SRINAGAR: Throwing the ball back into the Centre’s court, the Hurriyat Conference has expressed willingness to participate in a “purposeful” dialogue on Kashmir if New Delhi “ends ambiguity” and involves Islamabad in the process as well.
“Any effort that GOI makes (for Kashmir dialogue) ... will find takers in Kashmir and Pakistan. Let GOI give clarity on what it wants to talk about and speak in one language. We are ready to join the process,” a statement issued by the joint Hurriyat Conference said.
The powerful Hurriyat trio of Syed Ali Geelani, Yasin Malik and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq held a marathon meeting in Srinagar on Tuesday to discuss the “unclear” statements on “talks in the course of last few days from different people at the helm of affairs.”
During a TV program in the national capital, union home minister Rajnath Singh had said New Delhi was willing to hold talks with all the stakeholders including Pakistan and the Hurriyat to end the turmoil in Kashmir.
This was followed by the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj who said that New Delhi will talk to Islamabad but added the caveat that the country must first stop “aiding terrorism” emanating from the country.
“While Mr Rajnath says there should be dialogue with both Kashmir and Pakistan but both Kashmir and Kashmiri is ours. Ms. Swaraj puts a rider and says no talks with Pakistan unless ‘terror is stopped’. Then Mr Amit Shah gives a spin to the ceasefire that it is not for militants but people while state DG had issued a statement that it is for militants to come back home,” the Hurriyat said.
“All this ambiguity leaves little room to consider the talk about talks seriously with a purpose or warrant a response.... Now the question is what these “talks” are about to which Mr Singh is referring to? What is the agenda of these talks? Is it about Mr Modi’s suggestion of development?,” they said.
The Hurriyat said New Delhi should acknowledge the “historical background of the Kashmir problem, its internal and external dimensions, the reason for the presence of lakhs of his troops here, the daily aggression and the highly volatile situation on ground and near LoC in the conflict ridden region”.
“We have always advocated that being a political and human issue it needs to be addressed likewise, not militarily as GOI has been doing. And for a political redressal of the conflict dialogue among stakeholders is the best process and option available,” they said.
The leadership said J&K is a “divided territory and half of it is in Pakistan”, “This dispute has three stakeholders: India Pakistan and people of this land. Meaningful talks based on a clear agenda underlined by sincerity among all the three stakeholders is an assured and peaceful way to resolve the conflict of Kashmir in all its forms and dimensions. Absence of any one stake holder in the process will not yield any solution,” they said.