Leaders, lead

As the political establishment scrambles to discover 8216;solutions8217; to the Amarnath imbroglio that will satisfy the suddenly prominent Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti, reports from the Valley have taken on a truly alarming tone. Regardless of context, the shooting of unarmed protesters is always to be deplored, but in this case the context is such that the deaths might well have particularly dangerous implications for peace in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as for India8217;s national security overall.

Tuesday8217;s all-party meeting seems to have stumbled over minor issues of who should be invited. Dickering over details as the problem spreads is not an auspicious start to what many hoped would be a new era of co-operation between the major parties. The economic situation in the Valley was discussed, as was the firing, but it remains to be seen if any measures beyond compensation for those killed can be agreed upon, with the force of political consensus behind them. Today8217;s meeting must move beyond that. There remains considerable scope for compromise, if the underlying causes are not danced around: Jammu is upset by what they believe is a tendency in the state administration to put all their concerns on their back burner, and Kashmir continues to look for a way to trust the security forces. The worst possible outcome will be a focus on defending the security forces8217; action in the Valley to the exclusion of all else, as that will lead to both regions feeling that their beliefs have been confirmed.

New Delhi has hopefully not forgotten that the last phase of troubles in Kashmir began following police firing on a crowd at a funeral. The death of Hurriyat leader and former militant Sheikh Abdul Aziz, and the demonstrations that will follow it, should be handled with care, in that light. And the question must be asked: did security forces open fire because they felt that they were outnumbered by protesters? If so, why was that the case? The home minister must explain why, given that a significant number of paramilitaries and police are ready to depart to provide security for the forthcoming assembly elections, they were not despatched to the state when it was obvious to every observer that the Valley8217;s quiet was poised on a knife-edge. The government8217;s actions have come perilously close to radicalising a new generation in Kashmir: green flags are being seen at the head of demonstrations for the first time in a while. The first priority today must be for all parties to drop petty politicking and show both regions that the rest of India takes their concerns seriously.