New Delhi: While the unrest in Kashmir over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani continues well into its second month, the Centre has initiated back channel talks through Rajnath Singh.
According to a report in The Indian Express, Rajnath Singh has held two rounds of talks with eminent citizens – mainly non-Kashmiri Muslims, to discuss a plan of action and seek their help in initiating a dialogue with Kashmiris.
The talks began on August 18, with the first meeting of 10 individuals being held in Singh’s office. The second was held on Sunday with 14 eminent individuals. Senior fuctionaries of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) were also present at the meetings, said the report.
The attendees included former Orissa High Court judge Ishrat Masroor Quddusi, former Rajya Sabha member Shahid Siddiqui, security analyst Qamar Agha, Milli Gazette editor Zafarul Islam Khan, Supreme Court advocate Ashok Bhan, former J&K interlocutor MM Ansari and former AAP leader Mufti Shameem Kazmi, among others.
Reports of numerous working groups on J&K, which were never fully implemented, were being examined afresh following the meetings, and some action would be taken on the key recommendations once the situation in the Valley improved.
Singh told those present at the meetings that the government was working on a 3-stage plan to address the problem. He assured those present that the use of pellet guns would be ‘minimised’.
The 3-stage plan includes encouraging civil society groups to interact with youth in Kashmir, sending an all-party delegation to the state and examining the role of the clergy in spreading the message of peace.
The invitees highlighted two important aspects of the problem, said the report. The first was that strongly worded statements by some senior ministers of the government, in which Kashmiris were accused of being Pakistani agents, were adding fuel to the fire.
The second was that some news channels were creating the impression that India was at at war with Kashmiris. The invitees told the government representatives that both these actions needed to be checked. Many other suggestions, including ‘connecting the chain of broken promises’ were made by the invitees, said the report.
