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| Focus shifts to fair J&K polls | |
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In this endeavour, the role of the All Party Hurriyat Conference is very important. Following the gunning down of moderate leader Abdul Ghani Lone and the jailing of Syed Ali Shah Geelani on the charge of giving monetary help to the militants, there is a sense of resentment in the Hurriyat. But still the fact that a suggestion had come from the 23-party conglomerate of a visit to the Pak-occupied Kashmir for brokering a truce between the militant outfits and the security forces is a welcome sign. Even while the Central government seriously considers the Hurriyat proposal, the matter ahs been complicated by the uncooperative attitude of the National Conference and the Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. The Centre has reacted positively to the Hurriyat Conference’s offer to go to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to broker a ceasefire between militant leadership and security forces saying it was "good and will be considered." "It is a good suggestion on which we can talk," Defence Minister George Fernandes commented. The separatist amalgam had among other things suggested triangular talks— simultaneously with New Delhi and Islamabad— and that the Indian Army return to the barracks once the "mujahideen" agrees to a ceasefire. Farooq, who was interested in the office of the Vice-President, finds himself now out of the race following the candidature of scientist A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for the post of the President. The convention that two top posts cannot be held by membes belonging to the same community has led to the scrapping of Farooq’s name for Vice-President. Now, he is on the offensive and hitting out at both New Delhi and Islamabad. The militants’ groups have taken the stand that fair elections cannot be held under the rule of the National Conference and they would like Governor’s rule imposed in the state for considering participation in the elections. But Farooq is not ready to accept the demand. He seems to be heading for a collision course with the Centre, which wants the poll process to be free of any governmental interference. Everytime, the government had sent some feelers to the Hurriyat leaders, Farooq has been throwing tantrums, as he is worried his popularity could be diminished in case the separatist groups do agree to fight the elections. In a clear message to the militant groups as well as the international community, Chief Election Commission J M Lyngdoh went to Srinagar and announced that security forces would not be allowed to coerce people to vote in the elections so as to increase voter turnout.: ‘‘Anybody from anywhere in the world would be given access to polling stations,’’ as long as they made the trek to Kashmir on their own. The CEC’s announcement is part of a carefully thought-out stategy by New Delhi which seeks to inspire confidence in the electorate. Also, the Commission has ‘‘for the first time in the history of elections in India decided that the voter slips will be issued by the election machinery and not by the political parties,’’ the CEC pointed out. |
