With Centre’s Special Representative for Jammu and Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma arriving on a three visit to the state there is hope that finally much needed initiative to resolve the Kashmir conflict will resume. In the last three years valley has witnessed upsurge in anti-India sentiments. Terrorist attacks and incident of stone pelting has manifold. There was urgent need for intervention from the centre.
The latest announcement of state govt to withdraw cases of around 4500 first time stone pelters, on the recommendation of the Centre’s interlocutor, is a positive step towards creating a reconciliatory atmosphere in Kashmir. This will definitely help to set positive tone for talks to progress.
But there is no denying that the interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma has a huge task to make any kind of breakthrough. Release of political prisoners, rehabilitation of pellet victims and above all opening dialogue channel with the joint separatist leadership are the major issues which will pose challenge for him. Centre refuses to talk to separatist groups like Hurriyat. However if a long term solution is to achieve then there is no harming in having dialogue with all the stakeholders including the separatists. If centre invites Hurriyat for dialogue and if they refuse, it will give govt of India advantage in the propaganda battle against anti-Indian forces. Both government of India and government of J &K should extend every possible help to the Interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma in his effort to initiate dialogue process with people of Jammu and Kashmir.