The Hindu : Opinion / News Analysis : Needed, a fresh initiative in Kashmir

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 27, 2005

Opinion

Opinion - News Analysis

Needed, a fresh initiative in Kashmir

Firdous Syed

The country has to demonstrate that it cares and can embrace those willing to mend their ways.

DURING THE recent visit of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to New Delhi, the two sides reiterated their commitment to resolving the Kashmir issue through a sustained process that was not to be held hostage by terrorist acts. It is now imperative that a fresh peace-building initiative is made.

The initiative, which should be self-sustaining, needs active partnership on the ground so that it complements the larger exercise between India and Pakistan. The question is: who on the ground can be partners for peace in Kashmir?

Efforts to involve the secessionist leadership in peace moves have yielded little. They have always sought to rope in the militant leadership for their initiatives, but failed to gain the trust of militants in Kashmir or those based in Muzaffarabad.

Now, when peace efforts need support on the ground, why should there be intermediaries? Why not directly involve the "boys" who have been the main source of trouble? The upsurge of the 1990s was spearheaded by the local youth, aided and abetted by Pakistan.

It needs to be noted that for the local youth "violence" was not an end in itself. For the jehadis it is a "philosophy of life." Besides, violence is not a part of the ethos in Kashmir. Therefore, it is doubly important to involve this section of youth in the peace process.

Statements emanating from Muzaffarabad as well as the grapevine in Kashmir suggest that there might be considerable willingness among militants to become actively involved in the peace process.

What they expect is the return of the security forces to the barracks, return of the "boys" from the wilderness, and cessation of violence.

Composite package

Any cessation of hostilities at this juncture should be accompanied by a composite package. The following can be considered: open up clogged channels through open debate, providing an opportunity for better understanding of the issues involved; let the dialogue process with the Kashmiri militants evolve towards the creation of a rehabilitation council for the youth who were, or still are, involved in the militant movement.

Rehabilitation council

The rehabilitation council should assemble data on the numbers of youth who committed themselves to violence; the numbers still active; the numbers across the border; the numbers in jail; the numbers missing or dead.

It should ascertain the economic status of those that do not fall in the above categories; and, finally, ascertain the plight of the kith and kin of the dead militants.

The political package may take time to evolve but economic rehabilitation should begin immediately.

The country has to demonstrate that it cares and can embrace those willing to mend their ways. In the past, rehabilitation packages did not work because of bureaucratic limitations and unnecessary political manoeuvrings.

It should be noted that Pakistan merely "turning off the tap", if and when it happens, will not be sufficient to wipe out the militant infrastructure within Kashmir. New Delhi should know that Pakistan only exploited the "existing" mess in the Valley.

(The writer is a former militant who now runs an NGO in Jammu and Kashmir.)

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