Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 29: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh headed All Party Delegation will visit Jammu and Kashmir on September 4 and 5 and would try to meet “maximum stakeholders” to elicit their view point on addressing Kashmir problem.
The Union Home Ministry today finalized terms and conditions of the All Party Delegation and would shortly release its composition after all national parties give names of their representatives for inclusion in the Delegation.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Rajnath Singh spoke to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti before finalizing dates for the visit of All Party Delegation with a view to take her into confidence (on visit of the delegation) and other related issues.
“It has been decided that All Party Delegation would visit Jammu and Kashmir on September 4 and 5. It would first visit Kashmir on September 4 and stay there till the morning of September 5 before proceeding to Jammu and then return to the Union capital in the evening,” they said, adding that all parties, whose representatives would be part of the delegation, were being consulted on duration and schedule and possibility of Delegation’s stay being extended by a day can’t be ruled out.
According to sources, both Centre and State Government were making efforts to ensure “maximum involvement” of stakeholders with All Party Delegation in the Kashmir valley.
“Many new groups including social, trade and commerce organizations etc have gradually shown interest in meeting the All Party Delegation. The Centre Government has conveyed it to the State that whosoever expressed desire to meet the Delegation should be allowed and allotted time once the timings of the delegation’s stay in the Valley were sent to the civil administration,” they said, adding both Centre and State were confident that gradually more and more organizations and individuals will come up to meet the All Party Delegation to brief them of their problems and solution they expect to the Kashmir problem.
However, the individual members in their own capacity only can meet the separatists.
Almost all national political parties having representation in either House of the Parliament have been sounded for their participation in the delegation and asked by the Ministry of Home Affairs to give names of their leaders, who will be part of the delegation. In a day or two, the political parties would submit their names to the Home Ministry after which the Centre would announce composition of the All Party Delegation, which will be led by the Home Minister.
This will be third visit of the Home Minister to the Kashmir valley during the unrest, which today entered into 52nd day with 70 lives lost and over 8000 left injured, half of them para-military and police personnel. Rajnath had visited Kashmir for two-days on July 23 and 24 followed by another visit this month on August 24 and 25 and met cross sections of society.
Sources said while mainstream political parties would meet the All Party Delegation, the State Government was also engaged in ensuring participation of many other organizations, who have so far refrained themselves from meeting representatives of the Centre or State during the unrest.
According to sources, the All Party Delegation would meet each and every political party, organization and individuals, who want to meet it.
However, they said, the talks with separatists and other such groups were unlikely at this stage as both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh have made it clear that talks will be held within the ambit of the Constitution of India and Vajpayee’s doctrine of “Insaniyat, Kashmiriyat and Jamhooriyat’.
At the same time, the Centre and the State were clear that they will not tolerate the violence including attacks on security force camps and police stations and deal sternly with those misguiding the youth and driving them to camps and police stations, leading to their killings and injuries.
Sources said the All Party Delegation would assess ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir and prepare a report suggesting measures required to deal with unrest and address Kashmir problem.
A similar All Party Delegation had visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2010 during summer unrest in the Valley.
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