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Days after the government announced a ‘cease-ops’ plan during Ramzan, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, who had called for a unilateral ceasefire, says the government’s peace initiative will be incomplete without a ceasefire on the LoC with Pakistan. In an interview, he called on the Hurriyat to join the effort.
Do you think this ceasefire or ‘cease-ops’ will be successful?
A ceasefire will work only if Pakistan joins the ceasefire. In PM Vajpayee’s time, we had the advantage that Pakistan agreed to a bilateral ceasefire and that gave us peace for a long time. People started agriculture along the Zero Line and they were quite happy on both sides of the fence. Today the ceasefire is late, and the other side hasn’t responded and the Hurriyat has been non-committal. This is unfortunate, as both the mainstream and the separatists must work together to bring peace. So we still have to wait and see. Militants have attacked the Pulwama picket today; Pakistan is still bombing our borders and LoC. If Pakistan doesn’t join then what do they want? An escalation? Our bilateral issues must be settled bilaterally with some give and take.
But realistically, India and Pakistan are far away from bilateral settlements at present. There are no talks at all.
Unfortunately, hawkish attitudes by both Indian and Pakistani government haven’t worked. The way forward is to come down from high horses and help people live better lives.
It wasn’t a small step for Vajpayee to call General Musharraf to India after Kargil, when we had lost so many soldiers. But he thought [that in the] long term we can’t live in war with neighbours forever. Today winning elections is more important than winning peace. The [Modi] government came with such a large mandate, and the majority’s support, and we thought they would get support for any strong decision he took.
But he has been unable to work with Pakistan, and over there, the Army is calling the shots.
So we can live in harmony and live in progress, or live in disharmony and destroy each other.
You called the Modi government hawkish, but do you think it has softened by taking up the State government’s call for a cease-ops?
Softening doesn’t mean only development, or just giving money for a power project or tunnel or road. You have to meet the aspirations of the people.
This is a political problem that needs a political solution.
Rather than going to Russia, U.S. or China, lets solve our internal problems here, put our house in order.
Is this the right time for a cease-ops? There seems to be a new wave of militancy in Kashmir, with new recruits who are homegrown.
I agree, this is a new turn. But how does one wean them away [from militancy]? We need to create an atmosphere where they feel the government is working in their interests.
These boys know their future lies with the nation itself: we can’t go to China or Pakistan.
Our way is this side. But it is for the State government to convince them, which it hasn’t done.