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| Citizen of India too has a lot of dignity: Padgaonkar | | Interlocutors won’t knock doors of separatists | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Oct 27: Indicating that they won’t bow down or prostrate before separatists for holding talks, Dileep Padgaonkar, senior journalist who is leading three member team of interlocutors in J&K today said they are ready as and when the former make up their mind but won’t go calling at their doorsteps. In a subtle manner Padgaonkar slammed separatists for their ‘attitude’ saying he respects their views but they should also know ‘a citizen of India also has a lot of dignity.’
A day after their four day visit to Kashmir valley, Padgaonkar said this in Jammu today while responding to a query on separatists’ refusal to talk to interlocutors. “ We can’t force people to talk because they have their compulsions……if and when they want to talk to us we will be ready to talk to them….how and when they come to this decision I don’t know ……..”, the senior journalist said. However, in the same breath indicating that there was no point kneeling or pleading for the talks Padgaonkar said, “ should they decide to talk to us we will be happy …………but what we won’t do is to just land up at their doorsteps to find that talks will not happen….”.
Apparently not happy about the way separatists downplayed their visit and role in the dialogue process, the senior most interlocutor taking an dig said, “I respect them for their views but they should know a citizen of India also has a lot of dignity”. He said it was
premature to give a firm assessment about Srinagar visit but the intense and spontaneous is the yearning of people for peace. “Everyone I met is yearning for peace to return to the valley……. there is a desire that peace should return through dialogue and they want the dialogue to be a frank one, a candid one and a comprehensive one “, the interlocutors said adding that people want a dialogue that will be yielding results. We have gone through the whole process several times in the past and therefore they very much hope that the present engagement that we have had with the people of Jammu and Kashmir will start making some difference on the ground, he maintained.
Two of the three central government interlocutors arrived in Jammu, this afternoon afternoon on the second leg of their first visit to the state. Senior journalist Dileep Padgaonkar and academician Radha Kumar were received at Jammu airport by the provincial officials, before heading for the state guest house. The third interlocutor, former bureaucrat M.M. Ansari, has flown back to New Delhi
While speaking to media Padgaonkar contended that excepting for the separatists no one boycotted them in Valley. “We were able to meet cross section of people both in the mainstream parties, students, social activists, teachers, academics, militants in jails name them.. So excepting separatists we were able to meet a huge number of people…. in fact there are at least 20 appointments pending because people want to talk to us and we told them that we will be there in a month’s time and we will talk to them”, he observed, refuting that Valley received them with lukewarm response.
Refuting that the interlocutors had talked about some ‘roadmap for Azadi…’, Padgaonkar said the interpretation was incorrect and not based on facts. “They were talking of all kinds of proposals and I said we need to go beyond slogans to substance…… so next time I come let us know in practical, precise terms what u mean…. “, he said contending that interlocutors were conscious about every implication of every proposal and these needed to be carefully studied “I know and told them a proposal sounds very good to you here in Srinagar may not sound good to people in Jammu or good to people in Leh so you got to take everyone along with you and therefore your proposals ought to be something there has the consensus of all the regions of the state and of the people of India, he asserted.
Maintaining that they intended to meet jailed separatist in Jammu too, their first and foremost agenda here was to listen to the leaders in Jammu. “Our mandate has been to listen to a cross section of opinion both in political parties and outside the frame of political parties in order to try and ascertain the kind of problems that people face but especially a problem which is been lingering for more than sixty years now…….for this we need to explore areas of consensus” he added
The interlocutors later visited Kot Bhalwal jail on the outskirts of Jammu city where were scheduled meet separatist leaders like Shabbir Shah, Asiya Andrabi and president of Kashmir Bar Association Mian Abdul Qayoom. Sources said during their hour long stay there, the two interlocutors studied the jail record, particularly referring to the case history of inmates whom they wanted to meet, besides having a glimpse of the facilities in the jail for inmates.
The interlocutors also visited the place of veteran columnist , Human Rights activist and president of PUCL (Peoples Union of Civil Liberties) Balraj Puri and interacted with him a host of political issues. During their three day visit to Jammu there is also a proposal for their visiting a migrants' camp of Kashmiri Hindus at Muthi. The two will also meet industry representatives, university teachers and the leaders of various political groups.
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