Away from the public glare, the Intelligence Bureau officers in mufti always work along with their political bosses seeking means to resolve conflict—be it political or insurgency-related. Though the IB was created by the British to collect social, religious and political intelligence, this is the first time an IB officer has been chosen to become the face of a conflict resolution mechanism. Something, the academicians, bureaucrats and out-of-work politicians haven’t really appreciated. But the IB represents the Indian state more than any other wing of the government. So, it is interesting to see what a career intelligence officer can achieve in Kashmir. Dineshwar Sharma, a Kerala-cadre IPS officer who till recently was IB director, is soft-spoken and amiable, a dove in the IB if there can be one. He spoke to Outlook about his new assignment as the interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir.