New Delhi is making another attempt to have a sustained dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir for a lasting solution to the militancy problem. With the Modi government appointing a one man committee of former director of Intelligence Bureau, Dineshwar Sharma to hold talks with a cross section of people in the state, one thing has become clear—the BJP government took three long years and waited until violence hit all the streets to understand that “talks are the way forward” and blaming Pakistan or radical Islamic forces for the deteriorating law and order and precarious security scenario is not the solution.
However, the interlocutor this time is an IPS officer, a move that may not go down well with a section of people in Jammu and Kashmir who have had multiple clashes with police forces in the last two years . It also remains to be seen whether Sharma will be able to offer a “political solution” to the Kashmir problem besides conveying the angst of the people of the state to the central government after his various interactions with them. His appointment also comes as a sharp contrast to the “political dialogue” initiated by the previous UPA government when it set up a three member committee of M.M. Ansari, Radha Kumar and Dilip Padgaonkar who spelt out in detail administrative and political solution to the problem.
“We wanted someone who has no affiliation with any political party whatsoever,” said Singh explaining why an IPS officer has been appointed.
A former police officer, Sharma, has vast experience of Kashmir affairs having served in the early 1990s as assistant director in the IB, witnessing the insurgency at its peak. A 1979 batch Kerala cadre officer, Sharma retired as director of IB on December 31, 2016.
“He has been given a free mandate, he can talk to whosoever he wishes to, including the Hurriyat Conference,” said home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday. This also comes as a sharp departure from their earlier stated position of the government which had said it was willing to talk to “all political parties and moderate elements” in the Valley.
The National investigation agency (NIA) has already accused certain Hurriyat leaders of using terror funds to stoke unrest in the Valley at the behest of Pakistan. Will the NIA probe go slow once the interlocutor dialogue is initiated with the separatists is something remains to be seen.
“We will do everything with a clear heart and clean intention,” said the home minister in reply to questions on what the government was doing over the various interlocutor reports submitted in the past.
The government has given full freedom to Sharma to meet any challenges he faces and resolve the issue, Singh reiterated. He said that even if attempts made by previous governments, who sent interlocutors to the state in the past, had failed, it does not mean that the third attempt will also fail.
The former IPS officer will enjoy the status of cabinet secretary, said Singh as he made the announcement in a special media briefing which was widely publicised and broadcast live on HMO and PMO social media handles. Not to forget the press information bureau worked overtime to bring the media’s attention to this “major announcement of the home minister”. Technically speaking, the cabinet secretary reports to the prime minister are giving rise to speculation whether the PMO is going to play a greater role in Kashmir affairs.
“It’s a futile exercise and an indication of the the government resolve to deal with Kashmiris through intelligence and military apparatus. This is worst of all the earlier committees and groups,” former JK interlocutor M.M. Ansari told THE WEEK.
“Let the government also appoint an Ex Army chief to negotiate with Pakistan to get PoK back,” he said.
Clearly, there was scepticism about the government’s move. Security sources in the Valley said that “time will only tell “ how this time the government’s decision to hold a dialogue with the people of Kashmir bears any fruit. For now, Rajnath Singh said no time frame has been given to the interlocutor to arrive at a solution.
