We believe that proposals for political autonomy for both parts of
Kashmir, self-governance and joint India-Pakistan control over the state
should be discussed seriously. However we also believe that whatever
solution is evolved should respect the cultural, religious and regional
diversity of the state of Jammu and Kashmir

Natural calamities do not recognise the arbitrary lines drawn on the
map. Human suffering is identical everywhere and feelings of pain
similar. Shared grief calls for shared responses, as common adversity
envisages united efforts. In tackling the devastating impact of the
October 8 earthquake, India and Pakistan seem, more or less, to be
directing their efforts along these lines. This is highly gratifying.

In addition to the host of measures taken by the two countries, the five
points recently opened on the Line of Control to allow the divided
families to meet, share one another’s grief and concerns and help in
relief and rehabilitation, can go a long way in mitigating the suffering
of such families. We are of the opinion that more such points should be
opened to enable unhindered travel between the two parts of Jammu and
Kashmir - to render the LoC virtually irrelevant.

The tragic earthquake dramatically expanded the political space for
India and Pakistan for pro-active political intervention. It is
unfortunate that the two countries were unable to capitalise on it.
True, both India and Pakistan have observed restraint - militarily on
borders and diplomatically in the corridors of respective ministries -
but the situation demands pro-activism. The decision to initiate a
sustained peace process and a purposeful dialogue on Kashmir was long
overdue. While its results so far have not been entirely satisfactory,
they are not meagre either.

For substantial progress in Kashmir, India and Pakistan have to work out
a mechanism to abandon the insurgency and counter insurgency. For a
start, all sides must agree to discuss all options before excluding any
of them. Given the drawbacks of each proposal the discussion will help
improve the understanding of other parties’ positions.

My party is of the opinion that the time for tabling options and
proposals has come. The huge disaster has provided us with a unique
opportunity that should be used to build bridges of understanding and
friendly relations to strengthen the peace process and cooperation for
creating an atmosphere conducive to working out suitable strategies for
the peaceful settlement of Jammu and Kashmir. We believe that proposals
for political autonomy for both parts of Kashmir, self-governance and
joint India-Pakistan control over the state should be discussed seriously.

However we also believe that whatever solution is evolved should respect
the cultural, religious and regional diversity of the state of Jammu and
Kashmir. It is important to protect the federal character of the state
as well as its secular ethos. We believe that division or the state
should not be an option.

We are aware of powerful forces demanding a trifurcation of the state
into Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. While it appears to be an imaginative
solution, it can lead to violent social disruptions and cause communal
polarisation that would not just irretrievably destroy the cultural and
social fabric of the state, but also have perilous consequences for
communal relations in the rest of India. In addition, such division
would forever end the possibility of reviving the pluralist tradition of
communal harmony in the state.It is in this backdrop that broader
consultations with the political leadership in the state should be
initiated to accommodate the views and aspirations of various religious,
ethnic, racial and political groups. Inter-Kashmir and Intra -Kashmir
dialogue can eventually serve the purpose of re-unification of the
federal units of the state.

My party stresses goal-oriented measures based on ground realities.
Meaningful and visible efforts have to be undertaken for finding
concrete solutions. It needs to be stated here that a huge vested
interest, at almost every level, has come into existence, during the
past years to scuttle the peace and settlement moves at every step.
This, however, should not come in the way of the reconciliation process
and ways and means have to be found to overcome such hindrances.

We believe that external interference in Jammu and Kashmir is not
conducive to the on-going peace process. The parties concerned should
therefore exercise restraint in the best interest of the sovereignty and
integrity of the region. We also hold the opinion that the settlement
should be accompanied by large-scale economic inputs, enabling the
people of the state to enter an era of economic independence and to
improve the living conditions of the people who have suffered material
loses for decades.

Indeed tireless efforts are needed for improving the ground situation in
the state where violence is still a major threat to people’s involvement
in the peace process. A lot of Kashmir-specific measures are required to
end the turmoil that has engulfed the state for 16 years. In the
meantime a living society cannot be asked to stop growing. The people
need education, healthcare, jobs, development, infrastructure, rule of
law, equal opportunities and good governance. These certainly cannot
wait till the final settlement.

The state constitution - despite having provisions for adult franchise,
the separation of powers, checks and balances etc - remains unitary in
its essential characteristics. Ultimately, a solitary authority
exercises the power. This is bound to breed apprehensions of
discrimination - real or perceived. This, often, leads to
inter-regional, as well as intra-regional, conflicts that have the
potential to frustrate even the final solution of the Kashmir issue. The
remedy lies in the empowerment of people by making the state a true
federation. Political as well financial powers need to be devolved to
the regional, district and panchayat/ward level. At every level
democratically elected representatives of the people must exercise
these. The idea is to allow all Kashmiri groups to live together while
enjoying the opportunity to maintain its separate identity. We insist
that no solution of Kashmir can endure unless the state is constituted
into a true federation.