‘Moderate’ Hurriyat should act moderately
Moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's willingness to engage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to resolve the Kashmir issue, is a welcome development. The readiness has come in the wake of the formation of the Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition Government in Jammu & Kashmir and New Delhi's decision to re-open talks with Pakistan. The two political developments are significant, given that Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has been advocating talks with the Hurriyat, and given that the Foreign Secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan had broken down in August last year because the Pakistani envoy to India had met Hurriyat leaders just prior to the scheduled high-level meeting — and to which New Delhi had strongly objected.
The problem really is not one of discussing the issue with the moderate Hurriyat leaders such as the Mirwaiz. After all, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance Government had actively engaged with sections of the Hurriyat, and then Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Home Affairs lK Advani had met those leaders. From all accounts, those deliberations had begun to move in a promising direction. Mirwaiz Farooq has admitted that real progress had been made, and that if the threads were to be picked up from the ‘Vajpayee initiative', a lot can be achieved in the coming months. Interestingly, the Chief Minister too does not tire of reminding about the Vajpayee Government's measures and the environment of trust that had been created between the people of Jammu & Kashmir and the Union Government. Prime Minister Modi has often referred to that ‘golden period'. Therefore, the Modi regime and the BJP should not have an ideological problem in sitting across the table with the moderate Hurriyat leaders, just as they did not have a problem in setting aside their differences to enter into an alliance with the PDP to serve the larger interests of the people of the State. Even the Common Minimum Programme commits the two parties to engage with the separatists in a meaningful dialogue.
The problem is that, even moderate Hurriyat leaders such as the Mirwaiz have made statements that slant towards Pakistan at India's cost. These remarks give an impression that they trust leaders from across the borders more than the ones in India. Also, the moderate elements have been as disdainful of the democratic election process as hardliners such as Syed Ali Shah Geelani have been. This time around, as they always did, they called for a poll boycott. It's a different matter that the voters comprehensively rejected it. It is essential for the likes of the Mirwaiz, who has himself suffered the anguish of losing near ones to extremist militant violence, to also break the mould and demonstrate statesman-like qualities. He mustn't worry too much about a backlash from his supporters or the people. He can look at the example of Sajjad lone, the former separatist leader who has successfully transited to the political mainstream. Mr lone has not only won a mandate from the people but also become part of the new Government in the State. In sum, if Mirwaiz Umar Farooq wants to genuinely “move forward”, as he is reported to have desired, the responsibility is on him as much as it is on the Centre to create an environment of trust.