New Delhi: Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday came down heavily on Kashmiri separatists for snubbing members of an all-party delegation of Parliamentarians who had tried to meet them in Kashmir.
“I want to clarify that some members of the all party delegation had gone to meet members of the separatist outfit Hurriyat Conference in their individual capacity. The way the separatists treated the members of the delegation can in no way be portrayed as Kashmiriyat (values of Kashmir), insaniyat (humanity) or democratic (jamhooriyat),” Singh said in Srinagar on Monday.
On Sunday evening, hardline separatist leader of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani, 86, refused to allow the members of the all-party delegation into his residence at Srinagar’s Hyderpora and his supporters raised anti-India slogans when the Members of Parliament (MPS) came calling.
J & K Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu has attacked Geelani, saying he showed none of the social graces that Kashmiris are known for.
“I am not Kashmiri because of Kashmir’s special status as given by the Constitution of India. I am a Kashmiri because of my values. Syed Ali Shah Geelani sullied the spirit of Kashmiriyat,” Drabu said.
The Home Minister reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir (J & K) is an integral part of India and that it would remain that way.
“I have said this before. We are willing to talk to everyone interested in peace and normalcy in Kashmir. Our door is wide open for talks. But Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will always be an integral part of India,” he added.
Singh said the 26-member all-party delegation has met more than 300 people since it reached Srinagar on Saturday, as the leaders attempt to find a solution to the Kashmir crisis.
“Everyone is very concerned, we all are of the view that things in Kashmir need to improve. The Centre is cooperating with the state government to restore normalcy in Kashmir,” Singh averred.
He pointed out that the Centre had made progress on stopping the use of non-lethal pellet guns against protesters, and an alternative will be provided to the security forces soon.
Mehbooba Mufti, as the chief of the People’s Democratic Party and not J & K Chief Minister, has also separately invited leaders of Hurriyat Conference for talks, but the separatists have rejected it.
In a statement, Geelani had said last week, “we believe that even after deadly conflicts and destructive wars, things are settled only through dialogue. But given the long and deceptive nature of the talks on Kashmir, we have witnessed this exercise more than 150 times without yielding any results till date.”
He had said that only if India accepts the disputed nature of Kashmir and starts demilitarisation, they would welcome any move forward.
“We cannot demonise the sanctity of this grave issue by participating in a photo session or meeting for a cup of tea,” he said.
The situation in the Kashmir Valley continues to be tense amid recurring street protests, triggered by the July eight killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani.
At least 74 people have been killed and nearly 12,000 injured in the weeks of the unrest, the deadliest since 2010 when some 120 people died in firing by police and paramilitary troopers.
