The Centre seemed to have opened a window in Kashmir today when Defence Minister George Fernandes indicated that the Hurriyat Conference’s proposal to travel to Pakistan for convincing militants to go for a ceasefire would be considered. ‘‘We can consider it and we will consider it,’’ Fernandes said, commenting on Hurriyat Chairman Prof Abdul Gani Bhat’s offer made yesterday. A similar offer had been turned down by the Centre earlier. But Hizbul chief rejects it, says you didn’t ask us • Pakistan appointed Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, former high commissioner to India, as its ambassador to the US replacing Maleeha Lodhi But this time it’s different and the Centre’s inclination to reach out to the Hurriyat was not entirely unexpected. It has been in close touch with the Hurriyat leadership through the Track II process even during the worst days of the tension with Pakistan. Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s Kashmir pointman A S Dullat has visited the Valley twice for long periods recently. Besides, there has been a spell of seminar diplomacy. So, Prof Bhat’s surprise announcement of putting Hurriyat’s parallel ‘election commission’ in abeyance and renewing its demand to be allowed to travel to Pakistan for holding talks is being seen as extending the olive branch to New Delhi at the appropriate time. Severe international pressure has muted the war rhetoric while Pakistan has been asked in no uncertain terms to stop cross-border infiltration and seriously crack down on the jehadis. In fact, Fernandes today conceded that infiltration of militants from Pakistan had ‘‘almost stopped and whatever little infiltration is still there will also end’’. He was speaking to reporters here after attending the inauguration of ‘Kashmir Vision 2020’. New Delhi is under pressure to reciprocate with an initiation of a dialogue process with Pakistan synchronised with a peace initiative inside Kashmir. When Hurriyat had first offered to travel to Pakistan to convince ‘‘the boys with guns’’ for halting the violent activities to turn Vajpayee’s Ramzan unilateral ceasefire into a comprehensive truce, the idea was accepted by New Delhi in principle. The only hurdle was the inclusion of hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani in the delegation. The Centre was not ready to allow Geelani to travel to Pakistan, especially since Home Minister L K Advani was extremely suspicious about his real motives. Now with Geelani in jail, the situation has changed. However, both Geelani and jailed JKLF supremo Yasin Mailk wield enough influence in Hurriyat’s internal politics to attempt derailing the process. Geelani remains important because he enjoys support not only among the militant leadership but also in the Pak establishment. He can sabotage this move easily from behind the bars. The only hope lies in his cordial relations with Bhat, who is seen to be the only leader to have influence both on Geelani and the Pak establishment. Malik too can play spoilsport by asking his JKLF — the only pro-independence group within the Hurriyat — not to join the delegation. He did this earlier when the Hurriyat leadership decided to meet President Musharraf during the Agra summit. The Centre will, of course, have to reconcile all this with the poll process that is being set in motion. It can allow Hurriyat to go to Pakistan and in the bargain get a commitment on toning down its anti-election rhetoric. But then it will have to watch the National Conference which has the potential to derail the entire initiative.
