Neeraj Rohmetra
Jammu, Sept 18: After several years, a high-profile delegation comprising several Ambassadors hailing from the European Union (EU) will be arriving in Jammu and Kashmir State for two day visit and hold parleys with top brass of politicians and prominent officials.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR that preparations were on for the past several months to meticulously plan the high-profile visit and the required security paraphernalia has been place for the same. “Union Home Ministry officials have been holding regular interactions with top officials of the State regarding the visit of diplomats, which begins on September 23 and concludes on September 25”, sources said.
“Though the delegation’s tour has been officially declared on now, there were confirmed reports that the visit had earlier run into rough weather due to some bureaucratic wrangles and till yesterday, there wasn’t any official confirmation from State Government for the proposed visit”, sources said emphatically. The State Home Department has been declared as the nodal agency for the proposed visit.
Sources stated that it was only after the intervention of the State Governor, N N Vohra that the State Government gave its nod for the visit of EU diplomats.
“The delegation would comprise nine Ambassadors from EU countries and one Ambassador of the European Union (EU) mission in India and the objective of the delegation would be to have ground assessment of the situation”, sources asserted.
“According to the broad contours of the proposed visit, the delegation besides holding interaction with State Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah would also be holding parleys with top brass of several other political parties including leader of opposition, Mehbooba Mufti and few others. The diplomats of the EU would also hold interaction with top officials of the State including Chief Secretary, Iqbal Khandey”, sources commented.
The delegation of the EU diplomats will hold confabulations with cross-section of people including those, who are part of the security apparatus in the State.
Elaborating further, sources said, “the EU delegation is unlikely to hold interaction with separatist leaders from Kashmir Valley as they were unhappy with the latter’s stiff opposition to the recently held concert of the world renowned music conductor Zubin Mehta at Shalimar gardens in the summer capital”.
“The visit would also offer an opportunity to the State officials to try to convince the foreign diplomats to withdraw their advisories on travel to Kashmir. For the past some time, the top brass of State Government including the Chief Minister had been pleading this case with Ambassadors of several countries so as to give the required boost to tourism sector”, sources added. State Government in 2009 had also invited several dignitaries and diplomats to assess and see for themselves the security situation in Kashmir Valley.
Although some Ambassadors didn’t come, others came along with their family members. “The High Commissioners of Commonwealth countries were invited for a game of golf and actually moved around Srinagar city without any security or tourism department guide”, sources said. Subsequently, UK had lowered travel advisory on Kashmir based on ground assessment by these diplomats.
In November 2009, a five member delegation from the European Union (EU) had arrived on a two-day visit to Kashmir Valley and held interactions with people from all walks of life. The delegation, led by the then Swedish Ambassador to India Lars Olof Lindgren, met a cross-section of people as part of its “fact-finding” mission. The other team members were: Ambassador of Belgium Jean M. Deboutte; Ambassador of Spain Ion de la Reva; Ambassador, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission, Daniele Smajda; and second Secretary (Political Affairs) at the Swedish Embassy Oscar Schlyter.
The diplomats had met the then Commander of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps besides people across the political spectrum including the former Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The delegation also visited a school in the Pattan area of north Kashmir.
The five-member delegation of the European Union (EU) had created a stir in separatist circles by categorically stating that Kashmir was an integral part of India.
In the year 2004, a four-day roundtable conference was held at Chashma Shahi in Zabarwan Hills, wherein 44 delegates from the European Union and diplomats participated. The conference was also attended by N N Vohra – the then Indian interlocutor on Kashmir.
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