Dialogue only way

Senior BJP leader and former external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha said recently that peace cannot prevail in Valley unless Kashmir is acknowledged as a political dispute as “Kashmir crisis is a political problem and not a mere security issue”. He also stressed upon New Delhi to change its policy on Kashmir and immediately start dialogue with all the stakeholders. Admitting that the current regime in power is doing nothing to take the peace process forward, the former FM said people of Jammu Kashmir are still waiting for last two and half years to see the process of the March 2015 agenda begin. By asserting that the successive regimes in Delhi have let down Kashmiris, Sinha also said that Pakistan has become a necessary third party because of “our own mistakes”. He also admitted that Kashmiri youth have overcome fear of death and are ready to wage bigger wars. The crux of the senior BJP leader’s talk was that New Delhi starts the peace process at the political level. Yashwant Sinha was part of the All Party delegation sent by Centre last year when turmoil was at its peak. The delegation was snubbed by separatists last year but he led another delegation later on and met them. It is high time that Centre agrees to have a meaningful dialogue with all the stakeholders as Kashmiris have been fed up by the life of violence and want to live a peaceful and dignified life. New Delhi should take the veteran leader’s assertions seriously and take Kashmiris out of the vicious cycle of violence they have been caught in.