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Hope In Many Shades

Vajpayee's Ramazan truce offer evokes a guarded response in J&K

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Hope In Many Shades
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The sceptics are many but there is a growing number of ordinary Kashmiris who see a ray of hope in Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's ceasefire offer during the holy month of Ramazan. Indeed, the view that the latest peace offer may not meet the same fate as the unilateral ceasefire announced in July by the Hizbul Mujahideen is gaining ground. The only roadblock, however, seems to be a possible escalation of violence in Jammu and Kashmir by militant outfits like the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Al-Badr, which have rejected the ceasefire outright.

Therefore, this time around, the key players of the separatist movement—the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Hurriyat Conference—have been guarded in welcoming New Delhi's initiative. Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin has pointed out that his outfit would welcome the ceasefire if it could lead to the resolution of the Kashmir conflict. However, he was quick to add that India should first acknowledge Kashmir as a disputed territory and both Pakistan and the people of Kashmir must be involved in any dialogue. Senior Hurriyat leaders have been making similar noises. Notes former Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq: "If the PM's ceasefire offer is in the context of resolution of the dispute, then it's a positive change and we welcome it." He too feels that the Kashmir issue can only be resolved through tripartite talks. He also suggests—in case India is not prepared to make such a move—that the Hurriyat Conference be allowed to talk to India and Pakistan.

Hurriyat Conference chairman Prof Abdul Ghani Bhat, though cautious, is willing to give the peace effort a chance. Says he: "Vajpayee's ceasefire offer should be taken as means to an end—the final resolution of the Kashmir problem." But he adds that New Delhi needs to do more than just announce a ceasefire. Says he: "The troops should be sent to the barracks, the detainees should be released and the political parties should be allowed to engage in their activities freely." Bhat also makes a case for allowing the Hurriyat leaders to talk to Pakistan-based militant leaders. This, he feels, is important if the ceasefire is to hold.

The importance of this cannot be overstated. Within days of Vajpayee's Ramazan offer came news of the gunning down of five truck drivers near Qazigund, on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. According to political observers in Srinagar, such incidents could thwart the peace process and they could be stopped if Hurriyat leaders were to be allowed to talk to leaders of Pakistan-based militant outfits.

Senior Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone, who is in Pakistan after the marriage of his son Sajjad to jklf chairman Amanullah Khan's daughter Asma, is doing just that—prevailing upon the militant commanders to soften their hardline stance.

That leaves out the militant outfits which have no roots in the Valley and have rejected the ceasefire, vowing to step up attacks. They hold the view that the only solution to the Kashmir problem is jehad. Bakhat Zamin, chief of the Al-Badr group, has announced that he is launching a new offensive against the Indian forces because the ceasefire offer is merely a ploy to undermine the unity of militant groups.

Yahya Mujahid, spokesman of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, the other militant group which swears by jehad, has stated that the ceasefire offer is a well-scripted drama enacted by the Vajpayee government. According to him, Indian forces should be withdrawn from Kashmir if New Delhi is sincere about solving the dispute."Jehad is a sacred mission and we'll continue with it even during the holy month of Ramazan," he said. Another frontline militant organisation, the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, dismissed the ceasefire. "We reject it outright," its spokesman Amiruddin Mughal said, alleging that India was trying to befool the world.

With some militant groups striking an aggressive posture, the ceasefire could prove to be counter-productive for the security forces. Says bsf inspector-general G.S. Gill: "A halt in the operations may kindle hopes of peace but it will have its bearing on the security forces fighting insurgency. The troops will have to go on the defensive. When our men are aggressive, they dominate but going on the defensive always means being at the receiving end."

But he would still like to take a shot at the peace effort. According to Gill, if the ceasefire holds and the peace initiative succeeds, then the troops fighting insurgency would be the greatest beneficiaries. While senior officers are keeping their fingers crossed and hope that the militants honour the ceasefire, for the average Kashmiri, any hope of peace—from whichever quarter—is welcome.

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