Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 10: Centre Government’s Special Representative on Jammu and Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma said today that every Indian is a stakeholder in finding solution to Kashmir problem and that he would like to meet everyone during his visits to the State to ascertain their view point. (Click here to watch video)
“All Indian citizens were stakeholders in the dialogue process to find out solution to Jammu and Kashmir problem,” Sharma said in brief chat with media persons when asked to name the stakeholders and whether he would like to meet Hurriyat Conference leaders and other separatists.
Asserting that he would keep coming to Jammu and Kashmir and find some solution, Sharma, in response to a question on meeting with Hurriyat leaders, just quipped: “let us see”.
Asked further on the subject, he said he was going to visit the State again and again. He, however, described his present visit to the State as “successful”.
In response to another question on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s initiative on Kashmir, Dineshwar declined to comment saying this question should be put to Sri Sri.
Meanwhile, inter-acting with large number of delegations here today during fifth day of his visit to the State and second day to Jammu, Dineshwar Sharma is reported to have dropped enough hints to many of them that there was nothing wrong in talking to the Hurriyat Conference or other separatists saying that he wants to take opinion of each and everyone to find out solution to the vexed problem.
Members from a number of delegations, which called on Dineshwar Sharma today, told the Excelsior that Sharma was not averse to taking views from all stakeholders in three regions of the State including the people drawn from remote and far off areas, which he planned to visit in future.
A couple of delegations opposed Sharma’s reported statement that he would also like to meet Hurriyat Conference and other separatists. However, according to sources, Sharma didn’t agree with viewpoint of such delegations and maintained that he would like to meet everyone including the Hurriyat Conference if it helps in restoration of peace in the State.
Some of the delegations told Sharma that visits to only Jammu and Srinagar will not help him as they were just two capital cities and majority of population in the State lives in other districts of three regions. To this, Sharma reportedly told the delegations that he would cover more and more areas in his future visits.
During his present six-day visit, Sharma visited Jammu and Srinagar but skipped Ladakh region. However, he was likely to visit Ladakh during his next tour of the State and cover both Leh and Kargil districts.
On being pointed out by some of the delegations that people have lost faith on Interlocutors as no concrete action was initiated by the Governments on previous such exercises, Sharma is reported to have said that he would go through the reports given by all Interlocutors appointed so far on Jammu and Kashmir. However, he told one of the delegations that the reports were not acceptable to some regions of the State.
Some of the delegation members said the Special Representative told them that all three regions of the State-Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh will be treated equally and that he already had reports of different perceptions and viewpoints in all the regions about Kashmir problem.
While some of the delegations alleged that Jammu was being grossly discriminated by the State Government in all spheres of life including development, recruitment etc, one or two delegations told the Interlocutors that declaration of Jammu as separate State was only solution to problems faced by this region. However, only one or two delegations batted the demand for Statehood to Jammu and rest suggested corrective measures to end discrimination and favoured unity of the State.
There were many delegations, which raked up State Government’s failure on governance saying this was also responsible for piling up grievances and problems of the people. However, some others hailed the Government especially the Centre’s action against separatists and other steps taken to curb militancy and stone pelting by choking hawala funds.
Sources said the Interlocutor was deeply concerned about the grievances aired by Kashmiri Pandit migrants, West Pakistani, Pakistan occupied Kashmir, Chhamb and other refugees putting up in various parts of Jammu, whose delegations also called on him stressed for permanent solution to their problems.
On his arrival here yesterday, Dineshwar Sharma had lengthy separate meetings with Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti besides eliciting opinion on J&K’s situation from Chief Secretary BB Vyas and DGP Dr SP Vaid. He has met the BJP delegation yesterday.
Dineshwar will be returning to New Delhi tomorrow morning.
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