Author: Our Political Bureau
Publication: The Economic Times
Date: July 6, 2001
The Hurriyat let the cat out of
the bag today, exposing Pervez Musharraf's multiple voices when it comes
to Kashmir and Hurriyat on the eve of the forthcoming summit. The turnaround
was clear today with the Hurriyat releasing a letter to them by the Pakistan
President directing the high commissioner to arrange a meeting between
him and the Hurriyat leaders when he comes to Delhi on July 14. Dated July
2, the letter comes in the midst of a barrage of statements from both the
president and the high commissioner that they would respect India's sentiments
about the Hurriyat and not insist on a meeting.
Today's developments have added
to the bitterness here on the eve of the summit. Although the MEA spokesperson,
Nirupama Rao, stuck to her guns, saying: "our stand remains unchanged'
privately there is considerable disappointment that Pakistan would disregard
Indian sentiments before a summit where atmosphere is the key. The letter
addressed to the Hurriyat chairman, Abdul Ghani Bhat, said: 'I look forward
to an opportunity to meet you and other leaders of APHC during my visit
to India. I have asked the Pakistan high commissioner to make necessary
arrangements in this regard."
Publicly, however, MEA maintained
a stiff upper lip. "As far as we are concerned this is a non-issue at the
India-Pakistan summit.... We maintain the Hurriyat has no role to play
at the summit and there is nothing that has happened since that necessitates
a change in our stance," Ms Rao said.
Despite Pakistan's obvious game-playing
on this issue, there have been questions about whether Gen Musharraf would
risk playing spoiler just hours before his crucial summit meetings. It
would not serve his purpose to have the Indian side dig its heels in before
the summit, because, of the two principals, he can least afford to go back
with a failure on his hands. Besides, it is general knowledge that the
Hurriyat live in Pakistan's pocket anyway. But by a media blitz, he is
trying to put the blame on India for the non-meeting, while maintaining
his domestic agenda of concentrating on Kashmir.
India had expended considerable
diplomatic capital to ensure that the General did not meet the Hurriyat
and it appeared to have had results with both the Pakistan president and
the high commissioner agreeing to abide by India's reservations, as late
as last weekend. In an interview this morning, Musharraf appeared to take
a more moderate line, saying 'I think certainly they (Hurriyat) should
be allowed to meet me at least and, maybe, at some stage if we make progress
on the Kashmir issue, I would request that they be included.' India sees
the Hurriyat as a secessionist, pro-Pakistan grouping that takes its orders
and cheques from Islamabad, but doesn't really command a sizeable following
in Kashmir.
There of course remains the possibility
that New Delhi might physically block the meeting on July 14. But this
would be a distressingly crude course to follow, says government sources.
Questioned about this possibility,
the Hurriyat chairman was quoted as saying, "I do not think that Vajpayee,
who is a man of vision, will block the path. - However, Mr Bhat tempered
his enthusiasm, observing, "we have reached a stage where we have to take
measured steps. We have to take steps which will not vitiate the atmosphere."
The fact is, the atmosphere is already
in trouble, as India grapples with the possible fallout if there is indeed
a meeting.
The most likely venue, of course
is the high commissioner's tea-party on the July 14, an event beyond the
purview of the 'official' engagement, where at the very least the guest
list is free of Indian objections.
The Indian reservations on the Hurriyat
leaders' efforts to politically resurrect themselves by meeting Mr Musharraf
at New Delhi was conveyed at the highest level in Islamabad during mutual
consultations between the officials of the two countries to prepare the
groundwork for the forthcoming summit. But Mr Musharraf's letter and his
constant harping on the Hurriyat as an important third party in the conflict
has kept the party in centre-stage, despite India's best efforts to undermine
their importance. Hurriyat leaders, fearing marginalisation with the Vajpayee-Musharraf
summit, had sent letters to both heads on June 22, seeking a meeting with
both.