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All-party meet: Some call it a good beginning, others doubt Centre’s intention
As almost all the leaders who attended the all-party meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday demanded restoration of statehood, political leaders and common people have kept their fingers crossed
As almost all the leaders who attended the all-party meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday demanded restoration of statehood, political leaders and common people have kept their fingers crossed.
The political leaders termed it a good beginning, but they still have apprehensions whether the promises would be fulfilled or not and if things that had been taken from the erstwhile state on August 5, 2019 will be returned. Many Kashmiris said that their scepticism over the meeting proved right.
However, many are hopeful at least New Delhi will take some positive steps after Thursday’s meeting that last for more than 3.5 hours.
Narwav Baramulla BDC chairperson and Congress leader Mir Iqbal said at least the dialogue has started. “But the outcome was not as expected.... Timeline should have been given for restoration of statehood as confidence building measure.”
He said the PAGD should have demanded that the case in SC should be heard weekly so that special status issue also is settled down and a way ahead is chosen.
The Apni Party leader and senior leader, Usman Majeed, said it was their party that voiced the public’s concerns. “We tried our best to get the people’s apprehensions alleviated at the highest level in the echelons of power in the country.”
Adnan Ashraf, spokesman of the People’s Conference, said at least from negativity, things have started going towards a positive direction. “We have never left the hope for good.”
Salman Sagar, former Srinagar mayor and NC leader, said former chief minister Omar Abdullah advocated for dialogue. “Yet again, he has shown the ideal representative character. Straight and laconic approach,” he added.
Many locals said the outcome of the meeting was on expected lines. “It was no surprise. Talks over Articles 370 and 35 A were shut over the pretext that the case is in Supreme Court. We knew there won’t be any output. Sooner or later they had to take local leaders on board,” said Jan Mir, a businessman from Srinagar.
“It was simply an ice-breaker. The Centre wanted to test to which level the local mainstream leaders have become workable with the new reality after spending months in jail and they were successful in that,” he added.
Javaid Ahmad, who works in the tourism industry, said the people did not have many hopes from the exercise, particularly from the mainstream leaders.
“At least the PAGD should have forcefully raised the issue of special status, but they didn’t even properly discuss that. The Centre had already committed to statehood and elections, but we didn’t even get a date for those. What tangible came out, nothing,” he said.
Salim Ahmad, a teacher from the Old City, said the NC and the PDP should look beyond vote-bank politics over the special status of J&K.
“Their sincerity over Articles 370 and 35A will be tested only when they will fight elections jointly or in the post-election scenario they will form a coalition. Right now, their talks are merely political rhetoric,” he said.
An academic teaching in a degree college, on condition of anonymity, said the people of Kashmir are still processing the development.
“It appears so contradictory. Local leaders formed an alliance to demand special status back and today, they appeared in a group photograph with those who jailed and humiliated them and hundreds of their land’s people. The development had no build-up which would have prompted this participation. People have to wait to understand what really happened,” he said.
