In words that recalled the inspirational Martin Luther King, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sought to reach out the people of a troubled state. “I have a dream and firm belief that working together we can build a new Kashmir which can become once again a symbol of peace, prosperity and cultural pluralism,” he told the people of the state. Of course, Kashmiris are used to fulsome promises and packages from New Delhi. The question then arises whether there was anything in this latest primeministerial visit that portends something more — the shadow of a breakthrough, a sliver of hope of more settled times?An answer to the question has necessarily to be a tentative one because the prime minister’s words, if they are to have any meaning at all, would need to rise above the competitive militancy of the hardliners — that was on display on the very morning of this visit — and convince ordinary people that he meant business. There are three talking points thrown up by his speeches that does, however, have the potential of achieving this. The first was the sincere offer of talks. The only condition the prime minister laid down for such a dialogue was that the intention of the interlocutors should be “genuine” — that they should have a commitment to the “restoration of peace”. The second was not the Rs 24,000 crore economic package that the prime minister brought along so much as the promise of creating 24,000 new employment opportunities for the state’s youth. The link between the swelling ranks of the educated unemployed and the rising level of militancy has long been obvious so the promise of jobs holds a special resonance. The third was the hope he raised of closer interaction between the families divided by the Line of Control. Certainly, if these three promises were to be translated into reality it could go some way towards building a new Kashmir. But achieving this would require commitment, hard work and staying power on the part of the governments at the Centre and the state, and receptivity and openness on the part of the people of the state.It was perhaps in his interaction with the media that prime minister displayed the underlying realism that marked his approach. He ruled out quick-fix solutions like redrawing the international border and neither did he entertain the notion that India was working to a roadmap drawn by the United States. He premised the Indo-Pak dialogue process on the obligation of both India and Pakistan to resolve all outstanding issues peacefully. In other words, the Manmohan Singh approach seems to be a combination of prose and poetry, a mix of idealism and realism. How far it takes him in the days ahead will be watched with interest.
