How and which stake holders will be taken by Centre in the ‘meeting room’ is still a question?

 By Daya Sagar
Without going into much rhetoric it is time for Indian leadership to sense that the conditions in J&K are so critical that before suggesting remedies all should first revisit their understanding about J&K.
It is not out of place to observe here that the way Indian leaders addressed the ongoing disturbances in Kashmir Valley while speaking in Rajya Sabha it appeared that as regards questions raised on Kashmir being a politically settled unit of India almost all on the opposition benches talked of Kashmiri aspirations and some even talked of some promises made to Kashmiris in 1947 by the then Indian leadership. The discussion in Rajya Sabha as held on 10th August has surely made known the understandings, the concepts and the opinions of some people (who do matter) as regards J and K affairs; as also the ‘representatives ‘of “Kashmiri aspirations” and we should ‘hope’ that the present NDA Government will seriously go through the texts of the recorded speeches (particularly that of Dr. Karan Singh who is a member from NCT of Delhi) since there is enough in that text for Centre to truthfully and seriously deliberate at least even within the ministries of Defence, Home, Law and Foreign Affairs. Return of peace and stability in J and K depends more on the ideological frame work that has shaped in “young” Kashmir Valley particularly over last three decades and controversies even as regards the accession are if allowed to nurse no any way forward can be set towards defeating the separatist ideologies… As regards the suggestions made in Parliament of India on this 10th August for taking into confidence all the stake holder concerning the Indian state of J and K without setting any pre conditions, it is for government of India to take a decision and so far as has been said by Prime Minster Narendra Modi has said on 12th August ail are welcome to participate with the scope of Constitution of India.
Home Minister Rajnath is expected to lead an all party delegation from Delhi to J and K (Kashmir Valley) on 4th September. How and which stake holders will be taken by government of India in the ‘meeting room’ is still a question?
Some hopes had been set for narrowing the arena of confusions and controversies when on 10th August Rajnath Singh had not out-rightly accepted the suggestion made by senior leaders like Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sharad Yadav and Sita Ram Yachuri that all party group team /committee/group should visit Kashmir Valley immediately to hold talks with all shades of ‘Kashmiri’ leadership. Rajnath Singh had instead said that Gol will first consult the J and K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for knowing the particulars of the people and leaders with whom any such all party or parliamentary delegation (if visits J and K) should interact and rather he (Home Minister) would appreciate in case Chief Minster also at her level takes all the stake holders into confidence worth leading to a better yielding interactions thereafter with the all party delegation or parliamentary delegation as and when the same is sent to ‘Kashmir’ in case need is felt for that.
By this time Home Minister has visited Srinagar from on 24th to 25th August and J and K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has also visited Delhi on 27th August to meet the Home Minister. Though not made public still it is hoped J and K Chief Minister must have conveyed the particulars of the people that in her opinion the visiting Union delegation may listen to. Mehbooba has on 27th August in way still talked of unconditional talks with all stake holders and also made some reference to any talks in future with Pakistan, let us take that it was in some different context. Another signal with a difference that had emerged from the Indian Home Minister on 10th August and could also be taken from the ail party meeting chaired by Prime Minister on 12th August is that the agenda for future talks with Pakistan has been now narrowed to demand that ‘Pakistan must vacate the areas of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which they have occupied through aggression’. Will this also remain a real policy in the back ground while discussing the current situation is another question? Similarly the success of an all party delegation / expert delegation visiting Kashmir Valley on 4th September will also depend on the fact that how far GoI would have succeeded in bringing some broader consensus on the political issues concerning J and K amongst the members of a all party delegation / parliamentary delegation before it sets to visit J&K (‘Kashmir’).
(Daya Sagar is a Sr Journalist and a social activist can be reached at [email protected])