NEW DELHI: The multiparty Hurriyat Conference, a conglomeration of traditional opposition parties ‘of the Valley, is set to break a new ground by holding a seminar on the Kashmir problem here in the middle of October.
An advance team of the Hurriyat is scheduled to arrive here soon to enlist Participation in the seminar; The seminar will also mark the formal launching of the “Kashmir Awareness Bu which has already been set up by the Hurriyat here to propagate its ideology. Top Hurriyat leaders are expected to turn up here for the occasion. This be the first time that Hurriyat leaders will be directly interacting with the national leaders as a group.
On the other end of the political spectrum, a 15member group of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Home Affairs, led by Rajni: Ranjan Sahu, A Rajya Sabha member, has returned after an on the spot study of the situation in the State. The group. which moved around amidst tight security is in the process of finalizing its report.
Shabir Shah, young and powerful Hurriyat leader, said in an interview in Srinagar recently that his organization would invite all leaders for the seminar. He lamented that India and Pakistan continued to spend huge amounts on defense, He believed: We can find a solution which is in the hands of India, Pakistan and the people ‘of Kashmir.”
Shah denied a claim made by Babbar Khalsa after it assassinated Beant Singh that there had been a secret meeting between him and the members of the outfit. He asserted that he had visited Punjab under public galore and on a prescheduled program. He had met, among others, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Prakash Singh Badal, Surjit Singh Bamnala and members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, and also Bhai Mehtab Singh, an associate of the late Bhindranwale. He was not aware if any representative of Babbar Khalsa ‘was present at these meetings.
The Hurriyat leader criticized Bhuvanesh Chaturvedi, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, for having made contradictory statements, “Once in Srinagar Chaturvedi had said that the Government was prepared for unconditional talks on Kashmir but the moment he reached Jammu he changed his tune and said the talks had to be within the Indian Constitution,” Shah recalled. He said he would personally go to the Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, provided he admitted that there was a “Kashmir dispute and that there were three parties to it—India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir.”
On the other hand, the members of the Parliamentary group had a different experience. Shah opined “The people want participation in development process and transparency in development works at all levels. They want democratic process to start.”
Saifuddin Chaudhary (CPIM) was more forthcoming. He remarked:” “The people want normalcy. They have understood that no foreign power can help them in getting ‘azadi.’ There is realization that they have to live in India. But the administration has not really been successful in removing the alienation of the people.” He appreciated the remarks made by the Governor, Gen (retd) K.V. Krishna Rao, at a briefing for the MPs in Srinagar that a categorical assurance ‘about the autonomy should be made before the elections.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 29, 1995
