Kashmiri whispers

It may finally amount to nothing more than gauging the direction of the wind, but there is a definite, and very rare, air of optimism on K...

It may finally amount to nothing more than gauging the direction of the wind, but there is a definite, and very rare, air of optimism on Kashmir this summer. Hints of preparatory confabulations towards meaningful negotiations with leaders in the Valley are growing str-onger by the day.

This may all be in the realm of speculation, but it can only be a heartening signal when buzz about a political settlement seems louder than the echo of the militants8217; gunfire. It all began just a month ago with the release of three Hurriyat leaders, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a process that has continued, with the ranks of newly freed separatist leaders swelling every week. That this followed Home Minister L.K. Advani8217;s statement that the government was willing to talk to any Kashmiri leaders indicates a realistic acknowledgement of the fact that progress on Kashmir cannot be based me-rely on a military initiative. And this weekend has brought more grist for the rumour mill. Former chief minister of the state, Syed Mir Qasim, is being seen as the key intermediary between government and Hurriyat leaders.

Certainly, no official confirmation about these preparatory moves is forthcoming, from either the Hurriyat or government spokespersons. It perhaps cannot but be. But the very fact that moves are afoot to bring leaders with dark separatist stripes to the negotiating table is in itself a confidence-building measure. Herein lies the key. If releasing Geelani and his ilk was fraught with risk, establishing a measure of commonality with them will be even trickier. The government insists that all negotiations take place within the parameters of the Constitution; separatist leaders, while affirming that talks are the only solution, insist that they be tripartite. Not much common ground there.

There are, however, other things the two sides can immediately agree upon even if they feel compelled to continue adopting old public postures while thrashing out the more irreconcilable issues. For instance, development and a boost to local craftsmen and to the tourism industry. After a hopelessly lost decade, economic activity is more critical than weighty words if Kashmiris are to reconstruct their shattered lives. Movement on this front would not only secure a common sense of purpose, but it would also obtain the hesitant confidence of the people, within and beyond the boundaries of the state.

It would be pertinent to add that even as Central and Kashmiri negotiators get talking, representatives from Ladakh and Jammu too should be brought within the purview of the dialogue to address widening intra-state divisions.This is an opportune moment for New Delhi to make definite moves towards a political solution. The melting snows will no doubt bring a fresh influx of armed orchestrators of terror, and with it the attendant dangers of human rights violations. But the sponsors of terrorism in Pakistan are clearly on the back foot in their frenetic public relations exercise after the US State Department8217;s just released Patterns of Global Terrorism 1999.

But those are just the logistics. Rapprochement with its own people in Kashmir, no matter how long-drawn-out it may be and no matter how many false starts it may entail, is a task New Delhi cannot afford to postpone.