Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 15: Separatist leaders today sought a ‘result oriented’ and ‘meaningful dialogue’ on Jammu and Kashmir and urged India and Pakistan to engage for resolution of the issues.
The three separatist leaders – Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik – today held a meeting and said that the lingering Kashmir issue is a human and political issue and not a territorial dispute.
“As far as sincere, meaningful and result oriented dialogue process among the three parties to the dispute is concerned, they were never against it and saw it as a means of conflict resolution,” the statement issued here said.
The separatist said that the dialogue should lead to “fulfilling the will and aspirations of the people of Kashmir”. “As like all human beings world over, we also desire peace and prosperity,” they said, and urged India and Pakistan to defuse tensions and “engage with each other for resolution of issues”.
This is after a long time that the separatist leadership was allowed to hold meeting. Authorities after initial reluctance let Mirwaiz and Malik to meet Geelani and enquire about his health and discuss the situation in the valley.
The leadership regretted that instead of creating a conducive environment for such a process, New Delhi sees the issue as a law and order and administrative problem and as such is focused on enhancing its military power.
“This military approach results in continued killing, maiming, blinding and injuring of people,” statement said.
“Political activists have been jailed and peaceful political activities are prohibited; every nook and corner of the State has been turned into a garrison and a battlefield”, the statement added.
“(Like) all human beings the world over, we also desire peace and prosperity,” the statement said.
They urged the two nuclear neighbours to “defuse the high danger of widespread destruction of human life and property in the wake of any clash between them” and appealed them to engage with each other for resolution of issues.
The separatist leadership statement comes at a time when Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in Srinagar last week that he is ready to talk to anyone. He said the Government does not want to leave out any of the stakeholders with whom dialogue should be held and had come with an open mind.
He had said that the Government had made sincere efforts for improving relations with all neighbouring countries including Pakistan right from the day it took office. He said that India wants good relations with Pakistan but it should stop infiltration of militants. He said he saw that the tree of peace in Kashmir has not dried up.
The statement also comes at a time when former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is leading a Congress party delegation to Kashmir to assess the ground situation.
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