The National Conference patron, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has expressed his gratitude to Pakistan and militant groups like Hizbul Mujahideen for not interring in the polling process in the first phase of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Expressing his happiness over the turnout of the voters in the first phase of elections held recently, Dr Abdullah has said that the people should exercise their franchise in the same way and should come out for voting in large numbers so as to strengthen the democratic set-up, in the next six phases also.

“I have no hesitation to express gratitude to Pakistan and militant groups like Hizbul Mujahideen for not interfering in the peaceful process of elections and allowing people to exercise their democratic right as per their own wish”, he added.

“My party has a dream of stable Kashmir and we will not leave any stone unturned to ensure peaceful and dignified solution of the issue”, he said adding, “We all have to sit down with all stake holders to find a solution to the core issue and make a comprehensive plan which is acceptable to all the section of the society to find a lasting solution”.

However, he said that his party is also focusing on the day today sufferings of the common masses and has comprehensive plans for addressing the same. “If voted to power my party will form a govt which will work the welfare and overall development of the state and its people”.

This is an important statement in that it seeks to address an important nuance of the J&K problem, the role of separatists.
Dr Abdullah has thus made it clear that the analysts who are interpreting a high voter turnout in first phase of J&K elections as complete marginalization of separatists are wide off the mark.

The separatists will have a role in the final resolution of the J&K problem needs to be understood, as also perhaps acknowledged. The mainstream parties have been contesting successive elections for day to day governance to address issues pertaining to development, health care, education facilities etc. In that sense, the 2008 Assembly elections are no different.

Those participating in these elections are contesting because they claim that they can provide better governance. None of them is claiming that the elections will sort out the J&K problem and resolve it finally, without the participation of the separatists.

The J&K problem can get resolved only through sustained dialogue between (or among) different parties, the most important being India and Pakistan. Another set of participants in this dialogue process will be the politicians of the state, of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) and even areas of Gilgit.

That dialogue is not the focus of the Assembly elections now underway. The voters are not giving their opinion about this dialogue process through the franchise.

Given this, it is important that the issue of resolution of the J&K problem and elections in the state for providing government are not inter-linked. It is a subtle difference but needs to be stressed.
Separatist leader Sajjad Lone, who had contributed in his own way to the ongoing debate about the resolution of the J&K problem, has remarked: ``One swallow does not make a summer.’’

Incidentally, Sajjad Lone’s views about a possible resolution of the J&K problem have been given in a 294-page document he wrote. The document is titled Achievable Nationhood and available on the Net.

Mr Sajjad Lone was apparently commenting on the high voter turnout in the first phase of elections in the state. It was thus clear that he was rubbishing the analysis that equated a high voter turnout with repudiation or marginalization of separatist politics.