Home Minister Agrees to Opposition Demand to Start Political Process in Kashmir

NEW DELHI: It was a long debate on Kashmir---longest ever as both Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and Home Minister Rajnath Singh emphasised---with clearly an agreement between all political parties to make their points without acrimony or confrontation. Singh virtually agreed to all demands of the Opposition, including a unanimous resolution of the House that was unanimously adopted by all at the end of the debate.

In specific terms the Home Minister agreed to start a political process in consultation with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. The resolution passed by the House was intended to open some doors, endorsing the need to build trust in Kashmir.

The political process will begin with an all party meeting on Kashmir on the last day of Parliament, August 12, that Rajnath Singh said would be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He agreed to organise a visit to Kashmir by an all party delegation, saying that the modalities on the ground will be worked out with the state government. He did not specify a time frame for this.

Singh, on a specific demand made by Azad, assured the House that there was no question of bringing Kashmir under the Army. Azad had asked him to respond to current rumours in the Valley that after the Amarnath yatra ended within a few days, the centre would bring the Valley under Army rule. “There is no question of that, the idea has not even crossed our minds,” the Home Minister said.

On the unanimous demand to stop the use of pellet guns, Singh said that an experts committee had been appointed to explore other non lethal options to control violence and this would submit its report within two months. As to whether pellet guns would be used in the intermediate period he said that the forces had been told to exercise maximum restraint. Giving figures he said that 4515 security personnel had been injured in the volence as against 3356 civilians after the first flush of violence. This, the minister said, demonstrated the use of restraint on part of the forces.

Singh started by painting a positive picture of measures taken by the government to ensure that food, medicines were in adequate supply despite the curfew. He also maintained that it was incorrect to say that all of the Valley was under curfew at any point in time, that curfew was intermittent, and often businesses were closed out of fear.

He said that Pakistan was involved in the protests and made it clear that there was no power in the world that “can take Jammu and Kashmir away from us.” He said that slogans in support of Pakistan were not acceptable, and appealed to all Kashmiris to ensure that these were not raised. He said ISIS flags had been seen on occasion and those raising these should remember that ISIS had waged war on Muslims themselves, and was anti-Islam that does not condone violence.