Do we need a Big Brother in Kashmir?

Only if it can make Pakistan see reason. At some stage, talks with Pakistan will need to be resumed. But this is perhaps not the best time because of the war in Afgha- nistan and the escalation of militant activity in Jammu and Kashmir as seen in the gruesome attack on the Assembly building in Srinagar. If there is a tapering off of terrorist activities from across the Line of Control (LoC), that would be the appropriate time to resume Indo-Pakistan talks.Will, or should, the US play a role in this tapering off? The war in Afghanistan itself could have some impact on the levels of militancy in J&K. The fact that US has added at least one organisation to its list of terrorist outfits is a positive opening. If America continues to positively address our concerns regarding cross-border terrorism, the situation could develop favourably. Obviously Pakistan, having once again become a frontline state for the US, will have to be kept in good humour. I still do not think we will see the anti-India tilt that existed during the Cold War years. When talking of a mediator in Jammu and Kashmir, we seem to forget that in 1949, the original ceasefire was brought about by the United Nations. Again, in 1965, the Tashkent Agreement was the result of third-party intervention. It is only after the Simla Agreement of 1972 that bilateralism became our policy and remains so. Behind the scenes, if the US wants to try and influence Pakistan, let it make them take a reasonable attitude. But the negotiations should be bilateral. Today, only 50 per cent of my father's original state of Jammu and Kashmir is with us: the rest is under Pakistan control, out of which a substantial portion has been given to China. Ever since 1947, Pakistan has repeatedly tried to seize Indian territory in J&K, and every attempt has resulted in an armed conflict — in 1947, 1965, 1971 and during the Kargil conflict. But each attempt has been doomed to failure. Therefore, all this talk of ''freedom fighters'' is nothing but a thinly-disguised attempt to once again change the position on the ground. And this too is destined to fail. If the US hopes to play mediator in J&K, it should make Pakistan see reason. (As told to Ratnottama Sengupta)