All-party team to visit J&K,
Sonia calls for healing, talks
Sources said this would be an all-party team and visit Jammu and Srinagar over two days any day after Friday. It will extend an “open invitation” to anyone interested to come and talk.
The five-and-half hour meeting, during which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, BJP president Nitin Gadkari and leaders of other parties presented their views, was unanimous over the need for internal dialogue within the framework of the Constitution.
Sonia Gandhi sought to draw broad contours of New Delhi’s approach, underlining the need for magnanimity, sensitivity and maturity in tackling what she said was “far too serious a challenge” to allow any “ideological and political differences” to come in the way.
“Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of our country and our democracy. The people of Jammu & Kashmir are our people. They are our citizens. Let us demonstrate it in a spirit of accommodation. This alone, I believe, can create space for reconciliation and bring an end to turmoil and conflict. My party is more than willing to support a process of healing and dialogue in partnership with the people of Jammu & Kashmir,” she said, citing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s observations last month about India’s democracy having the resilience to accommodate a diversity of aspirations and the capacity to solve complex problems.
With the Centre deciding to wait for inputs from the all-party delegation, coupled with the Gandhi’s emphasis on the spirit of reconciliation, in tackling the current crisis in Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who has been under fire from Opposition parties as also allies, may have got a breather, though temporarily.
In fact, there was no demand from either the BJP or the PDP for Omar’s removal or Governor’s Rule at today’s meet, signalling an evolving consensus to rise above political differences.
In his opening remarks, the Prime Minister said the only path for lasting peace and prosperity in J&K was that of dialogue and discussion and the government was “ready for dialogue with anybody or any group that does not espouse or practice violence”.
“But it is also true that meaningful dialogue can happen only in an atmosphere free from violence and confrontation. Discussions can take place only if we have calm and public order,” he said. “I was shocked and distressed to see young men and women — even children — joining the protests on the streets. While some of these protests may have been impulsive or spontaneous, it cannot be denied that some incidents were orchestrated by certain groups. What we have seen over the past three months must persuade us to reflect and deliberate on the way forward.”
(indian express)
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