For peace in Valley, govt may open talks with Hurriyat

Struggling to contain the two-week long unrest in Kashmir that has left 44 people dead, the PDP-BJP ruling combine may open talks with the separatists to restore calm in the Valley.

Struggling to contain the two-week long unrest in Kashmir that has left 44 people dead, the PDP-BJP ruling combine may open talks with the separatists to restore calm in the Valley.

Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh said restoration of peace in Kashmir is the priority and holding talks with separatists was the essence of the all-party meeting. (PTI Photo)

“Restoration of peace in Kashmir is the priority and holding talks with separatists was the essence of the all-party meeting,” deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh said on Thursday.

Singh’s BJP has been reluctant to engage with the Hurriyat Conference, though talking to separatists was part of the “agenda for alliance” the two unlikely partners agreed to before coming together to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir.

Members of all parties except the opposition National Conference participated in the five-hour meeting called by the Mehbooba Mufti government in Srinagar. The meeting condemned violence while condoling the loss of life.

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Curfew continued for the fourteenth day in the Valley rocked by violent protests after the July 8 encounter death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. The government even banned newspapers in the Valley for a few days in order to control the situation. Newspapers hit the stands after five days on Thursday.

“…all the participants spoke on various aspects like how to deal with the situation. Actually, it was a very constructive meeting,” Singh told media.

The government asked all parties to keep all options open, Singh said when asked if the government was ready to talk to the Hurriyat. “We requested all the parties that channels (of dialogue) should be kept open with all the parties because stalemate is there. This (dialogue with separatists) is also mentioned in PDP-BJP’s ‘agenda for alliance’ document”.

The National Conference should have attended the meeting as it was the main opposition party in the state, he said. Omar Abdullah-led National Conference boycotted the meeting, terming it a “meaningless exercise”.

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