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EU seeks concrete steps on J&K

As efforts by the Indian Government to launch peace talks with militants in Jammu and Kashmir seem to lose direction, the European Union is urging it to take concrete steps to break the stalemate.

"We need to see some action. You could start with some confidence -building measures. And you need a very well-defined strategy about how the Indian Government wants to solve the problem in Jammu and Kashmir. And we don't know what the strategy of the government is?" a senior official of the EU told rediff.com.

Senior officials of the EU have welcomed recent moves by the Indian Government towards bringing peace in the troubled state. The EU has issued several statements welcoming the unilateral ceasefire declared by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in November, which has since been extended.

The EU also welcomed efforts by the Indian Government to launch a dialogue with the militants.

Yet, the Europeans remain puzzled by the lack of progress in the peace talks. "One of our main worries is that we do not see where the government is headed. What is the policy, besides the ceasefire? Are we to understand that the government now intends to launch talks with Pakistan?" a senior official of the EU asked rediff.com.

The EU is firm that peace cannot be found in Jammu and Kashmir without involving Pakistan in any negotiations as Pakistan plays a key role in the area. "We understand that it is not at all easy for the Indian Government to talk to Pakistan, especially when they harbour terrorists and the growing clamour of Islamic fundamentalists dominates the political climate there. But isolating Pakistan will also not help matters. India and Pakistan have to talk to each other to sort out the Kashmir issue," the official stated.

The EU says it is also confused by vastly differing signals sent out by various ministers within the Vajpayee Government and also those bearing an influence but outside the government. "The government does not seem to have a unified approach to the issue. There are many faces as can be gauged by the statement made by various ministers," the Europeans say.

The EU officials also feel that for long, the government had stuck to only announcing a ceasefire and without backing it up with any other moves. "A ceasefire not accompanied by an offer of negotiations is like a drop in the ocean. It can also be seen as some kind of a defiant attitude on the part of the Indian Government that they have made this move only to please the international audience and that now the responsibility lies with Pakistan and militants. India cannot expect a ceasefire from the other side. So what is the next scenario?" asked the official.

The Kashmir Cease-Fire: The Complete Coverage

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