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155329
Wed, 12/29/2010 - 17:33
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New Kashmir Panel evokes mixed response: report
Srinagar, India, Dec 29, IRNA – New Kashmir Panel evoked mixed response in Kashmir.
Serious differences of perception in the pro-independence camp here came to the fore once again after Syed Ali Shah Geelani rejected outright the formation of yet another parliamentary and civil society panel on Kashmir as a waste of time, while Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik welcomed the move, saying that it could prove productive in informing the Indian masses on the reality of Kashmir.
“What is the point in forming such groups when the union home minister, P Chidambaram, himself has admitted that promises made to Kashmiris have not been kept, and when the entire world knows what Kashmiris want?” Geelani who heads the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference said.
Leaders of several national political parties and civil society groups of India on Monday announced constitution of a committee to launch country-wide campaign for promoting dialogue and reconciliation on Kashmir.
The decision to constitute the panel came two months after New Delhi officially formed a three member group of interlocutors to engage different shades of Kashmiri opinion in dialogue.
The interlocutors, an eminent journalist, an academic and a bureaucrat however failed to make any headway as major pro-freedom parties decided against meeting them.
The new non-official panel, named “Committee for Promoting Dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir, includes politicians from Left and other non-Congress and non-BJP parties and prominent civil society activists.
The panel which visited Kashmir in the first week of December said that the centre’s eight-point package is yet to be implemented on the ground. They said the three member panel of interlocutors don’t enjoy public goodwill in the state.
“We have decided to remove the misconceptions about the Kashmir issue among Indian masses and we would begin our campaign in the first week of February from New Delhi as the need of hour is to remove negative perceptions created by disinformation campaign about Kashmir,” eminent journalist and director of Centre for Policy Analysis Seema Mustafa, who is also a member of the new panel, said.
Seema said the group would also be holding dialogue with all major stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir in the next few months.
“Why don’t these individuals and politicians, who form these groups to talk to Kashmiris, not persuade the Indian government to grant Kashmiris their rights?” Geelani asked.
“Why don’t these delegations ask the government of India to grant Kashmiris their right of self-determination which it has endorsed by signing 18 UN resolutions?” he asked.
Geelani said that the time for forming groups and delegations was over, and the need of the hour was to take practical steps to accord Kashmiris their rights.
“Kashmiris have been making sacrifices for 63 years to secure their rights. Chastity of our women is being violated, homes are being burnt down, and if still these people say that the Indian masses need to be apprised of the true situation, it is nothing but a waste of time,” he said.
The chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, on the other hand, said that the move was a good initiative, and asserted that his alliance had already demanded that a parliamentary group be formed in Pakistan as well to aid in resolving the Kashmir issue.
“The new group has two aspects. One is to mobilize public opinion in India and to condemn human rights violations in Kashmir. Second, if it is a serious effort to resolve the Kashmir issue, it necessarily needs to be welcomed,” the Mirwaiz said.
The chairman of the JKLF, Muhammad Yasin Malik, too welcomed the move, saying that mobilizing public opinion in India was an urgent need.
“Such initiatives can swing public opinion in India in favour of Kashmiris, and this is essential for resolving the issue,” he said.
Another moderate leader Shabir Ahmad Shah also hailed the move to involve public opinion in India in the resolution process as a positive development, and said that the group should mount pressure on the Indian government to resolve the Kashmir issue through tripartite talks in accordance with the wishes of Kashmiris.
The Jama’at-e-Islami, however, gave a qualified response, saying that the move should be centred on resolving the Kashmir issue and not be aimed at finding jobs or giving economic packages.
The newly formed group also recommended various political and economic measures for building the confidence in Kashmir.
The following measures include :
Revocation of the Disturbed Areas Act, phased withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Srinagar and other urban centres and release of all prisoners not charged with heinous offences, demilitarisation of civilian areas, including withdrawal of central paramilitary forces and making the State police responsible for the maintenance of law and order, immediate sanction of permanent monthly pension for widows whose husbands were killed by militants or in encounters by forces, relief and rehabilitation measures for the widows and half widows, impartial judicial commission to probe the deaths of the 112 youths, initiation of judicial enquiries in all major encounters and deaths in police firing in the last two years, introduction of a special scheme for interest free loans and advances by Banks and Financial Institutions for revival and expansion of handloom, handicrafts, tourism and horticulture sectors, providing working capital as margin money for self-employment, launching special recruitment drive in public sectors for the youth, earmarking of seats for Kashmiri students in All India Entrance examinations for Medical Colleges etc.
The newly constituted group comprises of Prakash Karat (CPI-M), AB Bardhan (CPI), D Raja (CPI), Ram Vilas Paswan (LJSP), Danish Ali (JD-S), Namo Nageshwar Rao (TDP), Abdul Khaliq (LJSP), Shoaib Iqbal (LJSP), SP Shukla (former finance secretary), academics Prof Kamal Mitra Chenoy and Prof Anuraddha Chenoy journalist Seema Mustafa and Meena Menon./end
Serious differences of perception in the pro-independence camp here came to the fore once again after Syed Ali Shah Geelani rejected outright the formation of yet another parliamentary and civil society panel on Kashmir as a waste of time, while Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik welcomed the move, saying that it could prove productive in informing the Indian masses on the reality of Kashmir.
“What is the point in forming such groups when the union home minister, P Chidambaram, himself has admitted that promises made to Kashmiris have not been kept, and when the entire world knows what Kashmiris want?” Geelani who heads the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference said.
Leaders of several national political parties and civil society groups of India on Monday announced constitution of a committee to launch country-wide campaign for promoting dialogue and reconciliation on Kashmir.
The decision to constitute the panel came two months after New Delhi officially formed a three member group of interlocutors to engage different shades of Kashmiri opinion in dialogue.
The interlocutors, an eminent journalist, an academic and a bureaucrat however failed to make any headway as major pro-freedom parties decided against meeting them.
The new non-official panel, named “Committee for Promoting Dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir, includes politicians from Left and other non-Congress and non-BJP parties and prominent civil society activists.
The panel which visited Kashmir in the first week of December said that the centre’s eight-point package is yet to be implemented on the ground. They said the three member panel of interlocutors don’t enjoy public goodwill in the state.
“We have decided to remove the misconceptions about the Kashmir issue among Indian masses and we would begin our campaign in the first week of February from New Delhi as the need of hour is to remove negative perceptions created by disinformation campaign about Kashmir,” eminent journalist and director of Centre for Policy Analysis Seema Mustafa, who is also a member of the new panel, said.
Seema said the group would also be holding dialogue with all major stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir in the next few months.
“Why don’t these individuals and politicians, who form these groups to talk to Kashmiris, not persuade the Indian government to grant Kashmiris their rights?” Geelani asked.
“Why don’t these delegations ask the government of India to grant Kashmiris their right of self-determination which it has endorsed by signing 18 UN resolutions?” he asked.
Geelani said that the time for forming groups and delegations was over, and the need of the hour was to take practical steps to accord Kashmiris their rights.
“Kashmiris have been making sacrifices for 63 years to secure their rights. Chastity of our women is being violated, homes are being burnt down, and if still these people say that the Indian masses need to be apprised of the true situation, it is nothing but a waste of time,” he said.
The chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, on the other hand, said that the move was a good initiative, and asserted that his alliance had already demanded that a parliamentary group be formed in Pakistan as well to aid in resolving the Kashmir issue.
“The new group has two aspects. One is to mobilize public opinion in India and to condemn human rights violations in Kashmir. Second, if it is a serious effort to resolve the Kashmir issue, it necessarily needs to be welcomed,” the Mirwaiz said.
The chairman of the JKLF, Muhammad Yasin Malik, too welcomed the move, saying that mobilizing public opinion in India was an urgent need.
“Such initiatives can swing public opinion in India in favour of Kashmiris, and this is essential for resolving the issue,” he said.
Another moderate leader Shabir Ahmad Shah also hailed the move to involve public opinion in India in the resolution process as a positive development, and said that the group should mount pressure on the Indian government to resolve the Kashmir issue through tripartite talks in accordance with the wishes of Kashmiris.
The Jama’at-e-Islami, however, gave a qualified response, saying that the move should be centred on resolving the Kashmir issue and not be aimed at finding jobs or giving economic packages.
The newly formed group also recommended various political and economic measures for building the confidence in Kashmir.
The following measures include :
Revocation of the Disturbed Areas Act, phased withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Srinagar and other urban centres and release of all prisoners not charged with heinous offences, demilitarisation of civilian areas, including withdrawal of central paramilitary forces and making the State police responsible for the maintenance of law and order, immediate sanction of permanent monthly pension for widows whose husbands were killed by militants or in encounters by forces, relief and rehabilitation measures for the widows and half widows, impartial judicial commission to probe the deaths of the 112 youths, initiation of judicial enquiries in all major encounters and deaths in police firing in the last two years, introduction of a special scheme for interest free loans and advances by Banks and Financial Institutions for revival and expansion of handloom, handicrafts, tourism and horticulture sectors, providing working capital as margin money for self-employment, launching special recruitment drive in public sectors for the youth, earmarking of seats for Kashmiri students in All India Entrance examinations for Medical Colleges etc.
The newly constituted group comprises of Prakash Karat (CPI-M), AB Bardhan (CPI), D Raja (CPI), Ram Vilas Paswan (LJSP), Danish Ali (JD-S), Namo Nageshwar Rao (TDP), Abdul Khaliq (LJSP), Shoaib Iqbal (LJSP), SP Shukla (former finance secretary), academics Prof Kamal Mitra Chenoy and Prof Anuraddha Chenoy journalist Seema Mustafa and Meena Menon./end
