Letter to Editor

We have read with great interest two news items at Page – 1and Page-3 of your esteemed Daily regarding Kashmir impasse-one revolving around the view point of Mr. Mani Shaker Aiyer and another reflecting the thought process of Prof. Virender Gupta. On a close reading of the reported material it appears that Kashmir situation demands both maturity and empathy. Ever since the inception of the problem the successive Governments both at the Centre and the State level have adopted a stance convenient for them to remain seated in power. Never ever any serious effort was made in all sincerity to address the issue which is the making of our politicians.

Our neighbouring country too has her share of adding fuel to the fire at times simmering and on other occasions taking the shape of an ugly monster. There has been a semblance of peace at a heavy cost at times and Kashmir reduced to a boiling cauldron in fits of anger and unrest on certain other dates. Even among BJP there is not a single coherent policy to handle the affairs. It was different at Vajpayee's times and now the ground realities are also before us.

The moot question is can we allow this drift for the generations to come. All parties and other inimical forces have contributed to the Kashmir Kurukhestra. History never ends on a full stop. It flows from one incident to another. War has its own perils while appeasement has its inherent dangers. Kashmir problem ultimately shall boil down to sitting across the table despite opposition to this approach from certain quarters. A nail for nail approach may be successful in the short run but in the long run we shall have to win over the estranged among all stakeholders. It is a tall order and needs a statesmanship of the highest order. Let our leaders if any judge for themselves as to what they have to do. Alas! We have a un-heroic age and at the state level leadership vacuum.