Click to play videoSrinagar: Kashmir's separatists are back, pushing an old agenda dressed in new language, taking full advantage of the raging crisis in the state.
They say the present crisis underscores the need to restore the Valley's traditional links across the Line of Control.
Says Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Ghani Bhat, “Yesterday's march to the LoC was like the Germans who destroyed the Berlin Wall. This has to be taken seriously.”
Bilal Lone of the Hurriyat agrees. He says the solution to the stalemate would be to open the road to Muzaffarabad. “Let the Kashmiris have choice of alternative routes. And number two let self-driven cars from either side, from Srinagar and Muzaffarabad with valid ID cards be allowed to cross over any time of the day and any time of the night,” he says.
Delhi could have taken the wind out of the separatist sails quite easily. Pakistan has been sitting on Indian proposals to run the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Rawalkot-Poonch bus services every week instead of every fortnight as at present.
There's more. Pakistan has rejected India's proposal for a bus service from Kargil to Skardu in Gilgit and has been hedging on the Jammu-Sialkot bus service too. Nor has Islamabad been eager to move on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad truck service.
Unfortunately, Home Minister Shivraj Patil for whatever reason made no mention of these facts and a golden opportunity to influence the public imagination and allow the moderates regain ground was lost.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
TOP NEWS
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
