The time has come to ask the nation  whether it actually hopes that the things will turn around in the Valley, as nothing has  been heard about the plans of the  Central government  to take any major step to set a course or direction that can deliver  the state out of uncertainty. There  is neither any thing uncomfortable nor unconstitutional about this question. It is simply a democratic and constitutional poser.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has  exhibited his commitment  to  do something positive for  this state. It is the time  to go in for  action as the promises of the leaders have a particular  time frame. Once deadlines  are  not defined  or those are skipped, the people tend to get impatient.
Either it should be said that the demand is  genuine  and if it is not then it should be respected within the defined parameters of the  Constitution. As one of the three interlocutors  on Kashmir, a respected academic and an authority on the conflict resolution, Radha Kumar  had rightly observed that the Indian Constitution is vast enough to accommodate diverse aspirations, the  word should have been heeded.
Dr. Singh is  not unfamiliar with the crisis. He has faced many during his tenure as Prime Minister so far. It’s a  sign of a mature minds  and personalities  that they  deal  with the extraordinary situations with unprecedented calm and composure. In the recent months, we have seen that  Prime Minister  acted in a most  dignified manner even when there were many provocations within the Parliament and outside of it.  Some say it is his weakness, but I believe that by maintaining  such calm  in response to the provocations, he makes his opponents to  exhibit their political weaknesses.
Having said that, there are certain moments when  it is time to act.  The silence is  misunderstood  and misinterpreted by the detractors. It is true that his predecessor was an excellent  orator, thinker  and statesman  who  outlined a vision for  Jammu and Kashmir, and Dr. Singh  showed  an unequivocal  determination to further  strengthen that process. He did not leave any effort.  During the UPA 1 dialogue was  resumed with the separatists and  it is a matter of record that defying all odds, Pradesh Congress Committee president, then Union Water Resources Minister, Saif-ud- Din  Soz played a key role in arranging the talks between the two sides. But, somehow the dialogue, Round Table Conferences, Working Groups  and the interlocutors’ report, have  not  been allowed to reach logical conclusion.
Such a situation has created complications. One, the  non-implementation  of  various recommendations  has created a trust deficit. The vested interests have exploited that to the hilt. It was seen and experienced during 2009 and 2010. Putting it hypothetically, had the dialogue with the Hurriyat Conference  ( Moderate) been allowed to  progress, the situation would have been different, leaving separatists without any excuses  to run away from the dialogue or  inject new conditions in the process. It would have also shown that how much relevant the separatist leaders were in the  vortex of politics of Kashmir.  After all, at some stage the troops were thinned, bunkers were dismantled and the prisoners were set free, but no one was allowed  to take credit, separatists or mainstream.  As a result there were only claims by some, but those are hardly being credited to them by the people.
The masses deserve something better. A will  to  translate  the  intentions into actions is very important for the political and administrative messages.  Kashmir is  a problem, some call it political, others  describe it as human, but when it comes to  finding ways out of the crisis, what remains is rhetoric  and rhetoric only, some emotive, other hardcore political, and at times far removed from the reality  that exists on the ground. Whatever be the nature of the problem – the fact is that there was  conflict for  21 years and it would be  statement of full of risks to suggest that it  has ended. It has not.
At this juncture, Prime Minister must revisit the  recommendations, initiate an animated debate within the nation and  deliver some  way out, not just to blunt his detractors but for the masses of this state  who want to be adopted in real sense of the word. The matter cannot  be left hanging in balance for   ever. That is a very, very dangerous scenario. There is need to walk with  faith  to  win the trust. The time is now.

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Lastupdate on : Mon, 9 Jan 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 9 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 IST