PM visit disappointing,says Mirwaiz

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh concluded his two-day visit to the Valley,he left the Centres internal initiative on Kashmir in limbo...

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh concluded his two-day visit to the Valley on Tuesday,he left the Centres internal initiative on Kashmir in limbo besides failing to match heightened expectations over his response to the recent fake encounters and other rights violations.

Though Hurriyat moderates were expecting the Prime Minister to make a new beginning for the talks process,he shifted the goal post further away by saying that the Centre is ready to talk to all those people who are against terror and violence. Earlier the Centres position on dialogue was without any condition for the separatist Hurriyat. In fact,the NDA government had even held talks with Hizbul Mujahideen without preconditions even as successive central governments have followed a standard policy to speak to militants who abjure guns.

Though PM Singh reiterated his governments commitment to push forward the negotiation process,the reference to dialogue was brief and in passing. Interestingly,the written speech didnt even have any mention of the dialogue and the PM added this line after he talked about step by step implementation of the ideas that were put forth during the three round table conferences on Kashmir. Besides,there was no mention direct or indirect of the separatists political groups.

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Hurriyat hardliners led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani have never joined a direct dialogue process with New Delhi,and the moderate Hurriyat led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the outcome of the PMs visit has disappointed them. We expected PM to unveil a new political initiative on Kashmir. But nothing of that sort happened, Mirwaiz told The Indian Express. We expected an offer of a direct Hurriyat-New Delhi dialogue that would complement ongoing talks with Pakistan. But the PM has left the prospect of such an engagement more uncertain than ever.

The PMs direct call for talks was essentially expected because the quiet dialogue process initiated by the Centre last year failed to kick start. A senior leader of Hurriyat moderates,Fazal Haq Qureshi,was shot at soon after Mirwaiz decided to join the quiet dialogue an attack that threw the moderate camp in disarray.

Who did PM Singh meet in Srinagar? Besides the delegations of mainstream parties,he met Khatamband and Papier-Mache Craftsmen Association,Kashmir Kissan (Railway) Association, Travel Agents Association of India (J&K) and J&K Apple Growers Association among others. While the ruling NC demanded the resumption of dialogue with the Hurriyat Conference,the opposition PDP focused on human rights issues like repeal of the AFSPA.

The Valley has been on a boil after the Macchil encounter. There was expectation that the PM would console the victims families and promise a fast track probe. The PM,however,chose to make an indirect reference to the case,saying,I am aware of some complaints related to human rights.