Geelani’s mission New Delhi

Geelani’s mission New Delhi

Attending a function organized by Ram Jethmalani shows his far sightedness

BY JAVAID MALIK

SYED Ali Shah Geelani was a special invitee at a function in New Delhi last week organized by the Chairman of Kashmir Committee and senior Bhartiya Janta Party leader Ram Jethmalani. The function reportedly was attended by retired bureaucrats, army officials and others.

Geelani, according to the media reports, stole the show and once again reiterated that Kashmiris are not against India’s integrity nor are they violence mongers and. “They just want India to fulfill the promise which it made in 1947 about allowing them (Kashmiris) to decide their destiny,” said Geelani.
When Geelani left for New Delhi in December 2011 he had stated that he would try to meet the diplomats of various countries and reach out to people in India and make them aware about the plight of Kashmiris. He had made it clear that he would try to undertake a diplomatic mission. When a leader decides to undertake such a mission he has to meet everyone who matters. Geelani accepting Jethmalani’s invitation to attend the function and putting forth his point of view to select audience didn’t come as a surprise as he had already made his intentions clear. Geelani during his stay in New Delhi has met many people, including Pakistan High Commissioner. Surprisingly a few of Geelani’s close aides distanced themselves from his activities in New Delhi.

Recent statement of Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani that Pakistan cannot afford a war on Kashmir has once again proved that there are only a few options available with Kashmiri leadership and talks seem to be the only way out. If they want people of India to support the Kashmir cause then they have to reach out to them and make them aware about the ground realities and the promises which were made to them. Mere rhetoric won’t help. Pro-freedom leaders have re-devise their strategies to keep the Kashmir cause alive. Geelani attending a function organized by Ram Jethmalani shows his far sightedness. It seems he has realized that Kashmiri leaders have to build their own ground. People who pointed fingers towards Geelani’s activities need to realize that he despite being in New Delhi spoke the language which he speaks in Kashmir. There was not a slightest shift in his stand.

Every Kashmiri knows that India is the principal party to Kashmir dispute and till it doesn’t show any flexibility nothing would happen. If Kashmiri leaders succeed in their endeavor to mould public opinion in their favour it would be one of their greatest achievements. Kashmiri leaders cannot shy away from talks. They have to ensure that a process involving them takes off from somewhere. Being rigid is not going to help anyone.

If Kashmiri leaders keep on spurning the talks offer it would lead to a status-quo and that’s what New Delhi exactly wants. Kashmiri leaders for the sake of people have to ensure that some how headway is made towards changing the status-quo. It won’t be possible till they start negotiations with both India and Pakistan.

Geelani and other Kashmiri leaders have quite often reiterated that bilateral talks between India and Pakistan during past six decades have not yielded any result and inclusion of Kashmiris in the dialogue process is a must. It seems Geelani by attending Jethmalani’s function has indicated that he is not averse to the talks but he has always maintained that Pakistan is a party and cannot be ignored. He has always stated that talks should not be held for the sake of talks.

If the Kashmir Committee headed by Ram Jethmalani is able to break the ice between New Delhi and Kashmiri leaders, it can prove to be a turning point. To start with Kashmir Committee has decided to fight the cases of the Kashmiri detainees, booked under Public Safety Act, in the Supreme Court.

Geelani not showing much reluctance and trying to open up is an indication towards the fact that he too wants stalled process to begin from at least somewhere so that people don’t get disillusioned and their hopes about Kashmir getting resolved one day remain alive. If Geelani is thinking on these lines then there is nothing wrong in it as leaders represent a nation and they have to ensure that their people don’t suffer. Pakistan announcing it cannot afford a war on Kashmir should serve as an eye opener for such people who oppose dialogue.

Feedback (malikjavaid123@gmail.com)

[Greater Kashmir]