Leaders of a few militant groups have held talks in Delhi with India’s home minister, No serious significance can be attached to these talks, Not all militant groups have joined the negotiations, The mainstream groups like the Hurriyat Conference or the Amanullah Khan faction of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front have ridiculed the talks. Even the first rank leaders of the participating groups have not joined. The Indian government at present is in no position to talk to resolve any issue, much less an old, intractable one like the Kashmir issue.

The country is going to the polls in the next two months, not many in India are ready to bet for a Congress victory. No single party is likely to emerge a winner, consequently, a coalition is being foreseen ‘by most observers, It is doubtful whether a Narasimha Rao led Congress party will be a party to the coalition being predicted. As such, even the prime minister is in no position to meaningfully pursue the talks on Kashmir, much less his home minister, who is in addition, handicapped for want of personal credibility, In the past, S.B, Chavan was used by Rao more as a sounding board than as a clincher of issues. Needless to suggest, therefore, that the current talks are futile, Perhaps, both the Indian government and the Kashmir militants are aware of these limitations. They appear to have their own calculations. Congress poll campaigners will use the talks as a plus point for the government by arguing that Delhi’s strong arm policy has compelled the Kashmir militants to come to the negotiating table. On the other hand, the militants, will refer to the talks to bring home the point that the Kashmir problem remains to be resolved, Secondly, in the militants estimates, the direct not only leaves out Pakistan as a relevant party but also points to the prospect of Kashmir choosing freedom as the only alternative. Whatever the merits of these claims, more pertinent today is to know whether the people of Kashmir will participate in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in the valley or boycott them. Assuming that the mainstream Kashmir parties boycott the election, what will be its impact internationally. In what manner will the people of Kashmir use the boycott in pursuance of their political goal? Will not India use the election and the members so chosen from Kashmir, to drum up support internationally, as it was able to get worldwide recognition to the minority supported state government in Punjab?

True, the current armed conflict has been imposed on Kashmir by the Indian government. It is not on account of the Kashmiris own choice. In today’s conditions no armed movement can succeed in any part of India unrelated to the world context owing to the fact that India’s armed machine is much too powerful and is armed to the teeth. A democratic struggle with a mix of the armed and the peaceful is a much better option because such a struggle takes the world along. |Admitted that the state governments in India do not enjoy more powers than those vested in municipal committees. At least, a democratically elected government has vast avenues to propagate its cause and mobilize the world public opinion in its favor. There can be no ban on the propagation of ones ideals in today’s world of the communication revolution. It is entirely possible that India may not hold elections to the State Assembly in Kashmir in such circumstances, But that too works in favor of the freedom movement internationally. In any event, the people of Kashmir must closely examine the Punjab experience before deciding in favor of boycotting the election whether to the Indian Parliament or to the State Assembly.

Article extracted from this publication >>  March 20, 1996