02 Nov 2017/Thursday

In a great move by Govt. Of India, Mr. Dineshwar Sharma has been given a free hand to talk to all and any stakeholders of Kashmir. An urgent appointment of interlocutor indicates a serious effort taken up by GoI to resolve the Kashmir issue. As Viewpoint has reported, Mr. Sharma also has shown keen interest in meeting Hurriyat and other separatist leaders.

Instead of rejecting the appointment set by Interlocutor, we believe that Hurriyat leaders should come a step forward and start the dialogue with Mr. Sharma for various reasons. The most important reason for Hurriyat to participate in talks is that the dialogue itself will survive. With the BJP opening door for talks, the entire Indian political spectrum can be said with certainty as having acknowledged that there is a need for dialogue on Kashmir that involves all stakeholders. Also, PM of India has openly said “Bullets, Abuses Won't Solve Kashmir Issue, Embracing Kashmiris Will”. It is the greatest development so far, as tomorrow or year after or years after no major political force in India would be in a position to say that they did not think that Kashmir was an issue to be solved by political discourse.

From within, Hurriyat also understands that survival of the dialogue is essential. At international level, the Hurriyat can anytime claim that Kashmir is an unsettled issue and the proof of which is the formalized and institutionalized dialogue process started and sustained by none other than the GoI. Hence Hurriyat can cash in this to narrow down their focus on their interest and the interest of the people. GOI certainly will have a strategy and they may offer political or even non-political solutions to Hurriyat, but the biggest question is… Does Hurriyat have any such strategy to take on GoI?

Viewpoint

Either the talks between Hurriyat and GoI will be a great success or may be a failure, however, staying away from having discussions is certainly not helping Hurriyat. Staying away from the dialogue definitely consolidate the narrative that Kashmir is not a problem, but the separatists are…