Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Sept 4: Some members of the All Party Delegation (APD) that arrived here this morning tried to reach out the separatists in Kashmir but they refused to talk to them. However, various delegations of mainstream parties met the APD at SKICC and put forward their view points for restoring peace and normalcy in Kashmir that has been ravaged by violence since July 8.
Some members of the All Party Delegation this evening split up into teams and tried to meet leaders of separatist group the Hurriyat Conference in Srinagar, but at every place they failed to discuss the situation. However, in the evening CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury and JDU leader Shard Yadav met Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik respectively in their second attempt but the separatist leaders refused to discuss the current situation in Kashmir with them.
The CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury told a press conference this evening that a solution should be found to immediate crisis and final solution to overall problem. “The idea was to sent a message to people of Kashmir that Parliamentarians are prepared to do an outreach. We are for expressing our full sympathy and solidarity with the people of Kashmir… We think we should talk to all the stakeholders to try and find a solution for the immediate crisis and as well as for the long term solution which should be the basis for final, some sort of an understanding”, he said.
“So, with that intention we decided to go and meet the leaders of the Hurriyat… they had decided in meeting of theirs not to conduct talks with Parliamentarians but we met all of them in fact (including) Yasin Malik, we went to Mr Geelani who in the last moment decided not to meet us. So, I conveyed the message. Last time, he gave me a cup of black tea because there was no sugar and no milk due to curfew. But this time, it was otherwise. Well, we met Mirwaiz, we met Shabir Shah, we met Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, also one of the factions of the Hurriyat. So, we met the other four and we talked and they, all of them, said that they have decided not to talk on this issue. Yes, we said we will not talk but we have come here to express our desire that there should be first of all restoration of peace and normalcy. Secondly, a political dialogue which will be an unconditional political dialogue and thirdly through that political dialogue to move towards a reasonably stable solution to the entire problem”, said CPIM leader.
Yechury said that they told separatists that first priority is to restore normalcy in Kashmir and stressed for engagement of Pakistan. “So, we told them that our first priority is now to restore normalcy and for that we have raised all our demands in the Parliament and also with delegation. We have said to the Government that first there should be CBMs which include pellet gun stoppage, the AFSPA withdrawal from the civilian areas, the question of a judicial inquiry into the excesses committed by the security forces… and full compensation and rehabilitation to all those who were injured and family members of those who lost their lives and immediately start implementing your long standing projects for generating employment of Kashmiri youth. So, these five CBMs we spoke of… We have to engage with Pakistan.”, he said.
“Then, as far as the solution of immediate problem is concerned, we said start dialogue with all the stakeholders. This is the point even the Prime Minister said after he met the opposition parties… So with that in mind, we have made our approach and outreach with all the stakeholders including the leaders of the Hurriyat and we hope that this will lead to some sort of a forward momentum in first restoring peace and normalcy and then proceedings towards a political dialogue and unconditional talks and then reaching out a some degree of political settlement”, said CPIM leader.
Yechury said that separatists refused to talk to the delegation despite their efforts. “They have said… not to talk anything tangible. But there were other talks. We were there for 15, 20 minutes… We are working for political situation… All of them said not engage in talks. But we had other discussions,” he said.
Earlier, the MIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi went to the Chashm-e-Shahi jail to meet Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. Mirwaiz met him for a couple of minutes, but declined a dialogue. He said no dialogue was possible in this environment and in this institutional mechanism.
Owaisi later told reporters that a beginning has been made to reach out to separatists and hoped that Centre will start a dialogue process. “He is very angry and refused to talk to us. He said that their party has decided not to meet any member of the All Party Delegation. A beginning has been made and we hope Government of India will start political dialogue” , he said.
The Left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja and Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal United went to meet separatist leader Yasin Malik at the Humhama Police Station where he is lodged, but Malik refused to talk to them. The delegation then went to meet Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who is under house arrest in Hyderpora. But they were refused entry to the house.
Some activists shouted slogans at Geelani’s residence and the members of the delegation had to return to SKICC.
Sharad Yadav later told reporters outside Geelani’s residence that Malik wants the dialogue process to be taken forward. “Yasin Malik said that he can’t talk to them on the situation right now and he will come to meet in my office. I don’t think he refused to talk but he wants to take forward dialogue process”, he said.
“You see the situation outside. What can we talk about in such situation”, the JD leader quoted Malik.
Yadav said that “we want to talk to the people even if they refuse to talk to us. “We want peaceful atmosphere in Kashmir. We are making our efforts in Parliament and across the nation. Our objective of coming here was for this only. We want to talk to people even if they refuse to talk to us.”
The delegation members also called on Shabir Ahmad Shah who too denied to talk to them and conveyed his outright rejection to Delhi’s offer of dialogue. The delegation members met Professor Abdul Ghani Bhat at his residence and interacted with them for few minutes. Bhat ruled out any talks with them and told them that the Hurriyat Conference will talk collectively.
The senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad told a news conference this evening that they have come here to hear the people and find a solution to the problem.
“This delegation had come here to meet people but hoping that here would be decision or solution because I think hearing and taking solution is not possible as there are leaders of separate parties. And, all the groups of political parties, social activists and other organizations, they talk of every kind and then that is compiled, and when this delegation goes back to Delhi, then Government again calls a meeting and till then all the leaders talk with their parties and then they try to find a solution. Those (issues) which are easy, their solutions are found quickly but for complicated issues, there is deliberation over how to find out the solution… Today we have come to hear to people”, said Azad.
The Congress leader said that government had invited Hurriyat for talks but they refused to come. “Although Government had invited all those who want peace, for talks… but the Chief Minister as PDP president had invited and requested Hurriyat for talks but they didn’t come. But, like on past occasions when some MPs and parties on their own initiatives had met some people, we today have come to know that same has happened and some MPs and leaders in the midst used to get up and go out, so we understood that they are going somewhere. They had gone in their personal capacity and we don’t have any problem with this and no one has”, he said.
Azad refused to comment on the refusal by separatists to talk to the APD. “We cannot say anything on this. We had said that we will welcome all the takeholders… we will not deny meetings to any individual or individuals. Whether they come in groups or they come individually. We will meet them, we will talk them and we will listen to them but since nobody turned up, inspite of the invitation being sent by no less then the CM of the State”, he said.
Azad said that meeting in individual capacity with the separatists by the APD members was not discussed but they are not privy to it.
The National Conference (NC) delegation led by former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met the delegation and handed over a memorandum to them.
Speaking to reporters outside the SKICC, Omar said such efforts have lost credibility as there has hardly been any follow-up after similar visits in the past.
“What happened to 2010 all-party delegation. It was never followed up so the Parliamentarians who have come here have a mammoth task in their hands to revive faith in this process,” the NC leader said.
During his interaction with the delegation, Omar recalled the previous all-party delegation visits since 1990 to Kashmir and said that “unfortunately when things cool down, there is no progress on the issue”.
The NC leader said the MPs who have come here this time face a mammoth task in their hands to revive faith in this process. He said the then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao had promised “sky is the limit” but failed to do anything.
“There was a time when my father had conveyed to grant internal autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir and had warned New Delhi that if they continue to deny it, time will come when it will also not be acceptable to people of Jammu and Kashmir. I think we are heading for that time only,” Omar told the delegation.
The NC leader spoke about continuous failure of the State Government and its dilly dallying tactics. “Mehbooba Mufti should decide whether she wants to be the Chief Minister or Leader of Opposition. In the morning she says one thing and does a complete about turn by evening. She wants that Hurriyat should be talked to but in the evening she puts them under arrest,” he said.
When asked whether he agreed with the Chief Minister’s perception that only five per cent people were unhappy, Omar said: “I wonder by what stretch of imagination, she has arrived at this figure. I don’t agree at all. The space for mainstream politicians has shrunk courtesy the present ruling alliance.”
The vice president of PDP, Sartaj Madni, who led the PDP delegation at the meeting with APD said that they stressed for dialogue to resolve the issue of Jammu and Kashmir peacefully.
“We stressed for dialogue and resolution of Kashmir issue peacefully. We said that the issue which is pending for last 60 years should have result oriented resolution”, Madni told reporters.
The PDP leader said that his party has no differences with alliance partner BJP over the issue of dialogue. “We have no differences with our alliance partner, BJP, as dialogue with Pakistan, with Hurriyat Conference is written in the agenda of alliance”, she said.
Madni said that his party wants end to killings and resolution of the issue. “Mehbooba Mufti wrote a letter to the Hurriyat Conference leaders to facilitate the talks process with them. We want the killings should stop and issue of Jammu and Kashmir be resolved through dialogue. We want the pellet guns should be banned. Mehbooba Mufti said that 95 percent people want peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue”, he said.
The BJP led delegation led by its president Sat Sharma also met the APD and presented its view before them. “The BJP believes that Pakistan is directly responsible for the unrest that spread in Jammu and Kashmir and particularly in Kashmir Valley. I believe that Pakistan has never accepted Kashmir as integral part of India and every time it has been attempting to spread unrest. And, I feel that the unrest here has spread because of environment from 1947 to 1999 through the medium of war by, and now through proxy war”, he said after coming out of meeting with APD.
Sharma said that Pakistan is behind the disturbance in the State particularly Kashmir. “And, I want to ask and say that (from) which sources do children and stone-pelters (receive) money which is coming here. I believe that Pakistan is trying to disturb and deteriorate the situation here. The BJP has presented some suggestions… but some suggestions’ (suggest) that the energy of youths here should be channelized and we don’t want demoralization of security forces anywhere in any way. And, there should be no comprise on security issues”, he said.
The BJP president said that party wants Kashmiri Pandits be brought back to Valley. “We want that our displaced in Chamb and from militancy-affected areas should be taken well into consideration. And, we want that the Kashmiri migrants who have left Valley should be brought back here”, he said.
Sharma said that media, political parties and civil society groups should play positive role in Kashmir. “As far as the role of media is considered, I won’t say whether that is positive or less positive, but I think if we make it more positive… as attempts were made to disturb the environment in Jammu but due to the role of media, political parties and civil society there, it has become good now. I want that in our Kashmir too, the media, political parties and civil society here should also play positive role”, he said. “I appeal common people and media in particular that where there is most positive role of media, then such problems doesn’t exist there… Kashmir and Jammu media has always played positive role”, he said.
The BJP leader said that he believes that those who met the delegation want peace and normalcy be restored in Kashmir and those who refused meeting with the APD want unrest to continue. “I believe that all the people, who have or will come here to meet the delegation, they want that the Kashmir issue and the unrest that has spread in Kashmir should go away and the environment here should stay calm. And, those who don’t want come here to meet, they want that unrest to spread, and they are trying to disturb this society and our heaven”, he said.
“And, Kashmir is an integral part of India and will always stay with India. The Pakistan’s thinking (of merging) Kashmir will never get fulfilled and Jammu and Kashmir will remain India’s integral part”, said Sharma.
“On behalf of BJP, we have submitted a memorandum, we have presented suggestions on Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and for Jammu and Kashmir as a whole and for industrial setup. We will share all that with you on appropriate time”, said BJP leader.
On Home Minister’s third visit since July which has seen no change in the ground situation’, Sharma said: “As I have said earlier that those who want peace here have come to meet the delegation but those who don’t want peace here haven’t come to meet and I understand that it is because of those people that unrest has spread here. … As far as Rajnath’s third visit is concerned, this reflects the seriousness of the PM Modi. There are only 1 or 2 percent people who are trying to disturb the society.”
The Congress delegation led by its State president GA Mir met the delegation and put forward their view point. Mir told reporters that the Congress delegation informed the APD that State and Central Governments have failed to deal with the situation. “We in clear-cut told delegation that the (in the) prevailing situation, both the governments have failed for 57 days to stop this unrest, this hartal, this curfew and (its) duty… to minimize peoples’ miseries and (failed in their duty to) restore peace to people”, he said.
The JKPCC president said that they told the delegation that Government has failed to provide succor to the common masses. “We have not said this during 57 days. We thought they will say that Congress party is out for doing politics. We cooperated and supported at every stage. But the situation that is prevailing in Valley on 57th day; poor public is dying, schools are closed… we will not pin much hope on that government which has failed in facilitating in providing earning to those who used to feed their children at the daily income of 100 rupees”, he said.
Mir said that government has no action plan to restore peace in Kashmir. “When they are not succeeding in controlling the situation, so what can we hope from them about the talks and political solution. They don’t have a roadmap and action plan for last 57 days. Only statements, different statements from different corners”, he said.
The Congress leader said that the APD has no road map for normalization of situation in Kashmir. “After deliberations with them (delegation) today I felt that neither they are having plan for normalizing situation nor they have any political roadmap. We repeatedly requested them, from Prime Minister to Home Minister and to the delegations that you at least show your roadmap. You people are in governments, in coalition as BJP-PDP here. The PDP termed Centre as big government and big power for last two years but neither big government, big power nor both parties are placing any roadmap and have no plan”, he said.
Mir said that an institution needs to be set up for holding dialogue with stakeholders. “Involve and depute an institution here for political dialogue, at least open that shop (of dialogue) and who is directly authorized with whom we will talk. In Jammu and Kashmir State, there are separate stakeholders and for political resolution there needs to be an institution — of which we didn’t heard in today’s meeting”, he said.
The Awami Itihaad Party (AIP) headed by MLA Er Rasheed also met All Party Delegation at SKICC and presented a memorandum.
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