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Kashmir looks to Agra with Hope

Kashmir collectively fixed its eyes on Agra this morning, as the much-awaited summit between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf got underway at the Jaypee Palace Hotel in Agra.

People in Srinagar have remained glued to their television screens, tuned to the various channels relaying news and views direct from Agra.

“We pray for the success of the summit," says college lecturer Naeem Ahmad. "It all depends on today's talks, if they fail then it will be a big setback for us."

“Both leaders have agreed to discuss Kashmir, I think there will be some progress, Insha- Allah," adds Dr Parvez Irshad. "I feel both leaders are sincere, they want to accomplish something, so hopefully they will be able to deliver."

Chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference Professor Abdul Gani Bhat shares the universal optimism. “Atal Behari Vajpayee and Parvez Musharraf are the ideal persons to solve this long pending dispute,” Bhat says.

The ruling National Conference is equally gung-ho on the ongoing summit. “The summit will yield something which may lead to final settlement of the problem,” a senior NC leader said. “The blood shed in Kashmir must stop," NC worker Mohammad Subhan added. "It should be the first step in the process to restore peace in this valley. Everyone here has suffered for 12 years and more now.”

It is not, however, undiluted optimism. There are sections of people here who believe the summit is a joke or, at best, a mammoth public relations exercise before both parties get down to business as usual.

"If they were serious, they would have included Kashmiris in the negotiations,” argues one such pessimistic resident.

“We are hoping for the best, but at the same time preparing for the worst," says a senior police officer.”If the summit fails, then there will be a deadly escalation in militancy-related incidents.”

Speaking of which, Saturday and Sunday morning have already brought their fair share of such incidents. Hundreds of people held protest demonstrations at Achabal, in southern Anantnag, where two persons including a ten-year-old girl were killed in retaliatory fire by security forces on Saturday.

Slogan-shouting villagers blocked the roads, demanding action. Senior police and civil officials have rushed to Achabal, where tension runs high.

Elsewhere, militants gunned down a police constable, identified as Ramesh Kumar, at Kunzar Tangmarg in northern Baramullah, hours after his abduction. Kumar has been identified as a member of the special operations group.

The heavily-guarded home of NC leader Sheikh Ghulam Mohammad Saloora was attacked by militants in another incident on Saturday night, at Saloora near Srinagar. A grenade attack was followed by firing, which wsa returned by the police guards.

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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