The Hindu : Vohra to listen to `all points of view'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 04, 2003

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Vohra to listen to `all points of view'

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI APRIL 3. The Centre's "dialogue" with Jammu and Kashmir is set to begin this month with the recently appointed negotiator, N.N. Vohra's visit to the State on April 20 and 21.

Today, Mr. Vohra met the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, to discuss his planned visit to the State and finalise a schedule for the talks he is to have with the different political parties there.

Sources close to Mr. Advani said that he had told Mr. Vohra to take all points of view into consideration and "give a hearing to all sections of people".

Mr. Advani has maintained most recently in Parliament after he announced Mr. Vohra's appointment that any dialogue with Kashmir would be restricted to those who operate within the framework of the Constitution.

Despite the unqualified advice to talk to "all sections", ambiguities remain whether the Centre's interlocutor will talk to separatist groupings such as the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC).

After the meeting, Mr. Vohra told the media that he was to "start the talks with all the political parties starting with the National Conference".

In response to a question on the APHC, he said no formal invitation would be issued to them. The decision to talk had to be theirs.

"The information will come out in newspapers. Let us see who comes out."

Mr. Vohra's proposed visit will be his second to the State since the announcement of his appointment in February, but the first in which substantive talks, marking the commencement of the Centre's dialogue with the State, will be held.

To questions on whether the dialogue was part of the efforts to bring peace to the State, Mr Vohra said it was.

Today's meeting with Mr. Advani, which lasted 30 minutes, was also attended by the Home Secretary, N. Gopalaswami, and other Home Ministry officials.

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