At last, some signs of hope in Kashmir

Welcome signs are now evident of the Centre changing its line on Kashmir in order to begin a conversation with all sections of society in the Valley so calm may be restored. This is a far cry from the Narendra Modi government’s initial, confused, reaction. Even at the all-party meeting in Delhi just before Independence Day, the Prime Minister’s outlook seemed one of pressing for a security-oriented solution. Union home minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Srinagar on Wednesday for the second time in a month in an effort to start a dialogue even with the Hurriyat. He didn’t name the separatist outfit specifically, but said through tweets he was ready to converse with anyone within the parameters of “insaniyat, jambhooriat and Kashmiriyat”, the formula first articulated by Atal Behari Vajpayee over a decade ago.

If Pakistan desires to push the envelope further in J&K, no Hurriyat elements are likely to join the conversation with the Centre now for fear of facing reprisals at the hands of Pakistan-directed terrorist elements. But the point will become clear to ordinary Kashmiris — the real constituency the government is trying to address. The home minister thus articulated the Vajpayee formulation from Srinagar. Ordinary Kashmiris understand and appreciate this. A few days earlier, at his meeting with an Opposition delegation from Kashmir led by former CM Omar Abdullah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken only of a dialogue within the framework of the Indian Constitution.

It was at that meeting that the Centre’s changing stance first found articulation, and the home minister’s second visit to Srinagar seems to indicate the Modi government is now looking for ways to implement the decision to bring about a dialogue.

Two noteworthy developments took place before Mr Singh’s visit. The Centre, at least for now, has decided to withdraw the CRPF — which along with the J&K police had used pellet guns indiscriminately against protesters, in the process blinding many civilians — from the Valley, and insert the BSF in its place. This is a positive sign. In the past, the BSF has brought order back on the streets without alienating populations.

The second significant development was the public statement by Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, who commands the Army in the Valley, urging talks with all sections of society. This signalled that the policy was now moving towards de-escalation. Importantly, the general also said that to begin with, the protests after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani’s killing were spontaneous, and that Pakistan got into the act only afterwards. This was the very opposite of the Centre’s stand that Pakistan was responsible from the very beginning for the recent developments in the Valley. The signs are good, but a dialogue takes time to fructify.