Kashmir conclave to avoid seeking talks with Pakistan
The aim is to involve civil society more than politicians and not engage the pro-separatist elements.
New Delhi: Wary of being branded as “anti-nationals”, Opposition parties have decided to avoid seeking talks with Pakistan as one of the solutions to the Kashmir issue. At a special conclave to be held early in June on Kashmir, only “moderate” faces would be fielded — chief among whom would be former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former external affairs minister Yashwat Sinha, former Union minister Kamal Morarka, former CIC Wajahat Habibullah and former RAW chief A.S. Dulat.
JD-U Rajya Sabha member Sharad Yadav, who has taken the initiative to get parties on board, met Mr Sinha on Wednesday and a decision was taken not to call for talks with Pakistan so that “the Modi government doesn’t get an opportunity to put the anti-national tag on the initiative”, sources told this newspaper.
The aim is to involve civil society more than politicians and not engage the pro-separatist elements, the sources added. Mr Yadav, who was part of an all-party team that visited Jammu and Kashmir in 2016, has held a wide range of discussions with many political leaders and civil society activists, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Dr Singh, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI leader D. Raja.
He has thrice met Mr Sinha, who headed a team of “concerned citizens” to the Valley.
Sources said the parties may hold an all-party conclave early next month after the birthday celebrations of DMK patriarch Karunanidhi in Chennai. They said that Dr Farooq Abdullah, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, has also supported the move to hold an all-party conclave on Kashmir.
Mr Yechury said the proposal to hold a non-governmental conference in Delhi is an attempt to seek a unified voice on resolving the unrest in the Valley.
The attempt will be to make it an all-party kind of gathering. “We are inviting all experts and members of different delegations, which have visited Kashmir. We are exploring the possibility of inviting some political leaders and experts from Kashmir,” he added.