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The Rediff Interview/Girish Chandra Saxena

'There is no question of one inch of our territory going out of India'

As a person who has dealt with Kashmir and Pakistan for over 25 years, how many more years do you think it would take before Kashmir is normal again?

Political solution will not precede normalisation. It will only follow. If we move forward in the spheres of economic cooperation, trade expansion, cultural exchange etc, then the chances of a final solution will be enhanced. It will be a win-win situation for both countries. It may take 15,, 20 years... Good statesmanship on both sides may advance this.

There is a strong, very strong, anti-India, anti-army feeling among the local populace. How do you think the administration can counter this feeling?

The negative feeling is not towards India alone -- the Kashmiris harbour the same sentiment against Pakistan also. They feel used by Pakistan. The scars in the mind of Kashmiris will take some time to heal. To speed up the process, the government can raise the level of living standards and restore whatever has been destroyed. There should be economic development plans that will have visible impact in the short-term. Side by side, there should be long-term projects. Short-term projects should include reconstruction of schools, colleges, roads, housing, creation of marketing outlets for small-scale industries... all these will improve the employment situation.

The Kashmiri had a wonderful way of life, and a very liberal tradition of Islam. He saw it all getting eroded. These have to be restored to him.

There is an allegation that the Union government is not ready to invest enough money in Kashmir as this is presumed to be risky.

That's wrong. The funds being supplied are good. Ninety per cent of the money given to Kashmir as a special category state is free grants. Kashmir is getting more than what some other special category states get. The money is sufficient. We have to see that it is utilised in an optimum way.

How accurate is the impression that it is the ISI which is fuelling insurgency in Kashmir? Does India have incontrovertible evidence to prove this?

Over the years we have captured more than 7,000 Pak-trained militants. We have thousands of interrogation reports and confessions which say so. We have nearly 3,000 militants who have surrendered. They have told their story, what happened to them on the other side. All these reports and confessions cannot be false. Pakistan knows that we know what they have been doing.

During your last tenure, you worked alone. Now you are required to work with a government. So will your role be merely titular? Or will there be an alternative administration from Raj Bhavan wherein your skills as a spymaster is used in planning a counter-insurgency strategy?

My role this time is absolutely constitutional. I may have made some contribution during my first tenure, but this time the chief minister is the chief executive. I work on his advice. I am available here for any exchange of views.

What do you think of Home Minister L K Advani's hot pursuit theory?

I don't think he suggested hot pursuit. As far as I can gather, all he said was that India doesn't want to continue to be taken as a soft state.

The recent nuclear blasts have brought the Kashmir issue to the fore as never before. And Pakistan is projecting it internationally all it can. What effect will this have on militancy?

There might be a marginal boost to some militant groups and terrorists who are losing heart. But that won't last. Because they will see on the ground that they continue to get hit.

How has the tests affected the peace process?

I don't think you can connect the nuclear explosions with the Kashmir issue. Their rationale and motivation are quite different. They were conducted to take care of our security concerns. The peace talks have been stalled for more than a year. Now there is a chance that they will be revived.

About the minorities in the state. Do you think the Pandits will ever be able to return? If so, when?

A lot of preparatory work will have to be done before we can have a meaningful return of the Pandits. A well-thought out, realistic plan needs to be in place.

Do you see it happening in the near future? Say, in 10 years time?

No, it will take much more than that. A lot of political and administrative work has to precede that. Once the Pandits see that everything is falling in place, they will return.

Why did you take up this assignment as governor?

Actually, I didn't have much inclination to take up another tough assignment at my stage in life. But when the call came I could not but respond because of my continuing interest and commitment to the success of our ongoing efforts here.

In an interview with Rediff On The NeT, Nani Palkhivala has advocated the partition of Kashmir. Do you agree with this?

Absolutely not. There is no question of one inch of our territory going out of India.

The Rediff Interviews