Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik has said that Azadi for Kashmir or merger with Pakistan was not possible.

Malik, in an interview with New Delhi based The Indian Express, said that the LTTE that had a committed cadre; got money and weapons from 14 nations could not take over a country, and it is not possible in the case of Jammu and Kashmir.

“I want to tell them (militants) respectfully that the dreams they have been shown in the last 15-20 years are unrealistic. From Sheikh (Abdullah) Sahab’s time until now — Azaadi or Pakistan — I want to say to them that they are not even one-fourth of the LTTE. The LTTE had such a committed cadre that 12-year-old girls would fight barefoot in the jungles. They got money and weapons from 14 nations. When they could not take over a country, it is not possible here,” Malik said.

Malik said: “This is not an occupation. It is another matter if someone chooses to use the occupation term. But no, that is not correct. You can say we have mishandled. India has made mistakes, and its mistakes have, in the process, alienated itself. Because of what has happened, India is being presented as an occupation force. But Kashmir is not an occupied territory, it came to us of its own free will.

Allaying fears over the moves to tinker with state subject laws of the state, Malik said: “There is nothing to worry about. It is possible that we have not kept the promises made at that time but I guarantee that on 370 and 35A, and I have faith in the Indian judiciary, there is nothing to worry about.”

Malik said that the arguments on Article 35-A should be deferred until there is an elected government in the state. “I am not an elected representative but my stand is that arguments on 35A should be deferred until there is an elected government in power. But even in Himachal (Pradesh) and the (states of) North East, you cannot buy land. Ye kaun sa bada gunaah hai (How is this a major wrong)? These are issues raised due to political reasons.”

He said holding a dialogue is not his mandate or agenda, but he has to create an environment in which the Centre can initiate talks with political parties in Kashmir and with the Hurriyat if they come to the table “without the condition of involving Pakistan”. “I don’t have the authority to start a political conversation with the Hurriyat but if they want to come and talk about anything else, my gates are open. I have respect for them but I cannot discuss any issue with them. Kashmir ke maamle mein toh Dilli hi baat karegi unse (only Delhi will discuss Kashmir with them).”

“But the condition of Hurriyat, that if Pakistan comes, we will talk, toh hum panchayati nahin karwane wale hain (we will not mediate if Hurriyat insists on the condition of involving Pakistan in talks),” he said. Underlining that dialogue is the only way forward to resolve the Kashmir issue, Malik said that talks with not just the mainstream parties and the Hurriyat but, “if terrorists wish to nominate someone and say, this person will speak on our behalf and and he keeps his gun down and talks, he should also be spoken to. No one will talk while killings are on”.

Malik, who took over the governor of the state two months after the collapse of PDP-BJP government said that he was in favour of wiping militancy, and not militants.

“I am not in favour of killing them. We have to kill militancy, not militants. It has to be made useless in the eyes of the people. You kill one militant, and five more will join. But I’m not for that.”

He also said that Azadi or merger with Pakistan was not possible. “I want to tell them (militants) respectfully that the dreams they have been shown in the last 15-20 years are unrealistic. From Sheikh (Abdullah) Sahab’s time until now — Azaadi or Pakistan — I want to say to them that they are not even one-fourth of the LTTE. The LTTE had such a committed cadre that 12-year-old girls would fight barefoot in the jungles. They got money and weapons from 14 nations. When they could not take over a country, it is not possible here,” Malik said.