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June 26 to July 2 : Weekly News Magazine
messenger INTERVIEW 11

Do you think things are worse than when Parliament was attacked? Do you
think it is worse than when we had the Mumbai attack? No. We have seen
these ups and downs in India-Pakistan relations but at the end of the day,
there has to be, there has been and there will be a meeting ground because
there are no other options. It was unfortunate when Prime Minister Modi’s
visit to Lahore was not followed by a Lahore declaration, which happened
during PM Vajpayee’s time. Or when (Pervez) Musharraf said that militants
won’t be allowed to use the Pakistani soil. We had peace on the borders and
again the spadework for opening of routes was done. It was unsaid
understanding that we can’t change the borders but we will make them
irrelevant. That was also carried forward by Dr Manmohan Singh.
Unfortunately, nothing happened during 2005 to 2014. Prime Minister
(Singh) couldn’t even visit Pakistan though he wanted to. When PM Modi
went to Lahore, it wasn’t reciprocated in the same way that Musharraf had
done during PM Vajpayee’s time. Instead, it was followed by Pathankot,
Uri, Nagrota (attacks).?If we expect that dialogue will start with Pakistan
tomorrow, it is not possible (in current circumstances). After Kargil, after self-rule, joint management, dual currency etc. Where has that map gone?
Parliament when PM Vajpayee extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan, ?
it was reciprocated. This time, similar reciprocation hasn’t come from MM: I don’t deny that there is an issue. I don’t know why people don’t
Pakistan. But ultimately, it will happen. I think we need to focus on those understand. The crux of self-rule is in working group reports; the crux of
confidence building measures that bind us together first. For example the working group reports is in the Agenda of Alliance. So where have we
Indus Water Treaty. It is a water-sharing arrangement which benefits both forgotten anything? What is self-rule? Opening of new routes, revocation
the sides, no doubt at the cost of J&K. It is there. You have the Wagah border of AFSPA, evacuation of land by security forces which is no longer needed
trade. Whatever happens, it continues. Similarly, we have this small by them, transfer of power projects, then there is (setting up of) this group
Muzaffarabad and Rawalakote trade and in spite of everything, it of people from PoK and J&K who will make a consultative committee where
continues because people seem to have developed stake in this trade. We they can do tourism and trade together. This is what we call self-rule. This is
need to look into such things where people on both side have stake. That’s what were the recommendations of the working groups. We had taken all
why before this unrest started, I met the Home Minister and had discussed these proposals to round table (conferences on Kashmir organised by the
Kargil-Askardu, Nowshehra-Jangarh, Jammu-Sialkote, Gurez Astore UPA). That time PM Manmohan Singh set up those working groups. We
road and many other things. For example, can we take up with China so that have also incorporated status quo on Article 370 in our Agenda of Alliance.
we have this Leh-Mansarovar Kailash Yatra from Ladakh. Again (I talked) The only thing we haven’t included is the consultative committee, which
about ex-militants coming through Nepal and (wished to) make it easy for would have members from PoK and J&K. This was also what PM
them so that once they come, they are not harassed. They are arrested. Manmohan Singh and many eminent personalities like Vice-President
Their kids are put in one jail, wife is put in another jail. This programme (to Hamid Ansari had endorsed. Unfortunately, the word ‘self-rule’ is seen as
allow ex-militants to return home via Nepal) was started during the UPA something ‘anti’ in the country. If it was so, then the members in the working
time. I have been discussing all these things with them (New Delhi). group from the BJP, Congress, NC, Panthers Party, and Gujjars,
Unfortunately, this unrest happened. So I have been working on it and I Bakerwals, Paharis, Kashmiri Pandits also would not have endorsed it.
have not given up on reconciliation because I don’t see any other way out. Revocation of AFSPA (can happen) at some point of time. When things
start getting better, you need to start revoking it in certain areas.?Our
Q. Don’t you think that the key to reconciliation is how you politically position is also to have an elected governor.
address the basic issue? The renewed public legitimacy that the demand
for azadi has got… How do you explain the massive crowds that hit the Q. When would be that ‘some point of time’??
streets after Burhan Wani’s killing?? MM: Can you talk about this (revocation of AFSPA) at this point of time?
MM: When you say the basic issue needs to be addressed, then you need to That is why I am saying that whatever happened during the last five-six
build a conducive atmosphere. You cannot resolve anything while you are months hasn’t helped. It has rather had a very adverse effect on
shouting at each other. You can’t even hear each other’s voice. That is what everything, including the government, because we would have been
had happened in 2003 — there was a conducive atmosphere on the somewhere else at this time. But these five-six months have taken us back
ground, people were relaxed, things were happening. But this time, they on many things.
didn’t allow anything to happen. It was barely the third month after my
government was formed. We were busy with Assembly, then there was
Ramzan and I was also busy with my own election. As soon as I started, Q. Why does it seem that on the ground the PDP has ceded a lot of political
space to the BJP to stay in power? Are you really expecting to move forward
unfortunately hell broke loose.
on your old politics — self-rule, revocation of AFSPA etc — while you run
this coalition government with the BJP? They (BJP) don’t even want article
Q. What do you think will happen now?? 370. They (BJP) always talk of complete integration. Have you ever
MM: When it comes to Pakistan and New Delhi, it may take time. Nagrota is discussed the PDP’s self-rule with the Prime Minister, because the BJP
a very recent thing. Then unfortunately, there is this infiltration business looks at it completely differently??
and each day there is an encounter and a militant from Pakistan gets killed. MM: We stand for each and every word that is in our Agenda of Alliance, but
It may take time but there is no other way but to sit together and talk. When I there is also the time factor, which is important. There is time for each and
talk about opening of roads like Kargil-Askardu or Gurez- Astoor, we have every thing. Self-rule isn’t anymore the PDP thing now. When you talk
to have Pakistan on board for that. I would now like to see that measures are about working group being the crux of our self-rule document, it has been
taken. We have to apply balm. There may have been some people who endorsed by everybody. My problem is that the word self-rule has been
used these boys to serve their idea of projecting the Kashmir issue but used to propagate something different, which it is not. I have been talking
majority of the people were affected by these five six months. about working group reports. During the unrest also, many Parliament
members like Sitaram Yetchury etc have talked about working group
Q. Delhi says this mass uprising was Pakistan-sponsored, you say that reports in Parliament.?You should understand that for my father, now for
some elements used young boys. When you were in the Opposition, you me, the purpose of being with the BJP goes beyond my party and me. It is for
and your party vehemently rejected such explanations. In fact, you had larger interest, very large. I am confident because of my father’s
come up with a roadmap to resolve the political issue, which talked about conviction that at this point of time, with this government in Delhi, with such