Centre to start 'dialogue' in Kashmir; ex-IB chief to represent Govt

New Delhi: In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s August 15 address in which he said the “Kashmir problem can’t be solved either through goli ya gaali (bullets or abuses) but only by embracing all Kashmiris”, the Centre has now decided on a “sustained dialogue” with all stakeholders to help resolve the vexed issue. On Monday, the Centre named Dineshwar Sharma, a former Intelligence Bureau chief, as its special representative to initiate the talks.

Announcing this, home minister Rajnath Singh said the representative would have complete freedom in deciding whom to have a dialogue with, including separatists and Hurriyat hardliners. The home minister also clarified that Mr Sharma will hold the rank of Cabinet Secretary.

Mr Singh claimed that the Centre has shown complete conviction and consistency in handling the Kashmir issue and the appointment of an interlocutor was part of taking forward the same policy.

Mr Singh also referred to the Prime Minister’s Independence Day speech this year, in which Mr Modi had said the government was sensitive to all issues related to Jammu and Kashmir. The Prime Minister, the home minister added, had held a number of meetings with political representatives from all sides on the Kashmir issue and they all wanted the dialogue process to start in the Valley.

Asked why such initiatives had failed earlier, Mr Singh said: “Please take it from me that whatever we do, we will do with saaf neeyat aur neeti (good intentions and clear policy)”. On the question of the reports of earlier interlocutors gathering dust in the home ministry, Mr Singh said: “You cannot pre-judge that this initiative will not be successful. Our announcement shows how serious we are about initiating a dialogue.”

The special representative, Mr Singh said, would hold detailed talks to identify the legitimate aspirations of people, particularly the youth, and try to address them even though no timeframe has been fixed. He also clarified that there was nothing wrong in a former police officer holding talks since he was an “apolitical person having no political affiliation ... which is his greatest advantage. Besides, he is well aware about the internal security situation of the country”.

Mr Sharma is, incidentally, the fourth interlocutor named by the Centre since 2002. The first was former Union minister K.C. Pant, while the second was N.N. Vohra, who is now governor of J&K, and the last was the trio of former bureaucrat M.M. Ansari, academic Radha Kumar and late journalist Dileep Padgaonkar.

Sources said that there was a growing view within the government that after sustained operations by the security and enforcement agencies against separatists and terrorists in the past few months, the time was now right to initiate a dialogue with different stakeholders in J&K.

The move also assumes significance as the BJP is part of the coalition government in the state with the PDP and chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had, in her meetings with the Prime Minister and home minister, been insisting on a dialogue process with different groups in the Valley.

“The security forces have had huge successes against militant groups in the last few months and the NIA’s investigations into a terror funding case have hampered the activities of separatist elements. Incidents of stone-pelting and other violent protests are also down, and the trend should continue in the winter season. So the timing was right to initiate a dialogue process to find a solution to the state’s ongoing problems,” a senior official said.

Reacting to the development, former J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah said acceptance of the political nature of the issue was a defeat for those who saw force as a solution. “The Centre announces an interlocutor to engage with stakeholders in J&K. Will keep an open mind and wait to see results of the dialogue process,” Mr Abdullah said in a tweet. The former CM also wanted to know what implications the interlocutor’s appointment would have on the NIA investigations into terror funding cases in the Valley.

The Congress said Monday’s move indicated “realists” in the government had prevailed over the “hawks”. Party spokesman Manish Tewari tweeted: “Aptt of interlocutor in J&K is indicative that realists in Govt have prevailed over Hawks. Hard Power is not an end but means towards an end.” Former home minister P. Chidambaram also tweeted: “With appointment of interlocutor, I hope government has finally admitted ‘muscular approach’ has failed in J&K.”

Meanwhile, the new special representative, Mr Sharma, a Kerala-cadre IPS officer who was IB director from 2014 to 2016, said on Monday: “It’s like a homecoming for me. I am sure that I will be able to fulfil the expectations of the government and people of the country.”

Mr Sharma, 63, currently the Centre’s pointperson for dialogue with Assam-based militant groups, said he feels honoured he has been assigned such a challenging task.

Asked if he would talk to separatist groups in the Valley, Mr Sharma told PTI: “The modalities are being worked out but I would like to talk to everyone who is interested in bringing permanent peace in the Valley.”

He added: “Let me make it clear that peace is the priority and for that my doors will be open to everyone.”