Home minister P Chidambaram’s advice to the special team of interlocutors on Kashmir —that they should avoid giving “ball-by-ball” commentary — should be seen as a seasoned politician sharing his political wisdom.
Unlike the rest of us, politicians — like diplomats and bureaucrats — have to be adept not just at hiding the truth but saying a lot without saying much. They must reveal as little as possible.
Of the three interlocutors sent by the government to talk to various Kashmiri groups, only one is a bureaucrat — former central information commissioner MM Ansari.
Of the other two, Dileep Padgaonkar is a senior journalist and Radha Kumar is an academic — both professions where the more you reveal, the better you do. They have to tone down their natural professional instincts and try and think like diplomats. Discretion is the better part of valour, especially when you are dealing with a sensitive subject like Kashmir. This might be a valuable lesson for the interlocutors, even though it may leave the Opposition and the media less to play with.
Of course, the fact remains that while Padgaonkar and Kumar have apparently shaken the boat enough to invite Chidambaram’s advice, little of what they have said is as outrageous as is being made out. The thoughts and demands of all involved are hardly a secret. It may be wiser for all concerned to let the interlocutors get on with their jobs rather than manufacture outrage to get publicity.
While it is fair to expect the interlocutors to listen more and talk less, some of the things they are saying may help set the right tone for a dialogue. They can offer new perspectives which may help find suitable approaches to a difficult issue. It may be naïve to expect huge changes from this mission but it would be equally cynical to dismiss it.
Chidambaram has also asked the Opposition to give “dialogue a chance to succeed”, but there is little chance that they will do so, given their predilections. The interlocutors are more likely to take his advice.
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