SRINAGAR, 2 January 2003 — As all parties in the Kashmir dispute toughen their stands, the chances of immediate negotiations over the future of the disputed Himalayan region seem remote.
Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani said during a tour of Indian-administered Kashmir last week that New Delhi was ready to talk to elected representatives and others, including those who chose to stay away from state elections held in September-October. All pro-India groups in Kashmir, including the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headed by the new Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed welcomed Advani’s gesture.
"Nobody except those working against the restoration of peace in the state could oppose the dialogue process," Sayeed said. "The bullet has no role where dialogue can resolve the problem," he said, describing Advani’s offer of talks as "unconditional
Muslim militant groups and separatists have rejected the offer saying it has nothing new in it to solve the problem of Kashmir, where a Muslim anti-India rebellion has cost 37,500 lives since 1989. "The Kashmir issue can be resolved through trilateral talks involving India, Pakistan and the representatives of Kashmiris," said Salim Hashmi, the chief spokesman for region’s dominant rebel group Hizbul Mujahedeen.
Omar Farooq, Kashmir’s leading Muslim cleric and one of the top leaders of the main separatist alliance the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) also stressed the need to engage Pakistan in talks over the future of the region. But on Monday, Advani said New Delhi would not talk to any Kashmiri separatists who "reflected Pakistan’s voice."
"We are ready to talk to elected representatives and to others as well but not with those who only reflect Pakistan’s voice and consider that country to be their master," Advani said.
New Delhi says it will not resume talks with Islamabad over Kashmir until the latter stops backing what it says is "cross-border terrorism" in Kashmir. "We do not want to talk to Pakistan or their proxies. If we have to talk to Pakistan, we will not require any intermediary," he said.
Advani’s remarks have left the prospect of negotiations even less likely. Farooq, 29, Tuesday hit out at Advani saying if he thought the Hurriyat was a "proxy of Pakistan he is highly mistaken." "We are neither the proxy of India, nor the proxy of Pakistan," he told AFP, "we are representatives of the aspirations of the people of Kashmir."
Advani’s remarks were "unwarranted," Farooq said. "Today or tomorrow India will have to talk to all the parties involved in the Kashmir dispute, including Pakistan." he said.
Kashmir’s new chief minister has also been advocating "unconditional" talks between New Delhi, Kashmiri separatists and Muslim rebels. However, last week he also backtracked from the pre-poll commitment, saying rebels will have to lay down their arms before negotiations start. The plea was rejected outright by the rebels.
There is growing international pressure on both India and Pakistan to resume talks over Kashmir, stalled since July 2001 when Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf made a landmark trip to India. The talks broke down over Kashmir, and since then separatist violence in the region has gone up.
India blames Pakistan for arming and funding the militants, but Islamabad, which has been calling for dialogue, says it is doing its best to stop Muslim rebels crossing into Indian Kashmir. Indian officials say the cross-border infiltration has come down, but not completely stopped. (AFP)
