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| Ruling coalition leaders favour dialogue with militants once they shun violence | | |
Jammu, May 3
Leaders of the ruling coalition in Jammu and Kashmir do not seem to be averse to the idea of opening channels of dialogue with militants and separatists. Indications are that these leaders favour safe passage for those Kashmiri youths, caping across the border and wishing to return to the valley, and those foreigner mercenaries, operating in Jammu and Kashmir desiring to cross back to Pakistan.
A senior Congress leader,Mr Raman Bhalla,MLA, said here today “we are not opposed to the idea of opening dialogue channels with militants. But we want that those militants who were keen to participate in the dialogue with the Government or in the roundtable conference should first of all shun the gun culture.”
He said Prime Minister,Dr Manmohan Singh,had already announced his willingness to talk to anyone keen to discuss issues. He said it was for separatists and militants to accept the offer for talks.
Mr Bhalla said that it was surprising that some separatist leaders,who were invited to the third roundtable conference held in Delhi on April 24,had turned down the invitation. He said the roundtable conferences had been a success as leaders of various political parties and ethnic groups participated. He said “I am surprised.On one hand the Hurriyat Conference leader repeatedly request the Government of India to resume the talks with them, on the other they refuse to attend the roundtable conference which was chaired by none other than the Prime Minister.”
The Congress leader said that militants had lost peoples’ sympathy after they indulged in violence which left several thousand people dead and private and Government property destroyed during the last 17 years.By now,he added,militants must have realized the futility of the gun culture. He suggested to them to prefer “Boli to Goli”(dialogue to bullet).
PDP leaders are for opening the dialogue channels with separatists and militants. They, however, want that no conditions be placed for holding talks. The PDP leaders are also in favour of giving a safe passage to those Kashmiri youths, camping across the LOC wishing to return to the valley, and to those foreign mercenaries operating in Jammu and Kashmir desiring to cross back to Pakistan.
The party leaders said that if the centre accepted various demands put forth by Mufti Mohd.Sayeed, including the one related to withdrawal of troops from within the state, repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act and self-rule, militants and separatists would have no other alternative but to accept dialogue as the best weapon for resolving any ticklish issue |
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