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The Rediff Interview/Abdul Gani Lone

'The release of Hurriyat leaders was a charade'

It was supposed to herald the start of something new in Kashmir but ended up creating more acrimony.

When five leaders of the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference were recently released from jail, people thought it was a prelude to the start of a dialogue on the vexed problem.

But soon roadblocks sprang up. The released leaders stuck to their old stance that Pakistan would have to be a participant. The government too stuck to its guns, asserting that any solution would have to be within the framework of the Constitution.

APHC leader Abdul Gani Lone, who recently underwent surgery at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, is recovering at the organisation's office in Malaviya Nagar. Hurriyat spokesman Abdul Majid Pandey was worried about Lone giving a "lengthy interview". But on being told that rediff.com would not take much time, Lone agreed to talk to Tara Shankar Sahay about what lay in store for Kashmir. Excerpts:

When Hurriyat leaders were released the impression was that the government would start a dialogue on Kashmir. What went wrong?

In a genuine democracy, people are not jailed without good reason. Our leaders had committed no crime. We had only called for a boycott of the elections in J&K. Even former election commissioner G V G Krishnamurthy had said in Srinagar that the call for a boycott of elections was also a part of democracy.

We told the people we had reason to believe that the polls would not be free and fair and we didn't want it. The majority boycotted the polls, but the central government and its counterpart in J&K, headed by Farooq Abdullah, did not like it. So they arrested our leaders.

The government released them to project the impression that it was serious about finding a solution to the Kashmir dispute, because it is under tremendous pressure from the international community. The charade was evident to everybody.

The jailed leaders were sent to Jodhpur, where they were not allowed to meet relatives and well-wishers. They were not treated as political prisoners, but as common criminals. Did you know Abdullah had boasted that they would die in the Jodhpur jail?

After the release, Union Home Minister L K Advani said it was a goodwill gesture. We objected, saying it was a democratic right to be released. With five of the seven Hurriyat executive committee members jailed, there was no question of any dialogue. Therefore, the government released them for its vested ends.

There has been talk among Hurriyat leaders that the release was because of the government's desire to get a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

I don't know, maybe, but I think that during US President Bill Clinton's recent Indian visit, he too exerted pressure on the Indian government to start talks on Kashmir. Clinton told India that it should talk with Pakistan. He said India should resolve the dispute through dialogue instead of keeping the Hurriyat leaders in jail.

Also, the Indian government's contention that whatever is happening in J&K is Pakistan's doing is unjustified. India refuses to implement a UN resolution regarding a plebiscite in Kashmir. Sure, Pakistan is happy at what is happening in Kashmir, but India's contention is not true.

In the last 11 years, militancy has claimed 75,000 Kashmiri lives. The Indian Army has destroyed about 15,000 homes during its continuing occupation of the state. Thousands of Kashmiris have lost their lives in custody and women their honour. Therefore to say that what is happening in Kashmir is because of Pakistan is a travesty of the truth and an insult to the Kashmiris' quest for independence.

Why is the Hurriyat insisting on Pakistan's inclusion in the talks?

The Hurriyat does not have any special affinity for either Pakistan or Hindustan. We say we have sacrificed our lives, property and honour in the last 13 years and we demand a lasting solution.

The Indian government once held a dialogue with Farooq Abdullah's erstwhile Kashmir government and concluded an accord, but problems cropped up within a year. The problem cannot be solved if Hurriyat and Pakistan sit down together. Similarly, India and the Hurriyat cannot solve the problem between themselves.

For a permanent solution, Pakistan's presence is necessary. We will then accept any solution that is reached.

What do you think about the Vajpayee government's initiatives to solve the problem?

I think this government is ignorant of the art of statecraft or practises sheer deception. First Advaniji told us that talks should be within the framework of the Constitution as J&K is an integral part of India. We in the Hurriyat say it is disputed territory. India is shutting the door for dialogue, otherwise it would not be setting conditions.

What was the response of previous governments?

The P V Narasimha Rao-led Congress government told us that if we agree to hold talks within the constitutional framework, there would be no limit to the autonomy for the state. Of course, we rejected it.

How did Advaniji know that the Hurriyat wanted to talk to the government? Our leaders did not approach him, most of them were in jail. So how did he get this idea? How can the government hope to reach a solution by acting tough and rigid? It keeps changing its statements regarding us and this is not conducive for talks.

What is this talk about your insistence on pre-1953 status for Kashmir?

It is a non-issue.

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