Ahead of US President Barack Obama’s India visit, Jammu and Kashmir has been overwhelmed by enthusiasm, hope and apprehension even though some political watchers hold the view that it is unlikely to be any eventful as far as the issue of Kashmir is concerned. All he may do, however, is to urge India and Pakistan to get back to talking to resolve their outstanding issues particularly Kashmir, they say.
But in Srinagar, separatists with some exceptions hope President Obama will go in for some plain-speaking on Kashmir and ask New Delhi to address the wishes and aspirations of the people of the Valley by agreeing to their Aazadi demand. Or, at least, seek an early resolution of the problem through a tripartite dialogue between the two countries and the Kashmiri leadership.
Ironically, influential separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who would in the past thrust aside Uncle Sam as “symbol of world imperialism” and consistently blame it for “bloodshed” in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and other Muslim areas, has said that next ten days are “very crucial” for the people of Kashmir in view of President Obama’s evenly crucial visit to India. He has called for “civil curfew” in the Valley for three days from November 6 and urged the US president to be tough with New Delhi and “move away from traditional stand that India and Pakistan should talk and his country will facilitate that.” “How can he ignore the plight of the people of Kashmir who are suffering because of the forcible Indian occupation...who are being killed on daily basis,” the octogenarian leader said here recently. He also expects Mr Obama will ask India to agree to demilitarisation.