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Vajpayee, Musharraf ideal to solve J&K tangle: Bhat

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

"A political forum that represents the political aspirations which the people of Kashmir have laid down their lives for, a forum which represents the blood of the youth, can never be sidelined," Abdul Gani Bhat, chairman of the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference, told rediff.com in Srinagar.

"There is wishful thinking in certain quarters that the Hurriyat Conference has been isolated in Kashmir. I cannot help it," Professor Bhat remarked.

Strongly denying any rift in the 23-party separatist conglomerate, he added, "Let them understand that such forums are never marginalized."

He said the APHC had to be involved in talks to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir problem.

"Both the Indian prime minister and the Pakistani chief executive will be talking about Kashmir. Obviously, Kashmir means the people of Kashmir, their aspirations, their future and therefore they will have to unavoidably involve APHC in talks," he said.

Bhat agreed that the Hurriyat could not be physically present at the Indo-Pak summit that is likely to take place next month. "But at a later stage we have to be there. You discuss us and don't ask us. That is strange."

He conceded that 'sensitivities' were involved, but expressed confidence that they would not be a hurdle "in our march towards sanity".

Replying to a question on the summit, Bhat said, "Two ideal people are meeting. Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee represents consensus and ethos in India while General Pervez Musharraf represents will and power in Pakistan. And if such people meet with determination and imagination, I believe we will be able to find a way out."

The Hurriyat chief said they were ready to meet both Vajpayee and Musharraf. "If our meeting with Vajpayee and Musharraf takes shape on the sidelines of the summit, the doors of understanding and communication will open up," he said.

The Hurriyat has, however, not received any invitation from the Pakistani government.

Bhat hoped the summit would rebuild trust between the neighbours, following which confidence-building measures would be taken and "we will be able to address the issue and find a lasting solution to the Kashmir problem in the interests of peace, prosperity and security of the people".

On the mood of the people in Kashmir, he said, "The mood of the people has to be understood. If the problem is addressed, the mood will obviously assume a pleasant dimension. If it is not addressed then people's anger against India will grow."

On the withdrawal of the government's unilateral ceasefire, the Hurriyat chief said, "Unilateral ceasefire is no ceasefire. The other side did not accept the ceasefire and so it could not hold. It was a failure from day one."

"If you go all alone you reach nowhere. The people of Jammu & Kashmir should have been taken into confidence if a unilateral ceasefire was to be announced," he argued.

The Hurriyat chairman and firebrand Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani were placed under house arrest on Friday. Commenting on this, Bhat remarked, "Where no law works anything can happen. What happened yesterday is to be seen with reference to the dispute on Jammu & Kashmir."

The Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The complete coverage
The Government's Ceasefire: The complete coverage

Indo-Pak Summit 2001: The Complete Coverage

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