The appointment of Ex-IB Chief Mr Dineshwar Sharma, as an Interlocutor, may have been prompted by improved situation in Kashmir achieved by elimination of top militant leadership, subjugation of Hurriyat or the US pressure on Pakistan; but the fact is the step is the need of the hour and as such should be rightly welcomed by all. Will this initiative also meet the fate of earlier failed attempts or the whole issue has been planned with a precise course of action? We once again need not slip into complacency and treat it with “Now or Never” mind set. History must be kept in mind and petty regional politics kept away from the whole process. Appointment of Ex-IB Chief is a pointer in that direction.

The valley was stable till 2008, when the State Government decision to transfer 99 acres of forest land near Amarnath to erect temporary shelters led to one of the largest protest rallies in the history of the state.  Hurriyat’s call in August 2008, to cross the LoC to Muzaffarabad, resulted into large scale casualties making situation even worse. Burhan Wani was not a poster boy before he was killed. He only had a passion of being seen and admired in the Facebook pages like any other militant of Kashmir today. The whole episode after his death was perfectly orchestrated by ISI and the Hurriyat leaders to re-energise the dying insurgency, as never before. The situation became so grim that few months ago Government establishments were hush-hushly abuzz with whispers that Kashmir has slipped out of India’s grip. The situation worsened so much as videos of security forces being beaten in public and stone pelted became a hit in Kashmir and elsewhere for different reasons.  The feeling of panic, inertia and paralysis in decision making was palpable.