The Hurriyat Conference has decided to talk to Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and will make a formal announcement to this effect from the pulpit of the historical Jamia mosque tomorrow. ‘‘Yes, we have decided to talk. If New Delhi sends an invitation seeking an unconditional dialogue with us, we will have no reason to shy away from it,’’ Maulvi Mirwaiz Umar Farooq told The Indian Express today soon after the brainstorming session of the Hurriyat’s general council and working committee.‘‘In the first place, we will not ask New Delhi to spell out the agenda for the proposed talks. Instead, we will wait for an invitation,’’ he said. This sets the stage for tomorrow when the Mirwaiz, who is also the chief priest of Kashmir, will announce Hurriyat’s willingness to talk to Advani tomorrow at the Jamia mosque.Thousands of Kashmiris are expected to turn up for prayers of the Jumat-ul-Vida or the last Friday of Ramzan. The Hurriyat sees this as seeking the ‘‘people’s endorsement’’ of its decision.Mirwaiz, who has a formidable influence in downtown Srinagar, is also expected to ruffle the feathers of the hawkish separatist leadership, targeting them for their ‘‘tough stand which could hinder the chances of holding talks.’’He will be accompanied by moderate leaders like Abdul Gani Bhat and Hurriyat chairman Maulvi Abbas Ansari. Sources said that the Mirwaiz and Bhat are expected to focus on explaining to the people ‘‘why the Hurriyat favours a dialogue and telling them why an intransigent approach won’t be in favour of Kashmiris who stand to lose if they shy away from the table.’’Meanwhile, separatist hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who holds a different view on how to go about with the dialogue with New Delhi will also address people in the politically volatile Baramulla township tomorrow.Geelani has always insisted on trilateral talks involving India, Pakistan and Kashmiris. Only recently, he hardened his stand saying his group would enter into negotiations only if New Delhi passes a resolution in Parliament that Kashmir is ‘‘disputed territory.’’At today’s meeting, the general council and working committee members gave a green signal to the highest-decision making executive to enter into negotiations with Advani. It was decided that talks would get a further push if New Delhi agrees to talk Kashmir specifically and omits items like devolution of power in the invitation.
