Flashback 2000: Hurriyat disowned Delhi-Hizb talks: Qureshi

APHC dissuaded people in Islamabad and Muzaffarabad’
India had agreed to involve Pak in the process: Zaffar

Hakeem Irfan

As the new Chief Minister Omer Abdullah hinted on facilitating the dialogue process with the pro freedom leadership soon, Senior Hurriyat leader Wednesday revealed that the breakdown of the Hizbul Mujahideen and New Delhi talks in August 2000 was a lost opportunity and Hurriyat’s cold response derailed the process.

Senior Hurriyat leader and executive member of Hurriyat (M) Fazlul Haque Qureshi while talking to Rising Kashmir said, “I think that time will not come again. We were in a bargaining position. Hizbul Mujahedeen and Hurriyat made a potent force to convince India regarding the solution of the issue. But unfortunately the cold response of Hurriyat Conference at that time derailed the process.”The then commander of the Hizbul Mujahedeen Abdul Majeed Dar along with other commanders had come to Valley from Muzafarabad and addressed a press Conference in July 2000 announcing the ceasefire from the Hizbul Mujahedeen.

“Majeed Dar gave a press conference regarding the ceasefire and between the lines nominated me as an interlocutor. When I listened I was ready to take the task. Majeed Dar had taken both Syed Salahuddin and Pakistan in confidence,” said senior Hurriyat leader who was also a part of the historical dialogue held at Nehru place Srinagar.

In August 2000 it was the first time the government of India entered in the talks with any militant organisation operating in Kashmir and thus recognizing them as a party to the dispute. The then Home Secretary of India Kamal Pandey was leading the delegation from India.

“Majeed Dar met the Hurriyat leadership before the press conference in July and tried to convince the pro freedom leadership here. They had planned that Hurriyat will announce the invitation to India, Pakistan and militant leadership to sit together and solve the issue. Cold response towards that due to the problems within the leadership and fear of being sidelined forced Hurriyat to oppose the move,” said Fazlul Haque Qureshi.According to Qureshi, “Hurriyat was successful in prevailing upon the opinion in Muzafarabad and Pakistan due to which Salahuddin immediately withdrew the ceasefire on August 08 2000.” Meanwhile in a press conference Senior Hurriyat leader Prof Abdul Gani Bhat termed the whole process of ceasefire and dialogue as “a broken step.”

“The meeting was healthy. Pandey after listening to the Commander Masood (one of the HM commanders in the meeting) agreed that Pakistan will be involved in the follow up meetings. Masood made him clear that Hizb has not come with a begging bowl and they are equally powerful. Besides we were there just to work out the modalities for the process,” said Qureshi who also spoke during the historic 80 minute parley.Later according to Qureshi, Hurriyat sought an explanation from him regarding the participation as an interlocutor in the HM-New Delhi talks.

Also Hurriyat leader and Salvation Movement Chairman Zafar Akbar Bhat, who was one of the Hizb commanders those days while talking about the dialogue process said, “Majeed Dar was offered Home Ministerial Chair, India was ready to restore the 1953 position of J&K state and also ready to transfer the government to us at that time. But Dar didn’t paid heed to any such thing. He was just concerned about the solution of the issue as per the aspirations of the people here,” said Bhat who left the militancy and joined the Hurriyat Conference in 2003 when Abbas Ansari was chairing the conglomerate.

The then Prime Minister of India Atal Behari Vajpayee in a news briefing in 2000 said, “We are ready to talk outside the constitution of India on humanitarian grounds.”“HM was sincere with the dialogue and equally powerful as they carried out successful attacks 15 days ahead of the ceasefire. It was a golden chance. But some vested interests within the pro freedom ranks didn’t wish to carry on the process. They had the fear of becoming irrelevant lingering in their minds. We had only that time stopped the gun and not dropped them,” said Bhat.According to Bhat, the then American under Secretary Richard Boucher acknowledged the process saying, “HM has opened doors for both India and Pakistan. They should solve the issue. Besides General Patnagar of 15 Core also commented that the HM is equally powerful and it is an indigenous struggle.”

“I don’t want any frictions within the leadership now. But the pro freedom leadership lost the opportunity that time,” said Bhat.
‘It’s a story of lost opportunity’ When contacted, the incumbent Chairman of Hurriyat (M) admitted that the abortion of talks between Hizbul Mujahideen and New Delhi was a story of “lost opportunity”.“I was not here that time. I was in Tehran for my M Phil program. But definitely that was a lost opportunity. That could have been turned into a big thing. But at the same time I think the dialogue was not at the appropriate level. Jihad Council leadership is an important part of the issue but for such initiatives the political leadership should have been taken into confidence,” said Mirwaiz.