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New Delhi
With the Government appointed Interlocutors on Kashmir likely to submit their report soon, a civil society group—Kashmir Committee— on Tuesday charged it with failing to reach out to a major section of people, especially separatists groups, and said that the committee will bridge this gap.
The Kashmir Committee, which is being chaired by BJP MP Ram Jethmalani and has social activist and Editor Madhu Kishwar as convener, will visit the Kashmir valley from May 5 to 9 and meet every sections of society, including separatist leaders like Shabir Shah and Abdul Gani Bhat, to get their views across.
“The people of Kashmir are disappointed as they expected senior politicians to be interlocutors and many of them, especially separatists have refused to meet and talk to these interlocutors terming them a “bunch of jokers.” So, we will reach out to these people and supplement the work of Government interlocutors,” Kishwar said.
Asked the rationale for reviving the group after seven years especially when interlocutors are already working, Kishwar said that dialogue with civil society is must and connections needed to be build with the people of Kashmir who feel neglected by the centre.
“We have no confrontation with the group of interlocutors, if they have a good report we will be more than happy... And if they have not been able to establish contacts with some people, we would be nothing but happy to facilitate such contacts.”
Moreover, interlocutors have not reached out to the people while Kashmir committee will go out and meet even separatist leaders so that their views are also included in any resolution to the Kashmir issue.
Significantly, the committee claims not to be representing any political party, Government and group. It has former foreign secretary Vinod Grover, TV journalist from Pulwama Wahidur Rehman, former law minister Shanti Bhushan and journalist M J Akbar as members, but latter two were not present in the press conference.
The Kashmir Committee has been revived to pursuing the goal of Indo-Pak peace and an honourable and viable settlement of Kashmir problem, Jethmalani said and added that he will lead a delegation of lawyers to Pakistan on invitation of Chief Justice of Supreme Court.
With the Government appointed Interlocutors on Kashmir likely to submit their report soon, a civil society group—Kashmir Committee— on Tuesday charged it with failing to reach out to a major section of people, especially separatists groups, and said that the committee will bridge this gap.
The Kashmir Committee, which is being chaired by BJP MP Ram Jethmalani and has social activist and Editor Madhu Kishwar as convener, will visit the Kashmir valley from May 5 to 9 and meet every sections of society, including separatist leaders like Shabir Shah and Abdul Gani Bhat, to get their views across.
“The people of Kashmir are disappointed as they expected senior politicians to be interlocutors and many of them, especially separatists have refused to meet and talk to these interlocutors terming them a “bunch of jokers.” So, we will reach out to these people and supplement the work of Government interlocutors,” Kishwar said.
Asked the rationale for reviving the group after seven years especially when interlocutors are already working, Kishwar said that dialogue with civil society is must and connections needed to be build with the people of Kashmir who feel neglected by the centre.
“We have no confrontation with the group of interlocutors, if they have a good report we will be more than happy... And if they have not been able to establish contacts with some people, we would be nothing but happy to facilitate such contacts.”
Moreover, interlocutors have not reached out to the people while Kashmir committee will go out and meet even separatist leaders so that their views are also included in any resolution to the Kashmir issue.
Significantly, the committee claims not to be representing any political party, Government and group. It has former foreign secretary Vinod Grover, TV journalist from Pulwama Wahidur Rehman, former law minister Shanti Bhushan and journalist M J Akbar as members, but latter two were not present in the press conference.
The Kashmir Committee has been revived to pursuing the goal of Indo-Pak peace and an honourable and viable settlement of Kashmir problem, Jethmalani said and added that he will lead a delegation of lawyers to Pakistan on invitation of Chief Justice of Supreme Court.
