Srinagar: Home minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday struck a conciliatory and humane note while claiming that there were encouraging signs of restoration of peace in Jammu & Kashmir.
Noting that the situation in Kashmir was improving fast, he reached out to the peoplec by promising to help the misguided youth and minor stone pelters and vowed to bring back smiles on the faces of Kashmiris.
He added a new mantra of 5Cs to reach out to the Kashmiri people. These, he said, are “compassion, communication, coexistence, confidence and consistency”.
The minister said the worst affected groups in Kashmir are the youth, the traders and workers and the poor. “Terrorism has destroyed generations of Kashmir. We will not allow another generation of Kashmir to go waste”, he said, warning Pakistan to stop sending terrorists into the Valley.
He also showed willingness to take special care of detained minor stone-pelters. “Children should not be treated as criminals but as juveniles. They should be sent to juvenile homes and not jails,” he said.
“Such misguided children should be dealt with as per the juvenile justice system and not locked up in jails. They need and should be properly counselled and treated with compassion,” he said.
Mr Singh also addressed public fears over the possibility of abrogation of Article 35A, which bars people from outside J&K to buy immoveable property. Asserting that there was no reason for doubt or speculation on this issue, he said, “We’ll not go against sentiments of people.”
Expressing happiness on the improving situation in the restive state, Mr Singh said: “The trees of peace have not dried out completely. I can see the green shoots of peace in the Valley.”
Mr Singh, who is on a four-day visit to the state to speak to stakeholders with an “open mind”, said, “The situation is improving in the Kashmir Valley. I can’t say it is fully improved but it is much better when compared to the situation last year and it will improve further. We wish to see smiles on the face of the people.”
Taking a dig at the separatists and Opposition parties who have vowed to launch an agitation over alleged attempt to repeal Article 35A, the home minister said, “There are no issues left that is why such issues are being raised”.
He denied that the anti-terror fund raids by the NIA across the state were an attempt to arm-twist and put pressure on the separatists. “The NIA is an autonomous body and is doing its work... It is not arm-twisting tactic. We have not learnt the art of arm-twisting,” he said.
Mr Singh, however, said that if any investigation agency is doing its work, it should ensure that nobody is harassed during the raids.
“If anybody has any issue with NIA raids, they should go to court of law,” he said.
Asked about the curbs on the separatist leaders, he said, “If the state government has taken action against anybody, we can’t say anything.”
He said the Central government wishes to resolve all problems confronting the state and its people and sought help from all right-thinking people in the endeavour.
“I have said it before and I want to repeat it that I’m willing to talk with open heart and mind to anyone who is willing to help us in resolving problems of Kashmir,” he said.
“I request (for) your help to restore peace and understand the intentions of the Prime Minister who said Kashmir problem will be resolved by embracing the people of Kashmir and not by Goli (bullet) or Gaali (abuses),” the home minister said.
He said that he met as many as 55 delegations representing various political, social and trade organisations and civil society groups during his stay in Srinagar.
Asked if he was willing to talk to the separatists as well, he said, “I would like to talk to all the stakeholders. I have always said this. When I come here I come with open heart and mind and do not keep any reservations in mind.”
Acknowledging the hardships of people associated with the Valley’s tourist trade due to poor inflow of the visitors, he appealed to people to visit Kashmir.
“Terrorism has adversely affected the tourism sector. I appeal to everyone to come to Kashmir,” he said, adding that the Centre will launch a special drive for promoting tourism in Kashmir.
On the use of pellet guns for crowd control during protests in the Valley, the home minister said this equipment was being used very sparingly now.
“Last year we looked into the alternatives to pellet guns and introduced PAVA (chilli filled grenades). Though it was not very effective, the pellet guns have been used less compared to earlier,” he said.
This is the home minister’s fifth visit to the state this year. He said that he will continue to meet every stakeholder to find lasting solutions. “Not just five times, if there is a need to visit Kashmir 50 times in a year, I shall come,” he said.
Apart from reviewing the law and order situation, Mr Singh reviewed projects worth Rs 80,000 crore under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) for Jammu & Kashmir.
