Suddenly it appears that marginalized Indian politicians and peacenicks have found a new hobby
THIRD FRONT OF PEACE-KNICKS
In the later part of this week a high profile delegation of parliament members will be in Srinagar. Ram Vilas Paswan, Brinda Karat, D Raja and Shahid Siddiqui are the known faces who are part of this fresh initiative by civil society. Prominent pro-Kashmir journalist Seema Mustafa is organizing the visit to break the deadlock on peace moves. Earlier on September 20, an all-party delegation had visited the state to “understand” what was happening on the ground.
The visit had raised hopes among people but those got dashed soon a non political group of interlocutors was announced.
Whatever the outcome of all these initiatives but this visit throws up an interesting combination: Most of the members in the delegation are from like a “third front” in Indian political spectrum like those from left and people such as Paswan and others.
On the top of it gives birth to a “third front” among peace-makers as all those track-II, behind the scene, behind the curtain and “ostensibly” non-official, “movers and shakers” in “peace constituency” are struggling to get “credit” for breaking the jinx vis a vis peace efforts.
Seema’s entry to into this fairly “new mission” is all set to give “sleepless” nights to those already present in the “field”. She has roped in some credible faces of Indian politics who not only carry some weight but if “sincere” can force government to do something tangible on Kashmir. Seema has earned a good amount of goodwill for her fair reporting of Kashmir’s five month long political unrest. So she is better placed than others.
But this latest move has now three women at loggerheads. Sushobha Barve, who runs the Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation in Delhi, has already been fuming over the appointment of Radha Kumar as interlocutor. Questioning her “locus-standi” to be a Kashmir expert, Sushobha has been projecting her work in Kashmir for last 10 years and telling her friends that she should not have been ignored. She has been pointing out that Radha had been doing work on Afghanistan and not Kashmir.
With Radha already on government panel, enjoying the patronage of South and North Block, the “third front” is likely to make Sushobha more uncomfortable. No doubt that her NGO had been working on Indo-Pak front as well but the visibility in Kashmir is must for any “peace maker” to get noticed and get a “good contract”. After all Kashmir has been a sale-able tag for doing the “peace business” during 20 years. It has made people “very rich” and lend them “credibility” to begin from a scratch and rub shoulders with big people in India and Pakistan. Whether people in Kashmir have felt any positive change but these so-called peace makers have made “their life comfortable”.
For those crying hoarse over less participation of women in such initiatives the good news is that all the “fronts” of peace in Kashmir have now women at the helm. As the “contest” seems to be “interesting” and “tough” this may help to throw up a road map for Kashmir. Let us wait and see that this contest goes without “spilling any blood”. An adage goes like that two women are enough to create a stir and we have three. Kashmiris are compelled to welcome all. So you too are welcome. (Rising Kashmir)