The all-party parliamentary delegation visited Jammu and Kashmir on September 4 and 5.  The central government agreed to this visit after much delay.  This was the first political step taken in the background of the mass protests which began in the valley nearly two months before.  Though there were no meetings scheduled with the leaders of the Hurriyat, some members of the delegation made an effort to meet some of the Hurriyat leaders.  Sitaram Yechury, Sharad Yadav, D Raja and Jayaprakash Yadav belonging to the CPI(M), JD(U), CPI and RJD respectively met Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah and Abdul Ghani Bhat. Only Syed Ali Shah Geelani refused to meet them. All the Hurriyat leaders maintained that the ongoing State repression of the protests and the failure to follow-up on the talks held earlier have not created the conditions for a worthwhile dialogue. By this step taken by the four members of the delegation, a signal was sent that the Kashmir issue can be settled only through a dialogue without pre-conditions.  

Having returned to Delhi, the all-party delegation has issued an appeal for return to peace and the resolution of all the issues through dialogue and discussion.  “The members requested the central and state government to take steps for a dialogue with all stake-holders”.  

However, the Modi government shows no signs of changing its approach in tackling the situation in the valley. September 6 marked the 60th day of the mass unrest.  The central government has not announced the withdrawal of the use of the pellet guns, which is one of the minimum demands for bringing back normalcy.  On the contrary, a 20 year-old young man, Naseer Ahmad Dar died of pellets fired in Anantnag district.  With this, the total number of civilian deaths rose to 74 and over 7,000 injured.  Instead of the outright withdrawal of the pellet guns, according to the Inspector General of Police, SJM Geelani, “Pellets are being used only when the need arises”.  

Sources within the government have briefed the media that a crackdown on the Hurriyat leaders, who are already in detention, is in the offing with plans to withdraw their security, medical facilities provided by the State and foreign travel.  Though this was denied by the home minister Rajnath Singh, it is evident that the central government and the BJP want to continue with their political line of terming the mass protests as inspired by Pakistan through the separatist leaders.  While the reality is that the mass movement on the ground is led by a new generation of youth.  

More repressive measures are not going to quell the popular protests.  The Hurriyat Conference has called for a protest march on Id-ul-Azha to the United Nations office in Srinagar.  They have called for extending the calendar of protest till September 16.  

The path chosen by the BJP government will prove disastrous for the people of Kashmir and it is fraught with serious consequences for the country.  What is required to be done immediately is to take steps to defuse the situation and bring back peace and normalcy. For this, the following steps need to be taken: immediate withdrawal of the use of pellet guns; withdrawal of the AFSPA and the army from the civilian areas; a judicial enquiry into all instances of excesses committed by the security forces against civilians; and adequate compensation to all families who have suffered loss of lives and rehabilitation of the injured and ensuring their means of livelihood.

This has to be followed by initiating a structured dialogue without preconditions with all shades of political opinion in the state. Along with this, the comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan has to be resumed which includes the Kashmir issue.  

It is essential that a democratic solution to the Kashmir issue and the question of the democratic rights of the people of Kashmir are taken to the people of India.  For this, a campaign must be launched by the Left and democratic forces to counter the communal-nationalist discourse on Kashmir of the BJP and the Modi government.  Public opinion has to be mobilised in support of a political solution to the Kashmir problem.  
(September 7, 2016)