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Srinagar: For years, the political process between India and Pakistan had largely frozen, overshadowed by constitutional changes made in 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), tensions on the Line of Control (LoC) and an almost complete shutdown of diplomatic ties between the two hostile neighbours.

Last month, that silence between the countries briefly broke, not because New Delhi and Islamabad announced a breakthrough but because of speculation, reported by the media, that representatives from both countries met unofficially in Colombo and Bangkok.

The excitement was short-lived, as the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) later clarified that the Indian delegation was at an annual South Asia Dialogue organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and not at a Track II dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad.

But by then, the rumour had already achieved something that few developments could manage in recent years, particularly after the reading down of Article 370. It broke the silence surrounding the question of peace talks and prompted Kashmir’s political leaders, civil society members and peace advocates to once again publicly urge for dialogue between India and Pakistan.

For Kashmiris, who have lived through decades of conflict, diplomacy is more than just foreign policy. It has often meant the possibility of silent borders, reopened roads, resumed trade and families divided by history finding ways to meet again.

Within hours of the rumours, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti renewed her appeal for sustained engagement. “There are rumours about ‘Track II’ diplomacy talks taking place in Sri Lanka and Thailand, which is a positive development. This ‘Track II’ diplomacy involves retired diplomats and army personnel from both India and Pakistan meeting and holding discussions,” Mufti told the media, adding, “Even the senior leadership of the RSS has endorsed the stance that dialogue should take place.”

The rumours made Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq return to a familiar argument: “India and Pakistan carry special responsibility for regional peace. As one of India’s longest-serving leaders, Prime Minister Modi can revive the spirit of engagement. Dialogue remains the most reliable path to lasting solutions,” he said in a statement.

A joint letter to un-freeze talks

Their appeals coincided with another major development that got media traction.

A joint letter signed by 117 prominent Indians and Pakistanis urged prime ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif to restore frozen diplomatic ties, reopen travel and trade, address security concerns and begin structured dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir.

Among the signatories were former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mufti, former RAW chief A.S. Dulat, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, former diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and other retired diplomats and civil society leaders.

The appeal, however, found little support from the BJP, which maintained its long-held position that “terrorism and dialogue cannot go together”.

Senior BJP leader and India Foundation president Ram Madhav rejected reports that he had participated in any Track II meeting. “Military and intelligence agencies often deploy a tactic called PSYOP – structured disinformation campaigns........

© The Wire