Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “squandering” an opportunity to find a solution for Kashmir according to former R&AW chief AS Dulat, adding that Kashimiris “expected Modi to follow (former Prime Minister) Vajpayee's path.”
Dulat was the Central government’s “trusted point man for Kashmir for a long time even before he became the R&AW chief”. A former colleague at RAW once wrote for The Quint that “none can equal his knowledge and experience on Kashmir. He was also one of our best chiefs of R&AW”.
Speaking at an event in Mumbai on Friday, Dulat added that former Pakistani military dictator Pervez Musharraf was perhaps the “most reasonable leader on Kashmir from Pakistan”.
Laughing off Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s assertion earlier this month that demonetisation had led to the end of stone-pelting in Kashmir Valley, Dulat said,
Stone pelting stopped before demonetisation. There is a connect between terror and counterfeit currency, but it’s exaggerated. Stopping growth of indigenous militants is more important than the counterfeit currency issue.
Here are some other highlights of the former spy chief’s speech:
- Vajpayee always said that we must end this constant confrontation with Pakistan and solve Kashmir.
- There are not many prime ministers who have addressed a public meeting in Kashmir.
- There is nothing that gives more hope to a Kashmiri than cordial India-Pakistan relations.
- Pakistan has tried its best in vain to get separatists in Kashmir together. Now it has happened because Delhi has no time for it.
- (Former J&K CM) Farooq Abdullah always said that a solution on Kashmir was only possible on the LoC
- There is only one way to move forward in Kashmir: Talk, talk and keep talking.
- Kashmir is not a political, economic, or even military issue. It is an emotive issue.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)