India, Oct. 13 -- In the small hours of 16 November 1993, with Srinagar under curfew, about sixty-five men filed out of the Hazratbal shrine. They spoke little. Their weapons stayed inside. One negotiator had even suggested they "throw them in the well" to avoid the theatre of a handover in a sacred place. It was a quiet end to a tense month.

The core deal was straightforward. Those inside could leave without their arms. As they emerged, officials checked identities; anyone not wanted for serious offences would be released, and others held for questioning. The emphasis was de-escalation: secure the exit, protect the shrine, keep the city calm.

Because formal negotiations between the gunmen and the government were fraught, religious lead...