Former union minister and Congressman Mani Shankar Aiyar on Tuesday said that talks between Government of India and stakeholders should not stop as dialogue is the only way forward.
Responding to a question, Aiyer said that the dialogue should also be held with the militants, if need arises. “They (BJP) should do that (talk to militants). Because if they don’t then guns will start talking.”
Addressing a seminar titled J&K: The Road Ahead, organised by Centre for Peace and Progress, Aiyar while reacting to the statement of BJP President Amit Shah said that British would also say same thing about India. Shah had said that Kashmir is a problem of three and half districts.
“Lord Linlithgow, the Viceroy of India from 1936 to 1944 also used to say that the struggle of India is a problem in few districts. …then we achieved freedom. …when Amit Shah says it’s a problem in a few districts, he is very wrong,” Aiyar asserted.
Former diplomat turned politician said that everyone including his Congress party has committed mistakes regarding Kashmir which has led to the prevailing situation. “Is hamaam mein sab nangay hain. (Nobody is innocent here),” Aiyar pointed out.
He added, “if Congress wouldn’t have committed mistakes, would we have been facing such a situation? Had National Conference not wronged, maybe we wouldn’t have come to this. Had PDP also refrained from committing mistakes, maybe the situation would have been different.”
However, he asserted that no political party can claim that they have committed sins less than the other.
“We are all sinners. As I said: ‘Hum sab nangay hain’ but to say that you have committed more sins than me is not acceptable,” said Aiyar.
Aiyer stated that the motive of the conference was to exhibit that people of different political shades who don’t agree with each other can be brought together and dialogue is possible.
“We have shown the government of India that every political shade can be brought together and a dialogue can take place. If a small organisation (Centre for Peace and Progress) can make it happen, then why can’t the government of India do the same,” Aiyar questioned?
However, Aiyar, clarified that he cannot reach the power corridors in New Delhi. “How can I meet Prime minister Narendra Modi when his own senior party member, Yashwant Sinha, couldn’t do so?”
“Now I am being told that I should go and tell PM Modi about Kashmir. How can I do that? Modi’s own party member Yashwant Sinha came here and did what we are trying to do. Since he went back, he has been asking for 5 minutes to put his word forward. When he couldn’t do it, why would Modi Ji listen to Mani Shankar,” he asked.
Regarding dialogue with Pakistan, Aiyar said that he has been advocating dialogue with the neighbouring country since his days as ambassador there.
“I have stayed there for three years. During my stay, I have said that Pakistanis are peace loving people and we would get their support if we start the dialogue process,” Aiyar asserted.
He further added, “In the past 35 years, I have been to Pakistan 35 times. I go there to check that have the peace lovers, peaceniks turned war mongers. I can say that the population of peace lovers has grown.”
The Congressman also said that he will spread the word once he reaches Delhi regarding Kashmir. However, he added that those people who have shut their ears need a ‘specialist’ to open them up.
“What should be the solution? I said in the beginning that I have not come here with a solution, not that I don’t have one in mind. We came here to listen to you (people of Kashmir), take your suggestions regarding a solution,” Aiyar said.
He further added, “And I would like to add that I don’t know a single Congress leader who would like to know what we did in Kashmir. The best I can do is what we heard here we can broadcast that from Delhi. People who are ready to hear will do that. Those who have shut their ears, we need a super-specialist to open those ears. I am not the one.”
