FAHEEM ASLAM

Srinagar, Sept 6: While the separatist and mainstream circles happen to be at loggerheads most of the times, there seems to be a “consensus” between them at least on some vital issues including the demilitarization, release of political prisoners and revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers (AFSPA) in Jammu and Kashmir.
For the past few years, the Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been repeatedly asking New Delhi to expedite steps to implement the party’s four-point formula for resolution of the 60-year-old Kashmir dispute. The formula includes revocation of “draconian acts” like the AFSPA and Public Safety Act, withdrawal of troops, removal of bunkers from cities, towns and villages of the Valley and release of all prisoners including the detained youth. But so far, there has been no action from New Delhi over the formula.
Apart from Mirwaiz, the Peoples Democratic Party has been calling for repeal of AFSPA, release of political prisoners and demilitarization time and again. The cry, however, has not been heeded so far. Even the ruling National Conference has been urging India to consider repeal of the AFSPA and phased demilitarization, given the “improvement in the ground situation in Kashmir.” But the call has evoked little response from New Delhi.
Of late, the chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Geelani while ‘softening his stance’ has put similar conditions for peace to return in Kashmir. At a press conference on August 31, the veteran pro-freedom leader—who is heading the ongoing ‘Quit Jammu and Kashmir Movement’—threatened to intensify the agitation if New Delhi does not fulfil the five conditions put forth by his party. The conditions say that India should accept Jammu and Kashmir as an international dispute, start demilitarization, revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and ensure the release of all the political prisoners. The Government of India is yet to respond to the conditions.

MEHBOOBA SPEAKS
Notwithstanding the by and large consensus on some vital issues, New Delhi response, according to the mainstream politicians and separatists, has just been callous. “New Delhi should have started the process of demilitarization and AFSPA removal in 2007 itself when the civilian population and security forces were not in confrontation with each other. It should have been a natural process given the fact that there was a substantial improvement in the ground situation then. Unfortunately, Delhi waited for the situation to turn worse and bring the civilian population and forces in confrontation with each other,” said the Peoples Democratic Party president, Mehbooba Mufti, asserting that it was never too late to mend.
“Government of India won’t be doing any favour to Kashmiris by going for AFSPA revocation and demilitarization. It is the right of people to move and roam freely without any hindrance. No civilian in Kashmir is having a gun in hand. So they must seize the opportunity and fulfil the people’s demands which have been echoed by the Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Geelani and Hurriyat Conference (M), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, as well,” Mehbooba added.

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY: BEG
The senior National Conference leader and Member Parliament, Dr Mehboob Beg, described Geelani’s conditions as a “Golden Opportunity” for India to grab. “It is a golden opportunity which India should grab with two hands,” he told Greater Kashmir, adding that India missed several opportunities in the past, like the one at the time when Pervez Musharaf was president of Pakistan. “That time both the internal and external dimensions of the Kashmir issue were looked into,” he said.
Beg said there should be no problem in going for demilitarization and AFSPA revocation.

NOT OPTIMISTIC: GEELANI
The Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani said so far there has been no reaction from the Government of India with regard to his conditions. “I am not optimistic given the past experience. This time too you have seen the Army statement that AFSPA is must in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Geelani made it clear that India’s considering Kashmir as a dispute was his first and foremost demand. “If this is not fulfilled, I would deem that they haven’t accepted anything,” he said.

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