CPI(M) wants Centre to talk to militants, Pak.

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 25. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has emphasised that the Central Government must utilise the extended ceasefire period to resolve the Kashmir problem by opening negotiations with militant groups and could even talk to Pakistan within the framework of the Shimla Agreement.

While welcoming the willingness of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) to talk to the Centre, the party said the catch was that APHC constituents were putting forward only two solutions. While one section favoured Kashmir's merger with Pakistan, another was for an independent Kashmir; no group was willing to accept the third path of resolving the matter within the framework of Indian unity.

The CPI(M) general-secretary, Mr. Harkishan Singh Surjeet, was of the opinion that it was more important to win over the people of Kashmir and overcome their sense of alienation, which was being exploited by the militants, than opening a dialogue. He articulated this stand in the latest edition of the CPI(M) organ People's Democracy.

He felt ``no real solution'' could emerge by ignoring the element of ``Kashmiriyat'', epitomised by people of the State which had a distinct culture shared equally by Muslims and Hindus. This element came to the fore when the State remained peaceful during the post-Independence riots and again when all sections rose to fight the intrusion of Pak-trained militants into the Valley.

Dismissing the two ``solutions'', he said Pakistan wanted the State to belong to it on the basis of religious affinity; the second solution was in the favour of U.S. imperialism. Warning of ``imperialist designs'', he said communal elements in India and Pakistan were oblivious to the designs of the U.S. An independent Kashmir suited its geo-strategic interests and all ``solutions'' offered by the U.S. were made with the viewpoint of its hegemony.

``The fact is that the very location of the State on the world's map is a big allurement to U.S. imperialism. If ever they come to have a foothold in the State, they can hope to have an upper hand against India, Pakistan, China and Russia, not to talk of Afghanistan, Iran, Central Asian Republics etc., which too are not far away. The eastward expansion of NATO should have awakened the Vajpayee Government to the real motives of the U.S.,'' he said, adding that due to enmity with Pakistan, the Government was falling into the U.S. trap.

He cautioned that while the U.S. was trying to get India on its side, it would never give up Pakistan, and lamented that even the ruling elite in Pakistan did not realise that Kashmir would not go to them even if it was separated from India.

Mr. Surjeet felt the problem could be solved only on the basis of `Kashmiriyat' and by winning over the people of the State. For that to happen, he said, the Centre would have to ``reorient its thinking'' on Kashmir and take positive steps without delay to retrieve the ``extremely grave'' situation.

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