Dr Gull Mohd Wani
Kashmir has once again plunged into complete chaos. Once again accusing fingers are being raised. Security experts and political leaders are providing their own perspectives on how things are unfolding .The situation, however, cannot be explained through one single reason. There are as usual serious issues related to dialogue, reconciliation, justice, human rights, governance, and security which have combined together to lead to the present crisis. Again it would be erroneous to pin all hopes on the state government to wriggle out the state from the present crisis.
John Burton, the former Australian diplomat had proposed the pluralist paradigm for a conflict situation so that resolution can take place. He claimed that conflict was no longer the affair of the governments alone and people need to be engaged at all levels. In this context some explanations can be offered to explain the present crisis. First, 26/11 Mumbai attacks had not only disrupted the India Pakistan peace process but had also seriously impacted the internal dialogue process between Srinagar and Delhi. The quiet diplomacy initiated by the Home Minister P Chidambaram to find a creative and unique solution to Kashmir considering its historical context could lead us nowhere .The attack on Fazal Haq Quershi put the process in limbo. The attack on the moderate leader was followed by a type of radicalization which made the process more thorny. There were people who argue that it is difficult to continue with the internal process without Pakistan being on board. It is hoped that a comprehensive peace process be put on track so that the vacuum in Kashmir is not filled up by violence. Second, there is need for mutual flexible containment which means to isolate anti-peace forces in the entire sub-continent.
The spoilers in the peace process need to be defeated. The power brokers and hawks are not going to benefit by the dialogue process. It is the common man, divided families and the middle class who suffer due to the violence and disruption of peace process. The challenge for the political leadership is to mould public opinion and take bold decisions.
Third, the governance issue in Kashmir has become the casualty of the coalition government of two historically estranged parties. There is lot of mess in the coalition government of Congress and National Conference. Even on minor issues the chief minister has to rush to Delhi for consultation with prime minister and the Congress president. The two parties share a lot of distrust which affects the efficiency of the government. Earlier on in 1987 it was in the aftermath of Rajiv-Farooq accord that the state witnessed the first breakdown and consequent rise of militancy.
The coalition government has seriously affected the principle of collective responsibility and the institution of chief minister. Fourth, everything must be done to ensure the primacy of human rights .The recent fake encounters and targeted killings of youth has demonstrated that there is a serious malaise both in the counter-insurgency formations and in the internal oversight mechanisms. The killing of youth has generated lot of pain. There is urgent need for relocation of forces from civilian areas and also a case for revocation of harsh laws.
Kashmir needs a very vibrant civil society. Civil society presupposes a thinking individual who is concerned about oppression and domination in society. It has to create spaces from where all undemocratic monopolies can be challenged. It can work as a sphere of communication also.
