 |
| Syed
Shahabuddin speaking to the press in Srinagar. To his right are
Maulana Shafi Moonis
|
Report
By Zafarul-Islam Khan, IOL South Asia Correspondent
SRINAGAR,
July 6 (IslamOnline) - A high-level Indian Muslim delegation visited
Kashmir this week for five days to assess the situation and advise the
community and the government accordingly.
Soon
after its arrival in the valley local media circulated a rumor that the
delegation was sent by the Indian government to persuade Kashmiri
organizations to take part in the forthcoming elections. These unfounded
rumors even led the Muzaffarabad-based United Jihad Council to issue a
statement from the Pakistan-administered Kashmir advising the delegation
to leave the Valley and go to Gujarat.
The
delegation, representing the All-Indian Muslim Majlis-e Mushawart
(AIMMM), umbrella body of Muslim organizations in India, was led by its
president and former member of Parliament Syed Shahabuddin. Other
members of the delegation were vice president of the Jamaat-e Islami
Hind, Maulana Shafi Moonis, former central minister, Prof. Saifuddin
Soz, member of Parliament KM Khan, and Zafarul-Islam Khan, all members
of the AIMMM executive council.
The
AIMMM Mission started at Jammu where it interacted with a number of
political parties and personalities as well as visited a Kashmiri Pandit
migrant camp and the Raghunath temple which was the target of a militant
attack on March 30.
In
Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, the delegation interacted
with a representative cross-section of the political leadership and
intelligentsia of the state, including the next chief minister Omar
Abdullah and other leaders of the National Conference, the APHC, the
Jamaat-e Islami Kashmir, the Democractic Freedom Party, the Peoples
Conference, and the People's Democratic Party, the state human rights
commission, noted journalists, eminent lawyers and retired bureaucrats.
The mission called on the Lone family to convey its condolences at the
assassination of the Kashmiri leader Abdul Ghani Lone.
At
the end of the visit the delegation leader Syed Shahabuddin issued a
statement which said that "the signs of return to normalcy and in
the context of recent development, there is a surge of hope for a final
solution of the Kashmir problem. The people long for peace and for a
peaceful settlement. But the state is still under a virtual state of
emergency. There is fear in the air, with sporadic violence. The people
nurse deep alienation with the political system and cynicism about the
democratic process due to their sad experience of broken promises and
forgotten assurances. They feel disenchanted and frustrated, wary of new
promises and fresh undertakings".
The
statement went on to say that "having gone through many elections,
they do not see the coming election as the solution or even as the first
step towards a final settlement. They strongly feel that there can be no
“free and fair election,” even with the presence of eminent
observers, national or foreign, unless there is freedom from fear,
freedom of statement and of assembly, indeed unless the repressive
machinery of the state is dismantled and the still raging militancy and
counter-militancy are brought to an end."
The
statement added that "the Kashmiri problem is basically political
and can be resolved only by political means not by a clash of arms, nor
simply by economic development or good governance. The quest of an
acceptable, durable and honorable solution will be a long journey which
will test at every step the will and determination of the people of the
state and their leadership for peace with dignity. An election can only
be an occasion to review the progress towards the ultimate
destination."
The
mission called on the central government to immediately initiate
unconditional dialogue with the political leadership of the people in a
sincere effort eventually to arrive at the above goal.
The
mission suggested that for the success of the dialogue, the central
government should first take due preparatory steps to create a conducive
environment, such as releasing the political detainees, reducing the
visible presence of the security forces in the inhabited areas,
suspending the operation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the
Disturbed Areas Act, minimizing recourse to the Public Safety Act and
the POTA, disbanding the Special Task Force and the Special Police
Officers (SPOs), withdrawing support from the pro-government militants
and reaching an agreement with the militants for a lasting cease-fire.
The
mission proposed that the central government should set the ball rolling
by convening a round table conference of all significant formations,
including all recognized national and state political parties, the All
Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and others. Such a conference will
throw up all possible options and pave the path for a frank exchange of
views and the emergence of a feasible consensus.
It
felt that once the dialogue is initiated, it will generate confidence in
the democratic process and motivate the people to participate massively
in the Assembly election, as and when it is held, which may serve not
only to fill a constitutional vacuum but also to provide the people with
a responsive administration, committed to good governance.
In
conclusion, the mission said that no major political formation in the
state constitutes a hurdle in the path of negotiations. The mission took
note of the strong desire of the people of the state that the
governments of India and Pakistan should resume a purposeful dialogue on
all bilateral questions including the Kashmir problem, which may lead to
freedom of peaceful intercourse between the people divided by the LoC
and perhaps to their eventual unification.
The
delegation leader, Syed Shahabuddin, held a press conference in Srinagar
on July 3 in which, in response to an oft-raised question, he said that
“we do not regard the Muslims of India hostage to the good behaviour
of the Kashmiris." However, he added, "the Kashmiri
association with India will be a source of strength for Indian
Muslims."
In
reply to another question, he said that the basic problem in Kashmir was
political and therefore the Indian government must come out with a
"political package." Election in itself is not an end. He
conceded that independence of Kashmir against the will of India and
Pakistan is not possible.
Replying
to another question about the RSS resolution calling for the
trifurcation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Syed Shahabuddin said
that he does not support trifurcation but the RSS's political face, the
BJP, will have the opportunity to raise this issue during negotiations.
But, he observed, with its hard-line the BJP will be kicked out of
office soon.
Syed
Shahabuddin categorically denied that the delegation was sent by the
government of India. "We do not represent the government of India.
We are addressing the public opinion…we have come only to add to the
voice of sanity," he said adding that he would advise the United
Jihad Council to "keep off Kashmir."
The
writer was part of the AIMMM delegation to Kashmir in his capacity as a
member of its executive council. He will be filing more reports for IOL
on the trials and travails of life in Kashmir today.
