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A familiar figure among Coffee House buffs and separatist politicians here, and
considered close to the state's first family, the Abdullahs, Inder Kumar Gujral's
entry as the country's Prime Minister has evoked expectations of reconciliation
and early peace in all circles of Kashmir.
"Given the Prime Minister's personal rapport with his Pakistani counterpart, we
expect tensions on the border to cool down," said Lieutenant General J S Dhillon,
chief of the 15 Corps of the Army, which looks after the Kashmir and Ladakh
frontiers.
Back after a visit to Kargil, where a serious Indo-Pak skirmish took place
recently, Lt General Dhillon told The Indian Express that for the first time, he
felt convinced that "political sagacity" would prevail in Indo-Pak relations.
The separatist AD Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders remain sceptical of a
Congress-supported Gujral Government's ability to meet their demands, including
the one for withdrawal of troops from insurgency-hit Kashmir. But Shabbir Shah,
who has gradually become distanced from the Hurriyat conglomerate, welcomed
Gujral's appointment, hoping it would change things in Kashmir.
In their statements given to the Srinagar-based media, leaders like Yasin Malik
and Abdul Ghani Lone have expressed their pessimism.
However, Gujral's acceptance among the separatist elements in Kashmir is certainly
far greater than any other national leader's. He was chosen as a guest for the
inauguration of the Hurriyat's Delhi office, where he made remarks against Chief
Minister Farooq Abdullah.
Gujral's elevation has even cheered up the much-depressed Kashmiri Hindus, most of
whom had migrated from the Valley in the wake of militancy.
The Prime Minister had severely indicted the Hurriyat leaders for their inability
to call back Hindu migrants during his speech on the occasion of the Hurriyat
Delhi office inauguration. He even spoke against atrocities being committed by
militants.
"Gujral himself has suffered as a refugee. He can feel our sufferings very well,"
says Jawahar Bhat, a migrant who had been living in Jammu for the past seven
years.
In his role as a campaigner-intellectual, Gujral had been critical of the National
Conference (NC) for "rigging the polls" and "creating conditions" for insurgency.
"That was the time when all Indian intellectuals had joined hands in propaganda
against us," claims an NC MLA from the Valley. He feels Gujral's long-term
association with Kashmir and his personal friendship with many veteran leaders
elevate him to the position of the most competent Kashmir-handler in the country.
The new Prime Minister is also remembered as a key campaigner against a Bill,
mooted by Abdullah at the onset of armed militancy in the state, empowering the
Government to act against the media.
Analysts here feel the exit of H D Deve Gowda has ended a fine hour of glory for
Abdullah at the Centre.
"Gujral understands all the complications and dimensions of the Kashmir situation
and he may not allow Abdullah to stay in Delhi all the time and neglect his work,"
a close aide of the Chief Minister said,
However, politically, the NC may not lose much, as Gujral has retained the party's
Saifuddin Soz as a Cabinet minister. Moreover, the NC - with not a single Lok
Sabha member - has been given a key role in the United Front. The NC supporters
feel these are reasons enough for Abdullah to be happy.
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