Nov 20, 2010

Interlocutors: A Mild Political Initiative

           The much awaited political initiative unfolded in Jammu and Kashmir during the Month with the Centre appointing a group of three interlocutors to hold sustained dialogue with all sections of the people. Two special task forces were also set up for development in Jammu and Ladakh regions. These measures were taken as per the Government Press release keeping in view the immediate objectives to maintain peace and order and defuse the situation in J&K through confidence building measures. The interlocutors appointed are Dr. Dileep Padgaonkar, a noted journalist, Prof. M.M. Ansari, Information Commissioner and Prof. (Mrs) Radha Kumar, trustee, Delhi Policy Group. Dr. Dilip Padgaonkar will chair the meetings of the Group. All the three interlocutors have done credible work in public life and bring with them significant understanding of political and economic issues, specially in the context of Jammu & Kashmir said the Ministry of Home Affairs Press Release. The Govt. hopes that after inter-acting with all shades of political opinion they will suggest a way forward that truly reflects aspirations of the people of Jammu & Kashmir, specially the youth.

            The credentials of interlocutors are well established. Shri Dileep Padgaonkar is a journalist, editor and author. He worked in various capacities in journalistic field including Executive Editor and Editor of the Times of India. He is presently with the Asia Pacific Communications Pvt. Ltd. Prof. M.M. Ansari is currently Information Commissioner in the Central Information Commission, New Delhi. He has the background of an Economist and Education Specialist and has served several institutions in senior positions and provided research and consultancy service to national and international organizations. Prof. (Mrs) Radha Kumar is Director of the Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution at Jamia Millia Islamia University and trustee of the Delhi Policy Group. She is a specialist on ethnic conflicts and peace processes and has held several important positions in the international bodies dealing with peace studies and conflict resolution. [Based on MHA India Press Release].

As the first step in the political process, the interlocutors in Kashmir have begun their task in real earnestness and have been engaging the community. The responses from the public at large may be favourable however separatists have not provided any positive signs. "We have nothing against the team of interlocutors personally but we feel that it has been done to procrastinate the issue," Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq told reporters.  Hard-line Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani said, "The Indian government has rejected our five-point demands and, therefore, we have nothing to do with the team of interlocutors appointed by New Delhi."

Never the less it may not be very long before the separatists would also come on board and have a dialogue with the interlocutors. The positions being adopted now are primarily to gain an advantage before the visit of the US President Barack Obama to New Delhi and things will change substantially after the visit. Nevertheless the overall trajectory of the talks by the interlocutors is likely to be highly sensitive and subject to derailment given the large number of antagonistic stake holders and the high intensity of emotions on all sides in these negotiations.

But the interlocutors have certainly stirred the pot and invited many different reactions. For instance when Padgaonkar told a TV channel, "One of the guys (from a terrorist organization) ...said to us they would like to submit a peace plan also to us," Ayaz Akbar, the Hurriyat spokesman representing Syed Ali Shah Geelani immediately rebutted by stating that those who had been talked  to lacked credibility.

The announcement of interlocutors has disappointed many across the board in Jammu and Kashmir. While the separatists were to an extent expected to reject the idea the mainstream leaders are also not happy for there is a difference between nomination of a high powered team of political leaders to head such panels and a group of track two activists including journalist and think tank heads on an issue which has tremendous political implications. The main opposition Party the BJP is also not likely to be favourable towards interlocutors if initial indications are anything to go by.

The government’s approach is therefore perplexing. Unless this is seen as the first step in working towards reconciliation, the move may not yield desired results and would only add to a sense of frustration in the Valley. The expectations in the State had risen after the visit of the all party delegation and the government was expected to nominate a political leader to head the talks thereby providing some momentum that a political solution was in the offing.

The proposed Panchayat elections is another measure which  will provide a forum for grass roots airing of hopes and grievances and will enable the people to elect their representatives thereby ensuring that their voice in governance is heard from the bottom up. The separatists are opposing elections given that this creates an aura of normalcy and also enables the government to project that it is providing autonomy to the people to the international community.

Meanwhile the politics of bandhs and curfews continues in the Valley. Hard-line Hurriyat Conference headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani has asked the people to intensify protests in the Kashmir Valley during US President Barack Obama's visit to India. "We appeal to the people to intensify the protests during the US president's Delhi visit and express their resentment towards the forced occupation of Jammu & Kashmir," hard-line Hurriyat's general secretary Nisar Ahmad Rather said in a statement in Srinagar.

The Government is also concerned of security in the State ahead of visit of Mr Barack Obama. Thus Mr P Chidambaram made a two day visit of Jammu and Kashmir to review the situation. He primarily focused on North Kashmir districts of Kupwara, Bandipora and Baramulla  where 100 militants have been killed in encounters since January 2010. With the Home Minister personally taking charge of security in Kashmir per se given the importance of avoidance of any incident in the Valley during the visit of the US President a high level of alertness is being maintained. Militants and separatist political leaders will want to use the occasion to flag their presence and would be planning a terror attack/protests respectively This will therefore be a battle of wits between the state government and terrorist groups operating in Kashmir as both would be trying to outflank the other. The separatists will also like to use the medium of bandhs and strikes and particularly incite the police to fire back so that back lash may invite attention of the President during his stay in New Delhi. Thus all round vigilance is being called for.

NOV 2010