and other pan Islamic groups. Their main mission is to destabilise India and to keep Kashmir issue alive.
Jethmalani had his first date as Kashmir Committee Chairman over two years ago when he straightway drove to Hyderpora residence of Geelani, like any other activist or pseudo humanist. In that cool summer of Srinagar, Jethmalani had declared that dialogue was the only way to solve Kashmir problem. But Geelani was made of a different salt. Not having courtesy of being a bit sober as a host, he refused to buy the argument Jethmalani had offered on ‘dialogue’ by describing their interaction just as a ‘meeting’.
When Jethmalani had told the waiting media persons outside the residence of ‘Kashmir’s first citizen’: “The general consensus is that a solution to Kashmir has to be found through peaceful dialogue. And there is no role (for) terrorism, violence or crime. I am happy that Geelani also agreed to it”, the hardcore separatist took no time in retorting back: “The meeting is not dialogue.” That was almost a similar snub which Geelani has inflicted now by asking the veteran Supreme Court lawyer as to which separatists wanted to be part of India.
Ram Jethmalani is among the activists who believe in finding solution to the Kashmir problem. It should be assumed that the senior activist and politician is expecting a solution within the frame-work of the Constitution of India and he must have made it clear to all those whom he met last week. Therefore, his confidence about solution to seem to be stemming out of some sort of indication given by the separatists but the reaction emanating from the Valley belies it. Whenever Indian activists make any move without being accredited by some designated authority, the separatists make it a point to convey their resentment and pledge to achieve the demand of Azadi. So everytime people of eminence meet them, they make news. They just want it, as according to Margrette Thatcher, publicity is oxygen for those believing in violence as medium to achieve political objectives. Indian activists better understand this. Unfortunately, they tend to be defenceless while in Kashmir where they fail to argue and end up in agreeing to everything. This is because the Indian intelligentsia has not understood the Kashmir psyche, particularly the mind of the people like Geelani, Mirwaiz and Malik. Let it be clear to all those who claim to be the representatives of Indian civil society that Kashmiri secessionists especially Geelani will not budge even a millimeter from their stand, come what may.
