The tortoise beat the hare. The slow negotiations to establish peace in Jammu and Kashmir should not dishearten anybody. The decision by the Centre to schedule talks with the All Party Hurriyat Conference shows progress is being made. Although it is unlikely that there will be an immediate breakthrough, it is critical to initiate and sustain a dialogue with separatist groups from Jammu and Kashmir. It may be recalled that the Central government has, over the last couple of years, made attempts at starting formal talks with the APHC. It had even appointed Mr K.C. Pant, the deputy chairman of the planning commission, and, then, the former Union home secretary, Mr N.N. Vohra, as its interlocutors. These efforts, however, were not successful for a variety of reasons. Hardliners in the APHC were insisting that the talks should include Pakistan as well. The separatists also wanted that the talks should be unconditional and be carried out by the political leadership in New Delhi. Many of these objections have been dealt with because of reciprocal concessions by the Centre and the APHC. The deputy prime minister, Mr L.K. Advani, will now initiate the talks, but the process may be continued by Mr Vohra. The APHC has given up its demand for Pakistan’s inclusion, while New Delhi has made it clear that the dialogue will be conducted without pre-conditions. Moreover, the expulsion of the hardliner Jamaat-i-Islami leader, Mr Syed Ali Shah Geelani, from the APHC paved the way for the dialogue.

The beginning of the dialogue will be welcomed in Jammu and Kashmir. The APHC may or may not represent the opinion of the majority in Jammu and Kashmir, but they do articulate the sentiments of all those in the Kashmir valley alienated by the Central government’s policies. Expectations of a quick agreement would, however, be misplaced. The moderates within the APHC cannot be seen as compromising with New Delhi, and the Centre too cannot be expected to produce an imaginative political package before the general elections. What would be useful is to exploit the initial phase of the dialogue to build trust and explore options. It is essential, of course, no matter how great the differences, that the dialogue be continued until there is some successful outcome. The conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, as is obvious, has both external and internal dimensions. It is heartening that the government has now taken steps to address both the dimensions, by reviving the dialogue with Islamabad and by initiating talks with Srinagar.