New Delhi:
Individual members of the all-party delegation to Kashmir are meeting key separatists from the Valley at their residence. A five-member team including Sitaram Yechury, T R Baalu and Owasi met Syed Ali Shah Geelani - leader of the hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference - at his home. (
Watch)
This is being seen as the first major concrete political development and a beginning to some form of communication.
The delegates later reached the residence of moderate leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who met them wearing a black band in protest.
Speaking to NDTV, Mirwaiz had said a private call-on was not the same as talks with the government. (
Watch: All-party delegates meet Mirwaiz)
The delegates are also expected to meet Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) leader Yasin Malik.
The development was largely welcomed as the most broad thinking move today, even by those who personally stayed away. PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said that she hoped the meeting with the separatists will be the start of a new process. (
Watch: Meeting separatists a good start, Mehbooba tells NDTV)
As the 39-member all-party delegation arrived in Kashmir, separatist politicians rejected their formal invitation to meet for talks. They instead chose to send across a joint memorandum.
Mirwaiz Omar Farooq said, "We have seen that only when a major crisis erupts, there are visible efforts to engage and understand our aspirations. As soon as immediate crisis subsides, political complacency gets restored."
"We choose not to meet your delegation and will send a joint memorandum to all. We have reiterated our four points for a peace process to begin. We propose talks between parliamentary committees of India and Pakistan," he added.
The all-party delegation allotted 15 minutes to all parties appearing before them. "Each major political party in Jammu and Kashmir has been allotted 15 minutes. It should be used to the best advantage, said Home Minister P Chidambaram.
"We hope and believe that the honour, dignity and future (of Kashmiris) are secure as part of India," he added.
Opposition PDP, whichsent a delegation minus its leader Mehbooba Mufti, said they were shocked at Chidambaram's statement that since the delegation did not have much time, each party would get 15 minutes. 15 minutes, they said, was hardly adequate todiscuss the decades old problem of Kashmir.
"We told them that you will have to muster courage to reach out and offer condolences to mothers who have lost their sons and reach out to the daughters who crave for help and sympathy with some political ideology and view," said Nizamuddin Bhat, PDP leader.
Terming the all-party initiative as a good beginning, the ruling National Conference (NC) reiterated its demand for autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir as the best solution to resolve the long-pending issue.
(Watch: J&K Finance Minister speaks to NDTV)The delegation will meet various political parties and people's forums in Srinagar on its two-day visit, and will focus on reaching out to as many Kashmiris as possible and hear out their grievances. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said feedback from the delegation will help evolve the government's strategy on J&K issues.
The Kashmir Valley has been in the grip of a vicious cycle of violence and over 100 people have been killed in clashes with security forces in the last three months.
The last such delegation visited J&K 20 years ago, led by then Deputy PM Devi Lal to review law & order.
Some of the key members of the all-party delegation include:
- Home Minister P Chidambaram (leading the delegation)
- Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley (BJP leaders and Leaders of opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively)
- Mulayam Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party)
- T R Baalu (DMK)
- Ramvilas Paswan (LJP)
- Sharad Yadav (JD-U)
- E Ahamed (Indian Union Muslim League)
- Gurudas Dasgupta (CPI)
- Basudeb Acharya (CPM)