Jammu and Kashmir: In Search for Unconventional Options

ASIA--PACIFIC, 4 Oct 2010

Belgian Association for Solidarity with Jammu and Kashmir – TRANSCEND Media Service

Report on the study tour of Beersmans Paul, president of the Belgian Association for Solidarity with J&K to India and the Indian J&K state from 24 June to 21 July 2010.

Human Rights Council, Fiftheenth Session, Geneva, September 2010.

1. INTRODUCTION

a. This is the report on the yearly study tour to Kashmir and Ladakh (district Kargil and Leh).  Notwithstanding all limitations due to the situation in the Valley, I had meetings with the common man in the street, representatives of the J&K State Government, of political parties, of separatist leaders, of different organisations, of social, religious and educational institutions, of the press, etc. in the Valley, in Kargil and in Leh.  You find the “highlights” of these meetings in Par. 2.  In Par. 3 you will find the conclusions of our Association.  For Jammu region: see the report ‘Jammu and Kashmir: Terrorism, A Global Threat, A Global Challenge’ of the study tour January/February 2010: http://basjak.org.  Visit also the photo-gallery, with unique photographs, on our website.

b. This study tour I had a special invitation of Prof. Dr. Varun Sahni, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jammu, to visit the Campus of his University in Bhaderwah.  With pleasure I accepted this invitation.  I am very thankful to Prof. Dr. Varun Sahni and to Prof. Dr. Irshad Ahmad Hamal, Rector of the Campus, and his Academic Staff in Bhaderwah.  Thanks to the perfect organisation this visit and the interaction with the students were unique experiences.  The University of Jammu and the Campus in Bhaderwah are in good hands.

c. In the Valley, separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani issued an ultimatum to reduce the Amarnath Yatra (= pilgrimage) from two months to two weeks.  As a result, the situation was tense due to demonstrations and agitation: stone pelting/catapulting, setting ablaze vehicles, police stations, government buildings, etc.  During confrontations between security forces and demonstrators some of them were killed.  New demonstrations followed with more people killed, a vicious circle without an end.  APHC-G announced action plans: harthals, strikes, sit-ins, close downs, etc.  The authorities imposed curfew in order to get the situation under control.  All this made it difficult to arrange meetings and to have interviews.

d. I thank all those who helped me to make this study tour possible.  All my friends of the Belgian Association for Solidarity with Jammu and Kashmir gave me an invaluable and much appreciated moral support throughout this, to a certain extent frustrating, study tour.  As usual, they also gave practical, financial and material help where needed.

h. Used abbreviations:

– APHC-M or APHC-G: All Parties Hurriyat Conference split in two groups: a moderate group under Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and a hard-line group under Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

– BJP: Bhartiya Janata Party, the largest opposition party in India.

– CBM: Confidence Building Measures.

– ISI: Inter Services Intelligence.  Most powerful and omnipresent military intelligence agency in Pakistan.

– LAHDC-K or LAHDC-L: Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil or Leh.

– LoC: Line of Control.  The line dividing J&K between India and Pakistan.

– LUTF: Ladakh Union Territory Front.  A party striving for Union Territory status for Ladakh.

– MLA: Member Legislative Assembly in J&K State.

– NC: National Conference.  The largest mainstream party in J&K State headed by Farooq Abdullah.  His son, Omar Abdullah, is presently Chief Minister of J&K State heading a coalition Government with Congress Party.

– PDP: People’s Democratic Party.  A former coalition partner in J&K State headed by Mehbooba Mufti.  Presently, this is the main opposition party.

– Yatra: the yearly pilgrimage of Hindus to the Amarnath cave

2. HIGHLIGHTS OF EACH MEETING

a. MEETING WITH PROF. DR. VARUN SAHNI, VICE CHANCELLOR UNIVERSITY OF JAMMU, IN JAMMU AND PROF. DR. IRSHAD AHAMAD HAMAL, RECTOR, BHADERWAH CAMPUS, IN BHADERWAH

The University of Jammu was established in 1969 following bifurcation of the erstwhile University of J&K into two Universities.  Its area of jurisdiction is spread over the districts of Jammu, Udhampur, Doda, Poonch, Rajouri and Kathua.  His Excellency the Governor of the State of J&K is the Chancellor of the University, the Chief-Minister is Pro-Chancellor.  It is primarily a research, teaching, affiliating and examining body involved in promotion of arts, science and other branches of learning.  It admits, maintains, recognises and affiliates colleges and other institutions open to all classes and creeds with the sole objective to guide people from darkness to light.

The University offers a number of academic programmes like Post Graduate degrees, M.Phil., Ph.D., post graduate diplomas, certificate courses, graduate degrees through its various teaching departments, centres, affiliated colleges, Centre for Adult and Continuing Education and Directorate of Distance Education.  From eleven departments in 1969, the University has been growing continuously and today has thirty-three teaching departments and 123 colleges affiliated to it.  The growth and development of the University of Jammu and its affiliated colleges has resulted in Jammu becoming the hub of Higher Education in the region.

The University has from time to time, introduced new contemporary job oriented courses, to keep pace with the developments in the academic world.  The University expanded geographically and set up campuses in other parts of the State: at Bhaderwah and Kathua, where professional courses like MBA, MCA, etc. are being offered.

The University has been indentified as one of the sixteen universities in the country for the promotion of Indian Higher Education abroad.  Many international collaborations and linkages with other institutions for faculty and students exchange have taken place in recent years.

The University realises its responsibilities toward its main stakeholders i.e. the students and efforts for placements of students by way of activating placements cells in all departments, alumni networking, introduction of job oriented courses, training for students are being taken place.

The Vision of the Bhaderwah Campus is:

– To emerge as an internationally recognised centre in higher education that will enable the students to develop proper skills for competing in this modern world.

– To enable the development and socio-economic transformation of this remote region in J&K Himalaya.

With all these endeavours and many more to come, one can easily say that the University of Jammu has truly established itself on the academic map of the country.

b. MEETING WITH MR. SAIFUDDIN SOZ, PRESIDENT CONGRESS PARTY J&K STATE, MEMBER RAJYA SABHA, CHAIRMAN COORDINATION COMMITTEE COALITION J&K GOVERNMENT, IN SRINAGAR

Stone pelting is not for young boys.  They should be home, study and prepare their exams instead of provoking the security forces.  If you use violence as an instrument of dispute, there can’t be peace.  The gun can never decide: nothing can be achieved by violence or force.  Also in Palestine, we have seen that intifada only brought misery.  One should respect life: live and let live.  Let there be peace through dialogue and discussion.  Separatist leaders should use only democratic means to further their aims.

There are positive and negative aspects in the governance of every country.  In my position it is difficult to comment on performance of the present coalition Government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.  You should ask the common man in the market and decide yourself what is good and not as good as it should be.

As far as Kashmir is concerned, we are not at all communal and I can assure you that the Amarnath Yatra will go on without incidents although Syed Ali Shah Geelani tries hard to communalise this issue.

Track II diplomacy is on.  The dialogue between India and Pakistan has been resumed.  The Centre invited the separatist leaders for negotiations in order to normalise the situation and to find a lasting peaceful solution.  What happens now is to the detrimental of the people: they are fed up with all this.  Only a small group of extremists is terrorising the whole Valley.

c. MEETING WITH AHMED ALI FAYYAZ, RESIDENT EDITOR (KASHMIR) DAILY ‘EARLY TIMES’, IN SRINAGAR

Phenomenal success of the Assembly elections of 2008 set in a wave of jubilation and euphoria in the mainstream political circles and establishment from Srinagar to New Delhi.  A little over 61% of the electorate had exercised their franchise (over 1.700.000 of them in Kashmir Valley alone) without any sort of coercion, first time since 1987.  Few among the political analysts and very senior politicians had expected this historic turnout in an Indian democratic exercise held in weeks of a mass street agitation in the Valley.

Most of the people, who participated in the election, as well as many of those who did not, for varied reasons, seemed to have reasons behind their relief.  The elections reversed the situation of an unprecedented regional and communal divide witnessed in the middle of 2008.  There was a lot of jubilation over Omar Abdullah becoming the country’s youngest Chief Minister.  They thought the young Chief Minister understood the importance of blending employment opportunities, development and political resolution of the Kashmir issue by strengthening dialogue between India and Pakistan.

In most of his statements during the election campaign, Omar had underscored the need of responsive governance and specified “better roads, power supplies, drinking water, healthcare and qualitative education” as the major indicators of the government’s performance.

Suffering from the disadvantage of being a non-resident politician, whose importance stemmed from his dynastic background, Omar demonstrated his lack of political understanding and administrative acumen from his day one in office.  While bargaining partnership with Congress and later making two selections of his Council of Ministers, he made blatant mistakes.

Obviously, in lieu of his full six-year term as Chief Minister, he handed almost all of his flagship portfolios (roads, water, health, education) to the coalition partner, Congress.  He lacked numerical strength to form the government of his own but still had nearly double the seats Mufti Mohammad Sayeed possessed in November 2002.  Shepherd of the thin herd of 16 in a House of 87, Mufti did not budge an inch from his cardinal demand of holding the first half of his coalition government’s term.  He made Congress bow with his obduracy for a full month after declaration of the results.

Omar also humiliated the most influential of his party colleagues, including the one who had secured highest number of votes among more than 2.000 contestants in Kashmir, by keeping them out of his Cabinet.  Those inducted were no less disappointed over their ‘insignificant’ portfolios.  Bureaucrats and officials, known for their rank opportunism, political loyalty and proximity to the Opposition, managed to retain key positions in Omar-led coalition government.

Omar’s father, Dr Farooq Abdullah, who shifted to the national platform, was also appointed NC’s President.  Party’s organisational structure passed through a fresh membership drive but the key office bearers were never appointed.  Omar’s predicament became public last month when, during the course of a television interview, he said that he had more time than his father to operate as the NC’s President.

Consequently, an effective delivery system, consistent with NC’s election manifesto, vision document and political ideology, failed to be in place.  The Chief Minister never seemed to be having liaison with his party rank and file, including the senior most legislators and Ministers of his government.  Like total inertia during the days of pandemonium over Shopian in 2009, NC’s leaders, legislators and Ministers seldom held a deliberation over the current spate of street turmoil until it blew into a catastrophe two months ago.

Within weeks of his taking over in January 2009, complacency and nonchalance was abundantly in evidence.  Chief Minister attended little business in the maiden session of the legislature.  He enjoyed alpine skiing in Gulmarg on the day of his first reply on the Governor’s address.  His notes had been saved meticulously by his officials and aides and the speech was pretty emphatic but his absence from the House was marked with disdain by the Opposition and with concern by the Treasury Benches.

Over the months, Omar seemed to believe that connections with New Delhi were more important than the liaison with his electors in the state.  This led almost to a political vacuum and system failure in governance.  Ignominiously marginalized by the elections, Valley’s separatist leadership found it easier to stage a comeback.  Growing disillusionment among the masses came handy to hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani who literally wept over the Kashmiris’ infidelity of participating in the 2008 elections at a news conference after his release from jail and seemed to be desperately looking for issues until as recently as in May 2010.

Geelani, who was seen using his elbow to grab a bit of the political space with the vegetarian issue of restricting Amarnath pilgrimage to 15 days, with the real concern on ecology, has filled up the vacuum with aplomb and grown as an undisputed king of Kashmir’s secessionist politics in the last two months.  He is now deciding on what days Omar and his Cabinet Ministers can move on the roads in Kashmir and when the government’s offices should open and close.

Much more than between his office and the people of Jammu & Kashmir, Chief Minister shuttled between Srinagar/Jammu and New Delhi.  Much of the political space was seized by hardline separatist leaders who left no stone unturned to mobilise people against the government.

Omar Abdullah should have persuaded the Centre to talk to Islamabad for resolution of the Kashmir problem.  Shopian tragedy in May 2009 came as the first test of his political wisdom and ability of governance.  His flip-flop gave the impression of his immaturity and incompetence.  This kind of Chief Minister can’t succeed in Kashmir unless he demonstrates full confidence, like Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mufti Sayeed.  He fell victim to a psychological warfare between NC, Congress and PDP, lost whatever little self-confidence he had.  He and his NC restricted themselves to reactionary statements against Mufti Sayeed, Mehbooba and their PDP.  Nobody in the process contested separatist hardliners like Syed Ali Shah Geelani who eventually grabbed maximum space in politics, first time in their political career.

Disturbance will continue as long as Omar Abdullah is there, because he is very weak, or as long as he continues to be head of a Government devoid of both, self confidence as well as the masse’s confidence.  There has been some developmental activity in the last 20 months of his Omar’s government but that is no match to Azad’s tenure of 32 months from November 2005 to July 2008.

On the negative side, we notice increasing corruption.  No accountability of the politicians and the administration.  They don’t seem to be the representatives of the people or working for people’s betterment.  Many of them have lost contact with the electorate at the grass root level.  They are simply after money.  Omar knows it very well but he is helpless because he doesn’t have the majority required to chasten, sack or admonish his ministers.  He can’t remove any of his corrupt ministers and bureaucrats without the Congress party’s support.

Because of the lack of initiatives, vision and certain wrong decisions from the State Government, radical elements have captured almost the entire space in Kashmir.  They are creating an atmosphere of communal divide.  In Jammu, also radical Hindu elements are gaining ground.  All these people had been sidelined in the 2008 elections.  Today, they are calling the shots everywhere from the common people in the streets to Government officers to media.  These radical elements have created remarkable space for themselves.  If this situation continuous, it will not be surprising if one day yet a 2008 like situation, a situation of regional and communal divide between Kashmir and Jammu and between Hindus and Muslims occurs.  As long as radicals and extremists are on the forefront and the secular elements stand marginalised an apprehension of communal strive exists.

Nobody has any knowledge of any secret talks between the Centre and APHC.  Also regarding APHC and the State Government there are no political contacts.  Perhaps, there are occasional contacts on a social happening or on the airplane.  I have the impression they are not of important significance.

d. MEETING WITH MR. HASHIM QURESHI, CHAIRMAN J&K DEMOCRATIC LIBERATION PARTY AND CHAIRMAN J&K MAQBOOL NATIONAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION, IN SRINAGAR

Until we don’t discuss the Kashmir problem, engage the separatist leaders in the dialogue and work out a kind of solution you can’t stop this wave of violence.  It will have ups and downs, there can be some lull for a period of time but as long as the problem is there, violence will erupt again.  Security forces are using brutal force.  Young boys are being killed.  Remove the bunkers from the residential areas, let people speak, let people give vent to their frustration.  Don’t harass them, don’t kill them.  If you don’t allow people to express their view, they will turn into extremists, fundamentalists.

We have now one of the most corrupt regimes we ever had.  People are totally fed up with this Government.  NC never solved the problem politically.  They always used brute force.  Omar Abdullah is a young Chief Minister killing young people.

Everyone is fed up: shopkeepers, businesspersons, the common people.  Because of the harthals, strikes and curfews they don’t have business or income.  They have loans they can’t pay.  The bank is after them.  Everyone is suffering: the shopkeepers, the students who can’t go to school, patients who can’t go to the hospital.  Only the Government employees are happy: they are paid without having to work.  Security forces are humiliating Kashmiris: they are behaving like oppressors, like an occupational force.

The separatist leaders became jokers.  Mirwaiz Umar Farooq tries only to stay alive as separatist leader, therefore he is competing with Syed Ali Shah Geelani.  Openly, there are no relations between APHC and the State Government.  In reality, they are hypocrites.  They are all very friendly with each other and socialising during receptions and festivities.

I fully agree: it was not fair from Syed Ali Shah Geelani to demand the reduction of the Yatra from two months to two weeks just ten days before the Yatra started.  His intention was clearly to create problems for the Government and in this, he succeeded, resulting in too many people being killed during these demonstrations.  If Syed Ali Shah Geelani is serious without a hidden agenda, he should start now airing his objections for the Yatra in 2011.  He can discuss limiting the number of pilgrims, he can discuss environmental aspects and waste control, he can discuss improvement of infrastructure.  All these are technical, structural aspects.  They should be discussed in a serene atmosphere without stirring up emotions or giving it a communal turn.

e. MEETING WITH MR. TAJ MOHI-UD-DIN, MINISTER PUBLIC HEALTH ENGINEER, IRRIGATION AND FLOOD CONTROL, SENIOR CONGRESS PARTY LEADER, IN SRINAGAR

The agitation taking place now is directly related to Lashkar-e-Toiba.  They are behind this unrest.  They changed their strategy: from direct confrontation, they shifted to indirect actions.  Now, they use a human shield of young boys in a much-organised manner.  They abuse the discontent among people and involve innocent civilians.  It is very easy to instigate people by appealing on their emotions, by introducing slogans like azaadi, by referring to the sacrifices of the past.  These are all slogans.  This is a very dangerous situation.  They want complete chaos.  We have to be very careful and now that we see through their real plan, we can take the necessary measures.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani tries to communalise the situation.  He is a puppet in the hands of Pakistan.  Kashmiris are religious and tolerant.  They will not harm religious gatherings.  The Yatra will be safe: nothing is going to happen but we have to be cautious.  We have taken the necessary security measures.

There is more transparency, more developmental works, an active employment policy, continuing hydro-electrical projects, etc.  The first phase of the Baglihar Dam is operational.  The second phase started.

Secret contacts between the Centre and the separatist leaders are taking place.  The Indian Prime Minister wants a solution and I hope something consistent is going to happen.  India and Pakistan have almost decided about a plan and it can be announced at any time.  It can be Musharraf’s four-point plan or any other plan.  Any plan that brings peace is acceptable.  If Pakistan accepts that plan, violence will stop automatically.  We must take Pakistan on face value.  There is lack of trust: we must build up trust.  Our first priority is peace: for the people of Kashmir, for the sub-continent, for the whole world.  The Centre and J&K State have responsible Governments: they will take care of the national and Kashmiri interests.

There are no points of agreement between PDP and the State Government.  PDP is opposing everything the Government initiates.  Their job is to find fault in everything we do.  They are not directly but indirectly supporting what is going on now.  We can’t expect anything better than that.  The Congress-NC coalition will continue until the end: there are no problems or frictions between the coalition partners.  We will make our six years, perhaps there could be some reshuffle in the Cabinet after three years.  This is a normal process.  Changing loyalties of politicians is totally banned according new laws that were introduced.

There are no communal tensions at all.  In Jammu Province, Hindu extremist elements supported by BJP made a call for strike but they failed completely.  People don’t like communal agitation.  What happens now has nothing to do with communalism: only vested interests are at the origin of this violence.

f. MEETING WITH MR. BASHIR MANZAR, EDITOR ‘KASHMIR IMAGES’, IN SRINAGAR

People are suffering.  Those who live from ‘street life’, the vendors, shopkeepers and businessmen suffer very hard.  In addition, the common man suffers: schools are closed, patients can’t go to the doctor or the hospital, tourists are cancelling reservations and staying away.

There is a pattern in the ongoing wave of violence, it is clear that someone is pulling the strings:

–   it starts always in the same season: May, June, July;

–   the same young people are coming on the streets;

–   they shift the ‘battle field’ up and down from North to South of the Valley;

–   first, a noble aim is inducted.  This time, it was the ultimatum for the reduction of the Yatra from two months to two weeks because of environmental reasons.  Syed Ali Shah Geelani started this deliberately, knowing very well that it was impossible to accept this ultimatum ten days before the Yatra started.

–   after the ‘noble aim’ has been inducted, demonstrations and agitation starts.  Young boys are at the head of these demonstrations.  Whatever separatist leaders say, these are not peaceful demonstrations.  There is stone pelting and they are even using slingshots being a deadly weapon.  The separatist leaders defend this kind of demonstrations.  Even Mirwaiz Umar Farooq justified the use of this kind of violence.

–   during these ‘peaceful demonstrations’ and confrontations with the security forces sometimes demonstrators got killed.  Once this happens new demonstrations, this time against the human rights violations committed by the security forces and the killing of innocent people, start, and

–   this is the beginning of a vicious circle: demonstrations, people killed, more demonstrations, more people killed, ….

Only when there is a call for strike or demonstrations from Syed Ali Shah Geelani people die in confrontations with the security forces.  One should not only blame Omar Abdullah for what is going on.  Also, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and separatist leaders instigating young boys to use violence against the security forces are responsible for what happens.

Under Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed, there was a ray of hope.  Things were going in the right direction: there was the composite dialogue between India and Pakistan, roads across the LoC were opened, there was people-to-people contact.  There was no reason for the people to be unhappy or frustrated.  It was thanks to these positive developments not because Mufti Sayeed was a magician.

Since Musharraf was dethroned and the Mumbai terrorist attacks, all came to a standstill.  Syed Ali Shah Geelani opposes negotiations, dialogue, and the implementation of CBM.  A troubled situation vindicates his stand, he must keep the pot boiling.  He also wants to assert that he is the only leader.  He goes with his own program.  Initially, he was against stone pelting and wanted peaceful demonstrations but the hardliners in his surrounding were angry.  Consequently, he had to change his stand and now he justifies stone pelting but still claiming these are peaceful demonstrations.

The administration made mistakes: they should have imposed curfew after the first killing incident.  Eventually, they did it but after eleven more people got killed.  All positive developments of the past are washed away.  Instead of concentrating on development, most of the energy is spent on the law and order situation.  Omar Abdullah failed to connect with the people.

g. MEETING WITH MR. RIGZIN JORA, MINISTER OF TOURISM AND CULTURE, SENIOR CONGRESS LEADER IN LADAKH, IN SRINAGAR

What happens now is certainly a planned strategy.  It took months to work out this new plan.  They are shifting the battlefield on a pattern: then the effort is in Kupwara, then it is in Anantnag, then it is in Sopore, then it is in Baramullah, then it is in Srinagar.  Always changing the location of the battlefield.  We can call this agitational terrorism or even provocative terrorism.

There is also a shift in strategy:

–   they are promoting civil disobedience;

–   they are promoting the new slogan ‘quit Kashmir’;

–   they are using very young boys in the frontline, and

–   militant activities are at low ebb in order to focus on the human rights violations of the security forces.

Now there is curfew and the situation is under control but I don’t know what will happen when curfew is lifted.  I hope we will be able to control the situation and that normalcy will be restored in a week time.

APHC-M is supporting the initiatives of APHC-G.  In the media and comments, much more attention is given to the hardliners and this could give the impression that the moderates are marginalised.  However, this is not so, they are very much there and participating in the ongoing unrest.

As far as development is concerned, there is a lot of progress.  Omar Abdullah is a progressive Chief Minister.  He has a lot of support from the Centre.  Tourism was going to be the best year ever.  A good number of people made houseboat and hotel reservations but due to the present uncertain situation many reservations were cancelled.

In Jammu, the Sangarsh Samiti, supported by BJP and some Hindu fundamentalist movements, tried to give the unrest a communal turn but they didn’t succeed.  The people of Jammu didn’t forget what happened in 2008.

There are no common points between PDP and the Government.  The latter blames PDP to incite youth to create problems for the Government.  They are sponsored by Pakistan in order to force India to resume negotiations.

There is no animosity as such between Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.  Both are young, educated, intelligent and articulated.  Mirwaiz is a part of the new strategy although not having a hand in it.  The Kashmiri civil society is so complex: there is double speaking and even triple speaking and this makes it difficult to know exactly the situation.  Kashmiris are very volatile.  Corruption is all-pervasive, all over the State.  This is not being checked enough.

h. MEETING WITH MRS. KEM LATA WAKHLU, SECRETARY GENERAL J&K STATE CONGRESS PARTY, FORMER MINISTER FOR TOURISM, FORMER MEMBER LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, IN SRINAGAR

There is a tremendous confusion, a chaotic situation: things have gone out of hands.  One has the impression these mobs are led by any one.  Stone pelting is there but nobody knows why: initially it was after a call from Syed Ali Shah Geelani to reduce the duration of the Yatra, then it was against the human rights violations committed by the security forces, then it was against the killing of innocent people.  The movement seems to have no direction, they are only out to create this chaos.  Youngsters have no jobs, don’t earn money.  Now, they get money for this stone pelting and for creating chaos.  They are raking up people to keep the pot boiling, to disrupt normalcy.  All slogans and propaganda are there.  It is more a psychological warfare.  Moulana Abbas Ansari, Shia leader and member APHC-M said all is handy work of PDP.  PDP President Mehbooba Mufti got furious about this and said he got money from the Government to say this.  It is very difficult to know the real truth.

People are against this Government.  Nobody is happy: they haven’t shown any result, they don’t run the State properly, they don’t deliver.  People had tremendous hope but got disinterested by now.  Omar Abdullah is young, has a vision, is intelligent, was expected to deliver.  But nothing special came out.  Politicians are blaming each other for things that are going wrong.  Some of them are pushing for Governor’s rule but this will even be worse as then the bureaucrats and the administration will have free hand.  The bureaucrats are the biggest culprits.  They don’t want Omar Abdullah to succeed.  They want to topple the coalition Government and the media are playing a bad role as they are raking up communal tensions.  Omar Abdullah needs good bureaucrats and he should govern with an iron fist, not the stick and carrot policy he is applying now.  We from the Congress Party stressed the futility of what happens.  People of Kashmir are sick of violence.  The previous PDP-Congress coalition was much better.

Shops are closed but we get everything including all essentials.  Shopkeepers don’t support what happens now they are terrorised by extremist elements.  They have their system to continue business.

There is not a single point of agreement between PDP and the coalition Government.  This is not possible as there is tremendous hatred between them.  Replacing the present coalition by a PDP-Congress coalition is impossible: the scars of what happened in 2008 are still too raw.

There is no communal tension unless instigation from outside.  Perhaps, there is some communalism in Sopore, the base of Jamaat-e-Islam and the home town of Syed Ali Shah Geelani.  In general, for Kashmiris communalism has no chance to rise.

i. MEETING WITH MUZAFFAR BAIG, SENIOR PDP LEADER, MEMBER LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY AND FORMER DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER J&K STATE, IN SRINAGAR

The international community has double standards.  They don’t pay attention to the Kashmir issue whereas Palestine gets all attention.  The international media keep silent: nobody recognises their protest.  The authorities and the security forces are fabricating fake encounters, they are manipulating incidents, they are lying.  This results in more alienation of the people.  Kashmiris want recognition that atrocities are there, that the security forces are committing human rights violations.

What happens now is an accumulated sense of hopelessness and despair due to a combination of different factors.  There is the failure of the process of dialogue and reconciliation between India and Pakistan and between the Centre and the various stakeholders – mainstream politicians and separatist leaders – in J&K State.

So many initiatives have been taken: behind the scene dialogue, Round Table Conferences and installation of five Working Groups.  Not a single recommendation has been implemented: it was a waste of time.

With Pakistan, there was Track II diplomacy.  Had Musharraf not run into difficulties, there would have been an agreement between India and Pakistan.  Due to ‘conspiracy of elements of history’, the probable agreement was aborted.  The situation worsened after the Mumbai terrorist attack in November 2008.

There is a complete failure of governance from the side of the present coalition Government.  The pro-people policy of Mufti Sayeed and Ghulam Nabi Azad was reversed under the present leadership.  The dreaded Special Task Force that was disbanded by the then Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed was revived by the present Government.  The killing of innocent people was started by that force, not by the CRPF.

The present Government dispensed the pro-people policy of taking the common people of the State into confidence and thus creating a political buffer between the common man and the security forces.  Corruption increased manifold.  The administration and the bureaucrats became indifferent to the problems of the people.  People’s grievances are not heard.  How can they then be addressed?

A series of human rights violations in which young children were killed took place.  The Government’s initial response was to justify and defend the culprits.  The Chief Minister displayed indifference and immaturity towards the anguish and pain caused to the bereaved families.  From the side of Omar Abdullah there was no reaction, no condolences, no announcement of investigation, no statements of sorry, no punishment of the responsible police officers.

Boys who grew up with violence are not afraid.  They are determined to pelt stones.  Nobody can stop them.  On the other hand, we may not hide the reality.  It is not excluded that ISI, Lashkar-e-Toiba and Taliban exploit the situation although the boys are not motivated or paid by them.  I am not ruling out that some leaders are being paid by them and making money out of it, but certainly not these young boys.

This is a very serious situation.  We must find a way out.  India and Pakistan must resume dialogue.  In India, there are 160 million Muslims.  Most of them are illiterate and poor.  You can find them all over India.  What will happen if Taliban finds its recruits in these masses?  This is a problem not only for India and Pakistan but also for the entire world.  India and Pakistan, together with the democratic countries of the world must address the Kashmir issue.  Negotiations must be result oriented.  Don’t let the Kashmir issue be a local problem.  It is a problem for the whole region, the whole world.

There are no negotiations between the separatist leaders and the State Government.  For that, they must have the permission of the Pakistani Government and the militant organisations.  Apparently, they don’t have this permission yet.

Besides all the aspects mentioned above, I hold the leaders of Kashmir primarily responsible for the mess in which we are today.  It is customary for the leadership of Kashmir to blame mostly the Central Government and sometimes Pakistan, ISI and military of Pakistan.  Of course, there are a lot of people in Pakistan who would like to settle scores for the creation of Bangladesh.  I don’t deny that they would like to exploit every situation in Kashmir that they can find and in the rest of India.  I accept that as a great possibility and probability.  But, it is time that we, people who are in politics in J&K State, must accept our responsibility.

We have failed our people, we have failed the nation and the less we accept our responsibility, we will keep on blaming India, the Indian leadership, the Indian security forces, the Indian army, our own people.  We will have conspiracy theories, we will say this happened in 53, that happened in 75, then this happened to autonomy or resolutions, we will say we are not getting enough funds, they don’t trust us, we don’t trust them.

We have to look into our own hearts and mind and we have to find reasons why we are today caught in this vicious circle.  We have betrayed our young generation, we have embodied them into this impossible dream.  We have spoken one language in Kashmir, another in Delhi.  When we go to Pakistan and when we had meetings with Musharraf we apologised to them for having acceded with India.  We say our fathers and grandfathers have committed a treachery because we have acceded with India.  We go to Delhi and we speak a different language.

We have been telling our young generation that you deserve independence, that India is a Hindu country.  We have been misleading them.  If today our young children are out on the streets and they challenge our police people and security forces, they go and challenge them to shoot them and they are shot at.  We are responsible and I don’t know how long we will be responsible for killing our young people and betraying them.  A young child of nine years gets killed and I feel responsible, I am responsible.

I belong to a system which has lead to this situation and we think of small political gains.  Even the mainstream political parties are trying to score small political points.  We are betraying our own population, our own people.

These young children are the product of violence.  They are born after 1989.  They have seen only violence: go, blood, betrayal.  Even today, whether they are separatists or they are mainstream parties: we don’t have the collective wisdom or collective courage to go and tell them the truth.  We are not prepared to tell them the truth.  We have betrayed the nation and our children.

j. MEETING WITH MR. M.Y. TARIGAMI, MEMBER LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY J&K STATE, SECRETARY J&K STATE COMMITTEE, CPI-M, IN SRINAGAR

Our party asks the State Government to exhibit utmost caution and restraint in its response to the emerging situation.  We express deep anguish over the spate of civilian killings across the Valley.  We emphasise that the situation should not be seen through the prism of law and order problem, nor as an issue of whether the State police or CRPF is responsible for the present situation.  We believe that the blame game between the Centre and the State Government over the civilian killings will drift the situation towards more chaos, and both governments are expected to respond to the situation with a rational and humane approach.

The present situation is the manifestation of the long pending political discontentment among the people of J&K and demands serious political process, dialogue and deliberations.  The political initiatives taken by India and Pakistan a few years ago had undoubtedly given the people of the State a ray of hope but unfortunately, those political processes have come to a halt.

The peace process started during Manmohan-Musharraf time and the subsequent interactions through Track II and back channel levels had created an atmosphere where flexibility was witnessed in the maximalist attitude of the two countries.  Certain confidence building measures were also taken and had a significant impact on the ground.

The prevalent situation of the Valley yet again should make the Centre realise the importance of initiation of a serious all inclusive political dialogue with the people of J&K we hope the Centre will adopt a pro active approach vis-à-vis the composite dialogue with Pakistan.

The State Government with the help of the Centre should address the genuine grievances of the youth, who felt disillusioned.  We firmly believe that the people have the right to protest, but they should remain cautious, lest their sentiments can be exploited by the vested interests for their nefarious designs, at the cost of blood of innocent people.

k. MEETING WITH BHAWANI BASHIR YASIR, FORMER HEAD DIPLOMATIC WING AND FORMER SECRETARY GENERAL JKLF-AMANULLAH KHAN IN J&K STATE.  FOUNDER/DIRECTOR OF THE ENSEMBLE KASHMIR THEATRE AKADEMI, IN SRINAGAR

Every Kashmiri is prisoner of misgovernance, of conscience, of misadministration, of corruption, of have and have not in his own homeland.  As long as India and Pakistan are forcibly holding the divided State, as long as their negotiations bear no fruits, there is no guarantee of peace in this sub-continent.  When no one listens to you, how can you guarantee peace and a life in honour and dignity?  India and Pakistan should accept the entire State of J&K as an indivisible entity.  Then the solution will come out.  Let the majority verdict decide then their future.  Only the unification of the State and the majority verdict on its future is the only way towards a solution.  Accordingly, the other problems like setting up an administration, agreements, relations with neighbours, etc. will be solved.  It is just a question of political will.

For me, J&K is a dead State taking into account governance and the administrative system.  I don’t see positive aspects.  It is a dead State ruled by crippled persons.  For me, it is immaterial if PDP, or Congress, or NC is in power.  It doesn’t matter, it makes no difference, as all of them have to be loyal to the Centre.

I don’t expect any positive result of negotiations between the Centre and the separatist leaders.  If they would enter into negotiations with the Centre nothing will come out as they are commended by Pakistani hegemony, they are not free either.

There may be some relations behind the curtains between APHC and the State Government.  There seems to be a kind of understanding: they are well protected, they enjoy every effort, they enjoy VIP protocol and get the best medical treatment without having to pay for it.

l. MEETING WITH MR. BILAL LONE, CHAIRMAN J&K PEOPLE’S CONFERENCE AND MEMBER EXECUTIVE COUNCIL APHC-M, IN SRINAGAR

There will be no peace unless and until we understand that Kashmir is a problem.  Both sides must cool down temper.  The killings should not have happened.  We are not at all happy with the present wave of violence.  The failure of the dialogue and the peace process is at the origin of this eruption of frustration.  It is high time to move forward.  India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris must feel that things are moving forward, that progress be made.  Until this is done, the problems will remain.

Development and good governance is fine, but don’t forget the main issue: Kashmir is the main issue.  Everyone would fail in the present circumstances: Omar Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad or Mufti Sayeed.  Only a change in the status quo can lead to a solution and to peace.

The problems in the mind and the heart of the people must be addressed.  We must keep our mind open: Kashmiris don’t forget the main issue.  In addition, the Indian mindset must change.  We are not extremists or fundamentalists and we will never accept extremism or fundamentalism.

To a certain extent, the secret process was on and slowly moving forward but it failed and died a dead in a very initial stage.  We are not against a dialogue but it must be result oriented, there must be a time frame and it should not be for the sake of dialogue only.  At my knowledge, there are no contacts between APHC-M and the State Government, or between Omar Abdullah and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.  It must be stressed here that we are not the only political players.

m. MEETING WITH PROF. ABDUL GHANI BHATT, CHAIRMAN MUSLIM CONFERENCE, MEMBER AND FORMER CHAIRMAN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL APHC-M, IN SRINAGAR

The situation is what it is: same Valley, same people, same struggle for freedom, same army, same killings, same bloodshed with this marked difference that it is the blood of our youth, of our future.  That is the difference between the previous killings and now.  Young boys fall to the bullets of the security forces.  Omar Abdullah has huge problems to face.  I think in a situation like the one obtaining in Kashmir, if you chose an angel to run the country, even he will also have to face the music.  It is a huge, complex problem.

Statements on behalf of the Indian leadership are not encouraging by any standards.  They say troops open fire in self-defence.  Full-armed soldiers in full-protected dress just can’t open fire on a young boy.  The Indian Prime Minister said there should be zero tolerance regarding human right violations.  Now he is justifying killing of children in Kashmir.  Why this difference?  The situation is so embarrassing that even the pro Indian leaders like Omar Abdullah and Mufti Sayeed also endorse the position APHC-M has taken in regard to the solution for the Kashmir issue.  Omar Abdullah stated the Kashmir issue is a problem that should be resolved through dialogue between India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris in the interest of the whole South Asian region.  What Indian leaders say is insulting for us Kashmiris.  Kashmir as a problem needs a solution.  The fact of the matter is that you can never think in terms of bringing peace or improving relations between India and Pakistan until the problem is amicably resolved.

Afghanistan and Kashmir seem to me to be interlinked.  India and Pakistan are operating against each other on the soil of Afghanistan.  This will cause headache to US strategists in that country.  Peace in Afghanistan therefore is unmistakably linked to peace in Kashmir.  We will have to resolve disputes: this is why the USA is encouraging India and Pakistan to talk and to resolve disputes as well as preparing to engage Taliban to talk with the Government of Afghanistan.

If talks between India and Pakistan proceed on a positive note and in the process solutions are worked out, including Kashmir, I suspect vested interests will feel frustrated and create a situation like the one in Kashmir today.  Extremist elements are out to undo the efforts that the sensible people put in towards finding as solution to the problem.  The Government should come down heavily on them.

Communalism is absolute no problem as far as Kashmir is concerned.  The Indians themselves during the rule of Governor Jagmohan introduced this element of communalism in Kashmir.  During his first tenure in 1986, he communalised the atmosphere by stirring up communal frenzy and emotions.  During his second tenure in 1990, he communalised, criminalised and commercialised the whole system.

PDP is not instigating the present wave of violence.  In fact, they are angrily disturbed at the turn of events.  They don’t want Kashmir going to dogs but understand the Kashmir issue has to be addressed.  It is the people of Kashmir that is doing this, it is not PDP.  They are up against injustice, killings and Indian hegemony.

APHC-M had no secret contacts with the State Government or with the Centre.  No purposeful contacts have developed between them.  APHC-M hopes that a serious dialogue will happen soon: hope maintains people alive and things going on.

n. MEETING WITH H.E. N.N. VOHRA, GOVERNOR OF J&K STATE, IN SRINAGAR

My thoughts are occupied entirely by the sad happenings in Kashmir in the past two months.  Since early June this year, normalcy of life in the Valley has continued to be disrupted by an unending series of stone pelting protestations, burning of public property and attacks on the law enforcement agencies.  These incidents have led to continuing confrontations with the Security Forces and generated a cycle of violence which has resulted in many persons being injured and 47 being killed, many of whom were young men and even women and children. Whatever may have been the why’s and wherefor’s of the obtaining disorder, the loss of lives is an extremely sad consequence.  My heartfelt sympathy goes to the families who have lost their near and dear ones in the recent tumult.  The Security Forces, whose personnel have also suffered significant injuries, need to revisit their strategies and tactics of crowd control for securing maximum protection of human life.

The recurring calls for strikes, processions and day to day protestations, by whomsoever given, have resulted in the stoppage of all business, trade and economic activities, with a particularly adverse consequence for those who earn their bread by daily toil.  The impaired functioning of the governmental machinery has impacted adversely on the delivery of public services and slowed down the entire developmental process.

The educational sector has suffered the most irreparable damage.  The continuing disturbed environment has resulted in the complete disruption of the academic schedules – schools, colleges, training institutions, and universities have remained closed in the past weeks.

This year, foreign and domestic tourists had been arriving in large numbers.  However, the continuing turmoil brought the tourist activities to a quick end and adversely affected the livelihood of thousands of families who live off the tourist, travel and hospitality industry.  With the absence of doctors and paramedical staff, the functioning of hospitals and medical care units has been very badly affected, enhancing the miseries of the sick and the injured.  The functioning of the judicial apparatus, upto the State High Court, has also been disturbed.

The people of Jammu & Kashmir have been concerned, for many years now, about certain issues relating to the State’s relations with the Centre.  It is indeed fortunate that our liberal democratic framework allows enormous scope for divergent viewpoints.  The various differences can and must be resolved through sustained dialogue and discussion and not through confrontations and violence.

All necessary steps to restore peace and normalcy must be taken on the most immediate basis.  Once normalcy is effectively restored a purposeful dialogue must commence with all those who have been agitating in the past months.  The Centre, on its part, would need to early launch and vigorously pursue a sustained political initiative in J&K.

Like other States in the country, J&K has also been striving to march ahead in all arenas of human and economic development.  However, on account of the prolonged period of militancy and recurring internal disturbances the overall development of the State has remained significantly deficient on several important fronts.  For achieving the goal of peace, progress and prosperity it would be necessary for all political parties, all the social, cultural and religious organisations, and all other stake holders in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh to work together closely and determinedly.  It is also necessary that every element of the civil society urgently organises itself to play a proactive role in promoting sanity and harmony.

Concerted efforts are also required to enhance the functioning of the administrative apparatus and promote honesty, transparency and good governance in every sector of governmental functioning.  We must work devotedly to build strong and vibrant Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions in which all our people lead satisfied lives in a harmonious environment, free from hunger, want and fear.

o. INTERVIEW BY TELEPHONE WITH MIRWAIZ UMAR FAROOQ, CHAIRMAN APHC-M, IN SRINAGAR

The ongoing protest is a manifestation for freedom and for a political resolution of the long-standing Kashmir problem and not against any religion as is being projected by some news channels and communal elements.  Amarnath pilgrims are guests of Kashmiris.  Since ages, Kashmiris have been facilitating and will continue to facilitate a smooth Yatra.  Our protests are against the human rights violations and unabated killing of innocent civilians by the police and aathe security forces.

The movement has now passed on to a new generation and they would carry it forward.  Our youth are being killed by troopers and cops with impunity.  We feel that J&K has turned into a police state and there is complete lawlessness.  By trying to suppress the freedom movement by force, New Delhi has already lost Kashmir.

The youth are forced to pelt stones when their peaceful protests are quelled by use of disproportionate force.  If any force is used to sabotage the peaceful protests, the reaction from the people will be harsher and the Government will be solely responsible for its consequences.  Youth have taken over the baton of freedom and there is sheer sentiment on the streets.  It is high time for people of India to know the truth and understand that our movement is indigenous and for a just cause.

If the mainstream parties are concerned and serious over the sufferings of people, they should join APHC-M and leave the Assembly politics aside, they should come out of their rhetoric shell and lend support to the resolution of the dispute.  No election, no administrative changes or economic packages can be substitute to the right of self-determination of Kashmiris.  It is well established that Kashmir is not a military problem.  It is a political problem and we are not averse to talks with New Delhi if it released the political prisoners, undertake demilitarisation and revoke the special powers to the security forces.  India and Pakistan should discuss the Kashmir dispute on priority.  Other issues including water sharing, trade links, etc. can be discussed later.

I want to maintain that if any member or leader of APHC-M gives any statement, it will be in his individual capacity.  Only the APHC-M spokesperson and I are empowered to make statements on behalf of the conglomerate.  People want the unity among the pro-freedom camp.  They want to see a united leadership.  I want to maintain that it is not a leadership issue but giving the right direction to the movement and taking it to its logical conclusion.  For the larger interest of the movement, I have been trying to forge unity and I hope it will soon bear fruit.

p. MEETING WITH NASIR HUSSAIN MUNSHI, COUNCILLOR LAHDC-K, FORMER DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE COUNCILLOR AND EXECUTIVE COUNCILLOR FOR WORKS AND POWER, IN KARGIL

The behaviour of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is irresponsible:

–   He is too young and inexperienced;

–   He doesn’t have a consistent policy;

–   He is giving premature comments on dramatics events that happen.  He makes irresponsible statements.  As a result he is backtracking, he has to change his stand, he has to apologise;

–   It seems he has no good advisors and if he should have them he doesn’t listen to them or they give wrong advices.  The senior NC politicians don’t seem to have any positive input.  Also the political advisor to the Chief Minister doesn’t come into the picture;

–   While Kashmir was burning, he was enjoying life in Leh.  When he returned from Leh he was only a few hours in Srinagar and went then to Gulmarg to enjoy life there, and

–   He is young, intelligent, wants development, has a vision but he doesn’t understand the Kashmiri psyche and that is the most important.  He has no contact with the people.  How can we expect something from him?

We also wonder where the other politicians – Ministers and Members of the Legislative Assembly – are.  They should be in their constituencies, they should listen to the people, they should bring the healing touch.  Now they are just blaming each other and adding to the confusion.  They are filling their pockets, making easy money.  Nobody is sincere.  All parties are playing dirty politics and just looking after their own interests.  The mainstream politicians are behaving irresponsible thus alienating even more the common man: he can’t go anywhere with his sorrows and problems.  Also the bureaucrats and the administration have to be blamed.  There is corruption at all levels.

There is lack of leadership in Kashmir in the mainstream group and among the separatist leaders.  Charismatic, experienced leaders like Mufti Sayeed, Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad are in Delhi.  Meanwhile, they are leaving the political floor to the separatist leaders who are filling up this vacuum.  Syed Ali Shah Geelani seems to be the strongest leader.  Mirwaiz Umar Farooq tries hard to strengthen his position.

The Government totally failed.  I don’t see any positive result.  Nothing remarkable has happened.  After being 18 months in power, his predecessors Mufti Sayeed and Ghulam Nabi Azad had showed already remarkable and commendable results.  They had done very well at the ground level, they where in contact with the people.  Omar Abdullah is only inaugurating the projects started by the previous Government.

For a solution, there should be a common platform.  Everybody (the biggest question however is: who is everybody?) should be involved and only then can emerge a solution acceptable to all.  Let us start by implementing the recommendations that came out of the Round Table Conferences and that where projected by the five Working Groups.  Until date, not a single one has been implemented.

q. MEETING WITH MR. A. A. K. KACHO, KASHMIR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE RETIRED, CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE COUNCILLOR LAHDC-K, IN KARGIL

For us here in Kargil, we don’t see any negative points in this coalition Government, only positive points.  We are very happy with the coalition Government and with the ruling of Omar Abdullah.  They are very positive with regard to Ladakh in general and with regard to Kargil in particular.  There is harmony, the relations are going well and we are tackling our own problems with the support of the State Government and the Centre.  We are not creating tensions and what happens in the Valley is not our first priority.  The separatist leaders in general and APHC in particular don’t have any power base or support in Kargil although they pretend to be the sole representative of all Kashmiris: we have nothing to do with them.

There are no communal tensions at all here in Kargil.  There are no Buddhists in the city, as a result, there is no need to have a Buddhist temple here: this was already ruled by the court many years back.  We have some three Sikh families here, they have their gurdwara and we don’t have any problem with that.

There should be some negotiations so that the dispute between the ‘movement’ and the authorities is settled permanently.  It can be between the Centre and the separatist leaders, or between the State Government and APHC, or between India and Pakistan, or a combination of these possibilities as long as it leads towards a lasting, peaceful solution.  Due to the situation in the Valley, we do also suffer: there are problems with the supply of essential goods, the number of tourists went down drastically.

We don’t want to be punished for what happens in the Valley.  We are Kargili: we want peace, development and progress for our district (total district population 120.000, Kargil city population 15.000).  Some of the demands are: extension of the airfield from 3.000 feet to 6.000 feet so that larger civil airplanes can reach here.  Another demand is a tunnel under the Zojila so that there is road connectivity whit the Valley and the rest of India throughout the year.  We also ask the opening of the Kargil-Skardu road across the LoC.  The two other regions of J&K State have road connectivity across the LoC, so there should be no problems to open this road.  We don’t see where the problems could be.

The Hill Council is operating in a positive manner.  There is no animosity between the majority and the opposition.  Every member of the Council is working for the betterment of the people.  Kargil is also included in projects and schemes of the Economic Reconstructing Agency (ERA).  They supply funds for building a new township as we have space and expansion problems.  A lot of developmental and infrastructure schemes are in progress.

r. MEETING WITH TSEWANG RIGZIN, COUNCILLOR (CONGRESS PARTY) LAHDC-L AND ASSOCIATE EDITOR OF ‘EPILOGUE’, JAMMU BASED MONTHLY PUBLICATION, IN LEH

I am not convinced that there are positive results for this State Government.  Initially there were many expectations.  Everyone thought this young Chief Minister could be able to bring about a change, to stop corruption.  Alas, he didn’t make it.  In 2009, he faced the Shopian tragedy leading to demonstrations, harthals, strikes, curfew.  This year, there is Geelani’s ultimatum to reduce the yatra from two months to two weeks.  Again, there are demonstrations, harthals, strikes, curfew.  People got killed in confrontations with the security forces leading to more agitation, more victims.  This is a vicious circle.  The separatist leaders are terrorising the Kashmiris, they are creating chaos.  This is an irresponsible behaviour.

We, here in Ladakh, don’t know what happens in the Valley.  It doesn’t affect us: it is far away and we have nothing in common, they are totally different.  The only negative effect on us is that we have less choice in vegetables.  However, this could be turned into a positive effect: now, our farmers cultivate more different types of vegetables.  To a certain extent, also tourism is affected although on a very small scale.  The Manali road (the link between Leh and Manali situated in Himachal Pradesh) is being improved.  Once this is done, we don’t need Kashmir anymore, then we have a direct link with mainland India.

Kashmir always discriminated and neglected Ladakh.  They damaged our culture, our distinct identity.  Thanks to the installation of the LAHDC-L, we can decide to a certain extent our future.  Here, in Leh district, we Buddhists are an overwhelming majority but on the total population of J&K State, we are just a small minority of less than two hundred thousand.  The State Government must give due rights, also to minorities, in the same way as we do here in Leh district with the Muslims being a small minority in this district: we treat them properly, they get their due share, there is no animosity among the two communities.

Everyone refers to negotiations between the Centre and the State Government and the separatists.  But we, Ladakhis, must also be involved in any negotiations.  Why should they talk only with those who use violence and create chaos?  Being a very small minority in J&K State, we Ladakhis will only be safe if we are granted Union Territory status within India.

When it comes to politics, it is difficult to come on one platform.  We have seen this again on 12 July 2010 when PDP boycotted the call from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, for an all parties meeting.  At crucial times, politicians should join hands.  PDP boycotted this meeting because they only want to topple this Government, they don’t care about the people.

s. MEETING WITH MR. THUPSTAN CHHEWANG, SENIOR LEADER LUTF, FORMER MEMBER LOK SABHA, FORMER CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE COUNCILLOR LAHDC-L, IN LEH

For the time being, I will not participate in any elections but of course, I continue to support LUTF and the LUTF councillors of the LAHDC-L.  The council is very upright, honest, not biased, not corrupt, not favouring individuals, not using its power for personal favour.  All are very upright and their integrity is above any doubt.  There is not much talking but more action.  Things have changed a lot here in Ladakh.  More money is coming in with the tourists and people are getting more selfish: money and greed.  This affects also their political expectations: this could have an impact on the outcome of the next LAHDC-L elections in October this year.

We got a lot of hope from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah but Congress dominates the coalition.  We are hopelessly.  He doesn’t come to the expectation.  He is not able to do what he should do.  I don’t see positive points.  A lot of money has been wasted, got down the drain.  The authorities should be more selective on projects and not just spending money.  Here in Ladakh we don’t receive our due share.  Distribution of funds should not only be based on population: also surface, distance and accessibility must be taken into account.

After 1 ½ year in power, some concrete steps should have been taken but this is not the case.  The State Government should speak clear language.  Omar Abdullah has to tackle the situation in the Valley: it is not our business, not our problem.  The mainstream, coalition politicians should speak one language and shun from demagogic manipulations.  We Ladakhis can’t exist with this kind of society, that is not our way of living: alienation is total.  Therefore, our only way out is Union Territory status.  Kashmir is total communal, we have every reason to feel insecure under this Kashmir domination.

Apart from some smaller incidents, there is no communal tension, although the undercurrent is there.  We don’t want to disturb peace and harmony, we have to remain together.  In Kargil district some 20% of the population is Buddhist, in Leh district we have some 18% Muslims.  All over Ladakh region, Buddhists slightly outnumber Muslims.

Some kind of process is on regarding the Kashmir issue, but the hardliners never will participate in a dialogue: they created the present situation in Kashmir, they want chaos, they must keep the pot boiling whatever happens.  They receive their orders from across the border.  How can there be a meaningful dialogue if they have a hidden agenda, how can a solution be found if there is no clear initiative, no clear aim, no clear demand coming from the separatist leaders?  Even among the mainstream politicians, there is no unity.  So many demands are floated: staying with India, going to Pakistan, joint management, self-rule, autonomy, independence, partition, status quo, soft borders, etc.

The Round Table Conferences and the Working Groups flopped: nothing came out of these initiatives.  It is also wrong to focus only on dialogue with the separatist leaders.  This is a wrong signal.  The democratically elected politicians have the mandate of the people.  The separatist leaders must participate in the democratic process, only then we will come to know their real support.  In addition, too much attention is given to Kashmir as if only they have demands.  Also, Jammu and Ladakh have their expectations but they are completely neglected.

t. MEETING WITH MR. LOBZANG RINCHEN, PRESIDENT LADAKH BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION, IN LEH

Ladakhis are not happy at all with the present situation.  We want separation from Kashmir, we want Union Territory status.  We will struggle until we reach our goal.  J&K State Government has nothing to give us.  Whatever we get is coming from the Centre and we will continue receiving this support from the Centre, whether we oppose or support Kashmir.  We have nothing to do with Kashmir.  What Kashmir wants is their problem: we don’t interfere in that.  If they are heading for self-destruction, that is only their choice.  They are floating so many demands: staying with India, joining Pakistan, pre-1953 situation, independence, autonomy, self-rule, etc.  They should first sort out what they really want, then this should be given to them.  We, here in Ladakh want Union Territory status for the whole of Ladakh: all political parties in Leh support this demand.  There should be no problem to give us what we ask.  We don’t know what Kargil exactly wants: sometimes they are with us, sometimes they are airing other ideas.  They did the same regarding the installation of the Hill Council: initially they were against, now they are so happy with their LAHDC-K.  Regarding the claim for Union Territory status it will be the same, they need time to realise what is good for them.

Our Ladakh Buddhist Association is a non-political organisation.  We are only there to defend the interests and the rights of the Buddhists.  We support the demand for Union Territory status as this serves the interests of the Buddhists, not because this is a political issue.  On the other hand, we don’t interfere in the upcoming elections for the LAHDC-L: we are not bothered whom wins, let the best win.

There is no discrimination between Muslims and Buddhists in Ladakh.  There is no distinction between the two communities.  In Leh district, Muslims are free to build houses, they are getting jobs, they are running business.  Unfortunately, Buddhists being a minority in Kargil district don’t get the same fair treatment from the Muslim majority population there: they don’t have a cremation ground, they are not allowed to run a shop, they are not allowed to have a place of worship, they are not allowed to repair their temple as the Muslims and the united political parties oppose this.  If we wanted, we could do the same here in Leh district towards the minority Muslim community but we don’t: we are peace-loving people.  We want communal harmony, not communal confrontation.  Since 1947, Muslims rule J&K State, all of them have full support.  They are a part of the majority population in J&K State whereas we Buddhists are just a small minority.  We don’t get our due share, the Valley dominates us.  Minority groups don’t get their due share.  There surely is discrimination but because Buddhists are peace-loving people, others take advantage of our tolerance.  However, there is a limit, we don’t want to be exploited because of that.

u. MEETING WITH MR. RIGZIN SPALBAR, PRESIDENT CONGRESS PARTY DISTRICT LEH, COUNCILLOR LAHDC-L, FORMER CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE COUNCILLOR, IN LEH

Presently, the State Government has the full support of the Centre.  It is a challenging job due to the prevailing situation.  All coalition partners give full support to the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.  Things improve now.  The State Government requested for internal and international dialogue and negotiations.  Talks for a resolution and for implementation of more CBM must continue.  There must be a solution for the internal set-up of the State and also India and Pakistan must work out a solution.

Everything was on the right track.  Everything was flourishing and the Centre announced many developmental packages.  Suddenly, there was this mischievous intervention from across the border resulting in the present situation in the Kashmir Valley washing away all the gains.  The positive evolution got derailed and it will take time to put things on track again.  As a result, the common people suffer.

The situation in Kashmir doesn’t concern Ladakh much: it affects us slightly as far as governance is concerned.  We wish the situation goes back to normal the soonest.  We are not in direct contact with the Kashmir (more than four hundred km away) and it is difficult to know what happens.  We don’t have inside information.  Only through the media, we come to know, to a certain extent, about the ground situation.

PDP is a political party being at loggerhead with NC.  One can’t expect them to cooperate, as they are an opposition party.  Nevertheless, even as opposition party one has responsibilities.  They should look at the larger interest of the State and the people.  This they are not doing: they are only after their own political, vested interests.  On the other hand, NC is not treating PDP as the main opposition party, they don’t give them due consideration, they are blaming PDP for all ills.  They are all into politics for their own vested interests.

Our demand for Union Territory status is based and justified on historical facts:

– Ladakh was once an independent Himalayan Kingdom.  The reign of the Namgyal dynasty lasted until 1842 when the Dogra Maharaja from Jammu annexed Ladakh forcibly into his Dogra Empire.

–   Kashmir became a part of the Dogra Empire in 1846 when the British colonial power sold the Kashmir together with its population to the Dogra Maharaja of Jammu.

–   After hundred years of Dogra rule, Ladakh along with Jammu and Kashmir became an integral part of India in October 1947 when Maharaja Hari Singh signed the ‘Instrument of Accession’ with India.

–   From the very outset, Ladakh’s political merger with J&K, against the wishes of the Ladakhis, did not form any natural cohesion.  Except for the Dogra’s suzerainty as a commonality, Ladakh is fundamentally different from Kashmir and Jammu in all respects: culturally, ethnically, linguistically.

–   After Sheikh Abdullah, the most popular politician in Kashmir, succeeded in dethroning Maharaja Hari Singh, the then ruler of the Dogra Empire, and shifting the power base of the State from Jammu to Kashmir, the only commonality we had didn’t exist anymore.

–   Leaders of Kashmir can never be leaders of the Ladakhis and our assimilation with the people of the Kashmir is next to impossible.

–   Any attempt at handling the Kashmir issue by ignoring the aspirations of the Ladakhis will be counterproductive.

–   The solution lies in tackling the problem separately for the three regions.  The Government of India should not feel shy of finding out separate solutions for the three distinct regions of the State.  We, therefore, strongly demand separation from J&K State and granting of the status of Union Territory with Legislature to Ladakh to protect and preserve its distinct linguistic, cultural, ethnic identity.

v. MEETING WITH MR. PHUNSTOG NAMGYAL, SENIOR CONGRESS PARTY LEADER, FORMER UNION MINISTER FOR SURFACE TRANSPORT AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, IN LEH

Islamist fundamentalists are communal.  It is them against us Buddhists and Hindus, us the kafirs, us the infidels.  There are also sectarian fights between Shia and Sunni.  The situation in Kashmir is quite fluid.  Fundamentalism is too much on the rise.  They create the problems and they receive assistance from across the border, from extremist, fundamentalist organisations in Pakistan.  Their aim is to create chaos in the cities and in the urban areas.

The Government of India is not coming forward with initiatives for negotiations with the separatist leaders because they are too much divided: to whom should they speak?  What should they discuss?  The separatist leaders are not at all interested in talks with the Centre: now they are dictating what happens in Kashmir.  They exploit the sentiments of the people in the name of Islam and this is not only in Kashmir, it is all over the world.

The full picture has not come out so far and this makes it a very complex situation:

–   Mirwaiz wants the right of self-determination;

–   NC wants autonomy with pre-53 situation;

–   Congress Party wants full integration within India;

–   PDP wants self rule for a re-united J&K;

–   Others are in favour of joint management,

–   Some separatist leaders want total independence, and

–   Some other separatist leaders want integration within Pakistan.

For us, here in Ladakh the situation is clear.  We don’t accept one of these proposals: we want completely march with mainstream India by obtaining Union Territory status with legislature.  On this, there is a complete unity among the political parties, be it LUTF or Congress Party.  If we remain with J&K under a new worked out setup, we will be oppressed by Kashmir just like it is since decades.

We don’t understand why the Centre gave the full six years of tenure of Chief Minister to Omar Abdullah and not half/half NC/Congress Party.  This is a serious mistake of the high command of the Congress Party in Delhi.  In addition, Ladakh doesn’t have representation in the State Coordination Committee.  This is unfair: as a result we have no say in the policy making.

So far, Omar Abdullah couldn’t make much impact on any front: not in the developmental field and corruption is rampant.  In addition, he couldn’t handle the present situation and the army had to be called in again.  He didn’t succeed in his governance.

PDP is basically supported by the separatist leaders as we have seen during the Legislative Assembly elections in 2008.  There are no common points between PDP and the coalition Government.  NC is their main rival.

w. MEETING WITH MR. TSERING SAMPHEL, FORMER MEMBER NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR SCHEDULED TRIBES, FORMER CONGRESS PARTY MEMBER LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY J&K STATE, FORMER PRESIDENT LADAKH BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION, IN LEH

In Kashmir there are elements that could not succeed in imposing their ideology.  They are a frustrated lot.  They are creating chaos and recently they started a new strategy.  People in frustration will always create chaos.  They will always find a reason, even small things, to create problems.  The State Government was not able to win over the hearts and minds of the people and became the victim of this agitation.  They should be serious thinking in revising their policy.  A solution should be given for the three regions separately.  There are different solutions for each region.  If a solution is found for one region, they can focus and put all energy on the other regions.  Then they have more time to concentrate on finding a solution there.  This is easier than finding a global solution for the whole State.

Our line is clear: the solution for Ladakh is granting Union Territory status with legislature.  This solution is not only in the interest of Ladakh but in the interest of the whole country at large.  Ladakh will never accept self-rule (PDP) or autonomy (NC).

All communal incidents touch to Islamic fundamentalism: extremists exploit emotions against Islam.  Luckily, in Ladakh, by and large there is no communal animosity.  The foundation of communal harmony is very strong.  There are some elements that incite communalism, but they are very few.  Shia people don’t eat food prepared by people belonging to another religion.  This is an ancient habit, it is a part of their social structure.  We don’t consider this to be communal as such.

PDP is joining hands with APHC to create all these problems.  This is an irresponsible, short sighted and undemocratic behaviour.  Mufti Sayeed should take his responsibility for the well being of the Kashmiris, not create chaos.  He is the senior most politician of Kashmir, he should behave in a responsible manner.

x. MEETING WITH MR; PINTO S.W. NARBOO, FORMER NC MINISTER OF TOURISM AND FORMER INDEPENDENT MEMBER LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY J&K STATE, IN LEH

The separatist leaders know very well that their aim (independence or accession to Pakistan) can’t be achieved.  They just want to keep the pot boiling.  They have vested interests.  In their heart of heart Kashmiris realise they are best off with India.  Kashmiris know that Pakistan is a failed nation notwithstanding all its assets:

–   human resources in Sindh:

–   gas reserves in Baluchistan:

–   fighters under the Phattan tribal population, and

–   the best fertile farming area in Punjab.

If Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is removed and replaced, I am sure that his successor will face the same problems.  As long as there is interference from across the border, this will continue.  The other side will continue to disrupt normal life in Kashmir, they don’t care about the common people.

I wonder why PDP is claiming self-rule: they rule already the whole State, including Jammu and Ladakh.  They shifted the power base from Jammu to Kashmir right from the beginning.  If Kashmir wants self-rule, then what about us in Ladakh, what about our future?  We must oppose the threat coming from Kashmir.  Ladakh must maintain its position against the severe conditions of Kashmir.  We must fight for the survival of our own identity.  For this, Union Territory status is the only way out.

In J&K State, only ‘state subjects’ (= original inhabitants of the State) can buy property all over the State, be it in Jammu, or Kashmir or Ladakh.  Because tourists don’t go to Kashmir anymore – only terrorists go there – due to the tense situation created by the Kashmiris themselves, businessmen from the Valley are buying shops, hotels, real estate, etc. here in Leh district.  This is a threat to our culture and we need protection against this evolution.

y. MEETING WITH MR. MOHAMMAD SHAFI LASSU, CONGRESS NOMINATED COUNCILLOR LAHDC-L, FORMER PRESIDENT ANJUMIAN MOIN-UL-ISLAM, ADVOCATE, IN LEH

The situation in Kashmir is very fluid.  It is going a very serious way: on the one hand they are using a kind of Gandhi formula, a kind of civil disobedience and ‘Quit Kashmir’ movement, and on the other hand they came down from using the bullet and started stone pelting (using catapults and slingshots), damaging and burning vehicles (civilian and security forces), forcing shops and service stations to close down, cutting hair of drivers defying the call for harthals, etc., like ‘intifada’ in Palestine, provoking the security forces and forcing them to intervene.  Pakistan, and especially ISI, are the advisors, the master mind behind this.

Right now it is very dangerous.  The situation can’t be controlled with the gun.  The present State Government is weak.  They don’t want to take the bad name although in the long run they will be blamed for what happens.  If there are no killings anymore, the situation will improve.  If not, they will lose all credibility.  There should be a tactical move from the side of the security forces to control these so called peaceful demonstrations.  The present agitation is out of control of hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who started all this.  Now, mobs have taken over the streets.  The State Government must implement rule of law.  Kashmiris are fed up with all this, they are terrorised by these mobs.  Normal life came to a standstill.

The State Government as a whole is ineffective.  NC politicians are used to rule in an authoritarian way.  Now, they have to share power with Congress and work out compromises.  Senior NC MLA’s are also frustrated because they didn’t get a ministerial post.  NC is not that sincere with its coalition partner: in Ladakh they support and pamper LUTF, not Congress.  Also in Jammu, they are weakening Congress.

In Ladakh, there are no communal tensions, except some small incidents not worth mentioning.  Some extremists tried to stir up emotions but common sense succeeded in defusing tensions.  Buddhists don’t eat meat three days a week.  The Ladakh Buddhist Association wanted to impose this rule on the restaurants.  This is an unreasonable demand as we have so many tourists in Ladakh.  We opposed this demand with success.  India is a secular country: those who don’t want to eat meat are free to do so.  The same goes for those who want to enjoy it.  All this is a question of tolerance and mutual respect.

J&K State will remain the same, whether there are talks or not, as long as the separatist leaders and the militants have the support from the Pakistani leadership.  The whole Pakistani machinery, the army and ISI support the militant outfits and the ‘movement’ of the separatist leaders.  They finance them, they give them logistic support.  This is an open secret.  Unless Pakistan is honest, there can’t be a solution.  Pakistan also has internal compulsions: all mainstream political parties in Pakistan support the Kashmir ‘movement’ openly.  It is in their manifesto.  They don’t want the movement to die.

We have nothing to do with the Kashmir issue.  Kashmir creates problems, they are not happy, they don’t know what they want.  They should sort out their own problems and future.  We don’t follow them in their self-destruction policy.  We, here in Ladakh, know exactly what we want.  There is only one aim supported by all parties: we want Union Territory status for the whole of Ladakh.  We must take along Kargil district in order to strengthen this demand.  We must put more effort in discussing with the Kargili people, we must build trust between the two districts.  We are sure they will realise that their future lies with Union Territory status for the whole of Ladakh.

z. MEETING WITH MR. TSERING DORJE, LUTF CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE COUNCILLOR LAHDC-L, IN LEH

India can’t handle Kashmir or Pakistan.  The Home Minister made a mess of it.  India should have cornered Pakistan on terrorism.  In stead, Pakistan cornered India on human rights violations in Kashmir.  For India, it is more difficult to handle the situation in Kashmir.  Although, the demonstrations are not peaceful at all – they are pelting stones, using catapults, burning cars – the security forces must show restraint.  This is a very dangerous situation.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is very nice and doing his best but he is in a coalition and Congress runs the show.  They push him in front, he is full of good intensions but it is a very complex situation and he is not experienced enough.  His father Farooq Abdullah is very clever, he doesn’t want a change or to take over: now people criticise Omar Abdullah, not himself.

Omar Abdullah did nothing drastic, nothing new in the economic or developmental field.  The Kashmiris are so used to get everything.  There is no limit in the packages coming from the Centre.  There is an enormous waste of money, they are so corrupt.  His predecessor Ghulam Nabi Azad took some measures with limited success, but now corruption is at every level, the sky seems to be the limit.

There is communalism all over J&K State and even all over India.  There are a lot of conflicts on regional basis.  Jammu and Ladakh are not at all happy with the rule of Kashmir.  Ladakhis held a darna (=sit-in) in front of raj bhavan (= Governor’s residence) against the Kashmiri domination and in favour of Union Territory status.

In a few months there will be Hill Council elections in Leh district: the struggle is between Congress, now in opposition, and we LUTF.  Our performance was very good.  We must now go to the people and explain them what we did.  We spent all the financial support we received from the Centre for developmental packages in a proper way and people feel the change.

The Hill Council has a huge responsibility.  All departments, except police and power supply, are under the Council: agriculture, fishery, forests, horticulture, husbandry, irrigation, social care, health care, education, youth and sports, drinking water, rural sanitation, industries and employment, economic infrastructure, tourism, transport and communication, link roads, information technology, non conventional energy, urban development, etc.  All this and much more has to be looked after by the Hill Council.

For the future, at one time there must be a solution.  The maximum India can give is autonomy but the demands of the separatist leaders are much different.  They are so divided among themselves.  They must first come together and work out a plan, come forward with clear demands.  Only then we can start discussing.  If they want to keep J&K State intact, their plan must also include the protection and the position of the minorities in the State.  India is in a defensive position, only talking, whereas Pakistan is doing something on the ground: they support the separatist leaders, they train militants, they send arms, ammunition, communication equipment, money, etc.  I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel: it will be a very long process.

This concludes the long list of meetings, visits and interviews.

3. CONCLUSIONS

a. J&K, as it was before partition in 1947, is at present under the rule of three countries:

(1) China: Aksai Chin and a territory of 5.180 km2 ceded by Pakistan to China;

(2) India: J&K State comprising Jammu-region, the Kashmir-Valley and Ladakh (Kargil and Leh districts);

(3) Pakistan: Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan (Northern Areas).

The population of these regions is totally different from each other: culture, history, traditions, language, religion, etc.

b. In order to find a permanent solution a dialogue is necessary on three levels, as we emphasise already since so many years:

(1) bilateral level: between India and Pakistan;

(2) national level: between the Government of India, the J&K State Government and the representatives of the civil society of the three regions;

(3) internal level: between the different regions of J&K.

c. Priority must be given to end the sufferings of the Kashmiris.  This can only be realised by stopping violence and misleading people.  They want to have a future and jobs for themselves, for their children.  After 20 years of militancy, it is high time to give growing up generations a chance to have a normal youth and education.  Violence has been rejected as an instrument for seeking a solution.  Pakistan should stop cross-border terrorism and cross-border infiltration, stop sending money, ammunition and weapons, stop giving training.  Pakistan decides over peace or violence: as long as Pakistan supports terrorism, openly or covertly, there can’t be peace in J&K.  Without peace, there can’t be a solution.

d. Generally speaking, all agree that the Kashmir Valley is the ‘core component’ of any permanent solution, and its voice has a dominant influence on the final outcome although no one seriously believes that resolving the Kashmir issue is only a matter of meeting Valley needs.  The other regions of J&K and other constituencies of J&K factor equally in the final solution.

In the end, the resolution of the Kashmir issue is like fitting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.  All pieces must fit together at about the same time.  So it is to the benefit of Kashmiris from both sides of the LoC to raise voices on achieving an honourable solution at the same time.  Accentuating issues on only one side, while ignoring or brushing away problems on the other side, actually helps both India and Pakistan because it ensures that J&K will never emerge as an independent nation.  Sure, Pakistan and Valley based separatist leaders can talk about UN resolutions to gladden hearts of their constituencies, but on the ground things will not move by even an inch as has been the case since 1948.

Independent J&K will not be feasible, even theoretically, unless and until all regions of J&K rise coherently to demand it.  So, each region must engage with the other in a civil dialogue with mutual respect and with equal considerations.  Failing that the status quo will continue, or worse, the Musharraf formula or a variant will be imposed by India and Pakistan and that will be it,

e. Corruption adds to the misery, sufferings and alienation of the common Kashmiri and has a destabilising effect on the normal functioning of the civil society.  Kashmiris who have responsible jobs in the police, in the judicial system, in the administration, etc. are supposed to look after the well functioning of the society.  By indulging into corruption, they are betraying their own compatriots.  It is high time that at all levels in J&K State a serious effort is made to tackle corruption.  It is too easy to point to the Centre as being the origin of all evils.  One should have the courage and the honesty to recognise the shortcomings in the own system and take the necessary steps to redress the situation.

f. The peace process came to a standstill after the terrorist attack in Mumbai, in November 2008, involving Pakistani nationals trained by ISI and Pakistan Navy.  Notwithstanding these hindrances, the composite dialogue must go on.  One should not expect a short-term solution, this can only be reached through small steps.

g. The dissident leaders insist that the Kashmiris must be taken into confidence.  This is a justified demand, the question however is who should represent the population of J&K in all its segments and differences.  On the other hand, most of these leaders do not have a solution.  ‘Let a tripartite dialogue start and a solution will emerge automatically’, is their view.

h. The Kashmiri Pandits are the original Kashmiri speaking inhabitants of the Valley.  They were hounded out of the Valley by militancy in 1990: some 500.000 of them fled to safer places.  This exodus changed drastically the demographic composition of the population in the Valley.  After more than twenty years, the return of the Kashmiri Pandits is more and more blurred.  Nevertheless, they have their emotional attachment with their birth ground, their roots.  They only can return when peace is there and when the rule of law, not the rule of majority is re-installed.

i. There is no doubt that human rights violations are being committed by the security forces and by the militants.  There is also no doubt that not all cases of human rights violations committed by the security forces are disclosed or prosecuted.  It is also a fact that the security forces always are blamed if something happens.  Dissident leaders do not mention and are not critical on human rights violations committed by militants.  On the other hand, security forces should show restraint in controlling demonstrations: firing on unarmed civilians, even if they are pelting stones or attacking them, should be allowed only in extreme situations.

j. The Kashmiris expected a lot of the Government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah: he is young, has a vision, hard working, honest, listening to the demands of the people and paying attention to their basic needs.  The challenges are multiple: eradicate corruption and improve the functioning of the administration, the educational system, health care, etc.  Terrorism must be tackled.  The government must bring back secularism, mutual respect.  Due to the prevailing security situation a lot of energy is spent to redress the law and order situation.

k. J&K State is a trouble tormented state for the last twenty years.  Especially in the Valley, the youth grew up in a violent environment.  They grew up with the presence of so many security forces, with encounters between militants and security forces, with search and cordon off operations, with human rights violations committed by security forces and militants, with the calls for strikes, harthals, demonstrations, shut downs, etc..  Day by day, they witnessed all this for the last twenty years.  They didn’t have a normal environment where youth can grow up to a responsible adult.  Violence became a part of their ‘normal’ life.  This includes stone pelting, provocation of security forces: these are the games they learned to play.  Even if peace returns and a lasting peaceful solution has been worked out it will take years to re-educate the youth and to bring them about respect for moral values.

l. It is often stressed that private industries should come to J&K, as they can create many jobs.  This is only possible if prospects for a lasting peace are there.  Private entrepreneurs only have faith in a peaceful solution.  if there is no peace there will be no investment: this goes hand in gloves.  Prof. Nisar Ali, senior professor of economics at Kashmir University and a renowned economist of the State believes that the problem of unemployment can’t be solved only by attracting private industries: ‘The problem of unemployment is basically from the educated lot of the State, who want ‘white collar’ jobs (= government jobs) and do not consider other options.  J&K is the only State that provides government employment to over 500.000 people, highest in the country, while as in other Indian states it is considerably less.  The Government therefore has reached its saturation and can‘t, realistically, absorb the chunk of unemployed youth.  The thing that people here want and consider government job as the final word is really aggravating the problem which needs to be tackled on all fronts beginning from changing the mindsets of the people’.

p. The cry for the right of self-determination by some parties in the Valley is supported by Pakistan.  However, accession to Pakistan is the only accepted option.  Indeed, according to the Azad J&K, Interim Constitution Act, 1974, Par 7. (2): ‘No person or political party in Azad J&K shall be permitted to propagate against, or take part in activities prejudicial or detrimental to, the ideology of the State’s accession to Pakistan’.  In this regard the Strategic Foresight Group (http://strategicforsight.com ) stated: ‘To the outside world, it is projected that Pakistan is supporting a struggle for self-determination for the people of Kashmir.  Within the closed-door precincts of General Head Quarters of the Pakistani Army in Rawalpindi, Kashmir has a different meaning.  It is most aptly summarised by Syed Salahuddin, chairman of the United Jihad Council, as he often assures the leaders of Pakistan that the Kashmir youth are fighting a war to help Pakistan secure its lifeline (= securing access to the water resources of Kashmir).’

General (retd) Tariq Nizami, former Secretary of Kashmir Liberation Cell highlighted the real interests of Pakistan as follows: ‘Kashmir is a primary source of water for the parched lands of the Pakistani peninsula.  There are daily reports of the perpetual wrangling between Sindh and Punjab over water sharing.  If utter political ineptitude is displayed by the Pakistan government on the Kashmir issue, it would not only lead to Pakistan relinquishing control over Kashmir but would also lead to a gradual secession of Sindh from Pakistan.’

q. Pakistan has no stand in J&K.  Pakistan invaded J&K and is at the origin of the de facto partitioning of the State.  As early as 13 August 1948 the UN Commission for India and Pakistan requested Pakistan to withdraw its troops from the State as a pre-condition for organising the plebiscite.  The same Commission in its resolution of 5 January 1949 repeated this request.  Until this date, Pakistan has not withdrawn its armed forces and consequently the plebiscite has not been held.

This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 4 Oct 2010.

Anticopyright: Editorials and articles originated on TMS may be freely reprinted, disseminated, translated and used as background material, provided an acknowledgement and link to the source, TMS: Jammu and Kashmir: In Search for Unconventional Options, is included. Thank you.

If you enjoyed this article, please donate to TMS to join the growing list of TMS Supporters.

Share this article: email mastodon facebook 🔗 copy link

This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.

2 Responses to “Jammu and Kashmir: In Search for Unconventional Options”

1. Dr. M. Ashaq Raza says:

   6 Oct 2010 at 22:21

   Good analysis, finding a permanent solution of kashmir will not only give relief to this trouble state but also free India and Pakistan from many worries. However, I fear, 1947 mistake when India was divided into two countries purely on religious grounds, will be repeated.

   It is important to unites people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, before making a decision, otherwise it will be like filling old wine in new bottles!!

   And come next time to Jammu, as it is not only nationally but internationally ignored….

2. Dr. M. Ashaq Raza says:

   6 Oct 2010 at 22:22

   Good analysis, finding a permanent solution of kashmir will not only give relief to this trouble state but also free India and Pakistan from many worries. However, I fear, 1947 mistake when India was divided into two countries purely on religious grounds, will be repeated.

   It is important to unite people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, before making a decision, otherwise it will be like filling old wine in new bottles!!

   And come next time to Jammu, as it is not only nationally but internationally ignored….