*NSA, HS to coordinate with J&K to tackle unrest
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 27: The Centre Government has decided to engage the people of Kashmir, who want peaceful solution to their problems, by constituting a Committee of Interlocutors to hold talks with all stakeholders within the agenda of ‘Insaniyat’, Kashmiriyat and Jamhooriyat’ and ambit of the Constitution of India, set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
An indication to this effect was given by the Prime Minister to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti during their 45-minutes long meeting at 7 Race Course Road, New Delhi this morning, which was also attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
This was the long pending demand of Mehbooba that the Centre Government should come out with an announcement to engage people of the Kashmir valley, who want peace, which was accepted by Modi during the meeting, official sources told the Excelsior saying composition of the Committee would be announced by the Union Home Ministry after taking the Chief Minister on board.
After the meeting, Mehbooba Mufti, in her chat with media persons admitted that she had made such a demand before the Prime Minister, with whom she was meeting for the first time during 50-day long unrest in Kashmir, which has taken 70 lives so far and left over 8000 injured, nearly half of them para-military and police personnel.
Admitting that such a suggestion by the Chief Minister has found favour with the Prime Minister, sources, however, pointed out that this time composition of the Committee and its Agenda would be entirely different, which would be formulated keeping in view the aims and aspiration of people of all three regions of the State including Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
Sources said the Centre Government has endorsed the view of Mehbooba Mufti that 95 per cent people in Kashmir were peace-loving and have nothing to do with violence and decided that 5 per cent mischief mongers, who were diverting children and youth towards security force camps and police stations, would be dealt with sternly by para-military and police personnel.
Sources asserted that both Centre and State Governments were on same page as far as dealing with militants and anti-social elements especially those instigating youth and children towards security force camps and police stations, leading to their killing and injuries, was concern and will act against them sternly as per the plan.
According to sources, Modi discussed “all aspects of the situation” in Jammu and Kashmir with the Chief Minister during the lengthy meeting and was in concurrence with majority of points suggested by Mehbooba Mufti to restore peace and normalcy in the Valley, which was shattered since July 8 after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
Sources said the Centre had asked NSA Ajit Doval and Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi to directly coordinate with the State Government for tackling Kashmir unrest and fulfill all requirements of the State Government by staying in regular touch with civil and police administration of the State and heads of security forces especially the BSF and CRPF, which were dealing with the protesters along with police.
Mehbooba also had detailed discussion with the Prime Minister on sending an All Party Delegation to Jammu and Kashmir to meet the people. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has already agreed to this demand and his Ministry was engaged in formulating composition of the Delegation, which could visit the State in next 7 to 10 days.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today squarely blamed Pakistan for fuelling present unrest in Kashmir as well as the separatists and other “vested interests” (though she didn’t name the separatists directly) saying they were adding fuel to the fire and instigating innocent children and youth to target security force camps and Pakistan.
“The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) not only called Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif to India in his oath ceremony but also went to Lahore but that was followed by Pathankot (terror attack). Again our Home Minister (Rajnath Singh) visited Islamabad in August (to attend SAARC summit) but instead of talking to him there and respecting the guest, Pakistan didn’t give him the treatment which should have been given to a guest,” she said, adding “it was Pakistan, which has lost chances provided by India for talks”.
She charged Pakistan with fuelling tension in Kashmir.
“Instead of helping in easing the situation, Pakistan was openly provoking the people of Kashmir, adding fuel to the fire,” she said in her first direct attack on Pakistan during the current 50-day long unrest for which the BJP-led Centre Government has been blaming Pakistan.
Replying to a question on talks with separatists, Mehbooba Mufti asked: “what purpose would be served by giving a call for Badami Bagh gherao? It could lead to more casualties”. She said some people were directly instigating the innocent youth and children to attack security force camps and police stations, leading to their killing.
“These youth and children were being told that even if they were killed, Kashmir problem will be solved the next day. I’m pained by this as a mother,” she said and reiterated that these were only five per cent people, who were instigating violence while rest 95 per cent want peace and political solution to Kashmir problem.
“If Pakistan has some concern for the people of Kashmir, they should stop supporting the people who are instigating the youth in the Valley,” she said and advised Islamabad to take a leaf out if its former President Pervez Musharraf’s Kashmir policy who had opined that the UN resolution on Kashmir had no space in the present world.
Asked about talks with Hurriyat, she said a dialogue should be held with all those who want talks. But “those who are instigating the people for carrying out attacks on camps and police stations are not interested in talks,” she said and appealed to the separatist leaders to come forward and help her Government in breaking “this cycle of violence” in the Valley.
Ms Mufti said the Prime Minister was very concerned about the situation in the Valley and has asked for steps to end this “bloodshed” so that the State comes out of the present turmoil.
“The Prime Minister is very concerned about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir like we all are. It is a matter of concern for everyone. Modi wants this bloodshed to end so that the State comes out of the present turmoil,” she said.
Observing that the basis of the PDP-BJP alliance was on the foundations of Vajpayee’s Kashmir policy and to carry forward from where it had stopped, the Chief Minister recalled the words of her father and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed who had said that if Kashmir can be resolved, it can only be by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who enjoys two-thirds majority.
“If things don’t happen during his tenure, it won’t happen ever. I believe that Modi Ji, who took a bold step of going there, today again says we need to talk to our own people, because people are dying,” she said.
“I am sure that the Prime Minister will not forget to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue,” she said.
The Chief Minister said she told the Prime Minister to hold talks with all the stakeholders in the State and this could be possible through an institutionalized mechanism.
“Please appoint a group of individuals on whom people of Kashmir have trust, that whatever they are saying will reach to people at the helm of affairs in Delhi,” she said.
She said a peaceful resolution, as discussed with the Prime Minister, will ensure that the people in the State will live their life with dignity and peace.
Mehbooba said an all-party delegation will reach Srinagar and make efforts to reach out to the people in the State.
The Chief Minister said she told the Prime Minister that progress on ‘Agenda of Alliance’ signed between PDP and BJP before formation of the Government was not as much as it should have been. She said Modi assured her that there will be progress on both political and economic front and the State will come out of the bloodshed.
An official handout issued by the State Government said that Mehbooba presented a “three-pronged action plan” that included a dialogue with all stakeholders during talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring lasting peace in the Valley.
Appealing to the protesters to help her resolve the crisis, she said, “please give me one chance to address your concerns and aspirations. I have hardly taken over (as the Chief Minister) only couple of months back”.
Mehbooba outlined a “three-pronged action plan” before the Prime Minister for the resolution of the Kashmir problem which includes involvement of separatists and Pakistan in substantive dialogue to work out a solution to the problem in light of the contemporary geo-political realities.
Stressing the need for initiating a credible and meaningful political action on the ground to make peace and stability a reality in the state, Mehbooba called for reviving the reconciliation and resolution process which was initiated by the then NDA Government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee between 2002 and 2005.
The Chief Minister said the intra and inter-state Confidence Building Measures initiated during that time had helped transform the situation in the State and the region.
“We shall have to pick up the threads from where we left in 2005 and revive the reconciliation and resolution process with fresh resolve,” she said and added that the present Prime Minister has the mandate to take bold political initiatives on Kashmir. Expressing anguish over the continued violence and killings, Mehbooba sought involvement of all the stakeholders for resolution of the problems facing J and K and improving the situation in the State.
She said the focus of the State Government, Government of India and all other parties in the country is to reach out to the majority of the peace-loving stakeholders in Kashmir who want peaceful solution of the problem.
“Every political party wants the bloodshed in Kashmir to end and a political process to begin, sooner the better,” she said and added that all the parties, cutting across the divide, including the Hurriyat leaders shall have to come forward and help in saving innocent lives as also engage in a meaningful dialogue process for the peaceful resolution of the problems.
On the All Party delegation, she said, “I hope they will meet different shades of political opinion to elicit their views on how to find a way out of the present imbroglio.”
Maintaining that the aspirations and the interests of people of the State are supreme for her Government, Mehbooba said the people of Kashmir have been living a life of pain, suffering and uncertainty and they yearn for peaceful resolution of the problems confronting the State.
Underlining the fact that she has just been in power for the last two months, she appealed to the people to help her resolve the crisis.
“I appeal to all those protesting in the streets. You may be angry with me, I may be angry with you, but please give me one chance to address your concerns and aspirations,” she said.
Calling for greater focus on the resolution of the problem by adding substance to the peace process through substantial confidence-building measures, Mehbooba said, “We should not mislead ourselves about brushing the issue under the carpet as was done on earlier occasions like in 2008 and 2010.
“The country’s political leadership must commit itself to address all the dimensions of the problem in a manner that balances and promotes enduring political and economic stability in the State and the region.”
She said that she had appealed to the Prime Minister to involve all shades of political opinion in meaningful deliberations for realistic and just resolution of the problem.
Asked about talks with Hurriyat, she said a dialogue should be held with all those who want talks. But “those who are instigating the people for carrying out attacks on camps and police stations are not interested in talks,” she said.
She also appealed to the separatist leaders to come and help her Government in breaking “this cycle of violence” in the State.
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