Govt. throws the Kashmir talks door wide open

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL 5. The Government today offered a broad-based dialogue on ``peace, and how it may be attained'' in the troubled State of Jammu and Kashmir in a bid to get out of the dead-end the Kashmir peace process had reached. In spite of several extensions of the unilateral ceasefire announced by the Government since Ramzan late last year, the general impression was that the peace process was going nowhere. The current three- month ceasefire goes up to May.

The wide-ranging dialogue, to be held from the Government side by Mr. K.C. Pant, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, is not to be restricted to any one organisation such as the All-Party Hurriyat Conference. A clear indication has come that the Government would involve not only the Jammu and Kashmir Government, representatives of all political parties, trade unions and religious bodies, but would also ``keep the doors open'' to ``Kashmiri organisations which are currently engaged in militancy in the state but are desirous of peace''.

The Government has invited representatives of all sections of people of Jammu and Kashmir ``including those who are currently outside it'' to join in the peace process. Perhaps this was meant to indicate that the Kashmiri Pandit refugees who have had to leave their homeland would not be excluded from the talks, when they happen. This would meet the criticism from several quarters, especially from the RSS which did not want too much importance to be given to the militants and too little to the Hindu Kashmiris.

Coincidentally, while the ceasefire began with the start of Ramzan, the expanded dialogue has been offered on Muharram.

The formulation offered meets the criticism that elected representatives of the people from different political parties were not being consulted. It would also dilute the overemphasis on the Hurriyat and the controversy related to allowing them to travel to Pakistan before the start of any substantive dialogue. Virtually rejecting the Hurriyat's line favouring tripartite talks, including Pakistan, the statement released today noted that ``the APHC has all along taken the position that talks should be unconditional. Now that the Government has agreed to hold talks in the interest of early restoration of peace, it is for the APHC to consider whether it would not be inconsistent for them to set preconditions for the dialogue.''

The statement recognised the need for a dialogue with Pakistan noting the ``repeated requests from Pakistan'' for an early dialogue with India on Jammu and Kashmir. However, the old formulation - of resumption of bilateral talks only if cross- border terrorism was curbed and vicious anti-India propaganda from Pakistan stopped - has once again been articulated. The Government has specifically stated that such a dialogue would have to be in accordance with the Shimla Agreement and in the spirit of the Lahore Declaration.

The Government has also tried to meet the criticism that since the unilateral ceasefire in November last year, the number of innocent people killed had in fact gone up. The statement promised ``to reduce this violence against innocent people''. For this the security forces ``had been directed to vigorously conduct operations against those who disturb the peace and victimise the innocent people of Jammu and Kashmir,'' while ensuring that the general population ``is spared undue hardship and harassment''.

Basically, the Government has sent out the signal that it wants to move forward from mere announcements of ceasefire, that it would welcome an unconditional dialogue with all who are interested in peace returning to the State after 12 long years. The only ``agenda'' for the talks would be ``peace and how it may be attained in the troubled State.''

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