Healing and Hurriyat

In the course of history, there comes a time when some fundamental shifts become possible in the ongoing paradigm of events and human relations. Wisdom lies in grabbing such moments for a better future. The long-awaited and much-debated dialogue between the All Party Hurriyat Conference and the political leadership of the country is undoubtedly one such moment which promises to provide a tremendous impetus to the ongoing peace process in the region. The credit for it goes as much to the Hurriyat leadership as to the government. But it is also clear that this would not have been possible but for the sacrifices of our security forces, on the one hand, and the sustained preparation for such an event that the official interlocutor and the home ministry persevered with for months on end in spite of vocal detractors, on the other.

At the same time we need to recognise that the processes set in motion by the elections in 1996 and brought to its democratic logic in 2002 elections, where a bipartisan approach to finding a political approach to the problems in the state was adopted, followed by the “healing touch” of the Mufti government, supported by every political party in the state and country did a great deal to reassure the people of J&K that they, and their concerns and aspirations, and not any parochial interests remain supreme in our thinking. Prime Minister Vajpayee’s peace initiative of April and getting General Musharraf’s commitment in writing to back up his numerous promises that terrorist violence would not be permitted from Pakistan and territories (read Occupied Kashmir) controlled by it, have set the broader context for change. New Delhi should now move firmly forward on the road to reconciliation, even if some risks are implicit in the process. It would not only indicate its unambiguous commitment to the elimination of illegitimate violence, but also enable it to retain the initiative on the political and economic measures to support normalisation and future socio-economic development in the state. This is where the Hurriyat would also do well to note L.K. Advani’s advice to take all segments of society and polity, including its erstwhile colleagues, along.

The release of political prisoners is a wise step at this stage. But the government would do well to announce, on or before the Id festival, a formal end to offensive operations by the security forces and end actions like the cordon and search type which impinge on the lives of people who are mostly victims rather than perpetrators of violence. Security forces would still need to deal with the residual violence by terrorists who would naturally be marginalised in the ongoing peace process. But this should remain in the nature of self defence and the direct defence of the innocents.