Dear Editor,
NC Chief and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir has been relentlessly advocating dialogue with Pakistan. He asserts that terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir will not end unless talks are held with Pakistan. What has happened in the past is too well known. At the back of the on-going dialogue in the past, the terrorists have perpetrated attack in Jammu and Kashmir thwarting the bid to ensure peace between the two hostile countries. Pakistan on the ground has done nothing to contain terrorism on the Indian soil except saying that it is also the victim of terrorism. The four attacks that have taken place in Jammu recently have prompted Farooq to advocate for dialogue with Pakistan. Does it mean that India can be cowed down by Pakistan-sponsored terrorism? Yes. Peace must be given a chance. India has been consistently maintaining that dialogue without breaking the backbone of terrorism does not have any significance. Peace talk on the one hand and terrorism on Indian soil on the other cannot go hand in hand. Fall of bus into a deep gorge in Reasi when the terrorists attacked a bus has claimed nine lives and injured 41 people including six security personnel grievously. Whenever the terrorists have attacked India, they have not been allowed to go scot-free. Either the perpetrators of terrorism have been shot dead or they have been apprehended. If Pakistan thinks that it can leave scar on India through terrorism, it is living in fools’ paradise. Pakistan is not interested in anything short of dialogue only on Kashmir issue. If Kashmir is given away to Pakistan and Arunchal Pradesh to China, the border problem ‘gets solved’. If peace is bought by giving the territories which are integral parts of India, it would be only peace of graveyard. Posterity will not forgive if the Indian administration plays into the hands of China and Pakistan in territorial matters. India has already been fragmented when a separate state was created on religion grounds. Farooq’s loyalty to India does not seem to be total. His love for Pakistan is so transparent that he minced no words to say that Pakistan is not wearing bangles in response to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement that Pak-occupied-Kashmir will be merged with India. He has acted as the spokesman of Pakistan government. Farooq has been trying to instil a sense of fear in the Indian government by saying “Pakistan has atom bombs, and unfortunately that bomb will fall on us”. He has gone on record as saying that he vows to restore Article 370 even if it means taking the support of China. This is highly objectionable stand taken by Farooq. A dialogue with Pakistan is seemingly not possible without Pakistan taking steps to rein in terrorists. Eye-for-eye and limb-for-limb may not be the answer to mend fences with Pakistan. But initiative should come more from Pakistan with determination to end hostility with India. If that has to happen, Pakistan should give up its claim over Kashmir. Instead, it should gracefully hand over the P-o-K to India. If the border dispute is buried, no other issues with Pakistan can be insurmountable.
K.V. Seetharamaiah