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Adil Lateef
SRINAGAR, Aug 30: As an All-Party Delegation is set to arrive here on September 4, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, today called for talks with ‘relevant’ non-mainstream political parties and all other stakeholders in Kashmir and said that ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) can find a better solution to Kashmir.
“BJP can find a better solution because during the time of (former Prime Ministers) Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, whenever we gave a proposal to find out a solution, we faced the maximum opposition from the BJP. They would tell us that we want to appease the minorities…we want to appease the Kashmiris and they (BJP) took political advantage in entire country. Now, they are in power at the Centre as well as State and they should find a solution now,” Azad, who arrived today in Valley and chaired a meeting of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) leaders and prominent workers here at a guest house on the banks of Dal lake, told reporters.
Azad said the Opposition in New Delhi has been calling for dialogue ‘as soon as possible’ for normalization of situation in Kashmir in the wake of violence that raged after killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
“Well, we have said both inside the House and in all party meeting which was presided by Prime Minister and which we had asked as an Opposition that he should hold an all party meeting. We had also said that the process of dialogue should be initiated as soon as possible if they want the things to improve on ground,” he said.
When asked about the talks with separatists including Hurriyat, Azad said that the dialogue should not be confined to mainstream parties only but the State and Centre should also identify ‘relevant’ non-mainstream parties without repeat of patch-work and all stakeholders who don’t have representation in Legislative Assembly and Parliament.
“And, for that (normalizing situation) it is important we do not confine our dialogue only to mainstream political parties. The mainstream political parties even otherwise have an opportunity to hear their views both in the respective Assembly and Parliament. But it is the non-mainstream political parties not only in our State but across the country they don’t have normally any representatives in the Assemblies and Parliament.”
“So we need to talk besides mainstream political parties, other non-mainstream political parties and all other stakeholders. We had also said that this is for the State Government and Central Government to sit together and identify who are the important and relevant non-mainstream parties and other stakeholders,” he said. But he asserted that talks for the “permanent solution” should be held under the ambit of Indian Constitution.
The senior Congress leader when asked about the terms of reference and agenda of the All-Party Delegation that is scheduled to visit Kashmir said: “Well, normally it doesn’t take place because all the party, all the Leaders of Opposition are in their respective constituencies, in their respective states. Normally, it doesn’t happen that way. Normally it happens when the All Party Delegation reaches a particular place and I am sure like in the past, the first meeting will take place and in that meeting, the issues will be discussed… they will have to build consensus over holding talks. The parameters can be discussed and then under those parameters the work will start.”
Azad said that “so far I don’t see a single initiative which is taken by the Government” and credited Opposition for all the initiatives that were taken with regard to bringing back normalcy in Kashmir. “Well, I don’t know. As of now, I would like to say that whatever was done in the Parliament and whatever is being done after the session these were only all the recommendations of the Opposition.”
“Whether there was a discussion four-times, it was on the initiatives of the opposition and if the All-Party Meeting took place at New Delhi, it was also the promise made by the Home Minister on the floor of the House on the demand we made and it was our All Party Delegation visiting Kashmir, this was also accepted on the demand made by the Opposition, all of us, in the Rajya Sabha,” Azad said, adding: “so far whatever has happened in the Parliament and outside the Parliament seems to be all, you know, demands made by the Opposition. I don’t see a single initiative which is taken by the Government.”
The Congress veteran said that had the Central Government acceded to demand of Opposition of sending an All-Party Delegation to Kashmir earlier, the situation would have been different from today and shown improvement.
“Well, I would like to say this (beginning of unrest) happened around 9th of July (when Burhan was killed) and on 18thof July, I sought discussion in the Rajya Sabha and chairman was kind enough of Rajya Sabha to allow the full day discussion in Rajya Sabha and it was from morning to evening and it is at that point of time, I along with all opposition leaders requested the Government that some dialogue process should start, Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) should chair an All-Party Meeting and All Party Delegation should go to Kashmir,” he said.
Azad further said: “Had the Government of India acceded to our request (of holding an All-Party Meeting and sending an All-Party Delegation) on 18th of July, the things would have been improved much earlier; may be the curfew which has been lifted after 51 or 52 days, in that case the curfew would have been lifted on 15th or 16th day after the entire episode took place. Thereby we would not have lost so many lives, we would have not lost so many precious lives, we would have not lost so many eyes of young children and the so many people both civilian and security forces would not have been injured.”
But, the Congress leader said, the Government of the day “didn’t rise to the occasion, it didn’t woke up, so we tried our best and it took us both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha the entire Opposition, we had to discuss this issue in 20-25 days four times and may be this would be the first time in the history of Parliament that any issue of a particular subject and particular issue being discussed again and again in the same House within the period of less than a month”.
“So we had to force through this discussion and the focus on the issue and on-goings in Kashmir wherein the people were killed, wherein the people were injured, the pellet guns were used,” the Opposition leader said.
Expressing dismay over the reports that use of pellet guns against protesters would be continued in Kashmir, Azad said that the reported decision has made them upset and said even as they were assured by Centre that its use would be discontinued. “Well, this is, this was made us very upset. At the national level, we were all one when we raised our voice against the use of pellet guns and we were told on the floor of the House that a committee has been constituted and whatever recommendations will come we will implement and we were privately given to understand that the use of pellet guns will not be there.
“And, subsequently there was another delegation led by Omar Abdullah, the former Chief Minister, it was All Party Delegation from Kashmir which met president and Prime Minister and everybody in Delhi and Omar and this All Party Delegation led by him to Delhi also made leadership understand that there should not be use of any pellet guns,” he said, adding, “but, it’s very sad that the demand made by all party leaders in the Parliament in both Houses of Parliament and the demand made by the all party leaders from Jammu and Kashmir has been totally neglected. We are totally upset with this decision of the Government. It is a deceit.”
When asked about the role of Pakistan in the ongoing unrest in Kashmir valley, Azad said that the Pakistan’s role has “always been negative” since year 1947. “Well it is not the first time the role of Pakistan been negative. It is right since 1947 since the partition of India, it started from October 1947 even when I was not born and when there has always been a role of Pakistan and that role has been negative,” he added.
Meanwhile, the PCC chief, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, party legislators, senior leaders and prominent workers from all districts of Valley briefed Azad about the ground situation of Kashmir in nearly 2-hour long meeting, sources said. “Azad heard us patiently and we briefed him about the present grim situation across the Valley,” they said.
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