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A discussion on the recently released book ‘KASHMIR-THE VAJPAYEE YEARS’, authored by Shri A S Dulat, former Chief of Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), India’s external intelligence agency, was organized at the VIF on July, 22, 2015. The programme was chaired by Shri Vijay Kapoor, IAS (retd.) former Lt. Governor of Delhi with Shri Dulat as the main speaker.

In his opening remarks, Shri Kapoor observed that the key message coming out of the book was the need for maintaining dialogue with all the stake holders in J&K that included the mainstream political leaders, the separatists and even the militants. However, such engagements should be with a clear purpose and objective. India’s territorial integrity will always have to remain non-negotiable. Good governance can play a crucial role in amelioration of people’s grievances in J&K as well as in the far flung states in the North East. The existing ‘dis-connect’ between the Centre and these states must be bridged.

During the course of discussions, participants that included former diplomats intelligence officers and army officers, raised a number of issues focusing on Pakistan’s support to terrorism, IC 814 hijacking, Kargil war, India-Pakistan dialogue, the lack of public discourse in India regarding the integration of POK with J&K, initiatives taken during the Vajpayee, failure of the Agra Summit, Musharraf’s 4-Point Formula, radicalization of Kashmiri Muslims etc.

Responding to the observations, Shri Dulat, stated that ‘bridges’ between New Delhi and Srinagar and between Delhi and Islamabad can be built only through continuous engagement and reduction in the trust-deficit. He conceded that the 4-Point formula may not eventually have led to a permanent resolution of the Kashmir issue but it would have certainly ended militancy in the valley at least for the next 15-20 years. He, however, reiterated his position that the moderate elements in the separatist ranks should be kept engaged through dialogue to ensure against re-emergence of the hardliners on the center stage. This had happened in the past and is again happening now. The recent trend of growing radicalization amongst Kashmiri youth was a disturbing phenomenon that needs to be taken note of and addressed.