Kashmir delegation to meet stone-pelters today
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Srinagar: There has been no breakthrough yet on the Kashmir deadlock. But the ice has been broken by the all-party delegation from Delhi.
On Day 2, the delegates will be meeting stone-pelters at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar to understand their demands and grievances against security forces.
From Srinagar, the 38-member delegation led by Home Minister P Chidambaram will then head to Jammu, where they will meet Kashmiri migrants, refugees, traders and lawyers. That meeting is scheduled to take place at Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's residence.
On Monday, a group of MPs, led by the Left, went to the houses of separatists leaders to ask them to help end the cycle of violence that has left more than 100 people dead in the last 3 months. But the response was lukewarm.
Members of the all-party delegation in Srinagar on Monday met the man most believe is calling the shots in the Valley's -- Syed Ali Shah Geelani. It was an awkward but rare meeting between Indian parliamentarians and a man who rejects the Indian state.
When asked if he would come to the dialogue table if the government is willing to talk on his 5 point programme, Geelani said: “If they accept the 5 point programme, then we can see about dialogue."
Sitaram Yechury said: “Some sort of consensus was reached.”
The door for dialogue was left open by the moderates in the Hurriyat-- Mirwaiz and Yassen Mallik -- who first declined the invitation, but then relented with a softer position and also received the delegation.
Yaseen said: "We have decided not to go there physically but we have given our memorandum", while Mirwaiz said: "They can’t tell us to come and talk and then put Hurriyat leaders under house arrest."
Ironically the scene was more confrontational inside the Sher-i-Kashmir International Centre where the mainstream parties met with the PDP accusing the Omar government and the Centre of reducing the exercise to a farce, with some help from the Congress.
Members of the all-party delegation say they feel satisfied about the day's meetings and that they were able to make contact with those most removed from New Delhi's position.
But the question remains -- can that ambush political contact now pave the way for more sustained and planned dialogue between them?
(IBN live)
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