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Conference
on Peace Solution
Separatists
evince interest in K P participation
Sushil Vakil
As
the internaional support is dwindling and Pakistan is engrossed in
its own problems the Hurriyat conference leaders and seccessionist
groups fighting on political and armed front , it is obivious that
they failed to exert any pressure on India and free the Valley from
its stronghold. Equally, they also failed in coercing the Government
of India to decide the future of the J&K State through
tripritate dialogue. The Government of India has been and is still
admant to its resolve that Kashmir is an integral part of India.
However, the Indian Government extended invitations to the
seccessionist leaders and ultra groups to come forward and join the
negotiable table so that their genuine demands are discussed and
adressed to and a peaceful solution is found which could help
in bringing peace back to the Valley and put an end to
militancy once for all. But the Pak pampered leaders, though willing
to join talks, every time, put forth the unreasonable
condition of including Pakistan as a third party in talks. Rejecting
and ridiculing this condition, the Government of India made it clear
that Pakistan has no role in the peace parleys and thus strengthened
further its claim that Kashmir is its integral part and as such
Pakistan can’t be made a party to the talks between the Government
and the representatives of Kashmiri people. The militants, both
local and foreign tried every sophsicated weaponary and warfare
tactics to demoralise the morale of the Indian security
forces and have full control over the Valley. But the valliant
soldiers shattered their dreams and almost succeded in wiping out
hard core foreign mercenaries and top rank militants in the Valley.
The militants, except few foreign hired are weary and disgusted and
disillusioned over the backtracking of support by the
Pakistan.
The
Hurriyat leaders are exaseparated, militants aweary and they can
perceive that ‘use of gun’ neither solved nor can help in
solving the vexed problem which is lingering on for the last fifty
years. They are mature enough to discern that Pakistan couldn’t
even solve it despite waging three full fledge wars against
India.
The
Hurriyat leaders are now changing postures and sending feelars to
Government of India for finding a viable solution to end militancy
and accrue more autonomy and powers for the State. Sometimes, they
express willingness to enter into the fray if held under the
supervision of an independent “Election Commission”
comprising of immenent persons and of their choice. This demand was
also, outrightly, turned down by the Vajpayee Government. Now they
are persuing other options.
For
finding an honourable solution through a peace deal with the
Government of India they are wooing the Kashmiri Pandits
and even roped in the services of various Kashmiri Pandits. During
the past one year the Hurriyat leaders shared dias with some self
styled Kashmiri Pandit leaders and so called intellectuals who have
had no backing and support from any KP organisation. The community
had exposed the actions and dubious intentions of those leaders
confabulating with seccessionist leaders seeking the ways and means
for the honourable return of the exiled members to the Valley. Some
of these leaders with vested interests claiming to be
representatives of KP community are in constant touch with the
Hurriyat and other Valley based leaders and do not miss any
opportunity to visit or call them in their meetings whenever they
land in capital. By sharing platform with them, perhaps,
they feel they can gain publicity and may be in future taken into
any Committee or included in the list of crisis managers if any
dialogue is held with Govt of India or Pakistan.
With
the change in situation, elections coming nearer and emergence of
new political developments the Hurriyat Conference is now beckoning
Kashmiri Pandits and elucidiating their support. So far they have
been fighting the war for freedom on communal lines and stressing
for an Islamic State on the basis of population ratio. Having failed
to muster international support on religious lines they want now to
give it wider meaning and secular colour.
Lately,
an organisation under the name and style of ‘Displaced
Kashmiri United Front’ was formed in Delhi with two Convenors, one
a Kashmiri Pandit and the other a Kashmiri Muslim. By the banner one
can infer that it represents all the Kashmiri displaced people, be
it Hindus or Muslims. It is reported that this organisation would
work in unison with other political parties and strive to find a
peaceful solution to the present imbroligo by holding peace
conferences. Towards this end the organisation has recently held a
Conference in Delhi to deliberate on “Devastated Kashmiri’s
search for a balanced Kashmiri policy”. Invites were extended to
many intellectuals, political leaders, journalists and
representatives of political parties of the State. In the
press note released prior to the conference great concern was
expressed for the people living in exile as well as for the people
living in the Valley under miserable conditions. The release
mentions that Kashmiries donot believe in India nor do they believe
in Pakistan. The five thousand year old community stands disembered,
disfranchised, deprived of the basic rights, suffering from various
physical and mental disorders, die prematurely and unnaturaly.
For this catastrophe the organisation blame both India and Pakistan.
For this orgy the KPs straightaway blame seccessionist leaders
and their outfits aided and abetted by Pakistan who forced
KP’s to flee the Valley at the gun point, not the Govt of India.
By including the word India the organisation is mischievously
attempting to link KPs with the freedom movement supported by
the people who form the majority of population in the
State, the KPs feel. We are proud of our patriotism and
loyality to our country and stand by India’s claim that Kashmir in
an Integral Part of India, the Pandits avered.
DKPUF
further laments “ that the people are tired of present state
of unrest and uncertainity and donot want to be pawns on the
chessboard of national and international mechinations, 13 long years
has frustrated and weired them. This has dashed all their hopes of
political, economic process and development. Lakhs of Kashmiri’s
are living in different parts and yearn to be a part of genuine
development process of Kashmir”. By forming the organisation the
founders seem to be confident that this goal can be achieved if all
the political parties and people of the State work in unison
including Kashmiri exiled Hindus and Muslims.
Further,
the organisation has expressed deep concern about the
dimensions and other aspects of the Kashmir issue and feel that the
rights and privileges cannot be given over a platter. “We have to
strive, fight and achieve these with all the legal and peaceful
means at our command. Hopefully, by the grace of God, we will
achieve them and achieve before it is too late. We have been waiting
for the last 13 years. Our silence is eloquent. How long should we
wait? For how long should we suffer?
The
release concludes with the para “Now all depends on us as we have
to steer the ship. We have to watch the waves, measure the wind and
observe the direction and the depths, we will have the critics and
the lovers, we have to respect both and give them due weightage
provided the intentions are clear.
From
the concluding paras the Pandits can comprehend that for the final
peace solution the organisation overtly or covertly wants to attach
the Kashmiri Pandits and give the movement secular touch and allow
separatists to use their platforms in the capital as well as
in Jammu.
The
highly annoyed and exiled Kashmiri Pandits on the other hand
squarely blames the seccessionist outfits and their leaders for
unleashing terror by killing its people and forcing others to leave
their homes and hearths.The seccessionist leaders who are now
supporting and sharing the peace plateforms alongwith the Kashmiri
Pandits kept mum while their members were killed mercilesly and were
made to leave the Valley. They are the people who made hole in the
ship and sunk it and now they want to steer it with the help of
Kashmiri Pandits, the displaced community feels. The Kashmiri
Pandits further give vent to their feelings and ask; can any
Kashmiri Pandit from whom support is expected forget the warnings
written on the walls and doors “Indian dogs go back” and the
slogans blurred on the loudspeakers atop the mosques. They feel that
the people in majority community wanted to fight freedom struggle on
religious lines and for that purpose they forced the aborgines to
flee from the Valley. But now as their movement is fizziling out
they are roping in the support of Kashmiri Pandits through some
Kashmiri Pandits.No doubt, Kashmiri Pandits wish to go back to their
place of birth but at the whole hearted invitation of Kashmiri
Muslims and not by pleading before the seccessionist leaders and
seeking their mercy. Under the present circumastances the Pandits
expect Hurriyat should appeal for KPs support and not that they
plead before them that they be accepted back in the Valley.
The
Conference was almost successful and attended by a large number of
people, Muslims outnumbering the Kashmiri Hindus. The Hurriyat
was represented by Mr Omar Farooq and Shabir Shah while as the Awami
National Conference was represented by Mr Muzaffar Shah.The KP side
was represented by Mr H N Jattu, President All India Kashmiri Pandit
Conference, Mr Bhushan Bazaz, President, Jammu and Kashmir
Democratic Forum and an office bearer of Kashmiri Samaj and
besides more than half of the Executive Members of the Kashmiri
Samiti, Delhi. The KSD representatives were present during the
entire proceedings. However, its General Secretary left earlier
after making his presence felt, it is learnt.
In
the meanwhile, there is furore in the community and tempers are
running high over the participation of KP’s in the Conference and
sharing dias with those who are responsible for unleashing terror on
its Members in the Valley. The KPs feel that this Conference was
deliberately convened so that an impression is created in the
country and abroad that Kashmiri Pandits also support the peace
initiative and want to extend their support to the Hurriyat, giving
an impression that they too want to enter into talks on the side of
Kashmiris, which is not true, they observe. The KPs criticised Mr H.
N. Jattu for playing multi roles. Surprisingly, he is sharing and
shared the dias with seccessionist leaders wherever and whenever he
gets such an opportunity. Similarly, the community assailed the
Samiti Executive Committee members who have attended and heard the
Hurriyat leaders in good strength, the anguished Pandits lament. It
may or must not be in their knowledge that their organisation (KSD)
is demanding representation in peace talks between the Govt of India
and Kashmiri leaders and not by extending cooperation to Kashmiri
seperatists in finding a solution to problem. Some people have
also expressed unhapiness over AIKS participation also. However,
there is no resentment on the participation of Mr Bushan Bazaz, as
he is known for his leniencies.
Credit
goes to Mr Ashok Kak Convenor, Displaced Kashmiri Peoples United
Front and former secretary of Kashmiri Samiti Delhi and Mr Bashir
Wani also Convenor of DKPUF for organising the conference and making
an attempt to abridge the two communities.
The author is the Editor of Weekly
Kashur Gazette published from New Delhi.
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