Prof A N Sadhu
For last two months Kashmir has been witnessing protests, stone pelting and violence, Never before has it so happened that curfew had to be continued without any break for over seven weeks and when it has been lifted partially in some areas and fully in some other areas, the violence is unabated, peace is elusive and people are restive. Such a prolonged abnormal situation should clearly point to a deep rooted conspiracy, on the one hand, and on the other, to a chronic malaise that has escaped the proper treatment. In any case investment in peace is required. Peace in Kashmir does not impact the state alone, it has lasting impact on the country and the whole sub-continent as well. To restore peace, it requires a multi-pronged strategy and no single therapy will achieve the result. That development route alone will bring peace to Kashmir has been proved wrong. In fact peace is imperative for development but its vice-versa may or may not hold true. Kashmir has proved it sufficiently. That engagement of security forces will establish peace has also proved elusive, peace is essentially a psychological phenomenon dictated and directed by head and heart and not by a law and order arrangement dictated by security personnel. While as the highest per capita developmental investment is witnessed in Kashmir it is also witness to lowest quotient of stability and harmony, in the Valley. A similar relationship may also be established vis-à-vis security engagement. In order, therefore, to achieve the lasting peace in Kashmir, several other alternatives will have to be worked out.
One must speak truth but speak it sweet and on the other hand, to make your speak sweet, you should not by pass the truth. The truth is that J&K is an integral part of India, procedurally, legally and constitutionally. The investment is required to be made in building courage among the Kashmir leadership to acknowledge it and educate their followers about it honestly, objectively and lawfully. Dialogue with any one should not be problem but the content of the dialogue should aim at clarifying the true position of the state’s relationship with the Indian union. 70 years may be relatively a small period but certainly not an insignificant period in the historical evolution. The settled positions of seventy years cannot be reversed but put in the right perspective and conveyed in a rational manner to the stake holders .the stake holders with a mind set may not take a rationalistic view and therefore, it is essential to identify the larger number os stakes holders with an open mind who can reason out the issues and reach a logical conclusion. Let they also serve who only stand and wait.
Right from the partition of the country. Peace has remained at peril in the Kashmir valley, in particular. The Government of India has never failed to rise to the occasion and respond to the situations arising in Kashmir, from time to time, in a compassionate and constructive manner. The state rejected the two nation theory at the time of partition and chose to go along the way of kashmiriyat and reject the religious fascism. The decision of the Maharaja and its endorsement by the popular government of the state was clearly based on kashmiriyat and jamhooriyat. It is that spirit alone which will open a window for lasting solution to k-issue and lasting peace in the valley.
There has been a series of peace initiatives launched sine independence. These may broadly be categorised as under:
1.Accords 2. Packages 3. Appeals 4.Dialogues. 5. All party delegations.
There have been accords with the state leadership since independence itself. The notable ones are accords of 1952, 1975 and 1986. Besides these accords several other discussions have been constantly held with the state leadership from time to time to reach an understanding on contentious issues to let the state have peace and harmony, on the one hand and on the other to open up the opportunities for unrestricted development. These accords somehow did not succeed in establishing the lasting peace in the Valley. The experts in the field should objectively assess the post-accord developments and identify the reasons that inhibited the success of these accords.
There have been repeated packages granted to the state for bringing about aii round development of the state and engaging youth in economic reconstruction. To what extent has it happened does not need any explanation. Either the packages have not been implemented properly or the spirit of these packages has been wrongly construed. Peace, in any case, remained elusive. Whenever Kashmir was in turmoil, there have been appeals made by people, leaders, social activists and central leadership for maintaining peace. The latest , in the list, is the appeal by the Prime Minister with Ekta and Mamta or Vikas and Vishwas as the central thread. All party delegations, parliamentary delegations and civil society delegations have often been visiting the Kashmir valley in search of peace to the valley. Good talks, fruitful discussions, cordial environment are some of the adjectives used to describe the status of such inter-actions. The latest ,in the series, is the offer of a dialogue with any one:- individuals, groups, leaders{ self styled or elected} and socio-cultural organisations.
Any administrative set up will adopt all these means to restore peace in the troubled region. What is important is to engage honest and sincere peace ambassadors who work with courage, confidence, competence and conviction. The people of the state should be made to understand that legal and constitutional position of the state’s relationship with Indian union cannot change and under no circumstances is it negotiable. It is to be acknowledged to the best advantage of the state. Any body who belongs to the state of JK is a stake holder in any such exercise. Jammu and Ladakh have as high stakes as Kashmir may have in any dialogue or negotiations on or about Kashmir. Minorities are important stake holders as well. Ignoring them will be detrimental to the restoration of peace in the troubled area. Any solution cannot be either region specific or community specific. The resolution has to be state specific and people specific on the whole..the exiled community of kp”s has not received sufficient attention nor has it been given the required economic and political space. Similar may be the case of some other minorities and areas belonging to the state of JK. The demographic, geographic and political composition of the state warrants an all encompassing approach to take all the stake holders on board.
Time is a great healer does not imply that there should be complacence on any part and immediate measures are required to be taken to correct the distortions. Political compulsions may demand the engagement of non-State subjects in straightening the cobb-webs but complexities, as exist in Kashmir imbroglio, would warrant the engagement of people who have lived social, political and cultural life of Kashmir and hold an unbiased assessment of the situation, to work out the implementable formula to get over the present impasse. The intelligence agencies have to work hard to pre-empt the happening of unpleasant situations. Equally important is the timely sensitisation of administration and their courage and competence to handle the situations timely without delaying their involvement in restraining the situations to become explosive. The leadership both at the state a nd central level should work in the spirit of statesmanship and the stake holders should view everything objectively and in the larger interest of the people rather than trying to score points either to serve their ego or smaller interests.
History demands of rational thinking strategists, intellectuals, analysts and politicians to rise above narrow considerations and suggest solutions or opinions that aim at lasting gains of peace and development.
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