- Says all Indian citizens stakeholders, promises to come to the state again
- Kashmiri Pandits meet Dineshwar Sharma in Jammu
Wrapping up his meetings with stakeholders in the state, Centre’s interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma today said his visit was “very fruitful” and he would come to the state again and again.
“It is just a beginning. As I have already said all Indian citizens are stakeholders. I will be visiting J&K again and again,” Sharma said while replying to a volley of questions of media persons at the convention centre where he met various delegations today. With this statement, he held out hope to continue his efforts to bring separatists on-board the dialogue process.
On Thursday, replying to a question, Sharma had said that he had not succeeded in meeting Hurriyat leaders so far during his visit to the state as the interlocutor.
Sharma had a hectic day in the winter capital where 34 delegations comprising various political parties, non-government organisations, Bar association, Press Club and others, presented their view points, ranging from stopping the bid to talk to separatists, governance deficit, corruption and regional issues.
As there is no specific mandate for Sharma, many delegations raised issues, like poor road connectivity, reservation and other day-to-day matters in the discussions.
During his visit to the state, the interlocutor met 30 delegations in Kashmir and 34 in Jammu. He also met former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir separately in Srinagar. After reaching here on Thursday, the BJP delegation was the first to meet him. After that he met Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti at her residence and called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan. Sharma, who will be flying back to New Delhi on Saturday morning, is expected to brief Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh about his visit. However, he did not say whether he would submit an interim report to the Central government about his visit or not.
Meanwhile, Representatives of several Kashmiri Pandit organisations today met Dineshwar Sharma, the Centre’s special representative for Kashmir, and sought the setting up of an institutional mechanism for the welfare of the displaced community.
Sharma, who was appointed the Centre’s point person on Jammu and Kashmir last month, began the second leg of his visit to the state and reached Jammu last evening to hold consultations with various groups and political parties.
He called on Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti last night and discussed ways to reach out to the stakeholders in the state, officials said.
“The displaced Kashmiri Pandits are the biggest stakeholders in their rehabilitation in Kashmir. Therefore, it is they who should have the maximum say in deciding modalities of return and the methodology,” the KP representatives said in a joint memorandum submitted to Sharma.
The delegation was led by BJP legislator G L Raina and included leaders from All India Kashmiri Samaj, All India Kashmiri Pandit Conference, Jammu and Kashmir National Front, Vichar Manch and Zeishtadevi Prabandik Committee.
“It is our demand that the government put in place (a mechanism) which regularly engages the community in dialogue to work out the agreed principles on return,” the memorandum said.
“One way of achieving it is to have a welfare board on the lines of Gujjar Board or Pahari Board with representatives from different districts of the state and a chairman to look into the issues that concern the community,” it said.
After meeting Sharma, Raina told reporters that delegation members also raised the issue of encroachment of properties of temples, shrines and cremation grounds.
He criticised the poor implementation of the prime minister’s employment package for youths from the community.
The KP leadership have demanded a commission of? inquiry into the targeted killings of members from the community in the Valley and their subsequent exodus, he said.
To meet Rajnath
Dineshwar Sharma met 34 delegations comprising various political parties, non-government organisations, Bar association, Press Club and others in Jammu on Friday
They opposed efforts being made to talk to separatists and discussed issues like governance deficit, corruption and regional matters
Sharma, who will be flying back to New Delhi on Saturday morning, is expected to brief Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh about his visit
