Dear Editor,
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s doctrine of peace, progress and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir was acclaimed by politicians of all hues, including the separatists and extremist elements in the Valley. Despite all setbacks to his dialogue initiatives, including the Kargil conflict, the high-jacking of an Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar and a terrorist attack on Parliament, the then NDA Government continued to encourage confidence-building measures in the larger interest of peace and tranquility.
Excessive use of force in Kashmir in the wake of protests over Hizbul militant Burhan Wani’s killing in an encounter shows the lack of preparedness on the part of the civil administration in dealing with the unrest. It is time the politicians stopped stoking flames of hatred by giving a communal colour to the sequence of events. A strong mainstream leadership is imperative for coalitional harmony and development in Jammu and Kashmir.
Shreyans Jain
Delhi
