Omar pushes for setting up Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Jammu and Kashmir

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today echoed his views before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the state to “restore confidence” of people in democratic institutions. During his speech at the 15th National Integration Council (NIC), 41-year-old Omar brought up the issue of “unprecedented levels of violence” that the state has witnessed over the years. He said: [caption id=“attachment_80892” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“During his speech at the 15th NIC, Omar brought up the issue of “unprecedented levels of violence” that the state has witnessed over the years. PTI”]  [/caption] “The time has come to find an out-of-box solution to bring an element of closure to this pernicious cycle of untold sufferings… To my mind, of the many other options that can be considered in this regard, the setting up of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission can be a possible first step towards assuaging the alienation and in restoring the confidence of the people in democratic institutions of the state,” he said. He urged the delegates at the NIC, where cabinet ministers including Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram were present, to discuss the idea and give it “a fair trial”. His comments come in the wake of State Human Rights Commission finding last month that over 2,000 unidentified bodies were buried at 38 sites in north Kashmir. Omar had earlier expressed the opinion that a commission should be formed and assigned to find answers to the incidents of the last 21 years, both by militants and security forces. At the NIC meeting, Omar informed the participants that there has been a significant improvement in the overall internal security situation in the state over the last couple of years with the number of terrorist incidents going down steadily. PTI