Interlocutors continue meeting apolitical groups

The three-member Kashmir interlocutors headed by Dilip Padgaonkar today continued to meet apolitical parties "to bring all of them under a single umbrella to move forward".

The three-member Kashmir interlocutors headed by Dilip Padgaonkar on Wednesday continued to meet apolitical parties "to bring all of them under a single umbrella to move forward".

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The three interlocutors, which also includes academician Radha Kumar and former information commissioner MM Ansari --- met several apolitical delegation of south Kashmir.

"We have met over four thousand people in 500 delegations in the past visits to the state so far. We are still working out the minds of the people," said Padgaonkar, who along with other interlocutors are on eighth visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

"Aspirations of all the three regions are different and each aspiration needs to be addressed to reach to a resolution," said Padgaonkar.

Expressing desire to meet the separatists, Padgaonkar said, "Let the dialogue commence with four and five points laid by Hurriyat factions".

The interlocutors have visited 17 districts since they were appointed by New Delhi in October last year after months of civil unrest that left 112 people dead in street protests.

Padgaonkar denied the reports of writing negative about Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's functioning in Kashmir or his dealing of the 2010 summer unrest. He said the interlocutors work in tandem with the state government.

Padgaonkar said the media reports about the conduct of the state government during last year's summer incidents were aimed "to create fissures between the interlocutors and the state government. This we will not allow."

The team is submitting its interim report in coming weeks. "The final report will take time," said Padgaonkar.