Mehbooba Mufti had asked separatists to meet the all-party delegation, but the Centre's stand on this is unclear.
Mehbooba Mufti had asked separatists to meet the all-party delegation, but the Centre's stand on this is unclear.
New Delhi: An all-party delegation led by Home Minister Rajnath Singh reached Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, and is expected to interact with a cross section of people as part of efforts to bring peace in the Valley which has been witnessing unrest after the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani.
-"We intend to talk to individuals and groups who want peace and normalcy in Kashmir Valley,-" Singh said before the departure of delegation comprising 30 members from 20 parties.
Cutting across party lines, leaders said that they were hopeful of finding a solution for restoration of peace in the Valley where violent clashes have claimed 71 lives since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.
Senior Congress leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the delegation was ready to hear -"everyone-".
The visit -"will be beneficial for Kashmir and for the country,-" he said, adding everyone wants peace in the state.
Azad said it will be an opportunity for the parties and Kashmiri people to interact. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, another member of the team, said the all-party delegation should have gone two months ago -"but let's hope that even now, we can make a difference-".
LJP Chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said that the MPs are going with an open mind and want to interact with anyone who wants to talk within the framework of the Indian Constitution. -"We are ready to talk,-" he said.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said all parties were cooperating with the government and their sole aim was restoration of normalcy in the state.
-"We will try our best to bring back normalcy. We are cooperating with the government. It is the responsibility of the government to deal with the situation very intelligently.
-"All parties are cooperating for that. So we hope that it will be resolved,-" he said.
But is not clear whether the delegation will speak to separatists. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday sent a letter to various separatist parties and groups urging them to meet the all-party delegation. Opposition including AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, CPI’s Sitaram Yechury, Congress and others also demanded that talks be held with separatists in the Valley.
Yechury went so far as to endorse the participation of Pakistan in talks over Kashmir. Speaking to media persons after a consultation meeting with intellectuals here on the Kashmir issue, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and his CPI counterpart Sudhakar Reddy also urged Hurriyat leaders to discuss their positions with the delegation to find a solution to the problem.
-"A final solution to this (problem) cannot happen without engaging with Pakistan. Yes, Pakistan's involvement in cross-border infiltration, terrorism, on that all of us have said unitedly that the country as a whole will face it. But at the same time, the engagement with Pakistan is also important,-" Yechury, who is part of the 30-member delegation, said.
On asked whether inviting Pakistan to come to discussion table will mean converting the issue as one associated with Pakistan and not India's internal matter, Yechury said -"the Kashmir dispute is between Pakistan and India-".
All mainstream parties and also the leaders of various social, religious and political groups of Kargil will meet the delegation. However, various separatist group, the representative bodies of the Valley’s doctors and lawyers and minority Sikhs have already announced that they would boycott the visit.
Prior to the visit, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday approved chilli-based PAVA shells as alternative to pellet guns in Kashmir.
Earlier, PM Modi on Friday called for ‘development’ and ‘trust’ as the two key elements required to address the problem dogging the troubled region.
“The seeds (of the current unrest) were sown during Independence. Every government has had to face this problem. This not a new problem but an old one,” he said.
Asserting that “solution to the problem” would be found, Modi said, “Kashmir needs ‘vikas’ (development) and 'vishwas' (confidence). 125 crore people of the country are ready to give ‘vikas’ and there has never been dearth of ‘vishwas’.” “I hope Kashmiri youth will not be misled and will move ahead with peace, unity, harmony. I hope Kashmir will remain the ‘jannat’ (paradise),” the Prime Minister said in an interview.
Meanwhile, violence continues in the Valley, though curfew has been lifted in most places. On Saturday, 1 youth was killed and 150 people injured in clashes, taking the death toll to 73. On Sunday, protesters set an under construction building of a mini secretariat in Shopian on fire.
