The Centre-appointed interlocutors for Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday submitted their final report to home minister P. Chidambaram suggesting a roadmap for providing a permanent politicial settlement to the state. Terming the report “as accurate and as comprehensive reflection of the broadest possible spectrum of opinion” in J&K, one of the interlocutors Dilip Padgaonkar said that all social, cultural and geographical aspects have been taken into consideration. But with the separatists refusing to meet the J&K panel, Mr Padgaonkar said the separatists “‘have missed the bus” but conceded that the report could have been more worthwhile had they participated in the deliberations and discussions. The report will now be shared with all major political parties and an all-party meet may be held soon to discuss the report and reach a consensus.
Mr Padgaonkar said the mandate given to the panel was to try and trace the contours of a political settlement in the state. “We have traced those contours and we have made a certain number of recommendations which aim at a permanent political settlement in Jammu and Kashmir. In order to buttress the political settlement, we have also made recommendation on other issues directly affecting the people of Jammu and Kashmir regarding its economy, its social infrastructure, regarding issues pertaining to culture,” he said.
Mr Padgaonkar said that panel was an emanation of an all party delegation that visited Jammu and Kashmir in September 2010.
The panel, in its report, has suggested setting up of autonomous regional councils by the J&K government to facilitate equitable development of the three regions of the state. The removal of the Public Safety Act and a review of cases of arrested youth and lifting of the Armed Forces Special powers Act and Disturbed Areas Act in J&K in a phased manner is also high on the list of recommendations given by the J&K panel. The panel has called for making the Line of Control with Pakistan irrelevant by allowing free movement of men and material and improving foreign trade and cultural relations. The panel also does not recommend reversion to the pre-1953 status for J&K.
While refusing to divulge details, Mr Padgaonkar said, “Let me tell you that questions related to AFSPA to the Disturbed Areas Act to various other legislations that are in force, people have talked to have been mentioned... We have also had regular consultations with the heads of the police, para military forces, the Army and we have got their side of story. All this has been reflected in our report.”