Who has emerged stronger in the 30-year-long Kashmir conflict. When there is a talk of dialogue, that means accommodation of the ideas of each other, and it has to between equals. Inequality never yields any positive results. There is thinking that everyone has emerged stronger in the conflict, hence the dialogue should be deferred as the issue can be decided through other means that is the military might.
Militant groups are leading a high profile campaign with guns. They are also living in the self-belief that they have the backing of the whole of Kashmiri Muslim population, hence they need not compromise. Those who are not compromising with their ideology driven by guns in response to the appeal of their family members – there are an increasing number of instances where the militants trapped in the encounter sites have turned away their families from there and fought to get killed – how can they compromise with the establishment that they believe they can uproot .
On the other side is the Indian military might is an “all out mode” that when translated means , elimination of all the militants. The theory is that the elimination of militants in gunfights in their hideouts in houses , cave –like structures and orchards, will send a powerful message that the militants have a very short life. That is true because in some cases the militants have been with the guns from few hours to few weeks. Most of them are the local youth who enter the militant ranks more out of their enthusiasm to do something for their motherland, rather than a hard training in combating the highly trained military personnel . Their passion , they believe, is their ultimate strength and that is what makes them to think that they are strong, hence no need to compromise.
It is the traditional thinking in any conflict situation. The conflict situations have their own dynamics that cannot be comprehended by the military commanders who trust their war-room strategies, far removed from the actual reality on the ground. It is not to suggest that they don’t have the real-time combat experience while dealing with armed militancy. They may be having the finest brains and experience of the most unanticipated situations 24×7, but to read the mind of the militants, their backers and sympathisers is a big challenge .
There is a need to take time out and study afresh the worldview that Kashmir is attracting across the globe. The thinking of being weak or strong – a necessary characteristic of conflict situations around the world – should not be allowed to hinder the process of dialogue that can yield some results. This dialogue doesn’t necessarily have to be an exclusive exercise . It should have an appeal for all where the ideas can converge that is to agree to disagree .
And, this is the time when a new and sustainable effort should be made to bring every world view , ideas of the presumed weak , and the presumed strong , and all those who appear to have outsourced their right to negotiate to others together. This effort must be preceded by certain acts of sincerity fill to the brim. Half-hearted efforts prove more disastrous than no effort at all. But that is not the way forward, unless and until an effort is made, anything can be achieved, except for delusions .
It is important that all the charges and attempts to de-legtimise each other should be avoided with all the care . The recognition of the roots of the problem, historical or contemporary is as important as looking for the positive results coming out of putting the idea of the talks into practice .
Kashmir today is living in contrasts. This should be appreciated because the conciliation emerges only when the contrasts are understood and appreciated. Kashmiris are vacationing in Jammu – some have come with their head of the family serving in the “Durbar move” offices, others, who can afford, have made it their wintertime home to escape harsh cold of the Valley. Jammu markets are crowded, and Jammu shopkeepers are happy to serve their high-spending customers. There exists a bond, not only in the shop lines of Jammu, but elsewhere too. ON X-Mas eve, Kashmiris were moving around in large groups, watching Christians celebrate their most important festival. Their presence was warming. This is what the essence of the piety of the Kashmiri cultural ethos – Kashmiriyat –is.
That is understanding each other. If there is a dedicated effort to rise to that pedestal of understanding, the solutions to the problems based on conciliation, not compromises, would bestow a benign shine on all of us. That would make all of us strong without the weapons of destruction. A time out from the ideas of conflict would be a great service that we can do for our state and the posterity.