Centre's 'sustained dialogue' offer evokes mixed reactions in Kashmir

The appointment of Dineshwar Sharma, a former Intelligence Bureau director, as an interlocutor to initiate a sustained dialogue to find a solution to Kashmir issue on Monday evoked mixed response among mainstreams while separatists declined to comment.

While welcoming the initiative, J&K Chief Minster Mehbooba Mufti said the dialogue is a necessity of the hour and the only way to go forward.

“This dialogue initiative is in line with P.M @narendramodi‘s 15th August speech ‘na goli se, na gaali se, Kashmir ki samasya suljhegi gale lagaane se’ (sic),” she tweeted.

National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah termed the offer “as the acceptance of the political nature of the Kashmir issue” which he said is a resounding defeat of those who could only see the use of force as a solution.

However, while referring to Rajanth’s statement that Sharma would try to understand the legitimate aspirations of the people, Omar sought to know who would define which of the demands are genuine.

“The ‘legitimate aspirations’ of people of J&K is an interesting formulation. Who gets to decide what is legitimate?” he tweeted.

Omar also sought to know the fate of the probe into terror funding cases.

Welcome move

The Congress on Monday said it welcomed the appointment of an interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir saying it was a clear admission by the Modi government that its “muscular policy” has failed in the troubled state.

“From no-talks to talks with all stakeholders is a major victory for those who had strongly argued for a political solution in Jammu and Kashmir,” former home minister P Chidambaram said.“With the appointment of an interlocutor, I hope the government has finally admitted muscular approach has failed,” he tweeted.