Situation in Valley still grim: Wajahat Habibullah
- Team unlikely to meet separatist leaders
- ‘Everybody wants peace to prevail; Delhi must understand situation in Kashmir’
The five-member delegation led by senior BJP leader and former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha on Monday said though situation has improved in many ways in Valley but it is still “very grim” and maintained that Kashmiris including Hurriyat leadership and civil society members want peace to prevail.
The five-member delegation led by Sinha and including former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, former Air Vice-Marshal (Retd) Kapil Kak, Journalist Bharat Bhushan and Sushoba Barve of Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation interacted with members of civil society in Srinagar today.
“We met people from different sections of society including separatists, mainstream politicians and civil society members during our last and present visit to the Valley. Though the feedback is different but the common feedback is all have desire for peace and desire of reaching conclusions to the dialogue process for the resolution of Kashmir issue,” Habibullah told Kashmir Post on sidelines of delegation member’s interaction with civil society members.
The delegation had visited Kashmir in October and met separatist leaders and people of cross section of society.
Wajahat said the five-member delegation comprises a group of individuals, who don’t represent any political party or organization. “We have come to create channels of communication between Kashmiris and New Delhi”.
“Our exercise is an outreach to all and is an ongoing process. We realize that the problem is deep rooted and people,” he said.
According to Wajahat, the former Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, although the situation in the Valley has improved in many ways but it is still very grim.
Asked what has been outcome of their first visit to Valley, he said the situation has improved. “The separatist leaders were released and allowed to meet each other, education system is back on the track, schools have reopened and examinations have been conducted”.
“How much credit we can take but we don’t want to. We are here to feel the pain of people and share their pain,” he said.
Wajahat said their exercise was not part of the dialogue but a process of discussing ideas to find ways for the peace.
“We are not trying to resolve the Kashmir issue right now but we have to keep the resolution of the issue in our heart,” he said adding, “The need was to work together with the people of Kashmir to bring back peace in this valley and to smoothen the ways for seeking the resolution to the Kashmir issue”.
According to Wajahat, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was held in high regards in Kashmir for his positive developments towards the relationship between Kashmiris and rest of the India and towards the Indo- Pak relationship.
“However, at the same time Kashmiris have anger against the successive central governments including present one for their Kashmir policies. People of Kashmir have also anger against the people living in rest of the India for not understanding and respecting them,” he said.
Asked whether they were giving their feedback to Government of India (GoI), Wajahat said the delegation has discussed the observation with the GoI.
“We sent our feedback to GoI including the Home Ministry and the Prime Minister’s office but it has not reacted to it officially. We also discussed our observations with J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti as well opposition leaders including Farooq Abdullah and Congress leader Saifudin Soz,” he said adding, “GoI was aware of the delegation’s Kashmir visit”.
He said they have given their opinion and observations. “Now let us see how GoI will react. We have to work together and if we have to move forward we don’t have to work against anyone”.
Wajahat said Delhi must understand the situation in Kashmir and react to it accordingly. “Delhi must understand what is happening in its own part of the country”.
Asked whether they have suggested release of the arrested persons, he said though the decision lies with the state government but they want all youth detained during the unrest should be released. “Separatists should be also allowed to meet each other and everybody in Kashmir should feel the liberty of freedom”.
He said Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government in the Stae has taken many steps including releasing many separatist leaders s including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq after delegation’s last visit to Kashmir.
Wajahat said the delegation has met many people including Aga syed Hassan, Syed Shah a brother of Shabir Ahmad Shah, members of Sikh community, entrepreneurs, clergy delegation, youth and others during their present stay in Kashmir.
He said the delegation is unlikely to meet senior separatists including Mirwaiz and Geelani this time.
