 Hello and welcome to NewsClick. Rajnath Singh is on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, where he plans to review the security situation in the state to see the possibility of extending the ceasefire, the unilateral ceasefire, beyond the month of Ramzan, which is ending on 15 June. To discuss Rajnath Singh's statements and the situation in the valley in the last couple of weeks and the possibilities of the future, we have with us today Gautam Navlaka, our civil rights activist. So Gautam, what do you think of the statement Singh has recently made talking about how talks are only possible with the right-minded people and urging the youth to choose progress over destruction? Well, it's one welcomes different language from the BJP-led government at the center. This is quite a change from the language that they have been exhibiting for the last four years. So in that context, it's good. But obviously, there is a lot of exaggeration. I mean, when he speaks about the extreme love that Prime Minister Nareen Modi has for Kashmir. And I was reminded of the time when Mufti Saeed was still alive and standing right next to him at Srinagar. And Nareen Modi rebuked him publicly by saying that I don't need advice from anyone on Kashmir. So one wonders what kind of extreme love that he entertains. The point is, it's good that they're talking about that they are willing to talk with Hurriyat, that they are desirous of starting some kind of a dialogue with Pakistan. The million-dollar question is, if so, then what is coming in the way? Of course, we've seen very contradicting statements being made by different people in the center. Although Rajnath Singh said that he's willing to talk, then Sushma Sparaj said that there are no talks with Pakistan possible. And the parties in Kashmir will not agree to talks without Pakistan being present. That apart, I mean, the differences within. Please recall that Prime Minister, after the announcement of ceasefire, visited Jammu and Kashmir. So if there was any such serious plan afoot, one would have expected the Prime Minister to have used that occasion to make an announcement, rather than leave it to Rajnath Singh to still speak about it. Because the message that it sends is that there is some kind of a difference of opinion within the BJP party, because not everybody is happy. We know for a fact that not just BJP in Jammu, but ABVP and other Hindutva elements were extremely agitated when this was announced. Unilateral ceasefire was announced and health protests and things like that. So given that context, it becomes even more important that somebody whose authority would be unquestioned, which means Narendra Modi in this instance, would have said something. His silence itself raises a lot of questions in my mind. But quite apart from that, even if he were to express the point is, what is it that we are going to be talking to Kashmiris about? It's one thing to say that we can talk to Pakistan. There are a number of issues that have to be worked out between India and Pakistan, a number of issues. So even if talks are stalled on Kashmir, say, for instance, there are many other issues that they can even touch on or discuss while they carry on talking about Kashmir, in whichever fashion they choose to. But what about the Hurriath? What are you going to talk to them when you've already declared from repeatedly in so many ways and in so many forums that there is all that we are willing to accept is to have a dialogue to discuss possibilities within Indian constitution. Yeah, which, again, the Hurriath is not one. I mean, when the stated positions have still not been withdrawn, then it becomes very difficult to visualize a situation where, even if they were to meet, if anything will come out of it. Having said that, it's obviously, one shouldn't lose sight of the fact that 2019, the general elections are closed. And I think it's BJP, which is in a country whether it should persist with its muscular hardline policy and pitch it at that level for fighting election, or is it going to, they're going to change stack and appear more conciliatory. Well, let them work it out first. What line they're going to add up? Because last four years, it's for BJP to actually come clean on this. For last four years, there have been absolutely nil efforts on their part. They've been, they've been stonewalling every effort made by any person, including people who are members of their own party, Yashvan Sinha. My point is, therefore, that BJP has to come clean. It's not for Hurriath to respond. The first and foremost thing for us to realize is, it's the BJP must come clean. The BJP government must come clean. And if they are resiling from their earlier position, hardline, refusing to have any talk with Hurriath, recall that in 2014, we canceled a round of scheduled talks with Pakistan over Hurriath meeting, which was a normal affair with the Pakistan High Commissioner officials. So it's for BJP to make its position clear. So you and I, we can keep on screaming and demanding that the government resume dialogue with Pakistan, begin a dialogue with unconditional talks with Hurriath. The question is, will BJP be, is BJP amenable to it? Even in Jammu, where the majority of the support for BJP lies, the people are somewhat disenchanted with them because of the increasing violence across the border. It's also a wishy-washy stand, because suddenly after four years, they are being told that, well, BJP is now taking a much more adopting its soft position. It doesn't go down too well with their own hardline constituency, which they have actually themselves patronized and built up and nurtured for all these so many decades, if not the last four years in particular, my point. Is therefore, BJP has to first clear its own house, make up its mind how serious it is, because it's all, it's very good to hear Rajnath Singh speak about Tasweer, Tadir Badaldi Jai Ghee, which is very attractive, talks about, talk about education and sports as the way out for youth in Kashmir, all that is fine. We have heard of all this before. Prime Minister talked about choosing between tourism and terrorism. He's talked about development endlessly. But the point is, those are not the issues. Those are not the concerns which are coming in the way of a dialogue. It's something else, something which has been pending and remains unresolved for the last 70 years. So you are talking about the security situation, which Rajnath Singh is there to review. What do you think how successful has this ceasefire been in these last couple of weeks? Because although this was announced and operations have somewhat ceased, we have still seen deaths of, I think, around 11 militants, three civilians, one soldier. So what do you think of this? The way in which the ceasefire was brought about makes it very clear that it has, it's a temporary measure they have adopted. The idea is to cool the temperature down at a period when Ramzan was on, still on, and our Nath Pilgrimage Yatra has to begin. And they don't want that to be disturbed. I mean, obviously, if the situation were to be, to revert back to what was there prior to this unilateral ceasefire, it would not, it would definitely, there'll be a lot of questions about, you know, carrying out Tamil Nadu Yatra without any incident. So that's the driving force as far as I can understand from government in India's approach to this. Ramzan was hardly an issue. Please remember, in the last four years, during all the Ramzans that we have had, it was never an attempt to have unilateral ceasefire. Then the religious sentiments of the Kashmiri people didn't even enter the thought process. This year they have done it because after last year's experience, I think the security forces advice was, especially the JNK police, is to go for a ceasefire till. Till the end of Amanath Yatra. And then we'll see what happens. Because it is as, and there are also difference of opinion between the forces, the central paramilitary forces are not too happy with this ceasefire. And they have complained that their personnel are feeling demoralized. And also that this is giving militants an opportunity. Whereas the JNK police is of the opinion that this is helpful, that they are going to carry on with the crackdown of the militants one way or another by using other means, especially legal means. So we have seen a surfeit of cases that have been filed against people. And all kinds of stories that are coming out with the latest implicating senior Huryat leaders and some kind of a, you know, the attributing links between those who carried out the blast in Jammu with Huryat senior leaders. So I mean, given all this, it seems that everything else is continuing. It's not that the army has even stopped its search operation. As we speak, in fact, in Kupwara-Langit area, they are carrying out search operations. So it's not as everything has come to a grinding halt. No, not at all. But even this limited ceasefire that operates, unilateral it may be, it's good. So long as, you know, the bloodshed come down, the number of people who are getting killed comes down. It's welcome. But it's not going to result in a political resolution if anybody sees this clearing the path for that. So finally, I think the point you just brought up, political resolution, the success of this, what do you feel about the success of this ceasefire and the possibility of continuing it without any talks being held with militants? Because this is unilateral. This has been one-sided. There has been no negotiations yet. So what do you think of the future of this? We have had unilateral ceasefire, but militants also, let's not forget, when JKLF declared its decision to seize hostilities, it was a unilateral ceasefire that they announced. Nobody spoke about them as why are you talking about unilateral, what did they get in return? Nothing much. So unilateral in itself, I mean, it doesn't matter. I mean, each party tries it in their own political calculations. So I don't see that as much of an issue. Government of India felt compelled to carry it out. They've done it. It's not going to last for too long. I don't expect it to last long. The point is that in order for any peaceful political resolution which has defied a solution for the last 70 years, not for want of trying, but for want of being sincere and serious about it. Unless Indian government and Indian rulers are very clear in their mind what they want and what they are willing to offer, I mean, I don't see much possibilities of talks, sustainable talks taking place. So thank you, Gautam, for joining us today. And thank you for watching NewsClick.