The Central government on Saturday announced an eight-point initiative to restore peace in the Kashmir Valley after the unrest that began in June this year. This, among others, will include an attempt to de-scale the presence of security forces, the constitution of a group of interlocutors to hold a “sustained dialogue” with all shades of Valley life and the release of about 245 persons detained for stone-pelting.

These decisions were taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday. The Centre has asked the state government to soon convene a meeting of the Unified Command, which is chaired by the chief minister, to review the existing notification of areas as “disturbed”. “After the review certain areas may be excluded from the list of disturbed areas. If such a decision is taken, then this will pave the way for non-application of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in de-notified areas,” sources said.
Sharing the decisions taken at the CCS, Union home minister P. Chidambaram said the Centre has also decided to make ex-gratia payments of `5 lakh to the families of each of those killed in the civil disturbance that began on June 11. The total number of people killed since then is over 100.
The home minister also said the Centre has advised the state government to immediately review the cases of all those detained under the Public Safety Act and issue release orders in appropriate cases. Most political parties, including the Congress, BJP, National Conference and PDP, welcomed the move. But the moderate separatists maintained a studied silence. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who heads the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, and JKLF chief Yasin Malik said they would react only after discussing the issues among their own parties. Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s hardline Hurriyat faction dismissed the Centre’s decisions as “a mere eyewash” and said it was a “deliberate attempt to buy time”.
The Congress said it supported the government initiative whereas the main Opposition BJP said it would support all steps that are “anti-separatists and pro-citizens”.
NC leader and chief minister Omar Abdullah, who met Mr Chidambaram after the CCS announcements, welcomed the move and expressed hope that these steps would ultimately lead to the resolution of all political issues in Kashmir. The main Opposition in the J&K assembly, the PDP, said it was definitely a good beginning but more needed to be done.
A group of interlocutors are to be appointed under the chairmanship of an eminent person to begin the process of dialogue with all sections of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, including political parties, groups, youth and student organisations, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
The Centre also advised the state government to immediately release all students and youth detained or arrested for stone-pelting or similar other violations of the law and to withdraw charges against such students and youth.
“The Centre would request the state government to immediately convene a meeting of the Unified Command and to review the deployment of security forces in the Kashmir Valley, especially Srinagar, with particular reference to de-scaling the number of bunkers, checkpoints etc in Srinagar and other towns, and to review the notification of areas as disturbed areas,” Mr Chidambaram informed.
The government also announced that two special task forces, one each for Jammu and Ladakh regions, would be appointed to examine the developmental needs of the two regions with particular reference to deficiencies in infrastructure and make suitable recommendations.
The Centre has also requested the state government to take steps to immediately reopen all schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions; hold special classes or lectures, if necessary; and to ensure that the examinations for the current academic year (2010-11) are conducted.
A sum of `100 crores will provided to J&K as additional Central assistance. The amount is to be used for improving infrastructure in schools and colleges.