Recently Union Home Secretary G K Pillai offered to discuss anything minus Azadi with the separatist leaders in Kashmir. This was in contrast to the hype raised by his boss and many other members of the security and defence establishments regarding the forthcoming summer being exceptionally “Hot” in Kashmir. There are many theories for the “Hot” summer media hype initiated by the people connected with security establishments. Many feel the Indian hype is against the Pak-US bonhomie regarding Afghanistan. It is said that the Americans want to have a graceful exit from Afghanistan and that can be possible only with Pak collaboration. President Obama is reported to have directed his administration to initiate concrete steps to lower down temperature on Indo-Pak border in order to give Pakistan a free hand to deal with Taliban on its western front. In addition, any reconciliation with Taliban may be possible through the good offices of Pakistan only. The increased Pak-US collaboration was evident from the red carpet welcome accorded to General Kayani recently in Washington where he led his country’s delegation. Another indication was the statement of Robert Blake of the State department that there is a blue print for Kashmir solution. Usually, the contradictory statements and ever changing stances on both sides of the divide are to due to external pressures. Most of the time both the countries issue declarations regarding mutual détente or even about Kashmir solution for diplomatic consumption only. They rarely mean to act on these in practice. There is hardly ever an appreciable movement on the ground. This will continue to happen as long as the basic mistrust is there. The recent coming together of Americans and Pakistanis in Afghanistan prompting Americans to ask India to lessen its presence there, has given a set back to Indian strategists. They would not like the Pakistan’s eastern front to get cold as it would allow them to concentrate fully on Taliban in the west. In fact, a massive military exercise is already on the move. Increased role of Pakistan in the final settlement of Afghanistan will restore Pakistan’s strategic depth which India will not like. Logically, Indians should welcome Afghan settlement and should assist Pakistan to ensure that so as to avoid the Frankenstein monster created by Americans knocking at the doors of Delhi! However, logic does not always prevail.

Coming back to the declaration of Home Secretary Pillai, this is not the first one. During last couple of decades many such declarations were made and in one case the Sky was the limit! Kashmiris did not buy these declarations and even the present one has a very luke warm response. The reason is the ground situation in Kashmir. The strict security grid in all civilian areas coupled with AFSPA, the notorious legislation giving unbridled powers to security forces has converted Kashmir into a virtual prison. Common people feel like hostages to the security set up. There is no freedom for peaceful assembly and expression. Offering any thing minus Azadi to a person against whose head a security gun is held at the same time is a cruel joke! Dialogue is a two way process and both the parties in a dialogue should be absolutely free of any fear. One cannot really hold a free and fair dialogue in a hostage situation. A dialogue in such a situation is surely under compulsion of one or the other party. One fails to understand why Indian authorities have always to refer to Azadi for starting a dialogue? Azadi is one of the options of the ultimate settlement. The first requirement is to find the road to the final settlement. Azadi is an abstract and a vague word. Both sides have not clearly defined the full connotation of the word. Different leaders have given different interpretations of the word. Is it the freedom of the Kashmiri speaking Kashmir consisting of the valley and its periphery? Is it the freedom of the entire area of the erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir notwithstanding the fact that Jammuites and Ladakhis do not support it? Is it the accession of Kashmir in whole or in part to Pakistan? (Very few will go for it now!) Whatever be the meaning given to the word Azadi by each faction or section of people from different regions of the state, the first and foremost thing is to create an atmosphere to discuss the same. Without taking the essential first steps it is pointless to make offers of anything short of Azadi. If Home Secretary G K Pillai is sincere in his offer and it truly emanates from the highest political authority in the country, then he should go for the logical preliminary actions. For the time being forget Azadi and all its nuances. Take immediate steps to give relief to common Kashmiris from daily harassment. The security grid especially in the civilian areas requires to be totally withdrawn. The draconian powers given to security forces need immediate curtailment by revocation of AFSPA. All the detainees some of whom are in prison for almost couple of decades need to be released. Moreover, peoples’ right for free and peaceful expression is imperative to be fully restored. If peoples’ aspiration are respected and allowed expression, there may be a possibility to satisfy these without going to the extremes. On the contrary, if these are suppressed by force then even complete Azadi may not be enough! The alienation and anger force people to go even beyond as is evident from the happenings on the other side of the border. The most classic example of that anger and revenge is the 9/11 which has now brought misery to almost every part of the globe. Let us pray that good sense prevails in all the concerned and responsible quarters and we do not have to face a “Hot” summer. This can happen only if Home Secretary arranges the necessary coolers before the complete onset of the “Hot” summer!