Kashmir cries for a solution. It needs attention

ISSUE BY PROF UPENDRA KAUL

An uneasy calm in the troubled valley and neighboring areas should not be misinterpreted by India’s Kashmir policy think tank. Those congratulating each other on the successful conduct of the first round of Panchayat Elections should not forget about the 2008 legislative assembly elections which were also hailed as a ‘resounding success”. Claiming that participation in a “democratic election” is a vote for acceptance of the state being an undisputed, integral part of India has repeatedly been proven wrong. The masses have repeatedly shown that the same persons who go to the polling booths also spearhead the anti India rallies and protests. The Amaranth land issue of 2008, Shopian killings in 2009 and police firing on demonstrators of in 2010 are too recent to be forgotten.

Are we waiting for an issue to erupt again this summer? Already issues like Dogra Certificate which some responsible persons in the Government are offering on a platter to the separatists are starting to spark of controversies once again. Interestingly, April and May have traditionally been volatile and controversy driven months and the mood in the alley already seems apprehensive. 

Jammu and Kashmir has been the core issue of independent India. Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru was a party to this when he declared that the final accession will be after ascertaining the views of the people. This problem cannot be wished away. The issue has been discussed several times at the United Nations, and  several wars have been fought over it. International powers have tried to mediate but the problem lingers on.   The failure to acknowledge the centrality and the primacy of this issue creates tension.  Trivial incidents like a hit by an army or police vehicle are enough to spark full scale riots, and the subsequent police actions only add fuel to the fire.

 A new generation of youth in Kashmir feels deeply disillusioned by the leaders on both side.  This group needs to be convinced that their deep resentment and strong feelings are not being ignored.  Discrediting separatist leaders with a mass following and ignoring them is a very dangerous trend. This is a sure way of inviting Talibanization and anarchy. Money power from both Indian and Pakistani intelligence agencies to corrupt the leadership is also an important reason for the present state of affairs. This has been compounded by the well known interests of army and para military forces to stay back in the valley for personal gains and promotions. Last year’s ‘Machil’ fake encounter can never be forgotten.  Such incidents are bound to recur as long as the core issue is not addressed.

Unfortunately the problem can not be solved by pre emptive arrests of young men or self acclaimed leaders. This myopic attitude is bound to fail. After all the Kashmir problem has been conceded by many stalwart statesmen in recent years.  Vajpayee wanted to solve it on the principles of `Insaniyat', Narasimha Rao saw `sky as the limit' and the present home minister Chidambram calls it `unique problem needing a unique solution'. 

The time to act is now. Talk to any Kashmiri and it will be very clear that hardly anybody wishes to join Pakistan, a country which is on the path of self destruction. There might be sympathy for Pakistan because of religious bonding but it ends there. Pakistan herself is so plagued by a host of problems. The Azadi sentiment which is an emotional issue with most Kashmiris needs to be seriously and sympathetically viewed. The problem can not be wished away as an internal or local problem. There are a number of ways to handle it and several such plans have been on the Indian Government’s drawing board for more than a decade now.

 Even the BJP, the organisation that wanted to unfurl the tricolor in Lal Chowk on 26th January 2011, as a solution to this complex problem under Vajpayee’s able leadership had come very close to accepting it. It is high time the interlocutors appointed by the Government come out with possible ways of handling the problem as per the wishes of the Kashmiri people. What is required is some give and take and adjustments on both the sides.  The involvement of the so called separatist leaders and that of Pakistan is critical in resolving the long standing issue.They must be engaged carefully but constructively. Leaders like Yasin Malik and Umar Farooq are aware of the political compulsions in India and Pakistan. Together they have considerable following and should be taken into confidence and engaged properly before things get out of their control also. A solution is possible even at this stage. It however requires a bold and proactive stance and leadership from India. Peace in Kashmir has been Manmohan Singh’s self professed top priority. This is the time for courage and initiative. 

(Prof. Upendra Kaul is a prominent Delhi based cardiologist, originally from Kashmir. He is well known in the valley for his contributions in the field of medical science)