BJP itself a proponent of third party mediation over Kashmir related issues during the five year rule of Vajpayee government is now turning a blind eye to the advice of former Chief Minister Farooq for third party mediation with Pakistan over Kashmir . BJP should not forget that Vajpayee as prime minister of this country sought the mediation of then US President Bill Clinton to resolve the military stand off in Kargil in the year 1999 and had not Vajpayee sought the interventions of then US President Bill Clinton a deadly war would have brought irreparable devastation to both India and Pakistan. Wisdom does not lie in flaring up jingoism at the military or the diplomatic leve but in the reconciliation and dialogue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi having himself reiterated BJP’s commitment to stick to the Vajpayee’s doctrine on Kashmir and Indo-Pak relation is encouraging the hawks both within the party and as well as the government he heads at the centre to deny opportunities of dialogue with both Pakistan and as well separatist leadership in Jammu & Kashmir. During last more than one year over one hundred civilians have been killed and no signs of improvement in the situation are visible on the ground in Kashmir but the central government commanded and controlled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is continuing the policy of hot pursuit to bring back normalcy to Kashmir. Ironically the Modi led government has denied recognition even to country’s team of concerned citizens led by a veteran BJP leader Yashwant Sinha the one time foreign minister of the country. It is stunning that Modi government is not ready even to pay heed to the dissenting voices of his own party.
Mehbooba Mufti need not to raise objections and helmsmen in Delhi too need not to deny some historical facts on central government’s relations with the Jammu & Kashmir state. Even the international community has many a times in the pasts lauded and appreciated the approaches of political outreach in Jammu & Kashmir and better for the Modi government to try it again to give peace a chance in the state.
In the presence of a hostile atmosphere there is every apprehension that even the people opposed to third party mediation over Kashmir may turn against the government if immediate steps are not taken to open communication channels with both the separatist leadership and as well as government of Pakistan. Unfortunately the government by reopening the old cases of alleged illegal funding against the separatist leaders has entered into a new phase of confrontation with them. For last more than one year the Mehbooba government has been grappling with a very uncontrolled hostile situation in Kashmir and all the arm twisting methods used by the central government to control hostile and angry crowds on the streets of Kashmir have failed and political wisdom demands that government takes the routes to reconciliation and dialogue and immediately stop pro-active policies in dealing with the separatist leaders in Kashmir. There is nothing bad and no one would feel displeased or annoyed if the Modi government at the centre accepts the mediation of even its own people including the likes of Yashwant Sinha and Ram Jethmalani for a political outreach on a well defined political agenda in Jammu & Kashmir . Mehbooba Mufti need not to raise objections and helmsmen in Delhi too need not to deny some historical facts on central government’s relations with the Jammu & Kashmir state. Even the international community has many a times in the pasts lauded and appreciated the approaches of political outreach in Jammu & Kashmir and better for the Modi government to try it again to give peace a chance in the state.
