Date:22/11/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/11/22/stories/2002112205900100.htm

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Centre urged to initiate result-oriented talks

By Shujaat Bukhari

The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and his Cabinet colleagues listening to the Governor, Girish Chandra Saxena's address to the joint session of the State legislature on Thursday. — Photo: Nissar Ahmed

JAMMU NOV. 21. The Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Girish Chandra Saxena, said today that though the coalition government led by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had great challenges ahead it had a vision for the future: "peace with dignity and prosperity with equality".

Addressing the joint session of the State legislature, Mr. Saxena dwelt on the strategies drawn by the new government to meet the challenges. "I must assure you that my Government is determined to turn these grave challenges into bright opportunities. It has a vision of peace with dignity and prosperity with equality for the people living in all the regions of the State," he said, adding "my Government has embarked on a great journey of faith. It has decided to take the high moral ground and yet is willing and able to adopt a realistic and pragmatic approach. I expect that the road it has taken will make the difference — a difference for the better".

"It is the desire and determination of my Government to turn the present environment conducive to the growth of disillusionment, anger, frustration and violence into a prospect of hope. It is therefore essential to make a beginning by reaching out to those who feel alienated, who live in the dark shadow of hopelessness and help them find their way back to a life of promise and potential," he said.

Giving importance to holding of a dialogue, Mr. Saxena appreciated the initiatives taken by the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, from time to time and said, "a just and durable peace can be achieved in the State, in good measure, only if the Centre initiates a serious and result-oriented dialogue without any precondition with members of the State Legislature and other segments of public opinion in all the three regions of the State''.

For achieving the goal of returning the State to peace and tranquillity, the Governor pointed to the Common Minimum Programme of the Government. "It has been decided to review the cases of all such detenus, who may have been detained without trial. Such laws that are being used to deprive people of their basic right to life and liberty, for long periods of time without due legal process will be reviewed,'' Mr. Saxena said. The Government was of the view that the existing laws were adequate to deal with militancy and as such there was no need to resort to POTA.