KASHMIR SITUATION

Aunohita Mojumdar's Situation Report

"An issueless man takes even a pup to his lap" goes a saying in Kashmir and the Centre's decision to hold talks with the four former militants appears to fit the bill. The Centre is now grabbing at whatever straws are available even if the straws have been floated by the Centre itself as the All-Party Hurriyat Conference suggests.

The Hurriyat remains today the only body with any claims to representation of the people of the Valley and its leaders; the only ones who can still roam at will in places from where leaders of national mainstream parties have long since fled. The group of four which offered to talk are "leaders" who were involved neither in any political activity nor had any rapport with the public in the months since their release. Few in the Valley know what they were doing in the past four months.

The public mood is one of silence, a wait and watch attitude to see what the Hurriyat leadership will do. There has been no rejection of the Hurriyat leadership yet, nor any popular acceptance of these four leaders that the Government hopes will solve the Kashmir problem for them.

The offer of talks, the criticism of the Hurriyat and the notices issued under the Foreign Contributions Regulation Act may in fact act as a catalyst to the Hurriyat, which has awoken from a complacency born of the fact that there is no alternative to them.

While the Hurriyat leadership claims that its activities have been curtailed by the excessive he use of force by the Indian Government, the fact remains that no new initiative has emerged from the leadership in the past 10 months In fact, the Hurriyat leaders do not deny that theirs has been an inactive existence but defend it. "The people should tell us what the younger leaders, Mr. Shabir Shah and Mr. Umar Farooq, accept the need for new initiative and Mr. Shah states that there is a need for a unified party rather than an umbrella organization.

Irrespective of whether or not the group of four are indeed part of a set-up by the Indian Government as is being claimed by the Hurriyat, it makes little sense to talk to leaders who have not rebuilt their bridges with the people of the Valley after they were freed from jail.

The Government's declaration of holding talks with the leaders perhaps counts on the widespread ignorance of the situation and conditions in the Valley, giving the Government a chance to project anyone and everyone as a leader. Even though his influence may be limited to the four walls of his house.

The four leaders, whatever their credentials, do not have any following in the Valley In fact, having abandoned militancy and taking no subsequent part in the movement they are certainly not representatives of the "problem" that the Centre has to deal with the situation in the Valley today is one of startling contrasts, of normalcy vying with terror, of peace and militancy, of rapport and hostility. Underlying this is an uncertainty about which way the tide will turn.

In Baramullah town, there are no militants left, says a Colonel of Rashtriya Rifles.

That his assertion is not an empty boast is apparent. In Baramullah, the Army officers are walking down the main street without any escorts, a fact which could not have been imagined a year ago In Pampore town, the Namlabal locality has been at the receiving end of repeated attacks by counter-insurgency groups.

The only inhabitants of the locality are the Sarkari militants "Renegades", "counter-insurgents" "friendlies", as they are termed, the presence of these extra- legal authorities ensures that every resident refuses to go inside the locality.

The residents say they have no one to complain to since the arson and firing were done with the full connivance of the security forces.

The tale of Pampore is not an isolated one. Tales of abuses by "Sarkari militants" are found throughout Pulwama and Anantnag districts where the new terror has intensified in the past two to three months.The terror is heightened by the fact that there is no perceivable redress.

The idea of elections is a laughable proposition in Anantnag. Authorities do not even recognize the terror. Abuse of powers by counter-insurgency groups is the new threat in the Valley that security agencies are trying to cope with. Having provided full support to these groups which not only participated in counter-insurgency operations but also operated independently, the security forces now find themselves facing a new terror one of their own making.

Widespread reports of extortion, intimidations and excesses committed by these groups have been pouring in from several districts where these groups are said to be in control.

The improving security scenario in the State is being threatened now by the "renegades" whose misdeeds are likely to escalate even as the situation improves.

The renegades are in no mood to retreat quietly. Having had power which enjoyed a semblance of legality through tacit support from the authorities, the renegades are now loth of part with it.

The result is a vicious circle. The forces which want to build a rapport and rebuild a tarnished image can no longer afford to be seen supporting illegal power. However, even as they withdraw support to counter-insurgents, the outlaws are stepping up abuses to assert control. Since the renegades are seen as an extension of the security forces, their abuses in turn negate all efforts on the part of the forces to secure public support.

For the Catch 22 situation the security forces have only themselves to blame.

Not a single militant of the largest counter-insurgency group, the Ikhwan-ul-Muslimoon, headed by Kukka Parrey, has ever been either caught or killed in an encounter by the forces in all these years Sooner or later the forces to preserve the gains they have made, will in all likelihood be forced to move against the renegades they had earlier used.

Once re-declared militants it is only a matter of time before they are eliminated.

But behind the numbers will lie a sordid tale of the forces fighting an illegal force of their own making.

The Centre appears content to hold on to the Valley through military control and is loath to take any step towards a permanent resolution of the crisis.

So far, it has shown no signs of going beyond the two options of military control and elections. Though the hiatus between military control and the initiation of a democratic process is wide, there have been no attempts to bridge it.

Till date, the Centre has been more interested in the appearance of solving the problem rather than actually solving it. Political substance has been entirely missing from the efforts of the Centre so far.

What makes an initiative imperative at this juncture is the fact that the forces have attained the maximum gains on the military front. Whatever could have been achieved has been achieved. The security forces assert that it is time now for a political process to consolidate the gains they have established.

Officers admit in confidence that even if the Centre does agree to hold elections, there is no one left to contest them.

The Hurriyat, too, is looking towards the Centre for a change in attitude which it hopes will provide the answer. India, the Hurriyat leaders assert, should now realize that it cannot hold on to Kashmir indefinitely through military might. "It is the arrogance of military power that is making the Government so obstinate, says Mr. Abdul Ghani Lone.

"The APHC wants, as the first step, talks with the leaders of Azad Kashmir (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir)". He criticizes the Government for its refusal to allow the talks in Nepal. What is the Centre doing?" is a question echoed in all parts of the Valley. The army may have succeeded in tiring out the militants, but its continued presence may also tire out the people. Unless an initiative is taken soon, even the military control could slip away the fear is reflected by Dr. Abdullah, who, during his announcement pot to participate in elections in November last year, had cautioned the Centre against waiting for too long to grant autonomy, otherwise there will be "no one to sell it and no one to buy it".

Right now, the situation in the Valley is in a state of flux where the onus is on the Centre. Kashmir is waiting but not for the sporadic speeches on the holding of elections or talks that goes by the name of a political initiative.

(Source: The Statesman, 15-18 March, 1996)

J&K Mahaz-e-Azadi Leader, Azam Inquilabi Calls for Stop to Repression

Kashmir is on fire. The situation in Kashmir is absolutely appalling, gruesome and loathsome. Corpses of dozens of people killed every day and debris of the houses burnt by Indian security forces present a horrible and ghastly look. The tale of human rights abuse and violations is, in fact, ineffable. Cynicism, hatred, acrimony and xenophobia is the hallmark of present-day Kashmir. The barbarian attitude of the Indian security forces in Kashmir falsifies your claim that Kashmir is an integral part of India, because no civilized government can afford to humiliate and brutalize its own subjects.

To create total chaos, anarchy and uncertainty the armed religious zealots from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Sudan find an excuse to intervene in Kashmir in a big way. In New Delhi people having a myopic approach to. the Kashmiri crisis believe that Kashmir is fast heading towards peace and tranquility whereas the people with prudence and insight believe that it is only a lull before the storm.

Pakistan, as a party to the Kashmir issue, is engaged in non-conventional war in Kashmir. So, while seeking a peaceful, honorable and practicable solution of the Kashmir issue you are supposed to take Pakistan into confidence.

People obsessed with romantic political ideas will continue to thwart the efforts to seek an early peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue.

The status quo in Kashmir suits some of the Western countries but not India and Pakistan which will eventually come to harm due to the protracted guerrilla war in Kashmir.You should not be naive and complacent while assessing the ground realities in Kashmir.

Governor Krishna Rao's talk of elections is nothing but a sophisticated political ploy to camouflage his failure of deliver the goods. The situation in Kashmir is quite explosive. It is the cautious, calculated, scientific and pragmatic approach alone which can help retrieve the situation there.

Let us rise to the occasion to look for genuine pacifists who have courage and capability to suggest and stress something original and objective regarding the final and lasting solution of the Kashmir issue. It is time to recognize the Kashmiris' stand vis-a-vis Kashmir if at all peace and prosperity is paramount and a priority in South Asia. We will continue to stress our inalienable and unfettered right to self-determination.

We feel highly indebted to the progressive political forces of India which condemn atrocities and military repression in Kashmir. Parties to the Kashmir crisis should be serious about talks and negotiations for settlement. India should take an initiative to mitigate the sufferings of the people there. So (it should) release the thirty thousand political activists from captivity, withdraw army and remove bunkers from cities and towns, stop state terrorism and massacre of the innocent people. This is the minimum prerequisite for any meaningful discussion, informal and formal, on Kashmir.

(Source: The Mainstream, 30 March, 1995)