Sir — This refers to the editorial, “Modi’s call for dialogue” (August 24). There is no doubt that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for an immediate dialogue to restore peace in Jammu & Kashmir within “the ambit of the Constitution”, made at his meeting with Kashmir’s opposition leaders led by Omar Abdullah, is a positive step. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s second visit to the valley within a month, as a follow-up exercise in pursuit of the Prime Minister’s concern on the current crisis, is equally welcome.
But, unfortunately, the aggressive and uncompromising stance of the separatists and their radical Islamist associates, demanding “azadi” from India, leaves no room for resolving the problem, that too in the framework of the Indian Constitution.
These elements are still mouthing over 60 year old slogan on “self-determination” which the UN body dealing with the problem, had itself discarded.
When the proposal was originally made, it had to be executed after Pakistan withdrew all its forces from the occupied areas of J&K; it had to be conducted with reduced Indian forces in place in the State to maintain law and order. The Pakistan government never implemented this crucial precondition for “self-determination” in J&K. Hence, it is duplicitous and hypocritical to raise this demand today.