NEW DELHI: Sharp differences ‘in the home ministry between ‘SB. Chavan and Rajesh Pilot on how to deal with the issue of Kashmir has thrown up the issue Whether the Indian state should adopta“hard line” or a “soft line” for achieving this purpose.
The Union home minister has expressed the view that there can be no talks with militants unless normalcy is restored. The minister of state for internal security has expressed the view that there can be no normalcy unless talks are held with all those, including militants, interested in bringing back normalcy.
According to Chavan, talks could be held only with the “true representatives of people” who will emerge from an election held in Jammu and Kashmir, What he does not spell out is how. The proposed elections can be held without first creating conditions conducive to holding a poll. He appears to be putting the cart before the horse; His “hard line” does not appear to have many takers.
The contradictory stands taken by Chavan and Pilot are being attributed to the fact that while the former depends on “desk information” and takes “desk decisions,” the latter goes in for“ ‘field information” and takes “‘field decisions.” ‘The Prime Minister, P.V.Narasimha Rao, is aware of the divergent lines on which the two ministers are working, but has, so far, neither, voiced support for the “hardline” nor for the “soft line.” So, the ambiguity on how to cope with the Kashmir problem continues.
But, despite his senior colleague’s reservations, the irrepressible Pilot is expected to continue calling the shots in Kashmir, which he was entrusted with on being inducted, into the home ministry.
It is on the cards that Pilot and Dr.Faroog Abdullah, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, will be addressing a public meeting in Kashmir next week.
Dr. Abdullah’s presence in Kashmiris deemed necessary because even though he may be discredited in the eyes of some, about 70 to 80% of the National Conference cadres looked up to him for leadership. He and his NC cadres play a vital role in restoring normalcy and paving the way for holding elections.
Since Pilot maintains that the Kashmir problem is not a problem of the home ministry alone but a national problem, he is keen that leaders of all major political parties should pool efforts to bring back normalcy. He has been in touch with George Fernandes, a former minister of Kashmir Affairs in the National Front government, when Mufti Mohammed Sayeed was the Union home minister, Fernandes is credited with Contacts with some militant organizations and these should be useful to start negotiations. Two former Prime Ministers, Chandra shekhar and V.P.Singh, Jyoti Basu and Harkishen Singh Surjeet of the CPM and Atal Bihari Vajpayee of the BJP are among the prominent leaders being requested 10 join’ in the quest for a solution to the Kashmir problem.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 7, 1993
