Understanding Kashmir Roundtable: A Viewpoint From Jammu

The experts and analysts describe the Kashmir issue as bi-dimensional political problem which can be solved by a sustained dialogue between New Delhi and Srinagar (internal dimension) and a simultaneous dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad (external dimension).

The identity politics of Jammu and Kashmir is more intricate and complex than the issue of Kashmir –primarily for the different cultural, ethnic, linguistic and regional aspirations. An in-depth analysis of the pattern of engagement between New Delhi and Srinagar makes out that the internal dimension of Kashmir issue is being completely misunderstood and an overwhelming emphasis on a Srinagar centric dialogue is pushing the distinct identities and regions in the state to the brink. Had it not been like this, Jammu would not have asked for separate statehood and the Himalayan cold desert of Ladakh would have put off its struggle for the status of a Union Territory after it was granted sweeping financial autonomy under the Act of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (two separate governing bodies for the Budhist dominated Leh and Shia Muslim dominated Kargil districts).

It is interesting to mention here that while Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister has the powers to sanction a project of upto Rs two crores without putting proposal before the cabinet, the LAHDC chief has the authority to stamp a project of Rs five crore without any approval from the state government. The hill development councils of Kargil and Leh are the best examples of a “State within a State”. But still the demand for separation from the state is refusing to die down in Leh. Senior Budhist leader Pinto Narbo who attended the Prime Minister’s roundtable in Srinagar strongly pushed for the demand. Ladakh is not the only region uncomfortable with the pattern of engagement between New Delhi and Srinagar, the problem is more perverse in Jammu region, particularly in the frontier areas of Rajouri and Poonch and the Muslim dominated only Kashmiri speaking district of the region –Doda.

The reason for this regional discord is clear and evident. While Srinagar has been a consistent struggle with New Delhi for the greater autonomy –apart from various other gripes –New Delhi has never looked downwards as how much power Srinagar is actually sharing with the sub-regions. The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s second Kashmir roundtable that ended in Srinagar last may rated poor for its inability to bring separatists on the talking table, but when viewed from the regions it comes out to be the most significant exercise of the decades which strongly underlined the need for assimilating and consolidating the regional aspirations.

Between the verbal jugglery of self rule and a half dozen other formulae, ‘Greater Autonomy’ via picking up threads from where center-state relations had left in 1952, seems to have emerged as a pushy outcome of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s second roundtable on Kashmir.

The autonomy, as it comes out from the roundtable proceedings is actually not the one National Conference has been vying for, but the Prime Minister has given his mind that power should travel to sub-regions as well. This roundtable conference was perhaps the first dialogue between Srinagar and New Delhi where the Prime Minister strongly underlined need recognizing the regional aspirations.

While the National Conference has a reason to rejoice as autonomy has been picked up for discussion for moving forward on Kashmir, the arch rival Peoples Democratic Party too is upbeat as it sees its self rule formula falling in the precinct of study on center-state relations.

In fact, the Prime Minister, what could be analysed from his statement at the end of two day conference, seems to have agreed to review the center-state relations in context of special status of Jammu and Kashmir under the Indian union.

However, the Prime Minister did elegant act by avoiding use of any word specific –autonomy or self rule. Instead he chose to describe the future course of discussion as special status and center state relations.

One of the five groups proposed by the Prime Minister, at the end of two-day Kashmir roundtable conference that concluded in Srinagar Wednesday, would be set up to examine J&K’s special autonomous status under the constitution in a bid to bring peace. The working group “will deliberate on matters relating to the special status of Jammu and Kashmir within the Indian Union”, Singh told the roundtable conference. The use of word “Indian Union” here again reflects New Delhi’s intention of actually moving forward, as the Prime Minister did not confine the scope of discussion to “Indian Constitution” alone –something not acceptable to separatists.

Under its accession to India in 1947, Jammu and Kashmir was granted autonomy over all sectors excluding communications, defence and foreign affairs. But those powers under Article 370 of the constitution have been eroded over the years.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said last year that a resolution of the quarrel over Kashmir could lie in increased autonomy for Kashmir, noting it was "unique in our (India’s) polity" with a "constitution of its own." The group would also "deliberate on effective devolution of powers among different regions to meet regional, sub-regional and ethnic aspirations," Singh said at the close of the two-day meeting on the future of violence hit Jammu and Kashmir.