Case for defence
The country's highest law officer comes under a cloud as the Congress joins issue with Jethmalani in accusing him of "grose impropriety"

Marx to Mamta
The first real challenge to the CPI(M) in its rural bastion leads to a bloodbath

Fifth Column
by Talveen Singh
Commons' Problem

Kautilya
by Jairam Ramesh
Beyond the Mumbo-Jumbo

Right Angle
by Swapan Dasgupta
India Can't Endure Pain

Flip side
by Dilip Bobb
Heroic Events

Battle On the sidelines
While the battle continues in the Rajya Sabha on the Jethmalani resignation issue, no-one missed the intra-Congress battle between Pranab Mukherjee and Arjun Singh

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Even by the grisly standards of Kashmir, last week was exceptionally barbaric: 100 innocent people killed in a single day in seven massacres. Not coincidentally, the killings happened just as the Government responded to a cease-fire call and was readying for talks with an important Kashmiri militant group. The country was outraged but the prime minister took the brave and difficult decision to continue with the dialogue -- the first with the gunmen of the Valley. The talks hold out a glimmer of hope to the people of Kashmir who have become weary of violence.

There have been many peace initiatives in the past but they have always come to nought. This time the Centre has moved simultaneously on many fronts. There is the back-channel diplomacy with the Hurriyat leadership, the discussions with Farooq Abdullah on the autonomy report, the cease-fire with the Hizbul and initiatives at the diplomatic level. These moves have encouraged considerable speculation and it is not very clear how the different and contradictory agendas of the various players can be reconciled. The question being asked is: does the Government have a clear game plan? Or is it as much a victim of confusion as everyone else?

Our cover story -- the 21st on Kashmir since 1977 -- examines the different agendas being pursued in Kashmir. Why is the most important militant group talking peace with Delhi? How will the other hardline groups respond and how will Pakistan react to India getting the upper hand diplomatically? Equally, what are the hidden agendas of the various players? Does peace really stand a chance? If not, why are they still talking?

Says Special Correspondent Ramesh Vinayak who travelled to Srinagar and visited the massacre sites: "It's a bizarre chess game -- with the people as pawns." In Kashmir, unfortunately, pawn seems a euphemism for bullet fodder.

(Aroon Purie)

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