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India, Pakistan should increase pace of peace process: Yasin Malik | ||||
Ayanjit Sen (ITGD) | ||||
New Delhi, March 15, 2008 |
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Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik says that except for some confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan, there have been no substantial efforts to resolve the Kashmir dispute. Excerpts from an interview with Ayanjit Sen. India and Pakistan are reconciling on Kashmir. Your thoughts on the dialogue process. When A.B. Vajpayee came to Kashmir in 2004, he addressed the Kashmiri people saying that he wanted to resolve the Kashmir issue. Then they formally started the dialogue process. We supported it. I collected 1.5 million signatures in support of the dialogue process. The Kashmiri people have a right to be part of the peace process. Last year, I started a 15-day march in support of the dialogue process. But results show that except for the confidence-building measures, there have been no substantial efforts in resolving the problem. So, my demand and suggestion is that both India and Pakistan should carry on the dialogue process. The last hope for the people of the state is the dialogue process. If the Kashmiri people lose hope in the dialogue process, it will be a disaster. Both India and Pakistan should increase the pace of the peace process. How do you perceive the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the Valley? I have visited migrant camps in Jammu and Udhampur. In 2004, my colleagues and friends asked me not to visit it, but I did. There was a 65-year-old woman who told me about Lord Ram. She said in a year's time, she would complete 14 years in the camp, just the way Ram had done when he was banished for a similar number of years. It was my promise to her that I will make an effort to bring them back, and we did bring a number of families back. The Indian government should take constructive and genuine steps to bring them back to the Valley. Do you agree that most militant organisations in Kashmir are motivated by religion rather than geo-politics? I agree that in every society there are different schools of thought. Kashmir is no exception and all schools of thought are present here as well. However, you must give one credit. Since the peace process has started, 90 per cent of the violence has decreased in the last year, though militants are present in Kashmir. I think the dialogue process was supported by all corners. Assembly elections are due in Kashmir in October. Are you going to participate? Well, (laughs) we are now waiting to see what the outcome of the peace process will be. We have not put any thought on the elections till now. We want to know what happens in the peace process. JKLF started the movement for a separate homeland. Later on, it denounced violence and turned its attention to a non-violent movement - a long way from struggle to non-violence. How do you assess your transformation? Our movement started from non-violence and then we turned to violence. And again back to non-violence. It has gone through this transformation. There has been provocation to send me back underground, but I was patient and defeated the state politically and morally. |
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