In a significant development, leaders of national political parties and civil society groups of India Monday announced constitution of a committee to launch country-wide campaign for promoting dialogue and reconciliation on Jammu and Kashmir.

Srinagar, Dec 27: In a significant development, leaders of national political parties and civil society groups of India Monday announced constitution of a committee to launch country-wide campaign for promoting dialogue and reconciliation on Jammu and Kashmir. 

The decision to constitute the panel on promoting dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir was taken at a meeting held at the Communist Party of India office in New Delhi today. The meeting was attended by politicians from Left and other non-Congress and non-BJP parties and prominent civil society activists. 

According to sources, the newly constituted group named “Committee for Promoting Dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir” comprises 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), Prof Kamal Mitra Chenoy, SP Shukla (former finance secretary) Prof Anuraddha Chenoy, Seema Mustafa and Meena Menon. 

“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, told Greater Kashmir. 

The first meeting in New Delhi, she said, will be addressed by political stalwarts like former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Chandrababu Naidu, Ram Vilas Paswan, AB Bardhan and Prakash Karat. She said it would be followed by similar public meetings in state capitals. 

She said more politicians and civil society members are joining the group in the next few weeks, as there was an open invitation to everybody. 

“We have decided to take all along, except BJP and Congress, for creating awareness about the Kashmir,” she said. 

Seema said the group would also be holding dialogue with all major stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir in the next few months. 

“We would also be holding dialogue with separatists and other political forces,” she said, adding they would be visiting the Valley in the month of February. 

The 11-member committee comprising politicians and civil society members visited Kashmir earlier this month and met prominent separatist and mainstream leaders. During their visit, they recommended revocation of Public Safety Act and selective withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

The 11-member team of politicians and civil society members who visited Kashmir in the first week of December have 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.
This was stated in a report, adopted at the group’s meet in New Delhi Monday. 

In its report, the delegation said during its visit, they observed that three member panel of interlocutors does not enjoy goodwill in Jammu and Kashmir, “with all sections of people demanding for a high powered and representative political committee for comprehensive dialogue.” 

“Kashmiri leaders are all willing to talk and speak in favour of dialogue. The stress and trauma has reached high levels and all sections of Kashmiri society are affected,” the report said, adding that the current phase of uprising in the Valley is spontaneous. 

The group said, that situation in Kashmir has worsened dramatically after the killing of 112 boys by security forces and the police during the past five months. 

“The continuing mass arrests of youth is fuelling alienation, giving the slogan for ‘Azadi’ popular and widespread support,” it says. 

It further states, all sections of the society, including separatists, are keen for a result-oriented dialogue with the Centre provided certain immediate and tangible steps are taken to build trust and confidence with the people of Jammu and Kashmir.