Jammu and Kashmir interlocutor M.M. Ansari has said that the border lines drawn between India and Pakistan can be made irrelevant by allowing free movement of men and material and expanding foreign trade and cultural relations between the two countries.
A month ahead of the submission of the interlocutors’ final report to the union home ministry, Mr Ansari said that the Jammu and Kashmir constitution clearly says that the state is and shall remain an integral part of India.
“So that mechanism is already available within the democratic framework of the constitution of J&K. The Kashmir issue has been complicated by pulls and pressures of politics of mainstream and offstream parties,” he said, speaking exclusively to this newspaper. With parts of Jammu and Kashmir in control of neighbouring countries like Pakistan and China which are unlikely to vacate the occupied territory to take the pre-1947 position, Mr Ansari pointed out that a negotiational settlement has to be worked out.
“So till the time we reach a settlement , what we can try is treat the LoC as a mere line on the map and allow people to move as freely as possible. In this way, the emotional loss due to separation of families who suffered due to partition can be taken care of,” he noted.
The J&K interlocutor said the panel will try to meet the Hurriyat leaders who have refused to participate in the deliberations so far during their forthcoming visit.
He said contrary to popular opinion, the demands of the Hurriyat and other separatist leaders such as de-militarisation of J&K, withdrawal of AFSPA, concerns of human rights violation are justified and can be resolved under the peace settlement.