Mainstream and separatist leaders on Thursday remembered former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as “the lone leader in New Delhi who shunned the beaten track and looked at the Kashmir problem from a humanistic standpoint and not through the military prism for the first time in the past many decades”.
Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq recalls his first meeting with Vajpayee in 1997 in New Delhi when he struck a chord immediately.
“I still remember his words from our first meeting: ‘Aghar alaag bhi hona hai, bhaiyoon ki tarah hongee [Even if we have to separate, it has to be like brothers parting ways],” the Mirwaiz told The Hindu .
‘He let us talk to Pak.’
Crediting him with opening “a new chapter of hope in 2005 in Kashmir”, the Mirwaiz said his government at the Centre facilitated our leaders’ visit to Pakistan.
“He looked at Kashmir from the humanistic prism and not the military one. He even started educating the Indian masses on Kashmir, all alone. First time, we were allowed to talk to Pakistan. He believed that representatives of Kashmir should be given space to talk,” he said.
The Mirwaiz believes his political legacy still carries a window of opportunity. “Unfortunately, his policy was rolled back by the present regime.
It’s again the old approach that Kashmir is to be dealt with through the barrel of a gun. This regime buried Vajpayee’s legacy unceremoniously,” the Mirwaiz added.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Nayeem Akhtar said Vajpayee stunned his own Cabinet colleagues and senior officials from Delhi when he decided to extend a hand of friendship to Pakistan from the soil of Jammu and Kashmir in 2003.
“Mufti Muhammad Sayeed accompanied him from the airport to the venue in Srinagar. He listened to Mr. Sayeed’s approach patiently and decided to change his speech and reach out to Pakistan immediately,” Mr. Akhtar said.
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and vice-president Omar Abdullah, in a joint statement, said, “Vajpayee’s golden words on Kashmir would be remembered for all times to come,” referring to his famous phrase of resolving the Kashmir issue within the ambit of humanity.
“His template is for others to follow and imbibe. He still remains as one of the few politicians who have a huge fan following in Kashmir,” Dr. Abdullah said.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti described him as “a crusader of peace who understood Kashmir and initiated a series of confidence building measures.” “He will be remembered for not following the beaten track.”
From mainstream to separatist parties, Mr. Vajpayee’s phrases like resolve the Kashmir problem within ‘Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat, Insaniyat’ still find resonance across the board.
