India can solve Kashmir problem: J&K governor

Jammu and Kashmir Governor SK Sinha has said India was capable of finding a solution to the Kashmir problem.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor SK Sinha has said India was capable of finding a solution to the Kashmir problem and the country's point of view on the issue is being widely understood by the global community.

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"We are capable of finding a solution to this (Kashmir) problem and heralding a new era of peace in the state, the Governor said, addressing defence services officers at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar on Tuesday evening.

He referred to the evolution of foreign-sponsored terrorism in the Kashmir Valley and regretted that despite assurances by President Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's soil is being used to foment terror against India.

Sinha, however, asserted that the cult of violence would be sternly dealt with. The Governor felt that winning the hearts of the people and economic development were answers to all the ills plauging the terrorism-hit state.

Speedy development, good governance, responsive administration, spread of education are some of the key areas that can help in heralding a new era of peace, he said.

Sinha said a deliberate attempt had been made by terrorists to shatter the tourism industry, mainstay of the state's economy, by engineering direct attacks on tourists. But the terrorists' attempt evoked sharp criticism from the people.

The Governor also dealt with a wide-range of issues such as soft borders, return of Kashmiri Pandits and revival of Kashmiriyat during his speech.