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| Centre likely to announce ceasefire in J&K before Ramadan | | | New Delhi, Sep 13 The Centre is likely to announce a ceasefire for the holy month of Ramadan in Jammu and Kashmir, aimed at restoring lasting peace in the strife-torn state.
Sources informed that if the militant organisations respond
favourably the truce could also be extended.
''Ramadan will begin in the last week of September and
negotiations are on with the militants. We are hopeful that the
truce will be announced before that,'' the sources said.
''People in Jammu and Kashmir want peace and this would be the
right beginning,'' they added.
Back channel negotiations are in progress with the militants
to pursue them to agree to the ceasefire, the sources said.
Prominent among those in touch with the militant leadership,
particularly the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, is CPI(M) state Secretary
Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, they added.
Mr Tarigami was also instrumental in the November 2000 Ramadan
ceasefire announced by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The announcement is likely to come after Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh returns from Cuba, where he will hold talks with Pakistan
President Pervez Musharraf following the NAM summit.
On September 11, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi
Azad offered to announce a ceasefire during the holy month of
Ramadan and even beyond, provided the ultras declared cessation of
violence.
Mr Azad had said he would be happy to respond to a ceasefire
announcement by the militants during the Islamic fasting month of
Ramadan.
''From the government's side, I will be happy to respond to
ceasefire which should not be limited to the holy month only, but
can be extended even beyond that period in case the militants
declare to shun the violence,'' he added.
The Chief Minister expressed the hope that the truce would not
only help in progress and development of the state, but also provide
an opportunity to the people to get the rid of violence and miseries
for ever.
On July 24, 2000, Hizb Commander-in-chief Majid Dar announced a
unilateral truce in Srinagar which the Centre had reciprocated.
Hizb chief Sayed Salahaudin had initially backed the move but
withdrew his support under pressure from Pakistan on August 8.
He had demanded that Pakistan be included in talks between Hizb
and the Indian Government which New Delhi had rejected.
The month-long November 2000 ceasefire was extended twice till
May 31,2001. The Government withdrew the Non-Initiation of Combat
Operations (NICO) against the militants on May 26, 2001.
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