Union home minister P. Chidambaram’s unexpected working visit to Kashmir on Sunday — conducted without hype — is a positive sign towards the region which has lately seen tragedy and turmoil. It shows that he likes to keep the fuss to a minimum while the wheels are kept moving. This is good for the people of the state even if the political actors, especially secessionists, like to set up a contrary chorus whenever something useful happens. As for the ordinary folk, from their experience they have learnt to seize on advantages, benefits and opportunities, and to string the secessionists along to the extent possible as the latter can cause violence to be unleashed through proxies.
It has been suggested that the home minister’s visit was necessitated on account of the expedient of confirming tight security arrangements in the state on the eve of US President Barack Obama’s visit to the country later this week. This cannot be the heart of the explanation, although it is to be expected that key security officials will apprise him of the developments and counter-terrorism measures put in place for the American leader’s visit, and receive from him such instructions as might be needed. The Union home secretary had also said recently that anti-India elements and infiltrators might seek to get up to something dramatic to catch international attention as had been the case when then US President Bill Clinton visited the country 10 years ago. However, the home minister’s presence is not required in Kashmir to ensure the right level of security during Mr Obama’s India sojourn. The system itself takes care of these things.
The more likely reason for Mr Chidambaram’s trip to Kashmir was to give chief minister Omar Abdullah strength, and offer informal suggestions on a feasible stance in the event of unpredictable occurrences after the visit of the all-party parliamentary delegation to the state in September, followed by the first foray of the three interlocutors to the Valley to which the secessionists were calculatedly cold, and which drew some needless controversy. Mr Chidambaram’s presence in Kashmir also signalled to all concerned that the government backed the three interlocutors drawn from civil society and took criticisms made of them in his stride. Symbolically, this is important. In New Delhi on Monday, the home minister observed that the interlocutors had changed the discourse in Kashmir “to some extent”, although he advised them to refrain from a “ball-by-ball commentary.” It is evident that the BJP’s carping on the part being played by the interlocutors has not impressed many. As former law minister and BJP MP Ram Jethmalani observed, it was churlish of his party to find fault with the interlocutors’ public statements. The home minister delivered two key messages from Kashmir. He called on the chief minister to bring back normality at the earliest (as the security situation is relatively more calm). The inspiration behind the stone-pelting mobs is in custody undergoing questioning, and there is no menace on the streets, although infiltration has reached high levels as the mountain passes are closing somewhat earlier this year. The second message was to the people to engage with the interlocutors. This was conveyed to the several delegations he received at Baramulla, the scene of much violence in recent months, which he unexpectedly visited.
Even as the interlocutors go about their business eliciting the views of individuals and organisations on the social and political side, New Delhi should get pro-active to send an advance guard to the state to help fix some of the economic grievances that need urgent attention. The Prime Minister has tasked former RBI governor C. Rangarajan and his team with this task. It might be useful if this group began charting its Kashmir itinerary.