By Manoj Khar,Agence India Press,
New Delhi: The lengthy meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on Kashmir ended, as expected, without any consensus on the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
No decision was taken on a partial withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), a demand voiced by Jammu and Kashmir’s ruling National Conference and the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as well as the Left but opposed vehemently by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The CCS meeting, which went on for more than five hours, was attended by, amongst others, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP leaders L.K. Advani and Nitin Gadkari and the Left parties. The state was represented by its two main parties, union minister Farooq Abdullah leading the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti at the head of the PDP delegation.
What has been decided at that meeting attended by leaders of all major political parties is that an all-party delegation will visit Jammu & Kashmir soon.
National Conference President Farooq Abdullah said after the meeting, “We are not disappointed.”
Addressing the meeting, the Prime Minister said that dialogue is the only route to lasting peace in the region. But he also stressed “Meaningful dialogue can happen only in an atmosphere free from violence and confrontation.
Discussions can take place only if we have calm and public order. The Central and State Governments have already appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the youth, to eschew violence. I reiterate that appeal. We are ready for dialogue with anybody or any group that does not espouse or practice violence.”
More than 70 civilians have been killed in the last three months in Kashmir. Clashes between stone-pelters and security forces have become a near-daily feature in the streets. “I was shocked and distressed to see young men and women- even children- joining the protests on the streets. While some of these protests may have been impulsive or spontaneous, it cannot be denied that some incidents were orchestrated by certain groups,” said Manmohan Singh.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi also emphasized that the youth must be given special consideration. “We must ask ourselves why there is so much anger. Why is there so much pain, in particular amongst the youth…we must give them hope, we must understand and respect their legitimate aspirations.”
‘Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of our country and democracy. The people of Jammu and Kashmir are our people. They are our citizens,’ she said. ‘Let us demonstrate… the spirit of accommodation. This alone I believe can create a space for reconciliation and bring an end to turmoil and conflict,’ she added.
PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti rooted for
unconditional dialogue from both the sides. ‘The Prime Minister should make it clear that it will be unconditional talks. Also, we want the separatists to agree for the unconditional talks so that Kashmir situation can retrieved.’
‘We should look at Kashmir as a humanitarian issue,’ she stressed.
On the AFSPA, BJP general secretary Ravi Shankar Prasad said the party had made its stand clear that it will oppose any move for its withdrawal as it would ‘demoralise the security forces’.
Left leaders Prakash Karat (CPI-M) and A.B. Bardhan (CPI) demanded that AFSPA should be withdrawn from Srinagar and other urban centres repeal of the act.
There should be accountability for the security forces, the Left parties said in a release, demanding an economic package for the trade and business sectors that have been hit by the prolonged violence.
It was decided at the meeting of the top leaders of various parties to gain a first-hand impression of the state before deciding on any major measure to restore normalcy in the state, which has seen 90 civilians, mostly teenagers and youth, being killed in the present phase of unrest that started June 11.