The Hindu : Centre must decide on whom to talk to: Mirwaiz

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Dec 29, 2002

Other States

Other States - Jammu & Kashmir

Centre must decide on whom to talk to: Mirwaiz

By Our Staff Reporter

JAMMU DEC. 28. The former Hurriyat Conference chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, today said the Central Government should make up its mind on whom to talk to in the State on the Kashmir problem.

He was reacting to Friday's statement of the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, in which he expressed a desire to hold a dialogue with even those who did not participate in the elections.

The Mirwaiz told The Hindu that the Hurriyat welcomed any Central initiative which led to a solution. "Let there be talks and we are definitely all out for it. But, Mr. Advani's caveat that the talks with the separatist groups should be acceptable to the State Government was unwarranted. "This was a wrong approach."

The talks would have to be held with the Hurriyat Conference as it was the representative of a sentiment existing in the State which stood for a final solution to the problem. "I am not a hawk but I will say that the violence in the State will not decrease till every party involved in the dispute comes up with a clear-cut approach."

Referring to Mr. Advani's statement on holding talks with the elected representatives, he said that the present State Government had been elected only for governance and that it had "no mandate for taking any decision on the future of the State."

Asking the Centre to be "courageous," the Mirwaiz said: "I do not say that for any talks to begin, first we (Hurriyat) should be allowed to go to Pakistan. Let there be first an India-Pakistan dialogue which may start immediately. But at least a process should begin in the direction."

Expressing concern over the human rights situation in the State, he said the Mufti Government had an agenda of human rights which it promised to the people during elections and that was why the party caught the imagination of the people. But the situation could not be set right by mere words; a concrete policy was needed. "The need of the hour was institutionalisation of the human rights redress mechanism. If the Centre was not afraid of its human rights record, world rights organisations could be allowed to visit the State and see for themselves the reality."

Welcoming the initiative of the State Government to take back Kashmiri Pandits, he said the Hurriyat believed that Pandits should come back. There was need to start a dialogue to restore trust between Pandits and Muslims.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Other States

Stories in this Section

Centre must decide on whom to talk to: Mirwaiz

State to privatise small hydel projects

Reshuffle in J&K police force

Hizb vows to continue attacks in Kashmir