The moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference and other like-minded Kashmiri separatists are willing to hold a dialogue with the Centre but on Sunday sought to make it clear that “talking about talks in vacuum”, a critical reference to Union home minister P. Chidambaram’s latest statement on new possibilities in the restive state, was “unacceptable”.
Mr Chidambaram had, on New Year’s Eve, said that the channels of communication with some of the separatist groups in Jammu and Kashmir were open and there was a possibility of negotiation with them in the New Year if they came forward for dialogue.
“As far as talks with the separatists groups in Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, we are always open to talk to them. It is not that the channels of communication with some of them have entirely cut off. These channels are still open and it is possible that some of them will agree to come forward for talks in 2012. If they are ready for talks, we are ready for talks,” he told reporters in New Delhi.
Reacting, Kashmir chief Muslim cleric and chairman of his faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said, “We are not, and were never, against holding talks to seek an amicable solution to the Kashmir problem. But we have said it before and reiterate today that talks ought to be meaningful and result-oriented. Unfortunately, we have had bitter experience with them... they have never shown seriousness in this matter nor do they seem to be sincere.”
The Mirwaiz also reiterated that the Hurriyat Conference was not interested in holding talks for the sake of talks and cited instances when the Centre, according to him, failed to come out with positive responses to the proposals and suggestions made by the amalgam towards confidence building in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said that the amalgam had given a four-point proposition that included demilitarising the state, the repeal of “black” laws, including the Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act and the Public Safety Act and the release of political prisoners, to make a forward movement on the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
“The home minister is publicly talking about getting rid of the AFSPA but the Army says it is against such a move. There are other minor issues over which the disagreement within the government and various official agencies is wide open. How will they evolve consensus for the resolution of Kashmir issue?” he asked.
Elaborating on the Centre’s “failures” to address the issue, another senior amalgam leader, Prof. Abdul Gani Butt, said: “We’ve seen in the year 2011 that the government has been only talking about talks in vacuum.”