Kashmiri group seeks support for talks with New Delhi
Kashmiri group seeks support for talks with New Delhi
15:52, November 06, 2009 
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The moderate faction of Hurriyat conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooqin India-controlled Kashmir is garnering support to enter into a dialogue process with New Delhi on Kashmir issue.
The group is currently consulting different separatist political groups in the region to forge consensus on the move.
"Our faction has already stated that prior to approaching New Delhi or Islamabad on the issue, we will forge consensus among the separatists. The process has started and our representatives are currently holding deliberations with other groups," said a Hurriyat insider in the moderate faction.
The move follows the statements from Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram during their respective visits to the region last month that they are ready to talk to people with different shades of political opinion.
Though New Delhi is yet to make any formal talks offer, the consensus process within the separatist ranks seems to be a difficult one.
The initial meeting with the hard-line faction headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani has not yielded desired results, for the group maintains that only tripartite talks serve the purpose.
"Last year an agreement was reached out between all of us while they agreed on tripartite talks on Kashmir. We informed them that bilateral talks would breach the agreement," said Ghulam Nabi Sumjai, a senior member of hardline faction of Hurriyat.
With difference of opinion stark among the main separatist factions, the Mirwaiz reiterated that his group will try to build unity.
Mirwaiz told media that his group will indulge into a triangular dialogue that would ultimately pave way for tripartite talks.
"This time none of the parties are ready to talk. We believe holding negotiations with India and Pakistan one by one will help our cause. Ultimately all the three parties have to face each other but for that ground work needs to be done. We are not entering into a bilateral dialogue. It's just an effort to make headway towards the resolution of Kashmir issue," Mirwaiz said in a interview to a Srinagar based local daily.
The group has also approached chairman of Jammu and Kashmir liberation Front (JKLF) Yasin Malik for his opinion. The meeting though reported to have been held in a "cordial" atmosphere, could not prove effective and the two decided to hold another one to discuss the issue further.
Forging unity among the separatist circles is proving to be an uphill task for the moderate faction of Hurriyat conference.
The faction in the past held several rounds of talks with New Delhi during the tenure of governments headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.
In 2004 the group backed off from the dialogue process after couple of rounds accusing New Delhi of resorting to non-seriousness and delaying techniques.
Source: Xinhua
The group is currently consulting different separatist political groups in the region to forge consensus on the move.
"Our faction has already stated that prior to approaching New Delhi or Islamabad on the issue, we will forge consensus among the separatists. The process has started and our representatives are currently holding deliberations with other groups," said a Hurriyat insider in the moderate faction.
The move follows the statements from Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram during their respective visits to the region last month that they are ready to talk to people with different shades of political opinion.
Though New Delhi is yet to make any formal talks offer, the consensus process within the separatist ranks seems to be a difficult one.
The initial meeting with the hard-line faction headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani has not yielded desired results, for the group maintains that only tripartite talks serve the purpose.
"Last year an agreement was reached out between all of us while they agreed on tripartite talks on Kashmir. We informed them that bilateral talks would breach the agreement," said Ghulam Nabi Sumjai, a senior member of hardline faction of Hurriyat.
With difference of opinion stark among the main separatist factions, the Mirwaiz reiterated that his group will try to build unity.
Mirwaiz told media that his group will indulge into a triangular dialogue that would ultimately pave way for tripartite talks.
"This time none of the parties are ready to talk. We believe holding negotiations with India and Pakistan one by one will help our cause. Ultimately all the three parties have to face each other but for that ground work needs to be done. We are not entering into a bilateral dialogue. It's just an effort to make headway towards the resolution of Kashmir issue," Mirwaiz said in a interview to a Srinagar based local daily.
The group has also approached chairman of Jammu and Kashmir liberation Front (JKLF) Yasin Malik for his opinion. The meeting though reported to have been held in a "cordial" atmosphere, could not prove effective and the two decided to hold another one to discuss the issue further.
Forging unity among the separatist circles is proving to be an uphill task for the moderate faction of Hurriyat conference.
The faction in the past held several rounds of talks with New Delhi during the tenure of governments headed by Atal Behari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.
In 2004 the group backed off from the dialogue process after couple of rounds accusing New Delhi of resorting to non-seriousness and delaying techniques.
Source: Xinhua
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