Rendezvous of Quiet Diplomacy

Shiban Khaibari

 

There are many politicos scribble physicians around, who have their line of so called treatment for the so called Kashmir problem, a matter of sickening disdain, indeed. The tallest leader of Kashmir, Late Sheikh Mohd Abdullah having rejected the two nation theory of the Indian Muslim League at the crucial time of the partition of the country and the overtures of M A Jinnah had, as an after thought something hazy in mind by milking the apparent soft policy of Indian leadership post Kabaili invasion of Kashmir. Being Prime Minister of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, his later utterances about Kashmir and the country were appearing to be in bad taste and not in tune with the constitutional obligations. The unfortunate events like his arrest and relieving him of the duties of Premiership etc.; in 1953 gave shape to the demand of a plebiscite under the banner of Mahaz-e- Rai Shumari or The Plebiscite Front. Pakistan, which has been making hell of Kashmiri was crying foul that Kashmir was a disputed territory and "the leader of Kashmir (rather the only leader of Kashmir) Sheikh Abdullah had not given his acquiesce to the Indian stand at all...". In other words, Pakistan for the sake of keeping the issue simmering, created  and conceived by it on the premise of religious bigotry, would even agree that the only leader with which Indian Government had to make peace and resolution of the Kashmir problem was The Sheikh and The Sheikh alone. The popular sentiment across the valley too echoed totally in favour of the Late Sheikh Abdullah and slogans for decades rented the air saying whatever was acceptable to Abdullah was acceptable to the people. The Indira Sheikh accord of 1975, therefore, in respect of the Kashmir issue, resulted in winding up of the Plebiscite Front and as a natural corollary, withdrawing of the demand of plebiscite and for all intents and purposes, the Kashmir issue was thought to be resolved. The two successive Assembly elections post 1975 accord with overwhelming participation of the people put the stamp of approval on the accord by the supreme authority -- the people of the State. Up to 1989 there was no Kashmir problem in its ripe urgency as it was sought to be made by Pakistan and its other agencies thereafter, buttressed by other lethal

 

inputs like the merciless gun and the extreme religious fanaticism and lo the problem was cunningly but successively internationalized. Who has, in the process as a result, lost and how much and why is a long debate but who has gained by all this ado about nothing, really matters. The cause of the problem, the root of the problem, the nursing of the problem is all done and monitored by Pakistan which has to be borne in mind always in respect of the solution models put forward by the self-proclaimed specialists and politicians, most of whom are blessed with fortunes and assets of enviable magnitudes. The self-rule concept, the dual control concept, the dual currency concept, the irrelevance of boundaries concept and the autonomy concept, the tripartite concept and all other hosts of such concepts are whispered into the ever eager ears of New Delhi as a final solution of the Kashmir problem. Such whispers have now

 

 

HERE IS NO MENTION, HOWEVER, OF THE PARTICIPATION OF THE WORST SUFFERERS OF THE PROBLEM, THE KASHMIRI PANDITS, IN WHOSE ABSENCE THE QUIET DIPLOMACY SHALL ONLY PROVE TO BE A FARCE, A REDUNDANT EXERCISE AND TANTAMOUNT TO ENDORSING THEIR EXODUS.

 

been taking the shape of deafening clap trap and made out such that any delay in putting such

wonderfully woven concepts into a practical shape was going to harm the prospects of "all-round peace and tranquillity " of the State. To call a spade a spade, all such expert concepts are self contradicting and comparably inter-se conflicting ,making a heap of mess but definitely successful in confusing and taxing New Delhi and the result is pursuing, of late, a policy of Quiet Diplomacy . It is shocking to observe that from a local problem to a National problem graduating into a full fledged International problem, Kashmir is now equated with Palestine, Ireland, Sri Lanka etc.; to make it eligible for finding a solution under camera, away from media glare as Omar Abdullah put it in Jammu on Nov 8, 2009. He says that the media was not aware of the talks held to solve the issues in Palestine, Ireland and Sri Lanka and that same experience could be repeated here. Dialogue is taking place as asserted by the Chief Minister who however shared this piece of information with the media that the dialogue had not reached the stage hurrying for the dissolution of the assembly. Prior to it, the Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram was categorical in declaring rather breaking the nut of the information by saying," quiet dialogue, quiet diplomacy with all shades of political opinion including some political groups advocating separatism to find contours of a political solution to Jammu and Kashmir..." Earlier the Prime Minister had made the intention of New Delhi clear to possess a willingness to talk unconditionally to any one which denotes a veiled invitation to separatist organizations. A piece of the curtain has been lifted by Dr. Farooq by saying," I think the process has already started and political prisoners have been released, Javeed Shah has been released today." The question is not whether Kashmir problem will be solved once for all through this quiet diplomacy which is very unlikely if not quite impossible, but shall the mechanism sail smoothly and evenly with parties to this quiet diplomacy especially those who want Kashmir to cede away from the country. The modules are divergent in their solutions with one common factor, however, to weaken the ties with New Delhi and to dilute the constitutional authority of India over the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Can India afford it? If yes, Then at what cost? If not, then is the aim to purchase, at whatever premium, a temporary truce and not a lasting

 

peace especially when Pakistan is currently involved knee deep, to protect its citizens and institutions from the very menace which it has been breeding and manufacturing over all these years. Syed Ali Shah Geelani while appealing to Taliban’s to spare and save Pakistan and desist from armed violence against Pakistan has recently demanded, in the context of quiet diplomacy, to restore the status to the State as it existed on Aug 14, 1947.

The students of the Kashmir University resisted attempts of the administration to discourage Geelani’s entry into the campus and a helpless administration could not do anything to prevent the Pro-Pakistan leader from addressing students well inside the campus. Can the diplomacy go ahead without Geelani? We are given to understand that all regions would be taken into confidence and though the focus would be on the Hurriyat Conference, LBA and BJP also will be present in the talks. They need to be assured and their fears allayed, let quiet not become quit.

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Courtesy: The Martand- The Official organ of All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference: 16th November, 2009