J&K: Separatists snub all-party team

Centre after much deliberations in both the houses of parliament and after being over-pushed by Congress, Leftists and other opposition members, chose to send the All Party Delegation (APD) to engage the stakeholders to restore peace in the Kashmir valley.

As the government had indicated that members of the delegation will be free to meet any leader “including separatists”, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D. Raja, JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav, RJD’s Jay Prakash Narayan, and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi broke away from the group in the afternoon and after splitting into three groups went to meet the key separatist leaders in their attempts to break some ice but found them too cold. Also met Mirwaiz, Shabir Shah, Abdul Gani Bhat and talked.

“How can you call it a snub?”

“We have made our approach and outreach to all stakeholders including leaders of the Hurriyat”. Everyone knows that the Hurriyat has two factions. Of course some ignorant media has lamented that the Hurriyat did not agree to “talks”, but surely dialogue was not on anyone’s agenda. “Only the hardliner leader Geelani refused to meet us”, he said. Sita Ram Yechury, D Raja, Sharad Yadav and Co had egg on the face who still wanted to trust the most untrustworthy communal tormentor in Kashmir to come around to the talks.

“This is one incident”. After their refusal to talk the delegation left the police station within three or four minutes.

In 2010, Yechury and Ram Vilas Paswan, who had arrived at Geelani’s residence in the same fashion, had managed to talk to him for a few minutes. Nothing concrete will happen until or unless India talks to Pakistan on Kashmir.

Yechury, however, remained critical of the NDA government and alleged that the government did little “homework” before sending the team to the valley. In discussions and debates, they exerted more energy in accusing the state for using excessive force and restrictions than the overstretched strike calls of separatists and street violence. “Government of India should have sent it and if they didn’t then government of Jammu and Kashmir should have sent it”, he said.

Mehbooba had earlier written to the separatist leadership requesting them to “take a lead and engage” with the delegation, “which will be the start of a credible and meaningful political dialogue and resolution process”. But vishwas can’t come from heaven.

She said she was committed to help initiate a “sustained and meaningful dialogue” within the state with political groups, irrespective of the ideological views and predilections of the political groups.

In a major setback, a group of leaders from the all-party delegation had to return from the residence of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani after he refused to hold talks with them.

You are upset that Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani closed his doors to the visiting MPs who dared cross your security arrangements, to knock at his gate.

“Whatever information those friends gave us upon their return, it can be said it was not Kashmiriyat”. When someone goes for talks and they reject it, it is not jamhooriyat (democracy) as well.

“Met the “All Party Delegation” at SKICC today and pitched for unconditional talks with all stakeholders”, Mehbooba wrote in a Facebook post.