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  India   Kashmir stir: Rajnath Singh in J&K in fresh effort for Valley calm

Kashmir stir: Rajnath Singh in J&K in fresh effort for Valley calm

| YUSUF JAMEEL
Published : Aug 25, 2016, 1:27 am IST
Updated : Aug 25, 2016, 1:27 am IST

Union home minister Rajnath Singh began a two-day visit to the Kashmir Valley here on Wednesday in a renewed effort to reach out to as many people as he can as part of the government’s effort to seek

Rajnath Singh being received by the Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Nirmal Kumar Singh. (Photo: PTI)
 Rajnath Singh being received by the Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Nirmal Kumar Singh. (Photo: PTI)

Union home minister Rajnath Singh began a two-day visit to the Kashmir Valley here on Wednesday in a renewed effort to reach out to as many people as he can as part of the government’s effort to seek an end to the ongoing turbulence.

Soon after arriving here, Mr Singh was closeted with senior officials of the security forces, intelligence agencies and state administration for a briefing on the law and order situation in the Valley. Later in the day, he met delegations of different mainstream parties, including from the National Conference, Congress and the BJP’s coalition partner, the PDP, and some other groups.

Before leaving New Delhi for Srinagar, the minister had tweeted: “I will be staying at the Nehru Guest House. Those who believe in Kashmiriyat, insaniyat and jamhooriyat are welcome.” While isaniyat is Urdu for humanity and jamhooriyat for democracy, Kashmiriyat is the ethno-national and social consciousness and cultural values of the Kashmiri people. These expressions are often invoked by Prime Minister Narenda Modi to woo the people of the Valley, but without any perceptible success so far.

In fact Mr Singh’s visit, his second in a month, comes just after the Prime Minister expressed “deep concern and pain” over the situation in the Valley, where 68 civilians have been killed and thousands more injured in security forces’ firings and other actions to contain a 47-day-old turbulence triggered by the killing of popular militant commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani on July 8. Two policemen have also died and, according to official statistics, 3,500-4,000 security personnel have been injured in mob violence.

In another tweet, the home minister said: “Leaving New Delhi for Srinagar on a two-day visit. Shall interact with civil society groups, political parties and other stakeholders”.

The visit follows a series of meetings the Opposition leaders of the state, led by former CM Omar Abdullah, held in New Delhi in the past week, including with President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

Official sources said Mr Abdullah, at the head of his party’s six-member delegation, met Mr Singh to pick up the threads left at his meeting with the PM on Monday. At the 45-minute meeting, he demanded an immediate ban on the use of pellet guns and initiation of a dialogue with all stakeholders on Kashmir. The delegation, NC sources said, reiterated that initiating a dialogue with all stakeholders, including separatists, by the Centre was imperative to arrive at a political solution to the Kashmir problem. It also said that it was vital for New Delhi to separately resume the dialogue process with Pakistan.

The Congress delegation which met the home minister, led by J&K PCC chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir, apprised him on the “extremely turbulent situation prevailing for the last 47 days in the Valley”. Mr Mir said: “We told him that already so many precious lives have been lost and thousands are injured. The government must look for a way out. If they ask us, the solution lies in taking all stakeholders on board to find and address the issue with all sincerity and commitment, rising above party and personal considerations.”

He added: “What is also needed is to restore the lost trust and confidence of people, as there is a deep sense of alienation among them due to civilian killings and grievous injuries to thousands others.” The delegation demanded a time-bound probe into these killings and other excess allegedly committed by the security forces.

The delegation also sought an immediate ban on the use of pellet guns and other lethal weapons in crowd control.

During Mr Singh’s visit here in July, the Congress had refused to see him citing the “deteriorating situation” in the Valley. However, it was part of the Omar Abdullah-led delegation that met the Prime Minister and others in New Delhi recently.

Various Srinagar-based trade union organisations and other civil society groups of the Valley, however, refused to meet Mr Singh, saying it would be a “waste of time”.

Official sources said the home minister and governor N.N. Vohra held “extensive discussions” at Raj Bhavan in the evening.

The governor, the sources said, briefed Mr Singh in detail on the internal security situation and the steps needed to restore normality in the state. Rajiv Mehrishi, Union home secretary, was present at the discussions.

Location: India, Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar