It reminds me of the unforgivable faux pas I allegedly committed at the editors’ breakfast with President Musharraf in Agra. I made bold to tell the General that Kashmir was indeed the "core" issue in our relations. "Bad negotiating tactics," a veteran diplomat reminded me even as he freely conceded the blinding obviousness of my remark. Now, "free and fair" elections in Jammu and Kashmir are on top of the nation’s agenda and one would presume it is in India’s interest to convince a sceptical (can you blame them for being sceptical?) but friendly international community of the transparency of the process, courtesy observers or monitors or just busybodies. Alas, here too splitting hairs is our speciality. Of course, such teams are welcome, but to "invite" them would seriously compromise our sovereignty. Why, next they will insist on supervising elections in Goa and might even take over Nirvachan Sadan!
The release of political prisoners is another red rag. If the purpose of this election is to invite the widest possible participation, then we have to woo, if not the first, at least the second XI of the Hurriyat, some of whose junior cadre are in jail on minor charges. A close reading of the statements emanating from the Valley indicates that such a denouement is indeed possible if we offer a few, small concessions. The voices one hears from Srinagar are from brave young men and women who, at the risk of a made-in-Islamabad bullet, are ready to take on Pakistan if elections are the first step in a larger gameplan.
One thing is certain. If Messrs Abdullah and Abdullah constitute the only Kashmiri entity contesting, you can say goodbye to peace in the state for another five years.
