Sunday, Feb 23, 2003
Sunday, Feb 23, 2003 |
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By Anjali Mody
Mr. Jethmalani, who welcomed the appointment of Mr. Vohra as a "much-delayed but positive step", said today from Alibagh, near Mumbai, that the committee would continue its work as before. This would include a formal meeting with the All-Party Hurriyat Conference and Shabir Shah's Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party early in March. But in Delhi today, the committee convener, Ashok Bhan, who less than 10 days ago spoke of the Centre's lack of commitment to the peace process, claimed that the panel had "suspended" its work in the light of Mr. Vohra's appointment. Mr. Bhan cited the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani's statement in Parliament that Mr. Vohra would enter into a dialogue with "elected representatives and other sections" was an indication of its earnestness and that there was no need for the committee to continue with a parallel process. Claiming to speak for the entire panel, Mr. Bhan said, "we feel that no parallel activity of negotiation should be seen, which would delegitimise the official negotiator". However, it appears that Mr. Bhan was acting alone as neither the chairman nor the members of the committee, which include journalists Dileep Padgaonkar, M. J. Akbar and Javed Laiq, had been consulted. Asked whether his announcement had come at the suggestion of the Union Home Ministry, he said "that may have been a factor". The Kashmir Committee grew out of dialogue with the late Abdul Ghani Lone and began a formal process of dialogue with the separatist groups in Kashmir last year. It claimed credit for four major shifts in the Hurriyat and JKPDF's positions, including a willingness to negotiate with the Government of India, an acceptance that violence has no place in the process for a settlement, a willingness to create conditions enabling Kashmiri Pandits to return, and an acknowledgement of the regional aspirations of the people of Jammu and Ladakh. Mr. Jethmalani said he had no idea who had authorised Mr. Bhan to make his announcement. The committee's work would continue, especially since there was no information about what Mr. Vohra's role would be. The Government, he said, had been slow to act after the election and the announcement about Mr. Vohra's appointment came only after the strong statement that that Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, made to the press on February 10.
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