Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 9: A group of former civil servants, academics, analysts and civil society has appealed the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to reconsider the Government’s preemptive policy on counter insurgency operations and crackdowns in the Valley for free and fair elections in J&K.
In this connection, they have suggested the Government to rescind the order on closure of highway, release all those arrested for not terrorist attacks, restoration of security to political leaders and return to a policy of defence against attack rather than preemptive action.
“If your Government could initiate a Ramzan ceasefire, then why not one for elections?” they said in an open letter to Rajnath Singh while expressing their deep distress at the continuing alienation of Kashmiris from the rest of India by some recent decisions like closing highway for civilian traffic, banning JKLF and the Jamaat e Islami, imprisoning their leaders as well as those of the Hurriyat, and denying security to members of political parties.
Claiming that such conditions provide formidable disincentives to vote, they opined that Kashmir needs an elected Government that can hold out hope instead of hatred, one that will work to re-establish peace on the ground. “These elections offer an opportunity to craft a more conciliatory policy towards the people of the state, including dissidents who have engaged in peace initiatives, such as the Hurriyat M, who have once again held out an offer of talks,” they added.
Judging by its election manifesto and admitting that the BJP was opposed to conciliation in Jammu and Kashmir, the group, however, insisted that a change of course is required, lest the situation in the State worsens to a point of no return. “We urge you (Rajnath Singh), even at this late stage, to take the steps mentioned above. Jammu and Kashmir will only then be able to have a free and fair election,” they added.
Signatories to the letter include Salahuddin Ahmed (former Chief Secretary of Rajasthan), Madhu Bhandari (former Ambassador of India), Sundar Burra, Nitin Desai (former Secretary & CEA Ministry of Finance), M G Devasahayam (IAS-retd), Gourisankar Ghosh (former Executive Director, UN WSSCC, Geneva), Meena Gupta (former Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests), Sajjad Hassan, Happymon Jacob (Professor of International Relations, JNU), Prem Shankar Jha (Columnist), Kapil Kak, Radha Kumar (former member, GOI’s Group of Interlocutors for J&K), Satish Kumar (former Professor of Diplomacy, JNU), Sudhir Kumar, former member, Central Administrative Tribunal; Seema Mustafa, Centre for Policy Analysis; Nagalsamy, Amitabh Pande, Gopal Pillai, Badri Raina, Anand Sahay, Deepak Sanan, Karan Sawnhy, Aftab Seth, Hindal Tyabji (former Chief Secretary of J&K), Ravi Vira and Shiv Vishwanathan.
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