New Delhi: An all-party delegation led by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday held talks with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in Srinagar, as it began a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, during which it is expected to interact with a cross-section of people with a view to restore peace in the strife-hit Valley.
The meeting, chaired by Singh at Sher-I-Kashmir International Conference Centre soon after the 26-member delegation arrived in Srinagar, discussed the security situation in the Valley.
It also took stock of those injured in the violent protests since the killing of Hizbul militant Burhan Wani on July 8.
Initially, the delegation was proposed to be of 29 Members of Parliament, but only 26 MPs have come to Srinagar.
The Hurriyat Conference however, rejected the invitation for talks, saying the delegation 'has not spelt out its mandate and has no clear agenda of engagement.'
CM Mehbooba Mufti had written a letter to separatists leaders in her capacity as PDP Chief inviting them to engage with the delegation.
But the state government has placed chairman of moderate Hurriyat Conference faction Mirwaiz Umer Farooq under arrest at Chashme Shahi sub-jail, JKLF Chief Yaseen Malik at BSF camp in Humama while hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani continues to be under house arrest. This led to a jibe from former CM Omar Abdullah about the absurdity of calling Hurriyat for talks when its leaders were in jail.
However, cutting across party lines, leaders earlier said that they were hopeful of finding a solution for restoration of peace in the Valley which has been in the grip of violent protests that left 73 persons dead and thousands injured.
State Education Minister and Government Spokesperson Naeem Akhtar said it was necessary for all stakeholders to join the dialogue process. "How long can this continue? It has to end someday," he said.
When asked about Mehbooba not mentioning talks "within the ambit of Constitution" in her letter to the separatist leaders last evening, he said every party comes to the negotiating table with their stated position.
"It depends on how we carry forward the dialogue and ideas to find resolution to the issue," he said.
Akhtar refused to reply to a question whether there were any back channel talks with Hurriyat Conference.
A delegation of National Conference led by former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is also likely to meet the MPs. The all-party delegation is on a two-day visit to the state during which it is expected to interact with a cross section of people.
However, the Valley based trade organisations have refused to meet the politicians.
"We intend to talk to individuals and groups who want peace and normalcy in Kashmir Valley," Singh said before the departure of the delegation.
Leaders said that they were hopeful of finding a solution for restoration of peace in the Valley where violent clashes have claimed 71 lives since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.
Senior Congress leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the delegation was ready to hear "everyone".
The visit "will be beneficial for Kashmir and for the country," he said, adding everyone wants peace in the state.
Azad said it will be an opportunity for the parties and Kashmiri people to interact. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, another member of the team, said the all-party delegation should have gone two months ago "but let's hope that even now, we can make a difference".
LJP Chief and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said that the MPs are going with an open mind and want to interact with anyone who wants to talk within the framework of the Indian Constitution. "We are ready to talk," he said.
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said all parties were cooperating with the government and their sole aim was restoration of normalcy in the state.
"We will try our best to bring back normalcy. We are cooperating with the government. It is the responsibility of the government to deal with the situation very intelligently.
"All parties are cooperating for that. So we hope that it will be resolved," he said.
Yechury went so far as to endorse the participation of Pakistan in talks over Kashmir. Speaking to media persons after a consultation meeting with intellectuals here on the Kashmir issue, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and his CPI counterpart Sudhakar Reddy also urged Hurriyat leaders to discuss their positions with the delegation to find a solution to the problem.
"A final solution to this (problem) cannot happen without engaging with Pakistan. Yes, Pakistan's involvement in cross-border infiltration, terrorism, on that all of us have said unitedly that the country as a whole will face it. But at the same time, the engagement with Pakistan is also important," Yechury, who is part of the 30-member delegation, said.
On asked whether inviting Pakistan to come to discussion table will mean converting the issue as one associated with Pakistan and not India's internal matter, Yechury said "the Kashmir dispute is between Pakistan and India".
Prior to the visit, Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday approved chilli-based PAVA shells as alternative to pellet guns in Kashmir.
Earlier, PM Modi on Friday called for ‘development’ and ‘trust’ as the two key elements required to address the problem dogging the troubled region.
“The seeds (of the current unrest) were sown during Independence. Every government has had to face this problem. This not a new problem but an old one,” he said.
Asserting that “solution to the problem” would be found, Modi said, “Kashmir needs ‘vikas’ (development) and 'vishwas' (confidence). 125 crore people of the country are ready to give ‘vikas’ and there has never been dearth of ‘vishwas’.”
“I hope Kashmiri youth will not be misled and will move ahead with peace, unity, harmony. I hope Kashmir will remain the ‘jannat’ (paradise),” the Prime Minister said in an interview.
