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Roundtable on Kashmir resumes amid tight security

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Srinagar, India, May 25, IRNA
India-Kashmir-Roundtable
A second roundtable conference resumed Thursday amid tight security in this strike-hit capital of Kashmir on proposals put forward by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The conference began yesterday.

A massive strike has paralyzed Kashmir for the second consecutive day with transport off the roads and business houses, markets, government offices and educational institutions closed.

The strike is being staged on the call of the separatist Hurriyat Conference, which along with other main pro-independence parties, is boycotting the much hyped meet.

The conference was convened by the prime minister at 10 am yesterday with 30 participants representing various pro-India political parties and interest groups from Jammu and Kashmir participating.

The prime minister will give his remarks at the conference after deliberations are over.

The two-day conclave, the second in three months, is expected to evolve a mechanism through sub-groups for addressing specific issues like security, economic development, human rights and cross-LoC travel and trade.

Earlier, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while spelling out the agenda for the roundtable conference, said that his government will focus on efforts to achieve a sound future for Jammu and Kashmir.

To achieve such goal, the prime minister proposed a five-point program for building what he called a "new Kashmir."
Dr Singh asked the participants to concentrate on political institutions and how these can strengthen the relationship between the Centre and the state, ensure security, human rights, good governance and economic advancement, restore public confidence and decide "what institutional arrangements can bring people from both sides of the Line of Control closer to each other."
He said the government was endeavoring to put behind the tragic memories of the past while working to build a prosperous future for the state.

Condemning acts of violence, Singh said the government will ensure that every resident of this state is protected from such acts and atrocities.

"We are prepared to take every step towards achieving this objective. We condemn such activities and will ensure that such plans fail," he said.

Maintaining that the government recognised the role of dialogue to resolve political issues, he said all forms of dialogue should continue, and expressed hope the Hurriyat Conference, which has boycotted the current roundtable, would at an "appropriate time" join the dialogue process and share their views.

Describing his meeting with Hurriyat leaders earlier this month in Delhi as "positive," he said they were prepared to take the dialogue process forward and were "ready to prepare specific proposals."
Suggesting that the leaders representing different shades of opinion focus on five areas, he said these included strengthening security of the people, human rights and good governance, bringing closer the different regions of the state while recognizing their distinct identities, working on the economic future of the state and firming up an institutional arrangement to bring people from both sides of the Line of Control closer to each other.

Singh said that in light of the changing environment, the government was reviewing all cases of detention. Included in this was a review of cases of those who had crossed over after violating Indian laws and were anxious to come home.

In obvious reference to extrajudicial killings, Singh said such "shameful acts have occurred in the state and which have no place in democratic governance."
Participants in this roundtable include Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and seven other Congress leaders, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah and his son, Omar, PDP leaders Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, his daughter Mehbooba, and Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beigh (PDP).

Besides those above-mentioned, two members from the National Panthers Party, one each from the CPM and CPI and three Kashmiri Pandit leaders, including Panun Kashmir convenor Agnishekhar, are also attending the meeting.

The prime minister is being assisted in this dialogue by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, National Security Advisor M K Narayanan, Principal Secretary to PM T K A Nair, Centre's pointman N N Vohra and Union Home Secretary V K Duggal.

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