- Business community to boycott meeting with Home Minister
- How can we talk amid killings?
- Kashmir is a dispute, resolve it once for all: KEA
In a major snub to Kashmiri separatists, Union home minister Rajnath Singh will not be engaging with them during his two-day deliberations with various stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir starting Saturday in Srinagar. While Singh, who will be in the Valley for the first time since violent protests broke out following the killing of Hizbul terrorist Burhan Wani , will be hearing out political parties, civil society groups, media representatives, local businessmen/traders, security agencies and state government brass, sources said a conscious decision has been taken to avoid separatist groups like Hurriyat Conference in view of their tendency to fish in troubled waters and the bitter experience of its leaders “hobnobbing” with the Pakistan High Commission here to stall any Indo-Pakistan dialogue .
Singh will land in Srinagar on Saturday morning and start off his meetings with J&K civil society groups, including NGOs, rights activists as well as delegations of Kashmiri Pandits. A separate interaction with media groups, which have come out strongly against the recent ban on publication of newspapers in the state, will follow. The home minister will also engage J&K businessmen and traders, representing industries like tourism, horticulture and handicrafts, on how to boost the state economy.
As announced by him in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Singh will be staying at the state government-run Nehru Guest House to ensure that he is accessible to all. He will also be making a road journey from the Srinagar airport to the guest house, rather than flying in a chopper.
Later on Saturday, Singh will have separate meetings with J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and governor NN Vohra, the focus of which will be to review the situation in the Valley and reflect on the measures to deal with the protestors.
Singh’s second day in Srinagar is packed with meetings with J&K public representatives. “He will have one-on-one interactions with leaders of various political parties. The purpose is to give them a forum to air their grievances and get their perspective on the situation in J&K,” said a source close to the home minister.
The final leg of his meetings is with the security agencies and J&K government brass, involving a comprehensive law and order review and outlining of further strategies.
Meanwhile, the Centre is said to have finalised composition of the committee announced by the home minister to find an alternative to pellet guns . Sources said it may be a three-member panel comprising joint secretary (police modernisation) in the home ministry, DG of a Central force (CRPF or BSF) and a J&K government representative. “The committee will study various non-lethal means of crowd control and suggest an alternative that will rule out any serious or permanent injury to civilians, particularly in sensitive parts like the eye. The alternative may be a better or imported make of pellets or a different firing position,” said an officer.
Meanwhile, Valley’s traders have decided to boycott the scheduled meeting with the Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who is arriving in Srinagar on Saturday for a two day visit. The business community feels that while the government is defending the civilian killings there is no point in meeting the Home Minister.
Travel, trade and hospitality sector has also decided not to meet the Home Minister. The business community had received communications from the office of the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir for a meeting with Rajnath Singh.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Secretary General Faiz Bakshi said amid unabated violence and killings, a dialogue cannot be held.
“KCCI and all traders’ bodies have decided to boycott the meeting with the home minister. In such circumstances, when unabated violence and killing (of youth) is happening, how can a dialogue take place?” questioned Bakshi.
“There is no point in meeting home minister when the government is defending the killings of innocent youth.”
Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) said they would also boycott the meeting with Home Minister.
“They are treating us like animals. They are using pellet guns on civilians maiming them for life. The death toll is mounting every day. In such circumstances, how can we meet them? They come here for political gains only. Had they been sincere they would have come here on the very first day,” said President FCIK Ashraf Mir.
Chairman Kashmir Economic Alliance Mohammad Yasin Khan said that the government of India should realize that Kashmir is a dispute and time has come to resolve it once for all.
He also pointed out that after killing of 50 people how can GoI expect a meeting.
“This is a dispute and they have to realize this. The whole world realizes that. They also have to talk to Pakistan which is a party to this dispute. What will we do by meeting them? They killed our dear ones, 50 till now, in 13 days. How can they expect us to meet them?” asked Khan.
He said government remembers Kashmir only when violence erupts. “And why do they remember us only when there is violence. This is a 70 –year-old dispute and they should realize that they have to solve it once for all,” said Khan.
