Separatists talks with Pakistan: Some bitter truths

Earlier interfaces between the two sides here and elsewhere have not always seen a meeting of minds.

August 20, 2014 05:25 pm | Updated November 17, 2016 03:40 pm IST - NEW DELHI:

In this January 7, 2006 photo, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf meets Hurriyat leaders (from left) Bilal Ghani Lone, Abdul Ghani Bhatt and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in Islamabad.

In this January 7, 2006 photo, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf meets Hurriyat leaders (from left) Bilal Ghani Lone, Abdul Ghani Bhatt and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in Islamabad.

Earlier interfaces between the two sides here and elsewhere have not always seen a meeting of minds.

Much heat has been generated in the national discourse over Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit inviting the Hurriyat leadership for talks ahead of the now shelved Foreign Secretary-level bilateral, but earlier interfaces between the two sides in India and elsewhere have not always seen a meeting of minds.

There have been interactions where the Kashmiri separatists gave the Pakistanis — inside and outside the government — an earful; driving home some bitter truths as did a delegation of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) when it visited Islamabad in December 2012. And before that veteran advocate of secession Syed Ali Shah Geelani did some plain-speaking when he met former Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar during her visit to New Delhi in the summer of 2011.

Mr. Geelani told Ms. Khar that the self-determination exercise which Kashmiris have been demanding should also include areas under “Pakistan Occupied Kashmir” and thereby put it at par with what Islamabad refers to as “Indian Held Kashmir”.

And, interacting with foreign policy wonks at the Pakistan Foreign Office-backed Institute of Strategic Studies on December 19, 2012, the APHC delegation — chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Abdul Ghani Bhat and Bilal Lone — drove home the point that the ground realities in Kashmir had changed since 1947.

The Mirwaiz told the gathering that India had successfully created confusion between people’s grievances and people’s aspirations; projecting the redressal of the former as fulfilment of the latter. He repeatedly pointed to the lack of clarity in Pakistan on how to deal with the Kashmir issue while admitting to contradictions within Jammu & Kashmir.

“The Hindus of Jammu are not with us, neither are the Buddhists of Ladakh. All this has added to the confusion. Even within Kashmir there is no consensus.” Adding that Gilgit-Baltistan is on another tangent, he said the view of the entire J&K is fractured.

Asked why only three of them had come despite Islamabad sending out invitations to the entire Hurriyat leadership over six months in advance, he was blunt in his response: “Because there is no clarity in Pakistan on Kashmir.”

“Pakistan always says it wants Kashmiris to be involved in the process but the bigger question is what is the mechanism? And, who will represent the Kashmiris? Will it be the National Conference or the People’s Democratic Party because they have been elected or will it be the APHC,” the Mirwaiz said.

Appreciative of Pakistan’s support for the Kashmir cause, the Mirwaiz complained that Islamabad did not put enough weight behind the APHC and the need to engage with the Hurriyat. “It is not enough for the Foreign Minister/Foreign Secretary to come to India and speak to us just ahead of an engagement. That’s not going to work because Kashmiris are not getting the feel that we are part of the process. Yes, Pakistan’s support is there but this has to be channelized into policy which is missing. We are confused on where Pakistan stands on Kashmir today.”

Mr. Lone was even more forthright: “Allow us to take our own decision and work independently. We are not running away. Allow us to work… allow us that space.”

Responding to an observation from the gathering that the delegation sounded pessimistic, he said: “If speaking the truth is pessimism, then what can we do. You have glorified the Kashmiris. Our political space has been eroded. We are not trying to be negative but we are telling you the ground reality.’’

Venturing into a more personal space, he added: “My father was killed by our own people and not India. Same is the case with him and him… We just want suggestions. Nobody from Delhi or Islamabad should decide for us. We killed our own fathers and brothers, not India.’’

And, referring to the resolutions that the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) passes annually on Kashmir at Pakistan’s prodding, he said: “What can the OIC do for us? It does not have legs of its own to stand on.”

During his visits to Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front leader Yasin Malik has often questioned the growing radicalisation there. Last year, during a visit, he urged the Pakistan government not to act in haste with regard to the fate of death row Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in view of the demands for his execution following the hanging of Afzal Guru by India for the 2001 Parliament attack.

From The Hindu's archives

August 11, 2000: Opinion: >Do not be a prisoner of the Constitution by Kuldip Nayar

January 4, 2001: >Hurriyat wants passports for full delegation

January 8, 2001: > Case-by-case clearance for Hurriyat leaders, says Govt.

June 28, 2001: > Delhi not for Musharraf, Hurriyat meet, Pak. told

May 27, 2005: >BJP opposes Hurriyat leaders' travel without passports

June 2, 2005: Opinion: >Using the Hurriyat visit to build confidence

June 15, 2005: >Media distorted my comments, says Yasin Malik

January 7, 2006: >Hurriyat leaders call on Musharraf

March 27, 2007: >Kashmiris should be involved, Malik tells Aziz

July 26, 2011: >Hina meets Yasin Malik before India visit

December 11, 2012: > ‘Centre clearing decks for Hurriyat delegation's visit to Pakistan’

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