On August 22, 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met a visiting delegation of Kashmiri opposition parties led by Omar Abdullah and unequivocally stated that dialogue was “a must” for bringing an end to the (then) weeks-long unrest. He added that “We need to find a permanent and lasting solution to the problem within the framework of the constitution”. It has taken the government eight months to even broach the subject again.
Even Rajnath Singh’s present concession is so grudging that few, in Kashmir or Delhi, are convinced of its sincerity. For when told by the Jammu and Kashmir governor N.N.
