Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Oct 27: The five-member Civil Society delegation led by former External Affairs Minister and senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha today completed its three-day visit to Kashmir during which it met various stakeholders to understand the situation and break the over three month long impasse.
The team comprising Yashwant Sinha, Sushobha Barve, Executive Director, Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation (CDR), Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Kapil Kak and Bharat Bhushan former Editor and senior journalist, called on Governor NN Vohra, at the Raj Bhawan here today.
The team shared their views with the Governor, who stressed the importance of a sustained dialogue with all stakeholders for securing very early restoration of peace and normalcy in the State.
Earlier in the morning, the team met Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and stressed upon the issue of education of the children who are worst sufferers of the unrest. During the meeting they stressed that students should not lose an academic year and separatists should allow opening of schools.
Geelani, however, told the delegation that he does not deny the importance of education. “We believe that education is one of the basic necessities for not only nation building but for the individual self as well. It is only the light of education by which one can know his creator and himself, but at the same time this fact cannot be ignored and denied that education can only thrive in a calm, peaceful and dignified atmosphere. The innocent kids will be far from getting their education as they are mentally and psychologically disturbed and terrified”, he told delegation.
Hurriyat chairperson asked the delegation: “How can a student wholeheartedly attend his school when his close relatives, father, brother, cousin, friends, neighbours and classmates are either in the graveyard, or admitted in hospitals, or slapped with PSAs or tortured in police stations. If the authorities are really concerned and bothered about the education, they should release all people including students, withdraw the cases against them, stop police vigil, put an end to the barbarism, night raids and allow peaceful demonstrations which will help in creating a conducive and peaceful atmosphere. Exams can be deferred so that students can get time to prepare and prove their worth on their own”.
A delegation of Hoteliers also met the Civil Society delegation and put forward their view point.
Yashwant Sinha told reporters at the conclusion of the visit that they came here to understand the situation and share pain. “We came here to understand the situation and share the pain of the people. We will sit down (after going back to Delhi) and see how we can proceed further,” he said.
Sinha said the delegation, which does not have any official status, met Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti yesterday and Governor N N Vohra today.
Sinha, former External Affairs Minister, disagreed when asked whether the meeting with the separatists could be seen as a breakthrough since they opened their doors to the delegation members unlike the members of All-Party Delegation who were turned away by Geelani earlier in September.
“It was good on their part that they decided to meet us. We had extensive discussions with various stakeholders here,” he said.
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