It was Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar who had mooted the idea of using ‘terrorists to neutralise terrorists’, suggesting the revival of the 1990s ‘Ikhwan era’ last year. At that time even former Kashmiri counter-insurgents expressed dismay over the proposal. That was a different time in 1990 and today is a different time. After receiving criticism the Defence Minister later on elaborated on his comment saying he was just suggesting to exploit the differences between existing terror groups. After the creation of the force, the “Ikhwanis” and renegades let loose a reign of terror not only on the militants and their families but also on civilians. Once again there is a move to bring in former militants, stone-pelters and victims of militancy to bring on the same platform by Art of Living in its organized conference ‘Kashmir Back to Paradise’. The attempt is seen as to usher in an era of peace and prosperity in Kashmir. The Ikhwanis are mainly ethnic Kashmiris with a deep hatred for the Islamist militants and their political backers, the Jamaat-e-Islami. In the early 1990s, militant groups such as the pro-Pakistan and Islamist Hizbul Mujahideen had trained their guns on such groups as the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and al-Jehad. Scores of militants from these groups were killed not by guns held by the Indian security forces but by weapons wielded by fraternal militant groups. Many of the Ikhwanis were those who had been at the receiving end of the fratricidal fighting. The current conference which is slated for November 23rd and to be held at the winter capital is expected to have Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju. The step involving civil society in the dialogue process to bring normalcy is part of Vajpayee doctrine of keeping the dialogue channel open and involving all the stake holders. Efforts have been on since the ’90s but results have been disappointed as there was a trust deficit on the surface which failed to bring a consensus over the Kashmir issue for whatever reasons it could be. Violence has been part of Kashmir for the last three decades and the end result too has been disappointing leaving more pain and agony for the people.
