A day before Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s visit to Kashmir, the Hurriyat Conference today rejected participation in the forthcoming Assembly polls but showed its willingness to meet Vajpayee if the Centre ‘‘agrees to allow them to talk to Pakistan as well.’’Hurriyat Chairman Abdul Gani Bhat, however, told The Indian Express that Vajpayee does not seem to be on a reconcilatory visit to Kashmir with any political agenda.‘‘It’s part of the Government of India’s war efforts and his visit has nothing to do with the people of Kashmir but to raise the hype of war already created across India,’’ he said. ‘‘One has to see what provoked the visit and what made him cancel his Manali sojourn. He will be here to boost the morale of his soldiers at the border, not to address the real issue.’’Bhat even pointed towards Jammu being the first halt in Vajpayee’s trip and said even that is meaningful. ‘‘This visit is simply in response to an incident and we don’t have any hope,’’ he said.Earlier, addressing a seminar on Kashmir and peace in South Asia, the entire Hurriyat executive unanimously declared to reject the Assembly polls but made voices in favour of a dialogue, without making any major amends to their stated stand of ‘‘tripartite talks involving Pakistan.’’Saying no to polls, Bhat said that although ‘‘a few friends within the Hurriyat had suggested we contest, we decided to reject it because it will not help solve the basic problem.’’Bhat argued that while filling nomination forms, they would have to take an oath of allegiance to the Indian Constitution ‘‘which leaves no scope even for a discussion on the final dispensation of the Kashmir problem’’. He told the audience that Vajpayee will come with short-cuts like economic package and electoral processes. ‘‘It is only aimed to bring about psychological changes in Kashmir and will do nothing to resolve our problem,’’ he said.Jamaat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was more strident. He appealed to the people to ‘‘once again reject the elections and thus show to the world that Kashmiris don’t accept the legitimacy of Indian rule.’’He said the separatists had no animosity with India or its people. ‘‘We love India and its people. We want them to prosper and we don’t want the government to waste money on useless defence expenditure but rather put it in development,’’ he said. ‘‘But we want a just solution of Kashmir as well.’’ His solution" begin tripartite talks.Calling the recent rise in Indo-Pak tensions as an excuse by New Delhi to divert attention from the ‘‘real Kashmir issue,’’ Geelani said: ‘‘We condemn the brutal killing of women and children at Jammu. Islam does not allow it. But if Government of India takes notice of such an incident, then hundreds of similar and many times much more brutal incidents have happened in Kashmir, massacres at Gowadal Srinagar, Sopore, Kupwara, Bijbehara ... during the past several years,’’ he said referring to te incidents involving the security forces. ‘‘It is an excuse to raise the hysteria of war and shift the focus from our genuine struggle,’’ he said. Geelani even advised Hurriyat leaders not to show soft attitudes on any issue becuase that ‘‘gives India a feel that they can break few among us’’.Geelani said the Government had sent its seniormost IB officer in Kashmir to him with three proposals: support peace process, participate in polls, disown foreign militants and treat India and Pakistan in a similar manner.‘‘I told him that we are for peace but it can be achieved only through tripartite dialogue. I told him that elections cannot solve the problem. Then I also agreed to tell the foreign militants to leave Kashmir, if India would recognise even the sacrifices of local Kashmiris who are buried in 500 graveyards dotted across the state. If they agree to resolve the problem as per the wishes of people, there will be no militancy and certainly no foreign militant will come here.’’Hurriyat moderates Abdul Gani Lone and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq too rejected participation in polls. ‘‘Participation in elections is not tantamount to ‘talaq’ or one will not become ab infidel if one contests elections. But we know that elections will not solve the problem,’’ he said.The Mirwaiz, however, took a veiled swipe at the hardliners for their stubborn attitude. ‘‘Mature political struggles need to change their strategies with changing times,’’ he said. ‘‘And September 11 is a reality so we have to fit our policies in the new world scenario.’’
