Former Hurriyat Conference Chairman Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat on Friday said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir cutting across political, ideological and regional affiliations must join their heads to collectively demand the permanent resolution of Kashmir issue for the larger benefit of India, Pakistan and the entire south Asian region. He said the light of conciliation must emerge from “darkened Kashmir”.
Speaking on the launch of first part of his biography “Beyond me” Bhat said that the separatists, pro-India politicians including leaders of the BJP, the Congress and the National Conference besides the religious leaders in Jammu and Kashmir must get together and stress for the resolution of Kashmir issue.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir must forge a joint resolution to ask India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue permanently. This is for the larger good of both the countries and the entire South Asia,” he said. He said a friendly country must be chosen to arbitrate should there be any hiccups in the negotiations between the two countries.
He said the process of dialogue was the only way out to resolve the long pending issue. “If the issue remains unaddressed, in next decades the bellicosity (between India and Pakistan) is going to worsen over the water issues. The water too flows through Kashmir,” Bhat, who was part of separatist leadership’s engagement with New Delhi and Islamabad in 2003, said.
He said the lingering Kashmir issue has been the main cause of tension and instability in the South Asian region and has led to armed conflicts between India and Pakistan in past causing enormous problems for the smooth and peaceful development of this region.
He said first Indian Prime Minister Jawahar lal Nehru promised plebiscite at lal Chowk in Srinagar and Kashmiris have never forgotten the promise. He said India entered into Kashmir within the roars of gun amidst the noises of democracy.
Obliquely speaking on the current situation in Kashmir he said that that it seems a blind rider is on a lame horse. “The rider doesn’t know the destination and the horse is incapable to walk to the goal,” he said. “We have only leaders around, there are no followers,” he said.