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Jethmalani concedes failure of Mission Kashmir

The Kashmir Committee of eminent citizens led by former Union law minister Ram Jethmalani conceded on Sunday the failure of its mission to motivate the separatist All-Parties Hurriyat Conference to contest the assembly election in Jammu & Kashmir, but said "some groups" have agreed to join the electoral process.

"We are disappointed as we have not yet secured the participation of the APHC leaders in the polls," Jethmalani told reporters at the end of the committee's three-day visit to Srinagar.

But both sides have agreed to continue their talks. "We hope to make a breakthrough when we meet in New Delhi," he said.

Jethmalani pleaded once again for postponement of the assembly election. "We met many people and groups during our stay in the valley," he said. "A majority of those whom we met here demanded that the assembly polls be postponed."

The demand, Jethmalani said, was not unreasonable and participation in polls should not be frustrated on this small point. He said postponement of the election date would help ensure better participation. The former law minister, however, conceded that the decision would have to be taken by the Election Commission.

Jethmalani said Shabir Ahmed Shah of the Jammu & Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party had agreed to participate in the polls as a "means to identify the genuine representatives of the people of Jammu & Kashmir, who will then hold talks for a final settlement of the Kashmir problem".

But Shah has ruled out participation in the assembly election simply to form a government in the state.

Some other groups, including the Janata Dal, United, and the Peoples Party headed by former militant leader Imran Rahi, have expressed their willingness to join the electoral process, he said.

A former speaker of the Jammu & Kashmir assembly, Malik Mohi-Ud-Din, who was expelled from the National Conference way back in 1980, also met the Kashmir Committee and told them that he would be launching a political party called the Jammu & Kashmir Resolution Front and joining the electoral process.

"Malik is launching a political conglomerate comprising 13 groups and they are ready to join the polls," Jethmalani said. "This is a big development. We have succeeded in our mission of securing a good bit of participation, though our task is not yet complete."

He appealed to the people of Kashmir to "participate in the assembly polls for stability, prosperity". He reminded them that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had promised that there would be "no repetition of past mistakes" and the election would be free and fair. Vajpayee has also promised to hold a dialogue with the leadership that emerges after the election to find a permanent solution to the Kashmir problem.

PTI Adds: On his arrival in New Delhi, Jethmalani said the Hurriyat's non-participation would send wrong signals about the 23-party conglomerate to the people of India. He said it would imply that the Hurriyat was dancing to Pakistan's tune and did not have any real strength.

Referring to the August 14 speech of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, Jethmalani said, "The Pakistani ruler virtually told the Hurriyat not to participate in the election."

"The result of Musharraf's speech," he said, "is that the whole of India will consider non-participation by Hurriyat in the elections as conclusive evidence of two facts -- one, Hurriyat is dancing to the tune of Pakistan and second, they have no strength to show as they are paper tigers."

"This is not my inference," Jethmalani continued, "but this is what the people will think." He added, "As a lawyer I can give them the benefit of doubt, but not the people."

He said, however, that opinion in favour of participation in the election is gaining ground within the Hurriyat as well.

Asked whether the Hurriyat's non-participation would defeat the entire electoral process, Jethmalani shot back: "Please do not equate the people of Kashmir with Hurriyat. Hurriyat is an important faction, but they are not all."

Jammu and Kashmir Elections 2002: The complete coverage

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