STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar: The civil society delegation led by BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, which is on its second visit to the valley in as many months, held interaction on Tuesday with a cross section of people in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
The local civil society members raised various issues including the problems faced by the people in the valley, officials said.
The delegation, which does not have government sanction, reiterated that all issues can be resolved through dialogue and not by confrontation.
Sinha, former Minister for External Affairs and Finance, also sought to clear the misunderstanding among the people about the mission of his delegation.
He told the civil society members that his delegation did not have a political agenda and were here only to understand the hardships of the people and finding ways of mitigating their problems.
The delegation, which arrived here on Saturday, has held similar meeting in south Kashmir Shopian district on Sunday.
Sinha, who is accompanied by journalist Bharat Bhushan and Sushobha Barve from the Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation, began the second visit by meeting senior hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Aga Syed Hassan and also had a meeting with controversial Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rasheed yesterday.
The delegation first visited Kashmir in October when the unrest in the valley was still at its peak.
The delegation then also included Wajahat Habibullah, ex-chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, and former air vice-marshal Kapil Kak.
Talking to reporters here, Sinha said the delegation heard people very keenly.
At every place and in every meeting, people said that the basic reason of their pain is perhaps that no solution has been found to the issue of Jammu and Kashmir from the last 70 years. They said a solution should be found to the issue and then automatically everything would be normal, he said.
The former Union Minister said people want to address the issue peacefully through dialogue.
We told the people that the way for finding solution to any issue is by holding mutual talks and we should talk to each other. And when we will talk to each other, the solution to the issue will come out and the solution will not be arrived at through gun but talks,” he said.
And I want to tell you with some belief that most of the people were happy after hearing this and they said you are very right and we should move ahead on this path, he said.
Sinha said they understand the pain of the people here but dialogue is the only way forward.
I admit that there is so much pain in some peoples’ minds that when they express it, they do it in anger. But we were ready to understand that as well.
“We understood their pain and didn’t felt bad of their words and I think with whomever our talks took place, they also agree that dialogue is the only way for finding solution of this issue, he said.
He said the delegation told the people that they did not have the power of a government .
We will surely take our views to the government, but if the power of the people comes together with us, then we will exercise that moral authority for starting a dialogue process, he said.
Asked whether the people of Kashmir should attach any hopes with their visit, Sinha said the talks have been fruitful and then there is a moral power by virtue of which some people in our country have achieved biggest feats.
“So, there is no reason to be dejected and we are working with a hope and we also want the people here to have hope .
He said even those people, who have economic considerations, want the basic issue to be addressed.
Both last time as well as this time, when we talked to those groups who, we thought, will give priority to economic considerations, those very groups also said that the basic issue is the pending issue of Jammu and Kashmir and so they will not talk to about their losses, but we should try to solve this basic issue.
“So, we understand this and there is no problem regarding this in our mind, he said.
He said the delegation, in its first report, has recommended release of youth and expressed hope there would be some action on that.
We have recommended that in our first report only.
When we talked to the chief minister (Mehbooba Mufti) of the state, we placed that issue before her as well. We hope there is action on that very soon, he said, adding the delegation had recommended unconditional talks in their first report as well and we will again recommend it vociferously .
