Minutes after center offered unilateral ceasefire with the militants, state police started doing the other way. Heading a family of three, Ishfaq Ahmad Wani, a resident of Unisoo Langate had no one in the universe to share his joys and pain with, except the thirteen month old baby, the third member of the family; Mysara, Ishfaq’s wife was killed after being hit by a direct fire on her forehead by a cop during crackdown in her village. Minutes after declaring ceasefire Ishfaq was summoned to the Police Post Chogal and booked for being a stone pelter, thus leaving the thirteen months old baby alone crying for her beloved father. It took even Chief Minister 24 hours to get the ill fated father released. Everyone who came to know about the incident was shocked, as Handwara Police was following the footprints of Israelis who would make infants to cry after arresting their parents. Following the arrest of Ishfaq it was none other than state DGP who asked militants to avail the offer and return back to their homes. By all angles it seems DGP wanted to provoke militants and also minimize the significance of the ceasefire, as ceasefire in itself was victory of those whom security agencies would kill calling them terrorists. The ceasefire is a moral victory of resistance movement especially of those fighting with their lives. Had militants been the terrorists, Govt. would have never announced a ceasefire. However DGP’s statement has unfolded the real designs behind the ceasefire. It seems as if New Delhi on one hand wanted to prove liberal hearted and sincere but on the other hand used DGP to humiliate the militants by offering them surrender. But New Delhi is getting trapped in its own cage. Ceasefire is not the ultimate goal but a vital step towards achieving goal which is resolution of Kashmir dispute. If New Delhi wants to confine things just to halting operations against militants and persuading them to return to their homes, the whole effort is sure to fail miserably. No Kashmiri can afford a surrender. Kashmiris may think and consider about a win-win situation for all the three parties but not at the cost of their sacrifices and rights, as they are the main sufferers. It can be debatable if state police is creating chaos and confusion in consultation with New Delhi over ceasefire issue but one thing is clear that to ensure getting perks, privileges and promotions state police is doing all unwanted actions to sabotage the ceasefire. Ceasefire should never be seen as a concession given to Kashmiris but as an opportunity for all parties to give up arrogance. Given the past experience Kashmiris have every reason to be careful before responding positively to New Delhi’s move, as all those who talked to New Delhi including Mir Waiz, Yaseen Malik and militant commanders, had to face the heat from the masses, because New Delhi humiliated them in the name of talks. The mainstream parties rather trying to make unnecessarily celebrations over ceasefire should persuade New Delhi to move further and release all political prisoners before offering talks. New Delhi has a golden chance to take the lead, when Prime Minister visits Kashmir today, he can make some sincere and concrete confidence building measures from the soil of Kashmir, before meaningful and concrete dialogue is started. However to achieve that New Delhi has to give up dirty tricks and also make security forces especially state police accountable and disciplined. One has every reason to conclude that state DGP’s statement after ceasefire offer has complicated things for New Delhi and may give militant outfits a genuine logic to down play the ceasefire offer. However Pro resistance leadership needs to be extra cautious to gain from the developments and must not give any excuse to New Delhi to cry victim. Whatsoever the response of militant and political leadership, they must speak in one voice and take care of the sensitivities. It is high time for New Delhi to involve other parties, including Pakistan and militant and the political leadership rather than taking unilateral decisions, so that no one feels humiliated, ignored or isolated. If it doesn’t happen this move, unfortunately, will prove no different than what happened in the past.
The ceasefire is a moral victory of the resistance movement
