Roadmap for Dialogue in Kashmir

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Search 29^th April 2017 http://www.newsonair.com/Main_Audio_Bulletins_Search.aspx

TOPIC:

General Studies 2

• Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

General Studies 3

• Linkages between development and spread of extremism.
• Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
• Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges

In news:

The central government in Supreme Court said that it was not willing to talk to separatists but only with recognised political parties in Jammu and Kashmir to resolve the crisis. The idea was to talk to representatives of people who are authorized to find a negotiated settlement and find a peaceful solution to situations prevailing in J&K.

The stone pelting continued for an entire year recurring at various intervals. The SC directed the J&K HC Bar Association to ensure stopping of stone pelting and then it will direct the government to hold pellet gun fire. It also said to the centre that the court would involve itself in the matter only if there was a view that it can play a role and there was no jurisdictional issue.

The whole thing looks complex in a way which began in 1990s. It is found that normally at the onset of summer and throughout the summer, there is a pattern of dislocating life, education, business and creating a situation of total abnormality in Kashmir, thereby provocating the citizens against the government.

Background

The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association against the High Court order seeking stay on the use of pellet guns as a large number of people had been killed or injured due to their use. SC rejected its plea by mentioning two points

• Peace has to be restored and the bar association has to guarantee it.
• It is to be done within Indian constitution parameters. Whatever flexibility is there, it has to be within the constitution.

The formula still works?

Insaniyat, Jhamooriyat and Kashmiryat is the famous phrase used by former PM Vajpayee to deal with people of Jammu and Kashmir. This signifies the doctrine of peace, prosperity and progress in J&K. Once again, this phrase has been reiterated by the present J&K government to solve the ongoing crisis. Two things have to be separated:-

• Violence and people perpetrating violence should be dealt with according to the law of land. Police action necessary and warranted will be left to local police administration depending on situation
• Talks with whom is the critical question- elected representatives to legislative assemblies and parliament.

The Vajpayee formula was very successful which brought prosperity and peace in Jammu and Kashmir but the reciprocity expected from separatists were not as per expectations. This led to no visible success. This shows that there is no sincerity in negotiation. Agreements can come when there is a willingness on both the side to work out the details.

Recent developments

The two bye-elections held in J&K recently, witnessed lowest voting turn outs with one Bye-election even getting cancelled for not presence of the conducive environment for election. But it doesn’t mean that liberal democracy cannot take roots in Jammu and Kashmir. There were occasions where voting percentage were more in related situation of peace and free and fair elections have been acknowledged and reported by international press as well as observers in the past.

Also recently, Union HM held a review meeting over the PM’s package of Rs. 80000 crore announced in 2015. It was said that 20% of it was already released. It iss multi-dimensional package aimed to address improving infrastructure, improving health, education and tourism and also included dealing with the flood management.

Thus, Central government is on one hand is trying to deal with issues erupting in valley and is also looking for development that it looks for in larger vision of improvement of state.

Simultaneously, the role of CM becomes crucial as the CM also in recent times not talked about development and rather concentrated more on issues regarding separatism. The separatists are emboldened by certain policies and utterances by certain leaders which need to be rectified and removed.

If there is a need of policy to remove pellet guns as an option to fight against stone pelters, it has to be assured that no such stone pelting incidents happen further which demotivate the security personnel and peace keepers.

There is a need to have a dialogue with these agitated stone pelters who have genuine concerns about deteriorating situation but simultaneously government also should keep tab on habitual stone pelters who have no interest apart from earning money out of it and creating disturbances in the area.

Conclusion

Gandhiji used to point out that there is a beauty of compromise. Compromise means certain amount of framework- framework of given and take and rejection of two rights.

It is impossible for any government to accept the position that the J&K bar association is taking as it questions the map of India.

Even at Vajpayee period, the flexibility shown by the government was conditioned as a fact that there was a genuine effort at reconciliation. But however it may, it is found that nothing has really been achieved. Thus, this issue requires to be solved politically, wherever concerned, there internally and bilaterally.

Connecting the dots:

• Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the society yet there are varied opinions of the inhabitants over there. What are the issues concerning J&K which need urgent attention.
• Who are separatists in Jammu and Kashmir? Why does the central government permit their existence? Discuss