But, what was the practical outcome of these meetings? Not a huge deal,unless you place a big emphasis on some political prisoners being released -less than a handful - as a minor confidence building measure since the Hurriyatasked for it.
In the present instance, the timing of the meeting says a lot more than theproposed meeting itself. New Delhi will be able to declare that it has beguntalking to the disaffected political classes in Jammu and Kashmir, both to Musharraf and to the rest of the world. Ever since Manmohan Singh became PrimeMinister last May, the effort has been to set the proper context within which apolitical dialogue is initiated between New Delhi and the political class ofJammu and Kashmir, of which Hurriyat is undeniably a part. The first task was toget a credible and sustainable process of engagement going with Pakistan. It wasfelt that the framework of that process would yield enough dividends that wouldhelp propel the entire process.
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Is this dialogue sustainable? What kind of groundwork has been done as apreparatory measure for this meeting? These are questions to which there are noclear answers. It is perhaps a good bet that not a lot of groundwork has goneinto this meeting.
It is a better bet that many other Kashmiri leaders are going to chaff in thesidelines. There is Yasin Mallik, who went out of his way during the Hurriyat'svisit to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to show that he is a man who has a mind ofhis own. There is Sajjad Lone. Then there is Shabir Shah, although he has putconditionalities for a dialogue with Delhi. They will certainly get the feelingthat New Delhi is showing what amounts to a marked preference for one kind ofKashmiri leadership.
