Kashmir turmoil: All-party meet calls for national initiative to address unrest in the Valley

Srinagar: As an uneasy calm prevailed in violence-hit Kashmir, an all-party meeting on Thursday called for a national initiative to address problems confronting the state and an “inclusive engagement of all the stakeholders” to carry forward peace and reconciliation process. The meeting, convened by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, was however boycotted by the opposition party National Conference. The five-hour long meeting here while discussing the prevailing law and order situation in Kashmir Valley took note of the empathy and sense of solidarity with the people of Jammu and Kashmir reflected during the debate on the prevailing situation in the State in both Houses of Parliament, an official spokesman told reporters. [caption id=“attachment_2907402” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “The meeting calls for converting this political consensus into a national initiative for addressing the problems confronting Jammu and Kashmir and its people,” he said, adding the meeting called for “inclusive engagement of all the stakeholders” in Jammu and Kashmir for carrying forward the peace and reconciliation process in the State. The spokesman said the meeting expressed deep grief and concern over the loss of life and injuries caused during the law and order situation prevailing in the Valley since 8 July – the day when Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Burhan Wani was killed. The unrest has claimed 43 lives and injured over 3,400 others. The meeting also observed a two-minute silence to pay homage to those who lost their lives in the law and order situation, the spokesman said. The chief minister expressed gratitude to the leaders of all the political parties for their presence to deliberate over the prevailing situation. She, however, expressed dismay over the non-participation of the NC at the meeting. “I had spoken to NC working president, Omar Abdullah, myself last evening and requested him to attend the meeting,” Mehbooba said, adding the presence of the leaders of the largest opposition party in the state would have added value and substance to the meeting. In a two-page letter to senior minister of PDP Abdul Rehman Veeri, the NC on Wednesday said in the absence of any “credible, effective and humane leadership” in the state, an all-party meeting was a “futile” and “meaningless” exercise. Leaders of various political parties – Pradesh Congress Committee president GA Mir, CPM leader MY Tarigami, Panthers Party president Harshdev Singh, Peoples Democratic Front leader Hakim Mohammad Yasin, Democratic Nationalist Party leader Ghulam Hassan Mir, Lok Jan Shakti Party leader Sanjay Saraf, Awami Ittehad Party leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, CPI leader A R Tukroo and BJP state president Sat Sharma also spoke at the meeting. Talking to reporters outside the meeting hall at SKICC, Tarigami said the situation in the Valley was “grim” and it was “essentially a political unrest” that needed a political response. “I feel the situation is grim and the response that we want to such a grim situation, especially by the government of India on an immediate basis, we expect that they understand these realities and face them. “What has happened till now is there is flare up which is extinguished, people get killed, it is discussed and then the same story is repeated. If that happens, I am afraid, there will be bigger troubles ahead,” Tarigami said. The CPM leader said the government should not look at the situation in isolation and should not rely exclusively on security forces. “I want to place this before the whole country that please draw lessons. The Parliament of India which is in session, should not look at this as an incident, do not think in isolation of whatever is happening or how much of blood has been wasted here, you cannot ignore this. “The first thing is to do is not terrorise the people of Kashmir by relying exclusively on security forces, that is not an answer, not at all. It is unacceptable to all of us,” he said. Tarigami said the situation in the Valley was not just a law and order problem. “Yes, law and order is involved partly. But essentially it is a political unrest and needs a political response.” The first thing which we will expect from the government of India, the Parliament of India, is to recognize the nature of the uncertainty, to recognize the nature of the unrest with which we are confronted with today, he said. “I will expect the prime minister to speak in the Parliament and at least sending a message to the people of Kashmir that the pain which the people of Kashmir are feeling right now, that pain is being felt by the rulers as well,” he said. He said “the cure to this pain is not bullets, this is a political pain, it is a political disease and its cure should be found within the political spectrum”. “I advise them that do not seek excuses that it is being done by that country or from anywhere, this fire is here, inside the country and is a result of that neglect which is there since many decades now. “This pain is an expression of the pain which Kashmiris are feeling since decades,” he said, adding, “I appeal to the government of India and the Parliament, treat people of Kashmir as human beings.” Meanwhile, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav calls on J-K Governor BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Thursday called on Governor NN Vohra and discussed recent developments in the Valley, a day after he met Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti. “Governor and Madhav discussed the recent developments and the various initiatives required for restoring normalcy in the state,” an official spokesman of the BJP said. Madhav, who was instrumental in stitching an alliance between PDP and BJP in the state last year, had a meeting with Mehbooba late Wednesday evening. However, his meeting with Mehbooba  was a low-key affair. “It was a one-to-one meeting between the two leaders. We do not know what was discussed but the prevailing situation must have definitely been discussed,” an official source said. Madhav also met BJP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh on Wednesday before meeting with Mehbooba, sources said. The Valley has erupted into violent protests after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on 8 July.