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Kashmir : Inter-State Council meet : Top leaders get a feel of terror in the Valley

	September 01, 2003

The first ever Inter-State Council Meet hosted by Jammu and Kashmir to deliberate over Centre-State relations was marred by acts of violence resorted to by terrorists who apparently wanted to make their presence felt and to vitiate the atmosphere in the State.

The Council meetings are always presided over by the Prime Minister and attended by Chief Ministers from all states. While Prime Minister Vajpayee took the opportunity to criticize Pakistan on lack of will to check terror, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani focused on ending terrorism to bring amity and peace in the Valley. Vajpayee also announced a package of schemes for the State.

As was to be expected, terrorists first made their presence felt in a hotel at Srinagar but were shot down by the security forces. The spectacular success, however, was the claim that the mastermind behind the Parliament attack, Gazi Baba along with some militants was shot dead. Gazi Baba was considered the operational chief in Kashmir of Jaish-e-Mohammad and if confirmed, his killing would be a major success for the security forces. The 10-hour long encounter in Noorbagh area of Srinagar, resulted in one security personnel losing his life. Eight BSF personnel, including a civilian, were injured in the encounter which broke out when security personnel raided a house on a tip off from an arrested JeM ultra that Baba, a Pakistani national hailing from Bahawalpur, may come there.

One of the two bodies of militants was identified as that of Gazi Baba also wanted in connection with the attack on Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, hijacking of Indian Airlines flight in 1999 and a number of attacks on security force camps. He was a close associate of Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar who was released by India along with two militants for ending the hijacking of Indian Airlines plane in Kandahar.

Contesting the claim of BSF that its chief commander operations Gazi Baba was killed in an encounter, Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad outfit said three of its activists died in the gun-fight. JeM area commander Saiful Islam, Abu Zaid and Abu Kasha were killed in the encounter while four other activists of the outfit escaped from the besieged area, its spokesman claimed.

Earlier, in a separate encounter between militants and security forces barely a few kilometres from the Sher-e-Kashmir International City Centre in Srinagar where Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee addressed the eighth Inter-State Council meeting Aug 27, one person was killed and eight others were injured. The militants, who were said to be two, tried to storm the heavily guarded headquarters of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, police said, adding they hurled a grenade and opened fire from automatic weapons. The militants were forced to take shelter in an adjacent building after encountering retaliation from Central Reserve Police Force guards.



Vajpayee links ties with Pak to militant infiltration

Speaking at the Conference, Prime Minister Vajpayee said there cannot be any headway in normalising relations between India and Pakistan until terrorist violence aided from across the border comes to a halt. At the end of his three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Vajpayee seemed visibly distressed over the continuing violence in the State and said that it was holding back the two countries starting an exercise of meaningful dialogue.

The Prime Minister expressed deep concern over the situation on the Line of Control and within the State. “I cannot say why Pakistan is treading this path and, as for any meaningful talks is concerned, the support from across the border to terrorist-related activity has to end permanently,” he said.

Agreeing with the perception that on the ground the terrorist infrastructure across the LoC remained intact and their communication aiding the terrorists within India was still active, Vajpayee pointed out “Normalcy is still to return to the State and incidents like the Srinagar attack are ample proof of it. The support from across the border should cease and a conducive environment should be created for the talks to start.”

About the proposal from some quarters that violence and dialogue can go hand in hand, the Prime Minister said: “At the Line of Control terrorist activity continues. We cannot stop everything that is happening within the State. Pakistan denies its support to terrorists. We have no other option but to find the reasons if there is some grain of truth in these statements. We are slow in the dialogue process but this is the right approach. Policy has to be slow and step by step.”

At the same time, he underscored the fact that his offer for a sincere dialogue with Pakistan still stood and that he was willing to wait for more time for a change in the ground reality which in many ways is linked with the Pakistan establishment. He recalled the positives of his latest peace offer. Diplomatic exchange between the two sides had taken place. Attempts were also being made to restore air service but there were some obstacles. The Prime Minister stressed the need to improve trade ties between the two nations as this was cost-effective and, therefore, beneficial.

Vajpayee affirmed that his policy vis-a-vis Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir had consistency and now the response had to come from Pakistan. The Prime Minister also talked of an internal dialogue within the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

On the latest offer of talks by the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, Vajpayee said that “Advaniji has accepted the offer of talks with the Hurriyat. Now, the Hurriyat should not come with conditions. It is the Central Government which has to decide whom they are going to assign the task of talking to them. This is the right approach in any dialogue process. “On the Hurriyat’s insistence on formal talks, he pointed out it was futile to get tied down with the terminology of formal-informal. Once the talks started at some level, there can be further progress.

Vajpayee’s reaction to the demand for unilateral ceasefire within the State was quite blunt. He asked the militants to stop firing. The Army was only responding to their acts. He emphasised: We are prepared to talk to any militant outfit if it shuns the path of violence. We can talk with everyone and we won’t be selective in our approach provided the basic requirements for a civilised dialogue are met.”

Deputy Prime Minister Advani said : “the dimensions of economic devastation unleashed by the terror machine has affected our economic growth. The new war is unfortunately violent and we have been having enough taste of it at our very doorsteps almost every day.”

“Let us face the multifarious challenges of terror with solidarity and fortitude. I will exhort the states to make use of this forum to discuss the problems being faced by them in the campaign by terrorism,” he added. Advani also complimented the Jammu and Kashmir government for staging the meet. “It is a historic day in the annals of the council. For the first time, the council is meeting outside Delhi,” he said.



Economic package

At the end of his visit, the Prime Minister announced an economic package for the State after holding discussions with the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, his Council of Ministers and a cross section of society.

A special feature of the package is the provision of Rs. 7 crores for the plan to partially shift some villages along the Line of Control in Poonch sector that are affected by shelling from Pakistan. In consultation with the Army, 541 families along the LoC would be shifted to nine colonies.

The Power and Finance Ministries would assist the State in the financial closure of the 450-mw Baglihar power project constructed on Chenab within one month. The State had sought the Centre’s assistance in funding the Baglihar power project. Out of the project cost of Rs. 3,800 crores, the State had spent about Rs. 1,600 crores.

Similarly, for overcoming the electricity crisis in Leh area of Ladakh, the Ministry of Power had considered various options and recommended that a 220-KV single circuit transmission line from Srinagar to Leh via Kargil would be the best option which would provide a reliable and cheaper power for this area on a long-term basis. The cost of the transmission line would be about Rs. 300 crores funds which would be provided by the Centre.

Vajpayee also announced relief for the Kashmiri Pandits who migrated from valley would be enhanced from Rs. 600 a person a month to Rs.750 immediately, subject to a maximum of Rs. 3,000 a family a month. This would involve an expenditure of Rs. 10 crores a year.

On the housing front, 500 new tenements would be provided for the Kashmiri migrant families at Purkhoo Phase IV costing Rs. 10 crores. At present, they are living in tenements with leaking roofs in Muthi phase II-Jammu. In addition, Rs. 5 crores would be provided for other facilities in 14 Kashmiri migrant camps in Jammu region.

A one-time special grant of Rs. 30 crores would be given for the development of the University of Jammu and its affiliated colleges. Ten Kendriya Vidyalayas (central schools) had been sanctioned and a one-time grant of Rs. 45 crores would be given for their construction in three years.

A scheme to provide drinking water facilities to 2,284 houses and 1,400 schools in Kandi area at a cost of Rs.175 crores had been prepared. In the current year, Rs. 54.16 crores was released in the normal course to the State for the implementation of water supply schemes, a part of which would be for the Kandi area. An additional Rs. 20 crores would be released for the area for similar schemes.

Vajpayee underlined the two economic packages announced in May 2002 and April 2003 were under various stages of implementation and he was closely monitoring them.



Centre-State relations

Speaking at the Eight Inter-State Council meeting, Vajpayee declared his government is willing to sit with state governments to discuss “an action plan on good governance.” He came up with a five-point programme for evolving a programme of good governance: “A comprehensive legal framework that is defended and enforced by an impartial and competent judicial system. A framework that would be accountable and open. A transparent executive decision making apparatus. A system coupled with a capable, efficient and people friendly bureaucracy and last but not the least, a strong civil society.”

He said the dynamics of social, economic and political forces in India have changed significantly since the Sarkaria Commission submitted its report on Centre-state relationship.

The Commission had recommended far reaching changes including more financial and executive autonomy for the states.

“Centre-state relationship has improved and a sense of partnership has emerged. The end of one-party rule at the Centre has inaugurated a new process of harmonisation of regional aspirations. This has also helped political parties to somewhat alter their traditional positions on various issues,” he said.

The Prime Minister asserted that during his tenure the Centre-state relations improved because of a strong federal spirit.

“The [Inter-State] Council strengthens the bond of partnership between the Union and the states, which is the mainstay of our democratic polity and also the main requirement for achieving India’s speedy all-round development,” he said.

He said a majority of programmes undertaken by governments — both at the Centre and in states - were expenditure based and not sufficiently based on quantitative and qualitative changes. This must change, he added. Talking about 59 recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission, Vajpayee was happy that instructions have been issued to ministries and departments to consult the state governments — barring on those issues which figure on the concurrent list of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution — before taking a decision. Under the Constitution, there are subjects reserved for the Centre and States. For example, law and order is a state subject. In the Concurrent List are subjects like Education, where both the State and the Centre have jurisdiction.



Talks with Hurriyat

Bowing to pressure from militant groups, the Hurriyat gave a strike call during Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s visit. In fact, both Geelani and the APHC had called for a bandh on Aug 27. As a result, shops and business establishments in Srinagar and surrounding areas remained closed in the morning.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the pro-Pakistan Kashmiri leader who recently parted company with the separatist All-Parties Hurriyat Conference, has criticised the separatist conglomerate’s ‘soft’ attitude towards the Vajpayee government.

“Ever since Maulavi Abbas Ansari was elected APHC chairman, he has been talking of ceasefire.” He is even prepared to hold talks with the government of India. Who has authorised him to hold talks?”

Meanwhile, notwithstanding the “rigid” attitude of Hurriyat Conference, the Centre has said it would consider talking to the separatist amalgam if they wanted to hold a formal meeting with the government in Delhi.

Denying that talks were held with the Hurriyat during the just-concluded two-day meet of inter-state council, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani has said that the Centre was willing to consider holding talks with the amalgam if they came to Delhi.

“Although we have nominated (N.N.) Vohra for holding talks with any separatist group operating in the Valley, if they (Hurriyat) still want to have a formal dialogue with the Centre to begin with, it can be considered,” he said. Advani’s comments came amidst a rigid stand shown by the Hurriyat at a time when track-II diplomacy was showing results.



Holding of Council meet a positive development

Despite attempts by militants to vitiate the atmosphere, Kashmir watchers say the holding of the Inter-State Council meeting at Srinagar, and that for the first time outside the Capital, has in a way sent out many positive signals within and outside the country.

The main one is a reaffirmation of J&K as a key Indian state with its leadership being an important component of national policy-making.

At the same time, there is a perceptible weakening, if not actual fractures, in the cohesion of the All Party Hurriyat Conference that is being noted. The political face of the separatist agenda had lost out many years ago when the jihad had to rely heavily on foreign fighters, undermining its political legitimacy. But the real dent in the Hurriyat’s position to speak for separatism and its accompanying violence came last year when the people overwhelmingly voted in the state elections, in effect rejecting that ideology and the political stance that sought to boycott the elections. Events since then have progressively and surely created further dents in the support for the type of ideology that the Hurriyat had promoted for years.

The Hurriyat as a political umbrella for separatism may now be downsliding in popularity with the loss of citizen’s confidence. Observers feel there is need for the Centre to handle the conglomeration carefully.

There is also a need to strengthen the benefits that could accrue to the Hurriyat in a variety of ways if it were to allow itself to be nudged toward the mainstream. The priority task should be essentially at removing the sense of grievances and alienation of the people. The Hurriyat should be invited to join in that process.

Although it is futile to expect mercenaries to give up violence, there appears to be a change in the mindset of the Kashmiri militants. There has been a perceptible decline in the feeling of alienation. Too much should not be read into the bandh organised in the Valley to greet the Inter-State Council meeting either. These are the desperate attempts of frustrated foreign militants to demonstrate that they are still relevant.

People of the state appear to be to give peace another chance. Analysts are of the view that time has come to distinguish between those who are beyond the pale of reasonableness because of foreign affiliations and those who swear by the gun culture only because their genuine grievances have not been addressed.

In that respect, Vajpayee has taken the right step to reiterate his resolve to advance the dialogue process with those who rejected militancy and extreme positions. Once a clear message is conveyed to the disgruntled elements that the Centre is above playing petty politics, perhaps many more people will come to the negotiating table.

By holding the chief ministers’ conference in Srinagar, Delhi has underlined the fact that more than a decade of mindless violence has not weakened its national resolve.