‘Our struggle not only for a bus’

When the historic Srinagar-Muzzafarabad bus prepares to bridge the LoC and connect Kashmir with Pakistan for the first time since 1947, its ...

When the historic Srinagar-Muzzafarabad bus prepares to bridge the LoC and connect Kashmir with Pakistan for the first time since 1947, its worst critics are, ironically, the Valley’s staunchest pro-Pakistan separatists and militants.

The reason: they think the revival of the important road link will divert attention from the main issue and dilute their separatist cause. Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani says he has been opposing the opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road from the very beginning. ‘‘It’s a deviation from our cause and we are against it,’’ he emphasises. ‘‘We have not given the sacrifice of a lakh people for a bus service but for the right to self-determination.’’ He adds the bus service is ‘‘merely a toy to pacify the Kashmiri slaves and aimed at changing the direction of the separatist movement. But such futile moves will never win the hearts of Kashmiris.’’ He points out that Kashmir remains only a religious issue and not a mere political dispute.

The largest indigenous pro-Pakistan militant group, Hizbul Mujahideen, has called it a superficial move. ‘‘It is an abortive attempt to rub salt on the wounds of Kashmiris. Neither Kashmiris can be cheated nor can the international community be misled by such cosmetic steps,’’ Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin said in a statement. ‘‘This step carries no significance before us (militants) and the people of Kashmir. It won’t bring any positive change in the ground situation.’’

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Al Mansurian, another militant group, dismissed the opening of the road as a meaningless step, saying it won’t have any impact on the ‘‘armed struggle’’. The group also criticised Pakistan, saying the move shows their (Pakistan’s) weakness. ‘‘They (Pakistan) have virtually forgotten the Kashmir issue,’’ a statement said.

Two leading separatists, former chief of Hizbullah Mushtaq-ul-Islam and Islamic Students League chief Shakeel Bakhshi, too, think the bus is counter-productive for their cause. ‘‘Kashmiris have given sacrifices for an everlasting solution of Kashmir issue and not for the opening of a road,’’ they said in a joint statement. ‘‘It (the opening of road) will not serve any purpose and will not help even the divided families as is being projected.’’

The Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen, another pro-Pak militant group, calls the opening of the road ‘‘a conspiracy against Kashmiris’’. A statement of the group said the move is aimed at putting the Kashmir issue on the backburner. ‘‘We will, however, take the (separatist) movement to its logical conclusion.’’

Peoples League, one of the oldest pro-Pak political groups in the Valley, too is very critical. ‘‘We have not given sacrifices for the bus,’’ a statement says. ‘‘Simla (accord) and Tashkent (agreement) have failed to curtail the importance of Kashmir dispute and bus diplomacy will also not alter the situation.’’

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In fact, the separatist concerns are not without logic. The road will virtually demystify Pakistan for ordinary Kashmiris, who have lived with a romantic vision about the country across for 58 years. The separatists are also apprehensive that the opening of the Srinagar-Muzzafarabad road will put the ‘‘Kashmir dispute’’ in cold storage.