SRI NAGAR: AB Vajpayee has a special place in the heart of Kashmiris for taking some concrete steps like announcing a unilateral ceasefire in Jammu & Kashmir, coining the slogan “Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat and Jamhooriyat” (Humanity, Kashmiriyat and Democracy) and talking with separatists in a bid to solve the Kashmir problem.Mainstream politicians, separatist leaders and the common man alike respect Vajpayee for at least making efforts to deal with the Kashmir issue and restore peace. Describing Vajpayee as a “visionary leader”, Kashmiris from all walks of life say the successive governments in Delhi did not carry forward these initiatives, thus rendering the former PM’s exercise a “waste”.
The Vajpayee government announced two spells of ceasefire in the State in 2000. Soon after the militant group Hizbul Mujahideen announced a unilateral ceasefire in July 2000, the Vajpayee government reciprocated it. But it lasted for only a fortnight as the militant group backed out.However, the brief ceasefire provided much-needed respite to the Kashmiris and sensing this, the Vajpayee government announced a unilateral ceasefire in November 2000. Though the ultras did not reciprocate, but Vajpayee extended it till May 2001. He later called it off when there was no response from the other side at all.
In yet another initiative in 2003, Vajpayee offered a hand of friendship to Pakistan from Srinagar and also asserted that the gun was no solution and favoured dialogue based on justice and humanity with stakeholders. He also coined the now famous term “Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat and Jamhooriyat” to address the Kashmir problem in 2003 and this term ultimately led to the first-ever dialogue between the Centre and separatists. Although the dialogue process did not continue, Vajpayee won the hearts of Kashmiris who feel that had he not lost power, maybe he would have resolved the Kashmir issue.
‘He did not get time’
Senior Congress leader Saif-ud-Din Soz, whose one vote led to the Vajpayee government’s fall in 1999, said though Atal coined the slogan “Isaniyat, Kashmiriyat and Jamhooriyat”, he got no time to implement it.