On his first visit to J&K, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil talked peace and hope as Kashmir witnessed a sudden spurt in violence—including an IED blast in Srinagar which killed three people. Patil once again issued a dialogue call to all separatists and even hinted at allowing moderate Hurriyat leaders led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to visit Pakistan for talks—a demand put forth by the moderates to re-engage with the Centre. Responding to the moderate Hurriyat demand of a visit to Pakistan, Patil said: ‘‘There is no obstacle on cross-border travel. We will see. We don’t have any problem with it.’’ The Home Minister said the government may help them if they follow ‘‘proper procedure.’’ The moderates immediately welcomed Patil’s positive take on their demand. Patil, however, said that the third phase of discussions with the Hurriyat Conference would be possible only if they stopped making pre-conditions. He said that their last demand, that they be permitted to visit Pakistan before talks can continue, could be looked at only if they made a request in a ‘‘proper, formal manner and not as a pre-condition to talks.’’ When asked why the Hurriyat had not even been invited, even as a formality, for discussions during his current visit, Patil said, ‘‘Discussions do not begin with invitations. For us, everyone has a voice that needs to be heard. There is an unconditional offer to meet the Hurriyat, so it is up to them now. We respect the Hurriyat and are prepared to talk to them. We are prepared to talk to anyone, if it means that the use of violence will come down,’’ Patil said. But why Patil waited to react to this demand till he arrived here perhaps explains a lack of groundwork. ‘‘If the government (Centre) had shown such a positive reaction to our demand to allow our leaders to travel to Pakistan for talks, there was every likelihood he (Patil) might have met a few of us here as well,’’ a leader from the moderate faction told The Sunday Express. ‘‘But they never took it seriously. Even today we heard it from the media and are not sure whether the government would issue travel documents to our leaders.’’ National Conference president Omar Abdullah, who also met Patil this afternoon, said, ‘‘I think the Hurriyat should be allowed to visit Pakistan. But if it is a pre-condition to talks, then it is unacceptable. I hope they decide to hold talks with the Home Minister.’’ Without even the moderates, the Home Minister’s trip, on the ground, seemed once again like New Delhi meeting New Delhi in Srinagar. Here is Patil’s Kashmir itinerary: Apart from meeting with Governor, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, his daughter Mehbooba Mufti (which was cancelled later), a few cabinet colleagues, Congress leaders and leadership of other coalition parties and opposition National Conference, Patil had a 15-minute meeting with a Pahari-speaking delegation headed by junior Forest minister and a Congress leader, 30-minute meeting with Mufti Azam (Grand Islamic Cleric) of Kashmir Bashir-ud-din—a well-known pro-government cleric, 10-minute meeting with a delegation of Akhil Bhartiya Rachanatmak Samaj, 5 minutes with Sikh Minority United Council. Patil is also meeting Kashmir Chamber of Commerce, Travel Agents Association of India, Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation, Sahitya Academy Award winners, Fruit Growers Association, Freedom Fighters association, house boat owners, displaced Kashmiri Pandit delegation, Creative People’s Forum, etc. But separatists or even those people who disagree with New Delhi figure nowhere. Interestingly, Patil was accompanied by his two junior ministers, Union Urban Development Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress leader and Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, PCC president and J-K minister Peerzada Sayeed, the Home Secretary and Centre Kashmir interlocutor N N Vohra. It looked like a Congress party affair as Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed (who holds the Home portfolio in the State), his Minister of State or any other PDP minister were not present on the podium. When Patil was asked to react, he laughed but left a hint that all was not well between the Congress and its coalition partner PDP in the state. ‘‘Don’t put me in this. I have come to ease the tensions,’’ he said. By most accounts, Patil’s visit is being looked at as the groundwork for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to J&K possibly on 17-18 of this month. As Patil said himself, ‘‘My visit was to simply meet the people and review the situation.’’ Patil will visit Jammu tomorrow to inspect the border fence, and then to Leh on Monday.
