SYED ALI SAFVI
SRINAGAR, July 12: All-party meeting, convened by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to find a way out of the deepening political crisis in the valley, has decided to send an all-party delegation to meet Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, for initiating a political process in Kashmir. Moreover, the parties also stressed the need for taking separatists on board by resuming the internal and external dialogue.
Pertinently, the meeting turned out to be a damp squib in the absence of the second largest party, People's Democratic Party (PDP) and Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP).
The four-hour long conference dominated by the presence of the ruling coalition ended without spelling out any specific concrete measure in relation to the present security situation in the valley, belying all expectations.
Condemning the firing and use of force by police and CRPF against the protestors, the parties called for an independent inquiry into the killings of the civilians. The proposal was mooted by CPI (M), but BJP delegation opposed it tooth and nail. However, after much hue and cry, the state government finally gave its nod to the proposal.
Expressing deep regret over the recent spate of civilian killings across the valley, the parties also asked the state government to consider adequate ex-gratia relief to the victims' families.
According to the insiders, the political parties also castigated the government for deploying the army in the valley.
"We told the chief minister that there was no need to bring the army here as it had done its job long time back," said a senior mainstream leader and former minister. "On the one hand the government talks about empowering the state police and on the other hand it takes a drastic step like this," he adds.
The meeting also expressed its disappointment over the economic losses suffered by the people, notably traders, daily wagers and vendors during the ongoing unrest. The high-level meeting also expressed concern over the adverse impact the ongoing unrest has had on the education of children in the valley.
The parties appealed the people to come forward and help in bringing back peace to the besieged vale of Kashmir.
The meeting decided that an all-party delegation would be sent to meet the prime minister and invite his attention to various problems faced by the state.
The delegation, which is likely to leave for New Delhi next week, would urge the Prime Minister to launch a political initiative in Kashmir.
"The delegation will discuss problems of unemployment with the prime minister, besides it will urge him to involve different shades of political opinions in Kashmir to work out a peaceful and permanent solution for Kashmir," sources said.
The meeting also urged the Government of India (GoI) to strengthen the dialogue process and stressed the need for concrete talks with Pakistan and separatist leaders.
The CPI (M) state secretary, MY Tarigami, asked the chief minister to directly talk to state journalist fraternity to restore its confidence.
Pertinently, the state's principal opposition, PDP and JJKNPP did not attend the meeting. PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti had termed the meeting as "futile exercise" and had even rejected an appeal by the prime minister and the chief minister to attend the meeting.
The parties represented in the meeting included National Conference (NC), Indian National Congress (INC), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), Democratic Party Nationalist (DPN) besides independent legislators including MLA, Langate, Er. Abdul Rashid, MLA, Kathua, Charanjeet Singh and MLA, Leh, Tsetan Namgyal.
Union minister and president NC, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, president PCC, Prof. Saif-ud-Din Soz, minister for finance, Abdul Rahim Rather, minister for education, Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed, minister for rural development, Ali Mohammad Sagar, minister for PHE, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, minister for forests, Mian Altaf Ahmed, minister for social welfare, Sakina Itoo, minister of state for Haj and Auquaf, Aijaz Ahmad Khan, state secretary CPI (M), M Y Tarigami, DPN president, Ghulam Hassan Mir, PDF president, Hakeem Mohammed Yaseen, BJP president Shamsher Singh Manhas and CPI state secretary, Abdul Rehman Tukroo and state president Nationalist Congress Party Thakur Randhir Singh were also present in the meeting.
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