SRINAGAR: There has been no resumption of “meaningful political activity in Kashmir and the political vacuum continues to be largely unfilled,” says Girish Chandra Saxena, Governor of Jammu and Kashmir,

In an interview to ENS, Saxena said, “There has been some more visits by political leaders and some impact of the visits of the members of the advisory council, but we cannot say that there has been any resumption meaningful political activity.”

Though the goal of the government is to hold elections at the earliest, the administration is at present “concentrating on lowering the fear of the gun and blunting the edge of militancy” the governor said.

The leaders of Kashmir may have a lesson to learn from the Punjab example, where the politicians stood ground and were able to turn the political situation around” Saxena said from the government side, it was providing security to the leaders. However some leaders have suggested of security measures for the party cadres too, the governor said.

Regarding the plan for holding elections, Saxena said that the endeavor would be to create conducive conditions for the same and to draw various political forces, including the new forces, to the electoral process,

According to the governor, the Union Home Minister, has not put any time-frame for the polls, but only stated that efforts would be made to create conducive situation at the earliest.

The government is using channels of communication to convince the new political forces and sections of militants that militancy would lead them nowhere and they should adopt alternative political means, he added. “When the whole thing will concerns and gain momentum, it is very difficult to say, as it depends on various factors, including the external factor”, he said.

“When you speak about the mood and attitude of the people, you cannot say how fast and intensely they will change” Saxena pointed out.

Where are these meetings” the Governor said, when asked, “public meetings” held by the outlawed JKLF, as claimed by it. If the meetings are not violative of the prohibitory orders prevailing, “it is ok” Saxena said: However, it is not, “feasible proposition to let the guns and democrat process go hand in hand.

I am not going to allow the same bunch of gun-welding young men to become the leaders of the democratic process” Saxena declared.

Will the government permit the outlawed Hizbul Mujahideen also to conduct public meetings? “Yes, why not  if they say farewell to the arms.”

Regarding the role of the released five political leaders, the governor said that there is doubt whether they have influence over the militants.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 9, 1992