SRINAGAR, Dec 4: Asserting that New Delhi had “completely failed” to implement its eight-point package in Kashmir, the visiting delegation of parliamentarians and civil society members today asked New Delhi to respond to five-point proposal floated by chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Geelani, to resolve the Kashmir issue.
“After our visit in September, the government announced eight-point package for Kashmir, but there is no visible implementation of the package on ground,” member parliament and Lok Janshakti Party president, Ram Vilas Paswan, who is heading the Delhi team, told reporters after the team’s two-hour long meeting with Geelani at his Hyderpora residence here.
Urging New Delhi to respond to Geelani’s five-point proposal, Paswan, who was speaking on behalf of the delegation members, said: “Government may have reservations to accept Kashmir as international dispute (Geelani’s first proposal), but there should not have been any problem in addressing other four proposals put forth by Geelani sahib.”
The LJP leader said that government should make public the number of youth arrested under Public Safety Act (PSA) and those released after New Delhi’s announcement of the eight-point package.
He also expressed disappointment over appointment of "non-political" interlocutors on Kashmir.
"They (interlocutors) have failed to take the Kashmiri leadership on board," he said.
Emphasizing the need for engaging separatists, including Geelani, in dialogue for resolution of Kashmir issue, he said, “Government must start dialogue on Kashmir and invite all separatists in it. Opening the door to dialogue is need of the hour.”
Extending the team’s full support to “peaceful struggle” of Kashmiris, Paswan said that he would raise in Parliament the continuous arrest of Geelani.
“It’s very unfortunate that he has been kept under house arrest fort he last three months. If it is necessary then the government should at least declare it officially,” he said. “I’ll surely raise this issue in Parliament.”
Paswan said that the team was on a fact finding mission to know the ground realities in Kashmir.
“After the all-party delegation visited Kashmir there was a need to engage with people and address their demands, but the government failed to do so,” he said. “Kashmiris are hurt and that’s the reason the talks, instead of moving forward, are going backwards,”
He said that the purpose of their visit was to find the actual situation in the valley so that they could tell the real story to their people back home.
“People of the country are unaware of the happenings in Kashmir. Indian media does not project the ground situation in Kashmir,” he said.
“The stereotype image of Kashmiris needs to be changed and media has an important role to play in that,” he said. “We will raise Kashmir issue in parliament and other platforms and try to create a public opinion across the country.”
Earlier, in a two-hour long meeting with the delegation, the octogenarian separatist leader, who is spearheading the ongoing “Quit Jammu and Kashmir campaign”, asked the team to raise the Kashmir issue and the stand of separatists in Parliament.
“Kashmir has been a disputed territory for the last 63 years,” he said. “Indian Home Minister has himself admitted that Kashmir is an issue of broken promises.”
Geelani told the delegation that India had promised the people of Kashmir that they would be given right to self determination.
“It was India that took the Kashmir case to United Nations. Eighteen resolutions were passed by United Nations Security Council,” he said.
He said that the UN resolutions should be implemented and troops should be removed from Kashmir to pave the way for resolution of Kashmir issue.
He said that New Delhi should accept his amalgam’s five-point proposal to resolve the Kashmir issue.
Reiterating that he was not against dialogue on principle, he said, “I am not averse to dialogue if they are meaningful and result oriented. There have been over 150 dialogue exercises which have proven to be exercise in futility.”
The delegation comprising parliamentarians, journalists, filmakers today also called on chairman Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, People’s Democratic Party president, Mehbooba Mufti, Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) chairman, Shabir Ahmad Shah.
During a meeting with Mirwaiz, the delegation condemned the recent attacks on the Hurriyat (M) chairman at Chandigarh and Kolkata.
“A handful of communal elements can not represent the Indian majority,” they said.
Mirwiaz stressed the need for resolving the Kashmir dispute amicably.
“Kashmir is a political dispute and it should be resolved politically,” he said. “The solution should be acceptable to India, Pakistan and Kashmiris. Delaying resolution of Kashmir issue is not in the interests of India, Pakistan or the sub continent,” he said.
He said that Hurriyat Conference (M) had given some proposals to change the ground situation.
“We had suggested formation of a joint parliamentary group from India and Pakistan to the members of all-party delegation during their visit to Kashmir,” he said.
Meanwhile, during her interaction with the delegation, PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti, said that New Delhi’s eight-point package had yet to see light of the day.
She cautioned that the calm on streets should not be taken for granted.
“This was the time to address the grievances of people,” she said.
“Thousands of youth have been arrested after announcement of eight-point package despite the fact that the main thrust in the package was given on release of prisoners, she said.
The PDP president said that the state government had even failed to adhere to the High Court orders.
“Absence of a substantial political initiative from New Delhi has pushed Kashmiris back to the dark ages of violence,” she said. “The state government has failed the people even in providing security to life and property which is the fundamental of any governance.”
She asked the delegation to study the ground situation seriously and try to convey the real picture to their people back home.
During his meeting with the delegation, DFP chairman, Shabir Ahmed Shah, said that Kashmir was a disputed territory and New Delhi should resolve the issue “in accordance with the aspirations of the people”.
“India and Pakistan have fought three wars over Kashmir and its resolution is in the best interest of both the countries,” he said.
The delegation also met families of victims who were killed during five-month long unrest in the valley. The family members told the delegation that they don’t want more bloodshed in Kashmir.
They also raised slogans and told the delegation that they want “Azadi” from India.
“Our loved ones have laid down their lives for freedom of Kashmir,” they said.
Pertinently, the 11-member parliamentary and civil society delegation arrived here yesterday on a ‘fact finding mission’. Shortly after landing in Kashmir, they grove to the house of Tufail Ahmad Matoo, 12, who was killed by a tear smoke shell fired by police on June 11 at Rajouri Kadal here and interacted with the Mattoo family. Later in the day, they met JKLF chairman, Yasin Malik.
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