The Hindu : `Bandipora-type incidents will create hurdles for talks'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 17, 2004

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National

`Bandipora-type incidents will create hurdles for talks'

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, FEB. 16. The Abbas-led Hurriyat Conference today made it clear that it would be difficult to go ahead with the dialogue process if the Bandipora-type of encounters were repeated but said it was ready to give the Centre "another chance" to stop human rights violations.

After a marathon meeting of the executive and general council, the Hurriyat spokesman, Abdul Gani Bhat, told presspersons: "Bandipore was the worst case of human rights violation and we are not going to accept it."

The meeting, chaired by the chairman, Moulana Abbas Ansari, took a unanimous decision to support Mr. Bilal Lone whom it recognised as the "real leader" of the People's Conference which faced a split three days ago. "He is the real leader of the People's Conference and only his party will be the constituent of the Hurriyat."

Prof. Bhat endorsed Mr. Bilal Lone's decision to remove his brother, Sajjad Lone, as the People's Conference chairman. Prof. Bhat said the letter written by Mr. Sajjad Lone to Mr. Ansari on the issue of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq leading the funeral prayers of the top Al-Umar commander, Rafiq Lidri, came up for discussion. "The meeting concluded that the letter was in bad taste and was far from facts. Hence it was rejected and the chapter stands closed," he added.

When asked about the directions issued by the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, to the brass of the security forces, he said "it is good, but we have to see how far these are implemented." "Only then can it be said that the situation has improved... till then it is wait and watch."

He demanded that political prisoners be released to make the atmosphere conducive for peace. "Those who were released by the Government are either Ikhwan (a pro-government outfit) members or timber smugglers," he said.

On elections, he said: "We are categorical about elections being no solution to problems. These may hold good for governance but we do not see any point in fighting the elections." He said the Hurriyat would decide about an anti-election campaign at the appropriate time.

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